In this episode, I talk with Michele Benyo, Founder of Good Grief Parenting. When Michele's son David died of cancer at just 6 years old, his sister Deanna, then 3 said, "Mommy, half of me is gone." Already a teacher of early childhood development, Michele shifted her focus. Realizing how much support her daughter was going to need after this loss, Michele began teaching and coaching other bereaved families how to best support thier surviving children. We talk aboout how parallell set similar th...
Apr 18, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 165
In this episode, I talk with author Mark Chesnut. Already a travel writer, after the death of his mother Eunice, Mark channeled his grief into a touching end-of-life memoir called "Prepare for Departure," emcompassing his relationship with his mother as well having to confront his own feelings about love and death. We talk about how impactful it is to be able to be of service, but also how imortant it is to maintain our sense of humor when remembering the stories that shaped us. Follow Mark onli...
Mar 28, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 164
In this episode I talk with author and mental health advocate Sherry Walling! 6 months after the death of her father, Sherry's brother died by suicide. Already a mental health professional, Sherry found that her own need to express herself was through movement and connection. Her poetic book, " Touching Two Worlds " was also turned into a aerialst show focused on how we grieve with movement and performance. Find out more and get the book at https://www.sherrywalling.com Follow Sherry on Instagra...
Feb 14, 2023•59 min•Season 1Ep. 163
I got to talk with Chelsey McHale, a fellow member of The Compassionate Friends (TCF) support group that I attend. After her brother Clint died while out mountain hiking, Chelsey actually started a TCF sibling support group in her town, AND managed to get new safety signage put up where Clint died in order to help make sure future accidents can be avoided, while also having a spot to visit and honer her brother. We talk the stupid things people say, how to create healthy boundries with difficult...
Jan 11, 2023•1 hr 28 min
In this episode, I talk with interdisciplinary artist, documentary filmmaker, teacher, and arts therapist Adriana Marchione. Already a therapist and dancer when her husband died, she ultimately found ways of expressing her path towards healing by incorporating that which she was already involved in. Her film, When the Fall Comes , is about her process of grief using art and dance after the death of her husband Eddie. Her new documentary, The Creative High, shares compelling artist stories of add...
Dec 06, 2022•1 hr 4 min
I got to talk with comedian Erin Lok about how comedy helped her cope with all the anxiety and stress that the pandemic brought, as well as the larger difficulty of life after the death of her father. We talk about the importance of letting ourselves express our emotions, as well as the catharsis that a little bit of levity can bring. Follow Erin online at https://linktr.ee/Erinlokcomedy or @erinlokcomedy on IG! Follow ME @WheresTheGrief Email me WheresTheGrief@gmail.com...
Nov 16, 2022•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 160
In this episode, I talk with grief specialist and hypnotherapist Silke Herwald. Silke was already a therapist dealing with the ways our unconsious copes with grief and trauma when her sister died of cancer, giving her work new meaning. Silke created the Grief To Love program that helps women find hope after loss. We talk about how important it is to find ways to speak out about how we're doing, to remember our loved ones, and to stay connected to the people around us. Find out more about Silke a...
Oct 18, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 159
Oh Boy! Once again I got to attend The Compassionate Friends National Conference, this year in Houston Texas! The Compassionate Friends is a self help support group that provides resoources to bereaved parents, grandparents and siblings. In this episode, recorded in August 2022 at the TCF Conference in Houston, I sat down with Barbara Hopkinson to talk aboout her book "Faces of Resilience." Find out more about what Barbara does at https://abutterflysjourney.org And of course, this years "blooper...
Oct 07, 2022•51 min•Ep. 158
Russell Ferber died in a car accident on July 6th, 2002, at the age of 21. This podcast was borne out of my need to continue talking about my brother and how I have managed to keep going without him. In this episode, I (along with my parents) interview a number of people who actually KNEW Russell to share stories of his indominable spirit. We talk with Denise Fraser, who taught both Russell AND Jordon in elementary School; Steven Schnitzler and Betsy Becker - two people who worked at MSG and hel...
Aug 31, 2022•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 157
In this episode I talk with author Edy Nathan about her book, "It's Grief - The Dance of Self Discovery Through Trauma and Loss." We talk about how she has found comfort and purpose in confronting her grief. After the death of her partner and then her mother, Edy has learned how to help others navigate the difficult new roles we find ourselves in our new normal. We talk about the importance of community, and the power of a good pair of matchiing shoes. Get the Book, and Follow Edy online at http...
