The Empowered Grief Journey

Do You Know The Way? A Mother's Story of SUDC and Learning to Live Again

In this deeply moving episode, Chris sits down with grief educator and bereaved mother Carrie Brody, who lost her vibrant 9-year-old son, Seth, to Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC)—a tragedy few parents even know exists until it happens to them.
Carrie shares the shock of losing a healthy child without warning, the painful search for answers that never came, and the trauma that reshaped her family and marriage. She also opens up about her powerful spiritual connection with Seth, the signs and messages she continues to receive, and how he guided her to write her book Do You Know the Way?
Together, Chris and Carrie explore the realities of child loss, how partners grieve differently, why guilt haunts bereaved parents, and how love continues beyond death. If you're navigating grief, searching for meaning, or longing for connection with a child who has passed, this episode will meet you tenderly where you are.

Losing a Mother During COVID Lockdown: Grief, Shock & Radical Compassion

In this powerful episode, Australian coach and podcast host Kate Galli shares the sudden and heartbreaking loss of her mother during the height of COVID-19 lockdowns. From closed borders to ICU restrictions, ambulance escorts, and navigating grief in total isolation, Kate brings us inside the emotional shock and unreal logistics that shaped her experience.
Together, we explore:• Sudden loss and the trauma of not being able to say goodbye• Grief during COVID and the loss of basic human connection• Healing strained family relationships after tragedy• Anger, compassion, and the transformation that grief demands• How grief reshaped Kate’s activism, leadership, and entire worldview• What her mother — and her mother’s cat Pango — taught her about love
This episode is a deeply moving reminder that grief forces us to grow in directions we never imagined — and that compassion, even in the smallest moments, can carry us through the unimaginable.

Disability, Healing, & Complex Family Grief With Ansley Ash

What happens when grief is layered—cancer loss, complicated family history, caregiving, and the unexpected death of a beloved pet? In today’s episode, novelist Ansley Ash shares her deeply personal journey through a lifetime of responsibility, emotional exhaustion, and profound love.
We talk about:• Navigating cancer loss and anticipatory grief• Growing up in a home shaped by disability• Pet loss and why it deserves real space• Anger as a messenger, not a flaw• Setting boundaries and choosing what truly matters• Rebuilding identity through creativity and self-grace
If you’ve ever felt lost, overwhelmed, or unsure how to move forward, Ansley’s story will help you feel understood—and remind you that your grief journey is valid exactly as it is.

Grief, Trauma & Radical Acceptance with Therapist Cherie Nassi

In this heartfelt episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone sits down with Los Angeles-based psychotherapist Cherie Nassi to explore how grief can become a pathway to healing and empowerment.
Cherie shares her story of growing up with a father who developed Alzheimer’s, the anticipatory grief she faced as a teen, and how his death inspired her to help others navigate trauma and loss. Together, they discuss radical acceptance, setting boundaries, and learning to live alongside grief rather than “getting over it.”
Cherie also reflects on supporting her community through California wildfires and the lessons of resilience that followed.

Grief, Writing & Spiritual Signs: Angie Vancise’s Journey

In this heartfelt episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone sits down with award-winning Canadian author Angie Vancise to explore how grief, creativity, and faith can become powerful forces for healing.
After losing her brother Dan unexpectedly—followed by her parents, home, and sense of identity—Angie found solace through writing her debut novel Cry of an Osprey, honoring her brother’s memory and exploring themes of love, loss, and acceptance. Her second book, Hidden in the Shadows, extends that empathy to survivors of abuse and exploitation, turning pain into purpose through storytelling.
Together, Chris and Angie discuss the physical weight of grief, signs from loved ones, guilt around “moving on,” and the redemptive power of creative expression.

Endometriosis, Grief & Grace: Healing Out Loud with Jessa Reynolds

In this powerful episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone sits down with Jessa Reynolds — creative, mother, and founder of The Inner Grace Project — to explore healing through chronic illness, medical trauma, and grief.
Diagnosed with endometriosis, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, and ADHD after years of unexplained pain, Jessa shares what it’s like to grieve the life she imagined, rediscover self-love, and find hope through faith, motherhood, and advocacy. Together, they discuss the hidden grief of chronic pain, the emotional toll of not being believed, and the courage it takes to speak up and seek real support.

It’s Okay Not to Be Fabulous Every Day: Resilience & Grief with Ally Dalsimer

In this heartfelt episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone sits down with Ally Dalsimer — award-winning author of It’s Okay Not to Be Fabulous Every Day: A Journey to Self-Discovery — to explore how resilience, humor, and self-compassion can carry us through life’s hardest seasons.
Ally shares her story of losing her husband to cancer, navigating single parenthood, career upheaval, and multiple losses — and how each experience taught her to rebuild her identity with grace and courage. Together, they unpack the myths of “getting over it,” the importance of honest grief, and why kindness toward ourselves is the foundation of healing.

Grief, Addiction, Prison, and Redemption with Ken Miller

Author and speaker Ken Miller (Becoming Ken) joins host Chris Mamone on The Empowered Grief Journey to share how he transformed a childhood marked by foster care, abandonment, and violence into a life of recovery, purpose, and service. Once a National Merit Scholar at Dartmouth who fell into decades of addiction, homelessness, and incarceration, Ken recounts the turning point that led him to rebuild his physical, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual health while in prison.
Together, Ken and Chris explore the grief beneath anger, the power of forgiveness, and how “gap control” helps interrupt reactive cycles and foster emotional balance. Ken also unpacks the language of respect and disrespect—from the streets to the boardroom—and how changing our self-talk can transform our lives. Today, Ken is a successful entrepreneur, mentor, and storyteller who models resilience, grace, and love.