Grief Is My Side Hustle

Kim Long is a psychologist based in Alberta, Canada. She and her team created the incredible resource hub, Dochas Psychological services, where they offer the groundbreaking Lifejacket app, as well as the Dochas compass, a short quiz that can help guide you toward the therapist and goals that will best serve YOUR desired outcome. Find out more about these groundbreaking tools here. In this conversation, Meghan and Kim explore the complexities of grief and loss, discussing how these experiences shape identity and the societal expectations surrounding them. They delve into the therapeutic approaches to grief, emphasizing the importance of patience and self-permission in the grieving process. They also touch upon the challenges new parents face, the cultural norms surrounding grief and loss, and the importance of support systems. We hope you enjoy this Thanksgiving bonus episode. If you eat all your veggies...maybe we'll be serving another bonus for dessert. Who's to say? Well, we are....but stay tuned! Thank you, as always, for listening. Please rate and review where possible- it REALLY helps!

Casey Mulligan Walsh is a gorgeous writer and her book now has two major awards to prove it! I'm so excited to bring you all this conversation with my sweet, sweet friend, who found herself pondering what kind of legacy she'd leave the world of grief and loss- and ended up writing this gorgeous memoir! It is SUCH a gif to all of who are struggling in the wake of untenable, devastating pain. Casey has endured being orphaned as a young girl, going through a tumultuous divorce, and the death of her son at age 20. This book, for lack of more splendid adjectives, is beautiful, bold and courageous. It is absolutely a roadmap for all of us who struggle with what on earth we are meant to do when it feels like, at every turn, we are greeted with catastrophe. I hope you all are able to take something amazing away from this conversation. Casey is also a featured author at this year's Grieftastic Book Fair, so please be sure to grab your copy and have her sign when you meet her! Tickets still available at grieftastic.com . Thank you, as always, for listening, rating and reviewing! More about Casey Mulligan Walsh:https://caseymulliganwalsh.com/ https://www.instagram.com/caseymulliganwalsh/

Kristina Amelong's brother, Jay, knew from an extremely young age that he was going to die. Not only that, but he predicted how it would happen, and that he would not live to be an adult. Kristina's gripping and gorgeous memoir, "What My Brother Knew," tells the heartbreaking story of a tragedy rooted in an understanding that reaches far beyond anything that she or I are capable of fully grasping; thus the pinnacle of our conversation today. I have always said that I struggle with my own spirituality, and my understanding of things that feel juuuussssttt out of our reach. With Kristina, it feels safe and comforting to discuss this topic; like there is someone on my team in this headspace. I hope, in listening to our chat today, that you feel the same. She is a warm and curious presence, and I'm SO intrigued by her journey! These days, Kristina is a writer, photographer, and hollistic healer. According to her own website, "More than anything, I am drawn to stories that ask questions about who we are and why we are here. My spiritual studies have awakened in me a confidence in my connection with All-That-Is. I feel called to lead others to face the uncertainty of our collective future with hope. We can evolve together!" Thank you, as always, for listening. Please rate and review us where possible, and feel free to reach out meghanriordanjarvis.com and leave suggestions or comments! Learn more about Kristina:https://www.kristinaamelong.com/IG: https://www.instagram.com/optimalhealthnetwork/

Hospice Nurse Julie (AKA Julie McFadden) is one of my favorite recurring guests. She is an RN/BSN nurse with a passion for education- she believes that people should know about the dying process BEFORE they're actually going through it with a loved one or themselves. We have a beautiful, funny, and candid conversation about how death and dying are reflected in the media and film, as well as what to actually expect when you're at your loved one's bedside. Julie will also be a featured author at Grieftastic on November 21, 2025, showcasing her second book, The Nothing to Fear Journal (a companion to her first book, Nothing to Fear). We are SO excited- we know you'll LOVE Hospice Nurse Julie as much as we do! Thank you for listening- please rate, review, and share the podcast if you like what you hear. More about Julie:https://www.hospicenursejulie.com/IG: @hospicenursejulie

