Episode Transcript:
Christina: Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of LIFE Conversations with Christina Chartrand and...
David: David Chandler, welcome everyone.
Christina: So glad to have everyone on today. We have a very special guest who I met quite a few years ago, and we have stayed in touch for a long time. I will bring it up on air. We did meet at an airport bar and started talking about what we both did. I was fascinated by her work and her mission.
David: Thank you.
Christina: The company—well first, her name is Beth Sanders. You all see it written down; it's Beth Sanders. Her company is called LifeBio. This is a one-woman show she started to really talk about preserving stories and memories that can be passed down through generations. So, welcome Beth!
Beth: Well, thank you for having me. It's so good to be here.
David: Beth, we're really excited to have you on. Will you tell us a little bit about yourself and LifeBio—what your mission is there, what you're accomplishing? I’m so excited about this. Gosh, I was in senior living for a number of years, and I wish I would have had LifeBio then. But I'm so glad to be knowing and understanding what this is now. So excited to have you share this with our listeners.
Christina: So glad to have you.
Beth: For sure. Well, thank you so much for having me. You know, this whole thing kind of started out as a personal mission, and now it's grown to a national and international company that helps people tell their life stories everywhere. Over the years, it’s evolved. Yes, it started out as a one-woman shop and then grew and grew. We now have over 20-some people working here, helping people everywhere.
It all started back in Erie, Pennsylvania, which is my hometown. I had a degree in English and journalism, and I came home to Erie, PA. I would have been about 24, I think. My grandmother lived in this little mother-in-law suite in the backyard. The original house is in the backyard of where my parents at that time were living, and my mother still lives there today. She's 82 now, and I’m 55 now. But at the time, I was 24. My grandmother out back was 85, and she had maybe early onset dementia or dementia starting to happen. She was forgetting things here and there.
I said to my mother, “When are we going to tell grandma's life story?” She said, “Here’s the tape recorder—go!” And so, she, in a nice way, told me I better go do it. I thought, I don’t even know what to talk about. I don’t know how to do this. I’m a journalist, but I don’t know how to interview my grandma. So, what do I do? I just ended up taking the tape recorder out there and sitting with her, and off the top of my head, I tried to figure out what to say. Of course, she could do this brilliantly.
That day, I was blown away. I thought, unbelievable—grandma, you’re a whole person. Whoa, like one time, you were my age. Shocking! So much information happened that day. I learned about the flu epidemic of 1918 that day. I heard about the first airplane she had ever seen as a very small child. I heard about how she taught in a one-room schoolhouse. I had lived with her on the same street growing up, and I never knew her.
So, I walked out of her house and thought, if I don’t know my grandma, then who knows your grandma? We have to know our grandma, and we have to know our parents, our favorite aunt and uncle, and our best friend. So, how can whoever we are out there get our story told?
This is a picture of my grandma. That’s about the time I interviewed her in her chair out back. She’s the inspiration. She was the first LifeBio, let’s say. I was able to take that and publish it for our family to have.
Christina: Oh my gosh. You know, I love that. And you know what word just popped out to me? That you saw she was a whole person. I just had a little aha moment, Beth. I think sometimes when we are with our aging loved ones—or just a senior that, let’s say, one of our caregivers is caring for—we’re just seeing the snapshot of what it is right then and not understanding just all of the life that they’ve had and how important that is.
David: I loved hearing that. I just got chills listening to you share about getting to know her and hearing those stories. Will you tell us a little bit more about LifeBio, how you took this story, and what it’s turned into?
Beth: Yes. So, at the time, I used this tape recorder. Then one of the things we did—now that we’ve been around for 24 years—is create a website called LifeBio.com. I created this book called the Memory Journal, and it had 200-some questions. I remember thinking, okay, what do I ask? What do I say? I don’t know. It just took a lot of time, and there are different revisions of it over time with questions and a place to write answers in.
