Grief Is My Side Hustle

Ep. 155. Jason Roeder: How to Survive the Death of Your Mother by Being Funny

My guest this week is the INCREDIBLY witty writer and griever, Jason Roeder.

Jason is a former senior editor and senior writer at The Onion as well as a contributor to The New Yorker and McSweeney’s Internet Tendency. His books have landed on best-of humor lists twice and have been praised by the likes of Judd Apatow and Jack Handey. 

This week, we are discussing his most recent book, which kept me hysterically laughing for days after I finished it. I really enjoy when someone can take elements of grief and work in some comic relief; Jason does it beautifully. Griefstrike! The Ultimate Guide To Mourning is a reflection on Jason as someone "who lived through this terrible experience and emerged intact enough to write a bunch of jokes about it." My kind of guy, for sure. 

Humor and grief may not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you're into it, stick around. I believe we can all learn a lot from Jason's perspective. 

 

Learn more about Jason:
https://www.jasonroeder.net/ 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-roeder-9b36764/ 

 

He's not on Instagram so don't be fooled like I was! THAT Jason Roeder is a retired drummer, who will politely let you know you've tagged the wrong person. ;)

Ep. 154. Rachel Cargle: How to Survive Multiple Losses in the Public Eye

I'm so honored to host the remarkable Rachel Cargle this week, of all weeks. With Mother's Day approaching- you are absolutely going to want to hear what she has to say. 

As a young girl, Rachel felt isolated in her grief experience after losing her father. Two years ago, in one calendar year, she lost her mother, grandmother, and older sister; catapulting her right back into the tsunami of untenable feelings. 

Currently, Rachel is a writer, entrepreneur and philanthropist. Her work (and upcoming book with Penguin Random House) centers the reimagining of womanhood, solidarity and self and how we are in relationship with ourselves and one another. In 2018 she founded The Loveland Foundation, Inc., a non-profit offering free therapy to Black women and girls.

I hope you love this conversation as much as I do, and that you'll continue to follow Rachel's journey and learn from her (especially if you are on a grief journey of your own). Thank you for listening, this week and always. 

 

More on Rachel:

Visit: https://rachelcargle.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachel.cargle/ 


 

Ep. 153. Jaycee Gossett: Trauma-Related Exercise

One of my biggest tenets is that "Grief is the energy created in the body on account of loss." 

In this episode, I am so lucky to be sitting with the extraordinary Jaycee Gossett, one of the founding leaders of "The Class." Jaycee talks in an incredibly eloquent manner about this exercise movement, and how it is an effective companion to our grief experience. I've also had the pleasure of meeting Jaycee at The Nantucket Project, another wonderful gathering of inspiring individuals. 

In this episode we discuss how to turn grief from a noun into a verb and effectively move it through our bodies, not only through "The Class," but through other modalities as well. I hope you learn as much as I have from Jaycee in this conversation; she is so insightful and truly magical. 

Thank you for listening, and keep going- you're doing amazing!

Learn more about Jaycee here:
Visit: https://www.jayceegossett.com/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayceegossett/?hl=en 

Ep. 152. Jessica Turner: How to Survive When Your Marriage Ends Using Honest Storytelling

This week, I am so thrilled to sit down with the lovely Jessica Turner! You may know Jessica from her incredible platform, The Mom Creative, or one of her many, many media appearances. Jessica is not just A content creator; she is one of THE content creators and a "tastemaker for busy moms looking for hacks to live life with more intention and less stress." Her energy and capability are unparalleled, truly.

I first met Jessica at an Onsite retreat, where we were both wearing the same sweater (which let me know it was a good choice). We connected immediately, and I have to say, her recent book, I Thought It Would Be Better Than This, is raw, vulnerable, and an exquisitely honest look into what it is to grieve not just a marriage, but a LIFE that you built with someone. A life you'd thought you'd have forever.

In 2020, Jessica's then-husband came out as gay, transforming her world overnight. Though they are now friends and committed co-parents, it's taken quite a lot of work, research, and fortitude to get to where the family stands today. 

Jessica's journey is beautiful and remarkable; but that's not to take away from the harrowing details of her family's transitional period. Listen in as we discuss her grief experience- and if it has, indeed, become better!

 

To Learn More About Jessica:
Visit: www.jessicanturner.com 
IG: https://www.instagram.com/jessicanturner/ 
Book: I Thought it Would Be Better Than This
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/themomcreative 

Ep. 151. Tamsen Fadal: How to Survive Menopause Using a Cultural Change Campaign

Welcome back to Grief is My Side Hustle!

In this episode, veteran journalist, writer and advocate Tamsen Fadal and host Meghan Riordan Jarvis explore how grief and menopause are intertwined. They discuss their personal experiences, cultural perspectives, and the importance of education around women's health.

Tamsen shares how her own menopause journey unfolded, the challenges she faced, and how it related to grief and loss, particularly in the context of aging and societal
expectations. Their discussion emphasizes the need for open conversations in order to reduce stigma and provide support for women going through these
changes.