Aug 18, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 156
In this episode I talk with Author Jane Enright about her new book " Butter Side Up, How I Survived My Most Terrible Year & Created My Super Awesome Life." We talk about how important it is to recognise when things go our way, and how to maintain a positive outlook in the face of traumatic events. After a year in which both she and her partner suffered traumatic brain injuries, Jane lost her best friend to cancer, and amazingly turned her story into one of inspiration. In sharing her story o...
Jul 11, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 155
In this episode I talk with Comedian Glen Tickle (his real name!) about his comedy special, " Good Grief; A Comedy About Loss And Being Bad At It. " After the death of his brother Mark, Glen started writing jokes about his grief as a way of processing his own emotions, and ultimately turned it into a full hour of comedy. We talk about the importance of leaning into our grief, and how cathartic is is to expose our rawness to an audience. Follow Glen across all platforms @GlenTickle ( on IG and Tw...
Jun 20, 2022•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 154
In this episode, I talk with comedian and yarn artist Angela Eh who runs the Comedy Crafting Cart, as well as a weekly streaming series called "Crafts and Laughs" on her IG and YouTube channels. After the death of her partner, who was also a comedian, Angela has relied heavily on her ability to connect and create. We talk about the importance of having places and people to vent to, and the power that comedy brings in helping make sense of the unimaginable. Follow Angela on Instagram and elsewher...
May 26, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 153
In this episode, I talked to Author Allison Ballenger, whose book "One More Year" is a childrens book inspired by her own childhood. After the death of her brother Scott, Alliison was inspired to write a book that helped to keep Scotts essence a part of her life, as what she describes as a "story-telling, song-singing, life-loving, magic-maker. " Go to https://www.aiballenger.com/ to follow Allison, or to get the book!
May 19, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 152
In this episode I talk with Author Judy Lipson about her book "Celebation of Sisters - It Is Never Too Late To Greive." Judy lost her younger sister Jane to a car accident at 22 and nine years later her older sister Margie at 35 to a twenty year battle with anorexia and bulimia. Realizing that Siblings are often the forgotten mourners, Judy began finding ways to keep her sisters memories alive. Get the book and find out more about Judy at http://www.judylipson.org/
May 05, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 151
Hooray! It's hard to beliieve that I've been doing this show long enough to rack up 150 episodes, but here we are! This episode features a whole lot of Jordon! I was lucky enough to have two gigs last month that fit pretty well together - I was a Key Note speaker at a TCF Regional Conference in Hawaii, followed the very next day by being on a virtual comedy show focused on death and grief. You can watch my Key Note Address at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixy1GDyaMRc&t=159s Find out more a...
Apr 25, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 150
In this episode, I talk with Author Deena Goldstein about her book, "Ok, Little Bird," about the life and death of her father, and her process of navigating the world without him. We talk about the importance of finding humor even in our darkest moments, and how important it is to let ourselves feel all the feels. Follow Deena and get the book at https://OkLittleBird.com
Apr 11, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 149
While most people were working from home, if at all, during the pandemic, Lauryn Petrie got a job working in the NYC morgue, spending 11 months hauling bodies and assisting on autopsies (despite having no prior medical experience.) In this very frank discussion, we talk about how humor is necessary in the face of devestation, and how quickly we can become numb to every day death. We also talk about the importance of empathy and how much we need to take better care of ourselves. Follow Lauryn on ...
Mar 02, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 148
After the death of her partner, Janine Kwoh began transforing her greeting card business "Kwohtations" to include condolance cards. What followed was the writing of "Welcome To The Grief Club," a book of brief observations, illustrations and diagrams that capture the absurditiy and isolating experience of grief. Janine's ability to share the hardest parts of her own process of grief with both humor and devastating truths really brings people together to help remember the good times as well as th...
Feb 19, 2022•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 147
I got to talk with New Yorker staff writer and Pulitzer Prize winning author Kathryn Schulz about her new book, "Lost and Found." After the death of her father Kathryn found ways to incorporate her grief with her gratitude in also finding love. We talk about the importance of sharing our selves, and the difficulty these past two years have been to connect with people. Get the book and follow Kathryn at https://www.kathrynschulz.com/ Follow ME @WheresTheGrief on both IG and Twitter...
