Kanika is a Radiant Empowerment Coach and Akashic Records Reader. She guides spiritual entrepreneurs, leaders, and changemakers who are ready for more—more radiance, more freedom, more soul. Kanika helps clients break through invisible ceilings, awaken their unique gifts, and step into a new level of clarity, self-trust, and authentic leadership. Through her work, clients move into joy in everyday living, where inspired action flows naturally, opportunities align with purpose, and their voice an...
Oct 17, 2025•32 min
Nicholas Ruchlewicz was in a single vehicle motorcycle crash on March 15, 2016, and suffered a separated pelvic circle, broken Sacro-iliac, crushed left orbital, massive concussion, and a right-side brain bleed and hematoma. He was in ICU, for 2 weeks, non-cognizant, then in an acute rehab hospital for 2 weeks, learning how to focus, move his left side, and see. His trauma and brain injury have allowed him to become an advocate, he calls it “A Gift of Perspective”. He is very vocal about his men...
Oct 10, 2025•27 min
Angie Hawkins is an Inner Glow Coach who transforms high-achieving, spiritual women from chasing love and approval to radiating fierce confidence so they can finally feel happy, free, and loved for who they are.She works with women who’ve done therapy, read the books, tried the spiritual path, but still feel like something’s missing. Through deep inner work and identity transformation, she helps them break the cycle of not feeling “enough,” so they can experience real love, confidence, and peace...
Oct 03, 2025•31 min
Ashley Perkins, PharmD, is a mental health advocate with a background as a pharmacist and educator. She graduated from Butler University’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in 2008 and is currently in the EdD program at Marshall University, with a focus on curriculum and instruction. In March of 2020, with John Bollinger, they began the process of forming We Matter Too, Inc. which focuses on helping those with mental health issues and mental illness through first-person narratives of exper...
Sep 26, 2025•37 min
Julie Barth is a mom and an author who has experienced grief on so many levels from the struggles with her daughter's health, the death of her husband, and later, being in an abusive relationship. Her story is one of courage and overcoming obstacles that kept coming. We appreciate Julie's authentic storytelling and know you will too. For more information about Julie, her writing, and her not for profit, visit: https://www.juliebarthauthor.com/.
Sep 19, 2025•39 min
Noah May is from Alabama. He graduated from Auburn University in 2024 with a degree in journalism. He has dealt with mental health struggles since he was 13 and is no longer staying silent. Join us as Noah shares his story and more about how podcasting has become his outlet. You can hear more from Noah on his own podcast, Lethal Venom, wherever you listen to podcasts.
Sep 12, 2025•36 min
Leah Chrest is the author of At the Edge of the Jordan and It's Okay to Be Okay. She is a high school teacher, mom, step-mom and wife. She also serves as a lay preacher and a teacher of Christian meditation.
Sep 05, 2025•40 min
Walker Posey is a fourth-generation funeral director and embalmer with a family history dating back 130 years in funeral service. Walker provides resources, grief groups, etc. at Poseycares.com , illustrating how much he cares about supporting those in their time of need. He also provided us with some amazing tips that we hadn't even considered. Learn more from Walker's unique perspective in observing grief and working with those following the loss of a loved one....
Aug 29, 2025•29 min
When she was just 17, Susan Snow lost her father, an LAPD detective who was murdered as retaliation for testifying in a court case. She has overcome a lot of obstacles to get to where she is today and prides herself in helping others to heal. She is an author of the book, The Other Side of the Gun, a public speaker, and a Trauma Resiliency Coach. For more information about Susan, visit Susansnowspeaks.com.
Aug 22, 2025•43 min
Lisa Sugarman is a three-time survivor of suicide loss, author, and longtime mental health advocate. She co-hosts a podcast called The Survivors Podcast with Gretchen Schoser. Lisa is the creator of The Help Hub, a site with a comprehensive list of mental health resources. She also has a book coming out soon entitled, The Surviving.
Aug 15, 2025•36 min
Dr. Bruce Chalmer has been a couples counselor for over thirty years. He joins us today to talk about the grief we experience after a betrayal. As we often discuss on this podcast, we don't only grieve death, but so many other things. Dr. Chalmer is the author of several books including his latest on this topic, Betrayal and Forgiveness: How to Navigate the Turmoil and learn to trust again. He also co-hosts a podcast with his wife, Judy Alexander, called Couples Therapy in Seven Words....
