I’m sitting down with my dear friend, Darlene Cordero—founder of Wellness Culture, author of The Healer’s Playbook, and a true force of nature when it comes to supporting and uplifting others. Darlene is an inspiration to me in so many ways. We talk about why she left behind a high-powered corporate career in private equity and media to follow her calling as an entrepreneur, advocate, and healer. But it wasn’t an easy or linear path. It took years of self-discovery, courage, and, ultimately, a life-altering cancer diagnosis to redefine what success truly meant to her.

Healing, Resilience & Embracing Mortality: The Key to Living Fully

Through it all, Darlene has shown us that healing isn’t just about the body—it’s about how we show up for ourselves and each other. In this conversation we talk about prioritizing yourself in a world that constantly asks for more, the power of community in healing, and how to support a friend through a cancer diagnosis with presence and love. Most of all, Darlene reminds us that every day is a gift, and true success isn’t about titles or stability—it’s about joy, connection, and purpose. Together we break the silence on death, and explore how once you accept that you’re going to die, you can then truly live.

(00:03:52) How Darlene Built a Purpose-Driven Career in Wellness

• Read:  The Healer's Playbook by Darlene Cordero

• Redefining the word healer to include our own abilities to self-heal

• Transitioning from working in the corporate world to entrepreneurship

• How getting married and having kids young impacted her trajectory

• What Darlene has learned from working with the top names in wellness

(00:13:46) How a Cancer Diagnosis Transformed Darlene’s Perspective on Life 

• Darlene’s breast cancer journey: from beating stage 0 to being rediagnosed

• What inspired her resilience and joy in the face of a cancer diagnosis

• How having cancer changed her life and gave her a new perspective we can all learn from

(00:21:09) Darlene’s Daily Practices While Navigating a Cancer Diagnosis

• Darlene’s morning routine to start the day with intention

• Leaning on human design to have more self-acceptance

• What is Darlene’s current prognosis?

• How to support someone who is diagnosed with cancer

(00:33:00) The Secret to Living Fully: How Embracing Death Can Set You Free

• Breaking the silence around talking about death

• Songs we’d want played at our funerals

• Darlene’s message to anyone struggling with not wanting to live 

Thanks for the support from our partners, including:

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Guest Info:

• Website: wellnessculture.co

• Instagram: @meetdarlene

• Read:  The Healer's Playbook by Darlene Cordero

Resources:

• Start a conversation in your The Big Silence merch: thebigsilence.com/collections/shop-all

• Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing 

• Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn

• Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence

• Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel

• Therapy For All: Resources for those in need

• Thank you to our partners! Go to thebigsilence.com/partners for special offers for our listeners

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“The Big Silence” theme song written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney.

Producer, Bobby Goldstein.