Meghan and Tamsen explore how hormonal changes can inform (and, conversely, BE informed by) grief and loss, and the significance of a strong support system. This conversation really highlights how necessary it is to empower women with the education and tools they need to navigate milestone transitions comfortably and with confidence.

 

To learn more about Tamsen:

Website: https://www.tamsenfadal.com/  
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tamsenfadal/  
Book: How to Menopause
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TamsenFadalTV 

 

Ep. 150. The Art of Losing: Barri Leiner Grant on The Grief of Divorce

The grief that results from losing relationships is profound, but it can feel especially isolating due to the guilt and shame often tied to it.

Barri Leiner Grant has experienced the grief of divorce from many perspectives -- as a child whose parents split up, as a spouse whose marriage ended, and as a grief coach who helps others navigate relationship loss.

In this conversation, Barri shares how her parents' divorce influenced her understanding of grief, shaped her approach to her own divorce, and how she uses these insights to support others.

Barri Leiner Grant is a well-respected grief specialist, author and founder of The Memory Circle: for those learning to live with loss. As coach, educator and advocate, she holds transformative gatherings and workshops to explore grief tending tools and techniques that foster community, hope and healing. She combines her writing background and yoga/meditation training to craft meaningful modalities for clients and groups. Her work has been featured in The Washington Post, and Psychology Today. Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper among others. Her mother Ellen died suddenly in 1993, and Dad this past year and she honors them in this work. She is Mom to Emma and Quinn and lives with her husband Alex and their pup Bean in NY.

*Special Offer* Barri will be co-faciltitating a 3-day Learning to Live with Loss retreat with Meghan Riordan Jarvis at Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY on May 23rd-26th. For early bird pricing before March 8th, use code EB2 at checkout: Register Here

To connect with Barri and learn more about her work:

IG: @thememorycircle

Website: https://thememorycircle.com/

Substack: Permission Granted

Ep. 149. The Art of Losing: Kelli Holloway on Following Where Grief Leads

After Kelli Holloway's mom died, she heard a very clear message from God: Build, Go, Rest. 

Her trust in this guidance not only shaped the way she grieved but also changed the entire trajectory of her life.

Kelli Holloway is a Raleigh, North Carolina native with a passion for community, connection, and purpose-driven work.

She is the creator and host of the Grief in the Raw Podcast, where she thoughtfully explores the role of grief in the Black community, and the CEO of Kelli & Co., a consulting firm that helps companies create meaningful community outreach initiatives. 

Kelli’s story is a testament to the power of transformation, resilience, and the choice to build a life that honors both personal healing and professional impact.

To learn more about Kelli and her work, visit https://www.kelliandco.com/

To listen to her Grief in the Raw podcast, click one of the links below, and follow along on instagram at @griefintherawpodcast.

Apple podcasts: LINK

Spotify: LINK

YouTube: LINK

Ep. 147. Shelby Forsythia: Transforming Loss through Learning

Shelby Forsythia (she/her) is a grief coach, author, and podcast host. In 2020, she founded Life After Loss Academy, an online course and community that has helped dozens of grievers grow and find their way after death, divorce, diagnosis, and other major life transitions.

Following her mother’s death in 2013, Shelby began calling herself a “student of grief” and now devotes her days to reading, writing, and speaking about loss. Through a combination of mindfulness tools and intuitive, open-ended questions, she guides her clients to welcome grief as a teacher and create meaningful lives that honor and include the heartbreaks they’ve faced. Her work has been featured in Huffington Post, Bustle, and The Oprah Magazine.

Ep. 146. Dr. Edith Shiro : Author of the Unexpected Gift of Trauma

Trauma specialist and psychotherapist Edith Shiro sits down with Meghan to discuss loss, traumatic growth and the role of hope in healing.

 

Focused on healing trauma and facilitating Posttraumatic Growth,  Dr. Edith Shiro holds space for patients, communities, and individuals to achieve greater potential and higher consciousness.


Dr. Shiro's influence extends well beyond her private practice. She frequently engages as a guest expert on national media broadcasts and publications, including TIME magazine, Oprah Daily, and Billboard. Her groundbreaking book has garnered significant recognition, earning her the Innovation Award in Science in 2022, the International Latino Book Awards in 2023, and both the International Impact Book Awards and Book Excellence Awards in 2024. Through her writing, speaking engagements, and media appearances, Dr. Shiro continues to contribute meaningfully to the discourse on mental health, individual and collective trauma. As a board member of the World Happiness Foundation, she is dedicated to promoting happiness, enhancing consciousness and well-being around the world.

 

https://www.dredithshiro.com

Ep. 145. Helen Marie: Psychotherapist, author and podcast host

Uk based therapist Helen Marie is the author of Choose You: Gentle Words to Help You Heal and Grow.  She sits down with Meghan to talk, grief, loss, healing and hope in this special episode.  Learn more about Helen on her website:

 

https://www.helenmariepsychotherapy.com/book