Feb 11, 2022•58 min•Ep. 146
In this episode I talk with comedian Rob Montemarano! We talk about a number of losses that Rob has had over the years, and his relationship with death and funerals. We also talk about his new live comedy venture "Last Laugh Comedy" at an actual funeral home in Brooklyn.
Jan 27, 2022•59 min•Ep. 145
After the death of his father followed by a string of traumatic losses, comedian Ben Wasserman began exploring ways of expressing his grief on stage as a way to relate to a world that keeps moving forward regardless of what we've been through. We talk about the importance of community as well as the difference between catharsis and active coping, and the ways in which we can connect with an audience even when dealing with difficult topics.
Jan 25, 2022•57 min•Ep. 144
In this episode I talked with Female Empowerment Coach and Podcaster Eleanor Beaton! After the death of her father, Eleanor struggled with her own identity, which led to her starting SAFI Media, an education company for women Entrepreneurs, as well as hosting the "Power + Presence + Position Podcast." We talk about the importance of acknowledging our own story and identity, the changing family dynamics after a loss, and the positive impact helping others can bring to our own lives. Follow Eleano...
Jan 14, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 143
In this episode I talk to singer/songwriter Gina Harris! After the death of her parents, Gina began writing songs to help her process the emotions. Eventually the songs themselves began to take on their own form, telling Gina, "we're a one-person show now." Her show, which then became a podcast, "The Magic of Ordinary Things" is a 7 part audio drama that weaves together stories and songs that have helped Gina own her own story in a way that is relatable and inviting. Follow all things Gina, incl...
Jan 06, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 142
In this episode I got to talk to comedian Jason Salmon about his experience taking care of his dad after 10 years of living with Alzheimers disease. As our parents get older, we often find ourselves in the Care-giver role that they played for us for so long. We talk about how important communication is, as well as the ability to enjoy a cupcake even on our hardest days. Follow all things Jason at https://jason-salmon.com Follow him on IG @JSalmonComedy...
Dec 15, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 141
Here's my conversation with Brennan Wood, executive director of The Dougy Center, an org that provides grief peer support to children and families dealing with loss and illness. Brennan walked through the doors of Dougy Center for the first time in 1987 at the age of 12 just three days after her mother died. At 14, she was a featured speaker at many Dougy Center events, and was so inspired by the then executive director, dr. Donna Schuurman, that she dreamed of becoming ED herself one day. Brenn...
Dec 10, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 140
In this episode I got to talk to my good friend and comedian Leighann Lord, who found herself to be the primary care taker for both of her parents prior to their deaths. We talk about the difficulty of watching our parents deteriorate in front of us, and how it can feel like we end up losing them twice. We also talk about how acknowledging our feelings and letting our emotions out when they strike can help us keep it together when we are falling apart. Follow all things Leighann at http://www.ve...
Nov 30, 2021•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 139
After becoming an "adult orphan" in her formative years, Alexandra Locker channeled her grief into cooking, going on to create The Grief Kitchen as a way to bring people together in times of isolation and loss. Her Instagram and FB pages provide a grief-positive community to share memories and recipes with others struggling with life after loss. We talk about how much food plays a factor in every stage of the grieving process, and the ways in which the kitchen itself can be a haven from the worl...
Nov 18, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 138
In this episode, I talk with Comedian Shawn Hitchins about his new book, "The Light Streamed Beneath It" - a memoir of grief and celebration of the two loves of his life after they both died unexpectedly within a short period of time. We talk about the importance of having a community to hold us up, finding humor in the darkest parts of our lives, and the power of gratitude in the face of devastating loss. Follow all things Shawn at https://shawnhitchins.com Get the Book On Amazon!...
Nov 09, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 137
In this episode, I got to talk to Hip-Hop Artist Kursive, who has dealt with a fair amount of loss all while battling his own demons as well. Having lost his brother as well as a number of friends to addiction and other mental health issues, Kursive has used these tragedy's to propel himself forward. We talk about the importance of gratitude, and the value of being present and truly listening. Follow Kursive on IG @KURSIVE Check out "Reminds Me Of You" on Soundcloud...
Oct 20, 2021•54 min•Ep. 136