The website was built—LifeBio.com—to help people type in their memories. We were the first online biography website. I remember thinking, wow, we should video record and do all this, but that was so expensive.
Christina: Thank you.
Beth: Video is a bit unforgiving, let’s say, right? People didn’t mind typing or writing instead. But over time, I knew that audio was so incredible. Now, in 2024, people use the LifeBio Memory app. It’s two words—LifeBio Memory. It’s in the app store, and people can download the app for free and try it out. Now their voice is being recorded. Audio is recorded, and we use machine learning and AI—fancy stuff. So, the modern-day tape recorder gives people a question, and they answer it. Then we process that and build books out of it.
Christina: Oh my gosh. I cannot wait to download it and give it to my mom because she started with the typing part. She’s going to love this, and I’m going to love it, and our family is going to love it because she’s the oldest person in our family right now with all that history. Oh my gosh, Beth, I had no idea.
Beth: It’s so fun! I’ll make it evolve so far, and let me see if I can share this with you really quick. Let me pull up the app and just show it on screen for a second. Okay. It’s like this. Let me see if I can get it to talk. One second.
Christina: That is just the coolest thing—preservation of stories. David and I are huge fans of helping seniors find purpose, right? They need to have meaningful things to do each day. This just takes quality of life to a whole other level, allowing people to share their stories.
Beth: Sorry, it was talking. Let me show you this really quick. The app asks, “Have you ever received an award or a prize? What happened?” Then you just click record. Ta-da!
Christina: And record. Then it uploads to your site, and that’s how you’re creating all the memories. Super easy to use.
David: Beth, do they get to pick which questions are asked? How many choices of questions do they have?
Beth: There are about 280-some questions inside.
Christina: Do they scroll through and pick the question they want to talk about?
Beth: It has a “start here” section that allows them to see a general flow of questions. They can also choose to go into topics, like childhood, hobbies and interests, exercise, or family. For example, if someone was in the military or wanted to talk about love and relationships, they could go to the military topic. It might ask, “What was the greatest honor you experienced during your military service?”
David: That’s amazing.
Beth: Not everyone wants to answer all of them. Occasionally, someone might. But your mom, for example, may just have certain things she’d love to talk about. She can head right to those and start there to warm up.
Christina: That’s so cool.
David: This is incredible. I can only imagine the number of lives you’ve impacted and the ways people are leaving a legacy. Can you talk about some of the emotional and psychological benefits of memory preservation, both for those leaving memories and for those reminiscing about them?
Beth: Yes. We’ve found it improves mood, gives people a sense of happiness and peace, and reduces depressive symptoms. Our latest fidelity trial shows evidence that it reduces depression. I think the reason it works is that it takes someone to a different time. They may be eight years old again, running in the creek, playing baseball with their friends in their mind. It takes people to a place.
One lady told me, “I’m reminded of all the love I’ve experienced in my life.” Wow. When you’re having a bad day, and then you remember—like I remember my grandma today as I’m talking about her—it puts you in a good mood, you know?
Christina: Yep.
Beth: I’ll say this—not everyone has had a perfect life. Have you two had a perfect life? No, I haven’t either. Stuff happens. Sometimes people are ready to talk about some of that and get it off their chest. Sometimes they say, “I’m not talking about anything before 1980. I’m not going back there.”
Christina: Hmm. That’s fair.
Beth: And that’s okay. Maybe someone will just talk about their work, children, and life now. That’s still really valuable. I’ve had people say to me, “I’ll give you 10 minutes.” Literally, I had 10 minutes to interview this one woman, and it was awesome. Sometimes our own family members might not want to do it all, but they might do a little bit, and that’s okay.
I think people have a sense of hope and peace when they have a legacy. It’s nice to know you’ve said what you wanted to say.
Christina: Mm-hmm. Legacy. So, when they record all this information, how is it shared with family members? How does that all work?