Aug 08, 2025•38 min
Christine tragically lost her husband a few years ago, but the grief she felt transcended his death due to family complications and social media. Her story is a hard one to hear, but a stark reminder about our words can leave an impact in person and online. This episode discusses suicide, murder accusations, and a missing persons case. If these topics might be triggering to you, we ask that you take caution when listening. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call or text 988 for the ...
Aug 01, 2025•1 hr 1 min
Joshua Wilson authentically shares his story of losing his brother. Josh is a wonderful father and husband and involved in his community in Atlanta, GA. This episode might be hard for some listeners as Josh's brother died by suicide. If you or anyone you know is in crisis, please call 988 to speak to someone who can help.
Jul 25, 2025•46 min
Though you may know Ben Higgins from Season 20 of ABC's, "The Bachelor," (which ultimately led to his platform that he uses to share more about his faith and hope for humanity), he's also the cofounder of Generous International, a for purpose company dedicated to contributing profits to social issues around the world and he has partnered with Culinary Creative Group to start over 20 restaurants worldwide. Ben is also a husband a new dad to daughter, Winona. Ben released his first book, Alone in ...
Jul 18, 2025•49 min
We are super fans of Lisa's! Lisa Keefauver, MSW is a Grief Activist who transformed her personal and professional experiences with loss into a mission to reimagine grief. As host of a top-rated grief podcast, TEDx and keynote speaker, grief-smart workplace consultant, grief guide, and author of the highly-acclaimed book, Grief is a Sneaky Bitch: An Uncensored Guide to Navigating Loss, she is expanding our collective story of grief. Learn more about her work at www.lisakeefauver.com...
Jul 11, 2025•48 min
Dr. Javan Reed is a dynamic and visionary leader whose steadfast commitment to student success has driven transformative change in higher education. His career is marked by a passion for empowering students, fostering inclusive learning environments, and ensuring institutions deliver meaningful and lasting educational experiences. As the former Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Simmons College, Dr. Reed prioritized student-centered strategies that expanded academic offerings and ...
Jun 27, 2025•40 min
Nikki Thompson Frazier is a journalist, culinary entrepreneur, speaker, and creator of A Life Worth Tasting . As the founder of Sweet Encounter Bakery Café and the innovator behind the nationally shipped Cupcakes in a Jar, Nikki blends purpose, passion, and storytelling into everything she does. She’s on a mission to help people heal, rise, and reclaim joy whether through a journal, a cupcake, or a conversation. Check out her YouTube Channel and new show: The Sweet Life with Nikki. Nikki lives i...
Jun 20, 2025•29 min
When Rachel Doyle was a high school junior, she started GlamourGals in honor of her grandmother to bring joy to seniors and alleviate their feelings of loneliness. What started as a personal project has now grown into a nationwide movement with over 10,000 teen volunteers making a difference in their communities. Now, with 25+ years of experience as a CEO and social entrepreneur, Rachel has led GlamourGals, expanding it to 31 states and 150 communities across North America. She’s been featured o...
Jun 13, 2025•48 min
Landrie Williams was raised and lives in Arizona. She has been married to her husband, Kade, for nearly six years and is a mom to Hazel, who is 4, and Rhett, who is 1 (and who joined us on the podcast). When she's not caring for her family, Landrie likes to remain active and spends time working out or being outdoors. She uses her free time to run a social media account for Hazel's medical journey. You can learn more about the Williams family and Hazel's journey on Facebook and Instagram at Hazel...
Jun 06, 2025•31 min
Evangelist, Dr. Kiena Hackworth has stayed steadfast in her dedication to God throughout her life. She wrote the book, The Will to Live: My Testimony following the loss of both her husband and her son. Dr. Hackworth serves as the 1st lady of the Unity Church of God in Christ in Elkhart, Indiana, the president of the Women's Department of Unity Church, and serves as jurisdictional president of the Young Women's Christian Council. Dr. Hackworth shares her story of loss, faith, and her perseverance...
May 30, 2025•39 min
Justin Clifford is the CEO and cofounder of Bereave (beareave.io), after two of his friends lost their parents prematurely. They all learned that the system of loss can be more harmful than helpful. They supported each other and realized that it was clear that way people experience death, particularly in the workplace, needs an overhaul. This is an important conversation for employers and employees seeking to change the status quo.