Sara Rian writes poems whenever a thought strikes her while washing the dishes, or folding laundry. However, her words, her profound understanding of the human spirit and what it is to grieve, will make you feel as though she wrote each poem for YOU. She's in your head, your heart- you'll feel her work in your bones. This might sound like hyperbole, but it's true, I promise. She has a superpower. Sara sits down with me to discuss her mother's lifelong struggles with suicidality, and how the end of her life has since shaped everything Sara does. She is also a skilled therapist, and her clinical understanding somehow makes her art that much more...visceral. From her own website: "As a mental health professional, suicide loss survivor, and grieving human, Sara shares her work with others to let them know that they are not alone in their love or grief. While grief and loss are complex topics, she utilizes a minimalist poetry style to capture these heavy experiences in a direct, digestible way. These poems are a balm for both new grievers and those farther along in the journey." Amen to that! I hope you'll enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Sara is a true light and we are SO excited to see her in-person at Grieftastic this November 21, 2025, as one of our featured authors. Thanks for listening! More about Sara: https://www.sararianbooks.com/about IG: @sara_rian_books

Daria Burke is, according to her own website, an "Author, speaker and possibility pusher. An accomplished business leader and investor-turned-author, Daria is a multiplier of ideas and people, helping them expand to their highest potential, in business and in life." Indeed, Daria is a teacher. She taught herself how to push through the incredible pain of living with grief, poverty, and an addicted parent in 1980s Detroit. In her book, Of My Own Making, she teaches the reader that (above everything else) belief in oneself can unlock the rest of the world we deserve to have access to. Your mind will try to limit you if you let it; your heart and spirit can do miraculous things if you lean into your personal fortitude. We hope you'll enjoy this magnificent kickoff to the latest season of Grief is My Side Hustle! We're so honored to call Daria a friend of the show, as well as a featured author at this year's Grieftastic Book Fair in November. Thank you for listening! To learn more about Daria: https://www.dariaburke.com/about https://www.instagram.com/dariaburke/

It's the season finale already- and I know how to leave a lasting impression! John Onwuchekwa, (a.k.a. "John O.") is a preacher, a writer, a husband, father, and brother. According to his own website, "Everything in John Onwuchekwa’s life hinges on the power of words, both spoken and written...in one way or another everything John does intersects with the beauty and power of words—both how he has been shaped by them and how he uses them to shape the world around him." I couldn't agree more. John is a gifted orator and dear friend, and I could engage with him endlessly. This week, please listen in as we discuss the loss of his brother, grief education and fluency, the role spirituality plays in grief (and our lives) and much more! John is the author of multiple books, including "We Go On: Finding Purpose in All of Life’s Sorrows and Joys." I hope you'll enjoy this time with John as much as I did- he's definitely someone you need to hear from! Thank you so much for your support of "Grief is My Side Hustle" this season, and always. Please rate and review us wherever you get your shows. We'll back in the fall with more griefy goodness. Find out more about John: Visit: johno.coInstagram: @jawn_o

My guest this week is the incomparable Nichole Sachs. Nichole was diagnosed with a degenrative spinal condition at age 19. Doctors warned her that her entire life would affected; her comfort, growth, ability to have biological children. The news was devastating, of course. According to her own website, "It brought me to the doorstep of Dr. John Sarno, then an attending physician at The Rusk Center for Rehabilitation/NYU Langone Medical Center. Armed with his teachings on the brain science behind MindBody medicine and an eagerness to regulate my nervous system, I became chronic pain free and gave birth to my three beautiful children without complication. I went from a patient to a colleague, lecturing with him at NYU and supporting his patients in my private psychotherapy practice."Nichole is also the author of "Mind Your Body: A Revolutionary Program to Release Chronic Pain and Anxiety," available now at all major retailers!Tune in to our conversation to learn more about how Nichole's determination to find a different way to heal- and end her suffering- lead her to help countless others. You don't want to miss this one- thanks for listening! Learn more about Nichole:https://www.yourbreakawake.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolesachslcsw/ Book: https://www.yourbreakawake.com/book