The Mindset That Cancer Couldn’t Take: Choosing Your Response | Diana Fritz
Thu Feb 05 2026
What happens when your doctor says,“We’ve been fighting to save your eye… now it’s time to fight for your life”?
In this powerful episode of More Than Before, Nathan Cook sits down with Diana Fritz—executive leader, mom, woman of faith, and author of Uniquely Imperfect, Uniquely Qualified.
Diana shares her journey through a rare cancer near her left eye, multiple surgeries, and ultimately losing her eye—while choosing to live as a victor, not a victim. This conversation explores faith, resilience, leadership, humor in adversity, and why imperfection can actually qualify you to help others.
If you’re walking through a hard season, this episode will re-center your perspective and remind you that your scars don’t disqualify you—they can shine.
⏱️ Episode Chapters
00:00 — “It came back and started to spread again…”00:18 — Introduction: why Diana’s story re-centers you01:11 — Growing up in Pennsylvania + family legacy02:44 — Sunday dinners, faith, and childhood memories06:10 — Lessons from her grandparents: work ethic & grace09:06 — Who Diana was as a kid: athlete, peacemaker, DISC “S”11:38 — Childhood dreams and early ambition12:20 — Torn ACL, loss of identity, and first major pivot14:33 — Man’s Search for Meaning and choosing your response18:01 — Faithfulness, leadership, and unexpected open doors20:05 — First cancer diagnosis near her left eye24:53 — “Stop fighting to save your eye. Fight for your life.”25:11 — 10–12 hour surgery and losing her eye26:18 — Humor in suffering: “God didn’t make me a pirate.”26:40 — How her journey shaped her sons30:03 — Turning discomfort and curiosity into connection31:55 — Losing her sense of smell + burning homework story34:18 — Gratitude, adaptation, and a new normal36:26 — What still drives her today: adding value to people38:59 — Why imperfection can actually qualify you42:07 — Living visibly and embracing accountability43:01 — Nutrition, sugar, and health awareness after cancer44:15 — Faith becoming personal through adversity48:52 — Community, boundaries, and going to God first51:44 — Kintsugi: brokenness made beautiful55:52 — What “More Than Before” means now57:28 — Final encouragement + call to action
Connect with Diana on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-fritz-b032064/
🎧 Subscribe, share, and leave a review if this episode encouraged you.Be more. See more. Experience more… than before.
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What happens when your doctor says,“We’ve been fighting to save your eye… now it’s time to fight for your life”? In this powerful episode of More Than Before, Nathan Cook sits down with Diana Fritz—executive leader, mom, woman of faith, and author of Uniquely Imperfect, Uniquely Qualified. Diana shares her journey through a rare cancer near her left eye, multiple surgeries, and ultimately losing her eye—while choosing to live as a victor, not a victim. This conversation explores faith, resilience, leadership, humor in adversity, and why imperfection can actually qualify you to help others. If you’re walking through a hard season, this episode will re-center your perspective and remind you that your scars don’t disqualify you—they can shine. ⏱️ Episode Chapters 00:00 — “It came back and started to spread again…”00:18 — Introduction: why Diana’s story re-centers you01:11 — Growing up in Pennsylvania + family legacy02:44 — Sunday dinners, faith, and childhood memories06:10 — Lessons from her grandparents: work ethic & grace09:06 — Who Diana was as a kid: athlete, peacemaker, DISC “S”11:38 — Childhood dreams and early ambition12:20 — Torn ACL, loss of identity, and first major pivot14:33 — Man’s Search for Meaning and choosing your response18:01 — Faithfulness, leadership, and unexpected open doors20:05 — First cancer diagnosis near her left eye24:53 — “Stop fighting to save your eye. Fight for your life.”25:11 — 10–12 hour surgery and losing her eye26:18 — Humor in suffering: “God didn’t make me a pirate.”26:40 — How her journey shaped her sons30:03 — Turning discomfort and curiosity into connection31:55 — Losing her sense of smell + burning homework story34:18 — Gratitude, adaptation, and a new normal36:26 — What still drives her today: adding value to people38:59 — Why imperfection can actually qualify you42:07 — Living visibly and embracing accountability43:01 — Nutrition, sugar, and health awareness after cancer44:15 — Faith becoming personal through adversity48:52 — Community, boundaries, and going to God first51:44 — Kintsugi: brokenness made beautiful55:52 — What “More Than Before” means now57:28 — Final encouragement + call to action Connect with Diana on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-fritz-b032064/ 🎧 Subscribe, share, and leave a review if this episode encouraged you.Be more. See more. Experience more… than before.