May 23, 2025•26 min
Heather Tracy (she/her) is a travel agent by day, and a masked copy editor and writer by night. As a travel agent, she plans Nerdventures—travel for the nerd in all of us. These can be anything from visiting New Zealand to see Lord of the Rings filming locations to visiting castles in Europe to following in the footsteps of your favorite author. As a copy editor, she’s found hundreds of typos, comma splices, and other grammatical nitpicks for Space Wizard Science Fantasy since before 2016. With ...
May 16, 2025•57 min
After 25 years of experience in the fashion industry, Michelle Hansen knowsthat fashion is her first love. In 2010, she merged her passion with her education (Masters of Human Relations, University of Oklahoma) and 22 years of experience in the fashion industry, and launched her styling business, High Maintenance Image & Fashion Consulting, before opening Glam Boutique in Fredericksburg, VA in 2013. After moving back to her hometown, Michelle led the downtown boutique movement in Warsaw, IN ...
May 09, 2025•40 min
Heather Schilling is a lifelong educator, with over three decades of teaching at the high school and collegiate levels. The greatest gift of teaching is the opportunity to empower others - empower them to realize that regardless of the situation, their mindset matters. Heather loves to travel with her son and his fiancée as well as students. She is actively engaged in her community, serving on several professional boards and committees including the Community Foundation of Wabash County Scholars...
May 02, 2025•58 min
Sarah Annese is a writer who lives with her husband in California. Sarah was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in 2022. Sarah is raising funds for the National MS Society through Walk MS, an event happening in April in San Francisco. If you're able to make a donation, you can do so here: https://shorturl.at/UTgLH. Additionally, we will be donating $2 from each of our books that we sell in April to this cause as well.
Apr 25, 2025•51 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Marcee Doherty is a full-time healthcare analytics professional, a full-time PhD student, a part-time professional actor, and a full time dog mom. Both Dr. Mia Johnson and Dr. Julia Porter are adjunct professors in the PhD program in Global Leadership, where Marcee is a student. Once she heard their presentation on Grief, Trauma, and Leadership at a residency weekend, she realized she fell into the category of compound grief, or a "grief cluster," where multiple things happen at once. Following ...
Apr 23, 2025•54 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Mina Starsiak Hawk is a real estate agent, HGTV star, and co-founder of the home renovation company Two Chicks And A Hammer, known for her work on the show " Good Bones " . She has also appeared on several other network shows including "Rock the Block" and "A Very Brady Renovation". Mina is married to Steve Hawk and they have two kids; Jack (6) and Charlie (4). While navigating a life in the public eye, Mina and her family have experienced many life changing events including infertility, the pas...
Apr 18, 2025•56 min
oday, we are joined by journalist, Allison Gilbert, who shares more about her work with connection. Allison Gilbert is an Emmy Award-winning journalist and one of the most influential writers and speakers on how to find the inner resources to overcome life’s biggest challenges. Through research and lived experience, Allison helps audiences transform grief and loss and find connection amid the growing public health crisis of social isolation and loneliness. She is co-author of Dr. Ruth Westheimer...
Apr 11, 2025•41 min•Season 1Ep. 11
This week, on Moving Forward with Mia and Julia, Cara Bastone joins us to talk about grief in her new book, Promise Me Sunshine. Cara Bastone is a full time writer living and writing in Brooklyn with her husband, sons, and an almost-goldendoodle. Her goal with her work is to find the swoon in ordinary love stories. She's been a fan of the romance genre since she found a grocery bag filled with her grandmother’s old Harlequin Romances when she was in high school. She's a fangirl for long walks th...
Apr 04, 2025•41 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Rebecca Soffer is cofounder of Modern Loss , which offers creative, meaningful and encouraging content and community addressing the long arc of grief. She is also the bestselling author of The Modern Loss Handbook: An Interactive Guide to Moving Through Grief and Building Your Resilience (Running Press, 2022), which Gayle King named a favorite book of the year. Rebecca is also coauthor of the book Modern Loss: Candid Conversation About Grief. Beginners Welcome (Harper Wave, 2018), which The Stra...
Mar 28, 2025•53 min•Season 1Ep. 9
