Today we talk to three incredible women on a mission to completely reimagine healthcare, with community and the whole person at the centre.
This was our first recording in front of a live studio audience, and the energy in the room was incredible. Maddi Kohlberg, Dr. Tina Sestin, and Carmen Sutherland share how a chance meeting in a sauna, years of clinical burnout, and a deep belief in community all collided to create something new: the Generations Collective.
We talk about what’s broken in our current system, why so many of us feel isolated as patients and caregivers, and what it could look like to build healthcare around humans instead of appointments. This conversation is about perimenopause and pelvic health, yes — but it’s also about grief, belonging, accessibility, and the power of stories to build something better.
This one left me hopeful.
Please enjoy, Maddi Kohlberg, Dr. Tina Sestin, and Carmen Sutherland.
Key Takeaways
- A Chance Encounter Sparked a Movement: A conversation in a sauna led to the creation of Generations Collective — proof that when you follow curiosity and authenticity, powerful collaborations can form.
- Burnout Isn’t Failure — It’s Information: Tina shares how 15 years in practice left her exhausted and questioning a system where only those with money or benefits could access care. That discomfort became fuel for change.
- Healthcare Should See the Whole Human: Mind, body, spirit, family, finances, and community all impact health. Treating symptoms in isolation misses the bigger picture.
- Community Is Medicine: Maddie’s experience navigating her daughter’s medical journey — and the overwhelming support from her neighborhood — reinforced that healing doesn’t happen alone.
- Integration Changes Everything: Instead of siloed practitioners working back-to-back, Generations Collective envisions collaborative care — clinicians literally sitting at the same table to support each patient together.
- Belonging Is Foundational to Health: Carmen reminds us that beyond treatment plans and protocols, people need to feel seen, valued, and like they truly belong.
- Accessibility Matters: Quality care shouldn’t depend on income level. Reimagining healthcare means building models that make support available to more people.
- Regenerative Leadership Over Burnout Culture: If we want a better system, we can’t build it by sacrificing the people inside it. Taking care of each other is part of the mission.
Connect with Bob Mathers
The Restless Leader Newsletter on Substack: https://bobmathers.substack.com/
Links & Resources
https://www.generationscollective.ca/
https://www.instagram.com/generationscollective.ca/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/maddi-kolberg/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-sestan-557b112a/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmen-sutherland-34604829/