Beth: The audio can be accessed by family members logging in and listening to their loved one’s voice. It’s saved that way. They can replay the audio. We’ve had people play their loved one’s actual audio at their funeral—sharing their favorite scriptures or values directly with their family. That’s amazing. We also create books.
Let me grab one here. We produce their physical book. Here’s one from Alice that we’ve done. The app allows people to upload photos, so whatever they say and their photos are included in the story.
Christina: Wow. How many people do you think you’ve impacted over the years? How many families?
Beth: Around 15,000 in a variety of ways. Many have written their stories, many have used the website, and many are using the app now. We just recorded over 500 people in nursing homes in Minnesota and Texas using the app.
David: Wow.
Christina: So, you do some specialty grant work where you go in and work with specific populations, right? Tell us a little bit about that.
Beth: Yes. We do several monetary penalty grants—these are called CMP grants. These are state grants that exist to improve the quality of care and quality of life for people living in nursing homes. It’s really incredible to go into these settings and interview people.
Honestly, all I can say is, wow. You just come away from it changed. Working with older adults every day, you get so much out of learning from them. There’s just so much wisdom. Even people with dementia—especially those in early stages—can offer the best advice. Their unfiltered, amazingness just comes through. You would think people in care settings might not have much to share, but they’re able to open up in remarkable ways.
Christina: Right. And those are the memories, I think, that people didn’t even know existed. They had no idea about the experiences their parents or grandparents had. Especially if there’s cognitive impairment, those memories often come through so clearly and vividly.
Beth: Exactly.
Christina: It feels so good. You can see the smile on their face. It feels so good for them to share and articulate their experiences so well. I really love that.
Beth: Some people think they can’t do it, Christina, but it’s worth a shot. Sometimes they can express how they felt, even if they don’t remember the exact details. For example, I interviewed a gentleman in a memory care unit, and he told me all about his wedding day for 30 minutes. He didn’t know when or where it was, but he remembered that it was a hot day, what he was wearing, and that his wife was beautiful.
There was also a sharp-as-a-tack woman I met who had polio as a young mother. She went into great detail about being treated at the Mayo Clinic and how she proved to herself she could do things again after being in an iron lung. Just incredible stories.
Christina: Wow.
Beth: And there was a World War II veteran who shared about liberating concentration camps. It’s just amazing what people remember. Some of the funny things people recall from childhood make you smile. Sometimes people say, “I have nothing to say.” I tell them, “Well, then don’t talk about yourself. Let’s talk about your grandparents.” Their grandchildren don’t know anything about their great-grandparents.
Christina: That’s great.
Beth: Or even their parents! When I interviewed my grandma, she told me about her grandmother. She could recall their last conversations. I realized I would never know this woman—my great-great-grandmother—except through my grandma’s memory of her. That’s how I learned she was a great quilter. I don’t know much, but I know that.
Christina: That’s awesome. So, the app seems so on-point for today’s technology, but do you have future plans for LifeBio? How do you see it evolving to help even more people?
Beth: Yes, we were recently awarded a grant from the National Institute on Aging. It’s a federal grant, and we’re building something called LifeBioTalk. It’s going to be an engagement platform for people with memory challenges. I can’t share all the details yet since it’s still in development, but we’re inventing something completely new and fascinating. I think you’re going to love it. I’ll have to come back on the show sometime and tell you all about it.
David: Yes, absolutely.
Christina: Oh my gosh, that sounds amazing. It’s so needed. And you know what’s so great about this? It’s all positive. There’s nothing negative about it. It’s such a positive experience for everyone involved. I’m really excited about it.
Beth: Thank you.
David: So, Beth, where can people go to learn more about LifeBio? You mentioned the app, but what are some other ways people can get involved or share this with their loved ones?
Beth: They can call 866-LIFE-BIO to discuss their situation. We have options for tech-savvy individuals, as well as those who prefer journaling or the website. We even have “What’s Your Story” cards, which make a fun and meaningful gift—great for road trips or family gatherings. Let me grab a card. Here’s a question for you, David: What’s your favorite memory of an ocean, lake, or river?
