The Modern Crone

Erika Behl is a coach based in Singapore.  Originally from the US, she lived in Africa and Europe before eventually settling in Asia for the past 18 years.   After spending almost two decades building a traditionally “successful” life, a breast cancer diagnosis in late 2017 catalysed a shift in her priorities.   A year’s-long sabbatical, several attempts at starting a business, and a divorce later, she concedes that sometimes burning down what you don’t want is easier than finding what you do. 
She writes for other deep-thinking independents, tells stories on stage, hosts the "Every Moment is a Choice" podcast, and will publish The Clear-Eyed Chemo Journal, a system for cancer patients to reclaim their agency, in 2026. Her work centres on approaches to writing one’s own path.    
Join us as Erika shares:
Her extraordinary and unusual journey as a young woman
The shock of her cancer diagnosis at 40 years old with a young family
Her coping strategies as an introvert and atheist
The usefulness and also peril of ‘the cancer warrior’ persona
Her subsequent full-blown breakdown after surviving cancer 
The devastating impact of not speaking her truth and the building pressure of wearing masks
The power of choice and taking action
How shopping around through therapy, meditation, somatic practices, connection and discovery paved the road to her recovery
The rise of creativity through personal storytelling, writing, and podcasting
How her journey led to helping others through coaching and her soon-to-be-released Cancer Journal: The Clear-Eyed Chemo Journal
The seminal question - ‘Why not now?’
You can connect with Erika here:
Website
Linkedin
And if your spirit is stirred by these amazing conversations, don’t forget to like, subscribe and leave a review - so more people can find their way to The Modern Crone. Thank you for tuning in! 
 
 
I am so grateful for The Modern Crone team -
Theme music and season intro tracks:
Sam Joole: 
www.samjoole.com
Cover design and photography
Luana Suciu
https://www.instagram.com/luanasuciu/
[email protected] 
Voice editing:
Christopher Hales - Mask Music Studios
[email protected]
Studio and Reel production:
Kymberly Sng
[email protected]

Marilyn Choong is a Singapore-born author and seasoned marketer with a deep passion for storytelling. She began writing articles on gratitude, mindfulness, happiness, and resilience years ago, and her journey as an author deepened after a life-changing spiritual awakening following her mother’s passing, an experience that reshaped her understanding of grief and the enduring bonds beyond the physical world.
Her book, The Thin Veil Between Us (published July 2024), became a #1 Straits Times bestseller and reached #1 on Amazon Singapore in Mental & Spiritual Healing, Complementary Medicine, and Hot New Releases. She has been featured in The Straits Times and on live radio in Singapore, where she shared the story and insights behind her bestselling book.
Join us as Marilyn shares:
Her beautiful close relationship with her mum
The devastating loss of her mother in 2022 after a diagnosis of aggressive cancer
The first signs of the presence of the spirit realm before her mother passed
The unexpected return of her mum from the spirit realm during Marilyn’s deepest grief, initially through dreams visitations, and then in more direct and incredible ways
How this contact was an initiation of an expansive journey into spirituality
How the bonds of love endure after death, and the frequency of motherly love
The non-linear, deeply personal stages of grief 
Her guidance on supporting others through loss and grief
The importance of finding meaning in heartache as a pathway to resurrection
How loss can lead to personal growth
How writing her book gave her comfort and healing
How loss has changed how she lives her life today - intentionally with deep gratitude
Her guidance for listeners who are struggling with grief

To purchase Marilyn's book, visit: https://sg.shp.ee/GHEowDw
You may also find it at local bookstores such as Kinokuniya or Popular Bookstore. 
For international orders via Amazon: https://a.co/d/5ACiktw

And if your spirit is stirred by these amazing conversations, don’t forget to like, subscribe and leave a review - so more people can find their way to The Modern Crone. Thank you for tuning in! 
 
