Right before she went public with her breast cancer diagnosis, Clea Shearer got some advice from TODAY co-anchor Hoda Kotb that she's taken to heart over the past few months.
Back in April, the star of "The Home Edit" was at the TODAY studios when she took Hoda, who previously had breast cancer, aside and opened up to her.
"I confided in Hoda that I had breast cancer and she held my hand — Hoda, thank you — and said, 'You need to slow down, and this might be the way the universe is kind of forcing you to slow down a little bit,'" Shearer recalled during an interview with TODAY on Tuesday.
Looking back on the moment, the 40-year-old is grateful for Hoda's sage advice.
"This has been a time of learning how to be patient, of learning how to not be in control of things, of learning how to just be a little more quiet, to find some solace and peace and calm and not just have to be go, go, go," she explained.
Of course, slowing down isn't always easy when you're a working mom. Shearer and her Home Edit co-founder Joanna Teplin have been particularly busy over the past few years building their brand and filming two seasons of their hit Netflix show "Get Organized with The Home Edit" so far. They've also written two New York Times bestselling books and released their own collection of organizing products with Walmart.
Still, the mother of two is trying to take Hoda's advice seriously and spending more time focusing on her health while undergoing treatment for her cancer.
“It’s a real test for me. This is not normal. But I’ve been plugging away and I’m going to do it. I’m making it through," Shearer said.
Shearer had a double mastectomy and started chemotherapy in May, but she's staying strong for her children.
"I need them to feel that I'm just as alive and vibrant as they think I am. I need to wake up every day and be their mom," she explained.
During her chat with Hoda and TODAY co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, Shearer also shared a behind the scenes look at the second issue of “The Home Edit” magazine, which showcases Savannah's newly organized kitchen.
Hoda jokingly asked how hard the project was for the Home Edit team and Savannah said they had to bring a whole "army" to tackle her cluttered space.
"No! Savannah's actually pretty well organized already. It's never hard," Shearer said.