David: Oh gosh. When I was in high school, we took a family trip to Deep Creek Lake in Western Maryland. It was my uncle’s family, my cousins, and us—all staying in this massive house. We spent time out on the water, and bears got into our trash can! We went tubing for the first time. It’s such a great memory, and I haven’t thought about it in years.
Beth: See, we learned something new about you, and it made me smile and laugh. That’s great.
David: Now you’ve got to ask Christina a question.
Beth: All right. Christina, did you ever deliver newspapers?
Christina: No, I didn’t, but my brother did. Back then, there were two paper routes—a morning route and an evening route. I remember he did both. He’d have this little sash over his shoulder filled with papers, riding his bike and whipping them onto porches. It was so funny. We’d always hear a loud bang when the paper hit the door.
David: Wow.
Beth: Did you ever have to help him?
Christina: No, I didn’t, but we definitely heard him when he came by. You’d know the paper was here with a loud “BAM!” I hadn’t thought about that in so long.
Beth: Here’s another question for you, Christina, since that one was more about your brother. Did you ever risk your life or do something dangerous?
Christina: Oh gosh, I feel like as a teenager, I was probably stupid about something. I’m sure I used up a few of my nine lives during my teenage and early twenties. I wasn’t always thinking as smart as I should’ve been, so that was probably the riskiest time in my life, like it is for most people.
Beth: I get that! All right, David, your turn again. What’s your favorite memory of a movie theater or drive-in theater?
David: Oh wow. Okay, I may get in trouble for this one, but one of my first dates in high school was going to see The Ring. That memory comes to mind because it was such a big deal at the time—just going to the movies with friends or a date in high school. Sometimes, we’d sneak around and do double features. I even had a friend who worked at the theater and would sneak us into all the movies. She’d just lift up the little curtain, and in we’d go.
Christina: Oh my gosh, David. That’s crazy! You know, just from this little conversation, you can see how fun it is to share memories like this. It really shows the power of reminiscing. I’ve learned something new about you, and maybe you’ve learned a little something about me. Honestly, I can feel the serotonin and endorphins kicking in right now.
Beth: Yes, yes, yes. It’s good for us—it really is. So, what else do we need to talk about today? Did we cover everything?
David: I think we did. Beth, do you have any parting thoughts or advice for our listeners as we wrap up? This has been such a fun episode. We definitely need to have you back when you’re ready to share about LifeBioTalk. Maybe we can even come up with some other fun things to do together.
Beth: I’d love to! Let me leave you with this: The power of story helps us to know, flow, and grow. When we deeply know another person and see them holistically, it matters. There’s an old saying that goes, “Every time an old person dies, it’s like a library burns down.” We must get to know people while we have the chance. People are amazing, and we want to know our parents, grandparents, friends, and family.
Flow. The power of story helps us live abundantly and love more deeply. We get the chance to affirm someone else’s life. If we’re the ones telling the story, we have the opportunity to teach someone else something amazing. We need to take the bull by the horns and say, “Listen to me! I have a story for you.”
And then, grow. Storytelling changes and expands our perspective. It allows us to walk in someone else’s shoes. Older people can tell younger people valuable things, and younger people can do the same in return. It’s a powerful way to give back and help others.
Christina: Wow. That’s so beautifully said.
David: Beth, you have such an amazing story, and you’re such an amazing person. Thank you for sharing your gift with so many people. You’ve truly blessed us today.
Christina: Absolutely.
Beth: Thank you so much. I feel like I’ve been divinely inspired to do this work. It’s been a blessing for me to get to know so many wonderful people over the years. And thank you for having me on the show.
Christina: Thank you, Beth. It’s been a pleasure.
David: We’ll definitely look forward to having you on again in the future. And to our listeners, we’ll see you next time on LIFE Conversations.