Big love for The Modern Crone team -
Theme music and season intro tracks:
Sam Joole: 
www.samjoole.com
Cover design and photography
Luana Suciu
https://www.instagram.com/luanasuciu/
[email protected] 
Voice editing:
Christopher Hales - Mask Music Studios
[email protected]
Studio and Reel production:
Kymberly Sng
[email protected]

David Ratner grew up on the edge of Chicago, USA. He has worked as an actor, taxi driver, copy editor, bookseller, waiter, house painter, a long-time high school teacher, and a writer. He has lived in Boston, Paris, San Francisco, Dublin, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. He's an avid traveller, a hiker, a baseball coach, a Scoutmaster, a pie maker, a scuba diver, and more. He's been a resident of Singapore, with his wife, Allison, two sons, and their dog, Diggity, since 2014. David was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer and told he had between 2 and 6 years to live. That was nearly 5 years ago, but he has no current plans to die, certainly not of cancer. 
Join us as David shares:
His incredible dance with death on several occasions, and the super-charged impact on his view of life and consciousness
His unexpected diagnosis of advanced prostate cancer and the opening of an extraordinary exploration of spirituality and healing
The importance of self-agency and perspective
How sharing his experience on his blog aided his healing
The role of love
The main changes he made in his mindset and lifestyle for healing
The potent combination of traditional and alternative approaches
His refreshing attitude towards the inevitability of death 
And if your spirit is stirred by these amazing conversations, don’t forget to like, subscribe and leave a review - so more people can find their way to The Modern Crone. Thank you for tuning in! 
Resource references:
Why Woo-Woo Works: The Surprising Science Behind Meditation, Reiki, Crystals, and Other Alternative Practices by PhD Hamilton, Dr David R. How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body by PhD Hamilton, Dr David R. 
Radical Remission by Kelly A. Turner PhD
Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness by Jon Kabat-Zinn 
The Biology Of Belief: Unleashing The Power Of Consciousness, Matter & Miracles by BRUCE H LIPTOn 
Spirited: A Guide to Your Innate Spiritual Design to Transform Your Life by Danielle Van de Velde
Isabel Galliano - Cancer Coach
So grateful for The Modern Crone team -
Theme music and season intro tracks:
Sam Joole:  www.samjoole.com
Cover design and photography
Luana Suciu: [email protected]
Studio and Reel production:
Kymberly Sng: [email protected]

Laila Malone is currently in Grade 11 in high school. She was born in Dubai and moved to Singapore when she was very young, and has been living here for 14 years. When Laila was 8 years old, she was diagnosed with Leukemia – a huge experience for anyone, let alone an 8-year-old. She is now well and excited about finishing school and broadening her studies in the UK. Along the way, she has accumulated incredible practices and wisdom for resilience, healing and optimism. She is an inspiring young woman, destined for amazing things.
Join us as Laila shares:
her road to recovery, physically, mentally and spiritually
the importance of acceptance and non-judgement
the role of creativity and books in her healing journey
Why ritual is so important
important guidance for families and young people on a cancer journey
And if your spirit is stirred by these amazing conversations, don’t forget to like, subscribe and leave a review - so more people can find their way to The Modern Crone. Thank you for tuning in! 
 
 
So Grateful for The Modern Crone team -
Theme music and season intro tracks:
Sam Joole: 
www.samjoole.com
Cover design and photography
Luana Suciu
https://www.instagram.com/luanasuciu/
[email protected] 
Voice editing:
Christopher Hales - Mask Music Studios
[email protected]
Studio and Reel production:
Kymberly Sng
[email protected]

Lana Terigi is a mother, coach, and intuitive guide based in Nairobi, Kenya, who supports women and individuals through grief and helps young people develop confidence, self-awareness, and emotional resilience
Lana’s journey into motherhood began with her first son, Luca, who passed away unexpectedly at 38 weeks, just before delivery. She held him once, and that moment profoundly reshaped her life - her understanding of love, grief, and resilience. Luca’s presence continues to guide her as a mother and as a coach, and his story is at the heart of the work she does today.
Across all her work, Lana guides people back to their inner truth and helps them find the quiet strength needed to move through life with courage, openness, and compassion.
Join us as Lana shares how her calling rose through the throws of grief; her heartbreaking shock of losing her first child, her coping and healing pathways, the felt presence of her child in spirit, the primal fear after loss, how fear and faith can coexist, the power of ritual, spiritual perspectives and journaling, the importance of remembering, the need to talk about baby loss, her current work coaching families and youth.
You can find out more about Lana here:
https://academic-life-coaching.com/
www.instagram.com/lana_academic.life.coach/

And if your spirit is stirred by these amazing conversations, don’t forget to like, subscribe and leave a review - so more people can find their way to The Modern Crone. Thank you for tuning in! 

So grateful for the Modern Crone team -
Theme music and season intro tracks:
Sam Joole: 
www.samjoole.com
Cover design and photography
Luana Suciu
https://www.instagram.com/luanasuciu/
[email protected] 
Voice editing:
Christopher Hales - Mask Music Studios
[email protected]
Studio and Reel production:
Kymberly Sng
[email protected]