Grief Is My Side Hustle

Ep.160. John Onwuchekwa: How to Survive Sibling Loss Using Spirituality and Grief Fluency

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.co
Instagram: @jawn_o

 

 

 

Ep. 159. Jessica Zucker: How to Normalize Reproductive Health

Dr. Jessica Zucker, author of "Normalize It: Upending the Silence, Stigma, and Shame That Shape Women's Lives" is my guest this week...and man, is she someone who tells the truth. About everything. 

 

Jessica is a L.A.-based psychologist who specializes in reproductive and maternal mental health. She has written extensively about how the landscape of her marriage changed in the face of profound loss, as well as eventual parenthood. Jessica is incredibly powerful in how she relates the experience of a devastating miscarriage (suffered while she was home alone). She is also a fierce advocate for women's well-being and safety, especially during pregnancy. 

 

I don't have accurate words to describe how eloquent and sincerely incredible Dr. Jessica Zucker is. I implore you to listen to this episode with an open mind and heart. She is absolutely someone who's journey you will want to follow along with. 

 

Please check out more about Jessica's work at drjessicazucker.com and buy "Normalize It" at your favorite bookseller! 

 

Thank you for being with us this week, and always!

Ep. 158. Nichole Sachs: How to Survive Chronic Pain Using Structured Journaling

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 

Ep. 157. Nurse Penny: How to Survive End-of-Life Caregiving Using Palliative Care

If you've been following me for a while, you know how much I love hospice nurses. This season I am so grateful to sit down with "Hospice Nurse Penny," AKA Penny Smith. 

Nurse Penny entered the world of grief with the death of her dad, who passed about five years into her career. She is a nationally certified hospice and palliative care nurse, and has a large social media presence due to her incredible insights and candor. Penny is also the author of "Influencing Death: Reframing Dying for Better Living." 

When her own mother went through hospice care, she knew she also wanted to be of service. At the age of 40, Penny started nursing school and never looked back. 

The education she shares, coupled with her honest opinions, make Nurse Penny a unique presence, and an incredible guest! I'm so excited to share this conversation with you all- I KNOW you'll take away so much from her expertise.

 

THANK YOU for listening, this week and always!

 

Learn more about Hospice Nurse Penny:

https://www.hospicenursepenny.com/about 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hospicenursepenny/ 
Book: Influencing Death

Ep. 156. Myra Sack: How to Survive the Death of Your Child Using Movement and Connection

My guest this week is the incredibly soulful and inspiring Myra Sack. 

Myra’s life changed when her first daughter, Havi Lev Goldstein, was diagnosed with Tay-Sachs, a terminal neurodegenerative disorder, on December 17, 2019. Havi passed away on January 20, 2021.

In 2021, Myra and her husband Matt began supporting Courageous Parents Network, a Boston-based nonprofit organization and educational platform that “Orients, empowers, and accompanies families and providers caring for children with serious illnesses.” Myra is also trained as a Certified Compassionate Bereavement Care facilitator and began writing a memoir to share the story of Havi’s illness, her passing- and the aftermath. Myra’s writing focuses on the beauty and pain that can be found in loss and the power of community to sustain and uplift those who are suffering. Her first article on her experience, “A Mother’s Letter on the Passing of Her Young Daughter,” was published on upworthy.com in January 2022, and quickly reached over 2.7 million viewers. Her memoir, "Fifty-Seven Fridays," just won a 2025 Nautilus Book Award!

Myra speaks in such a straightforward, passionate, and insightful way about grief as a whole, as well as her very specific personal experience. She shares how movement has helped her stay in the present as much as possible, and how she and her family work to move forward, while still carrying Havi's memory close to their hearts. Thank you for joining us this week for this very tender conversation. 

 

Learn more about Myra:

Website: https://www.myrasack.com/ 
Book: Fifty-Seven Fridays
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myrasack/ 

 

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