Caregiving is not for the faint of heart. It’s a world full of quiet sacrifices, unexpected joys, and emotional tightrope-walking. For Peter Murphy Lewis, founder of Strategic Pete and creator of the docuseries People Worth Caring About, diving headfirst into this world wasn’t just an eye-opener—it was a lesson in humanity. In a candid interview with Nancy Landrum at Authority Magazine, Peter shared a deeply insightful look into what it really means to walk in the shoes of a caregiver. Spoiler alert: messy, moving, and infinitely more inspiring than anything that may be found in a corporate boardroom.
“Stop Trying to Fix Everything”
Peter Murphy Lewis is a doer by nature. Give him a problem, and he wrestles it into submission with spreadsheets, strategies, and probably a marathon in between. But caregiving? It doesn’t play by those rules.
“The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that you don’t need all the answers,” Peter confessed. “Just being there—showing up, listening, and supporting someone—can be more powerful than trying to fix everything.”
It’s a lesson not easily learned. Helping his grandparents transition into nursing homes, or working himself as a Certified Nursing Assistant, Peter’s instincts to “solve the problem” had to take a back seat. In caregiving, presence outweighs perfection.
“How Caregivers Taught Me the Power of Being Real”
If you know Peter’s work, from hosting South American TV shows like Aquí Te Las Traigo Peter to running his podcast LTC Heroes, you know he’s big on storytelling. But caregiving flipped the script on him.
“Caregivers put so much of themselves into what they do, often in tough emotional circumstances,” Peter reflected. “It made me realize I’d been avoiding my own vulnerability for too long.”
For someone who’s used to staying two steps ahead, admitting that was no small thing. Vulnerability isn’t a weakness, he realized—it’s the key to building real trust, whether you’re caring for a patient, leading a team, or telling a story.
“How One Caregiver’s Story Reframed My Perspective”
Some lessons stick with you long after the moment has passed. For Peter, one caregiver’s words hit like a lightning bolt.
“She told me, ‘Love isn’t about getting something back. It’s about what you give.’”
In a job where patients might forget your name five minutes after you introduce yourself, that perspective is everything.
Another caregiver, who attempted to retire but couldn’t stay away, called caregiving a calling she couldn’t ignore. “That level of dedication,” Peter said, “makes you rethink what it means to truly love what you do.”
Ignore the “Don’t Get Attached” Advice
Early in his career, Peter worked as an HIV/AIDS caseworker for the homeless in Boston. One bit of advice he was given at the time? Don’t get attached.
He looks back now on that advice with a head shake. “Connection and empathy are what make this kind of work meaningful,” he explained. “The challenge isn’t avoiding emotional involvement; it’s figuring out how to handle it so you can keep showing up for the people who need you.”
The goal in caregiving—and life—is not to shield; it’s to build that resilience to be able to give when giving is so hard.
Five Truths About Caregiving Everyone Should Know
Peter has seen caregiving from all sides: as a family member, a CNA, and a storyteller. Here are five truths he wishes everyone understood:
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- Caregiving demands emotional strength as much as physical effort.
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- It’s more than a job—it’s a calling.
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- Burnout is real, and asking for help is okay.
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- Caring for a senior will teach you patience, humility, and compassion.
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- Caregivers are the backbone of our communities and deserve recognition.
These aren’t just lessons—they’re a wake-up call for anyone who’s taken caregivers for granted.
What Caregiving Teaches About Leadership
Here’s the thing about caregiving: It strips away pretenses. You can’t fake it. And for Peter, that raw authenticity carried over into how he leads his team at Strategic Pete.
“You can’t lead if you don’t understand what makes people feel valued,” he said, crediting his caregivers for the influence of his leadership style.
The docuseries, People Worth Caring About, allowed Peter to be at the helm in expressing the humanity and heart associated with caregiving. An individual not necessarily after standing ovations, one day he overheard Phil Scalo of the American Health Care Association describe the series “one of the most accurate depictions of the caregiver-resident relationship” was a moment he won’t forget.
Connection at the Heart of Caregiving
If there’s one takeaway from Peter Murphy Lewis’ caregiving journey, it’s this: “People may forget what you said, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel.”
That idea has guided Peter’s work, from the docuseries to his podcast, and even how he approaches everyday interactions.
So next time you see a caregiver, it might be worth considering this: What are you giving to the people surrounding you? And how does that make them feel? If Peter has learned one thing, it is that those questions matter so much more than you would think. Healthcare organizations that want their teams captured this honestly can see how we build stories for healthcare brands. A good next read is our guide to story-led communications; for hands-on help, read about video for care organizations.
Peter’s other press and podcast features are collected in one place.
Take a moment to listen to the Authority Magazine interview with Nancy Landrum.
