Dying of Laughter

In this episode, I am taking you behind the scenes of a play I am starring in called BLAZE.  Blaze is a modern play portraying a dysfunctional family attempting to get their sister/daughter into rehab. I interject with standup and storytelling sets throughout the show. It would be an honor and a pleasure to see your face in the audience! Those in LA, come check out the play: The Hudson Theatre in...

Eileen's passion is found in enabling individuals, families and communities to live healthy and balanced lives. She fulfills her calling through a combination of executive coaching, health and lifestyle coaching, serving the community and on business boards, and investing in companies that are making a positive impact in the world. Today we discuss the loss of Eileen's first husband, and how she d...

Toya Nicole is a Digital Marketing Consultant, Diversity & Inclusion Lead, Christian Author and travel influencer from Dallas, Texas. Today we discuss the loss of Toya's mother to complications from heart disease in 2001 and the loss of her father to prostate cancer in 2002. With her company, L. Nicole Media, for the past 8 years she has worked with soloprenuers and small businesses with a limited...

David is an author, public speaker, philanthropist, and endurance athlete whose mission is to form more meaningful human connections through storytelling. In Cycle of Lives, David shares the interconnected stories of people overcoming trauma and delves deeply into their emotional journeys with cancer. Today we discuss the loss of David's sister. David's sister died of brain cancer in 2007.  He con...

As creative duo "KnifeRock," Machete and Erin's short films have been selections of Marfa Film Festival, LA Shorts, and Moonfaze Feminist Film. As screenwriters-for-hire they've worked on features and television, Moon Manor will be Machete and Erin's debut feature film. ABOUT ERIN & MACHETE: Erin and Machete met in 9th grade Honors English, but truly bonded when Erin cast Machete as the "Friar" in...

In the Face of Death, We Laughed As AIDS ravaged my friend's body, levity carried us through the end. by Laura Gentle, as published on MODERN LOSS Laura Gentle is a freelance writer and communication creative living her best weird life in New Orleans. Learn more about her at  lauragentle.com . Read the Modern Loss article here . @modernloss - About Laura:  Laura Gentle is a creative writer and fre...

Jesse Moss is the Community Engagement Manager at Experience Camps, a nonprofit that champions the nation's 5.3 million U.S. children who will experience the death of a parent or sibling by the time they reach 18. Today we discuss the loss of Jesse's brother and mom. Jesse's brother died by suicide/overdose in 2012 when he was 19 and Jesse was 22. Her mom died on May 22, 2021 when Jesse was 31 and...

Aliee Chan is an actor and screenwriter from New Jersey who hasn't brushed her hair since 2003. She's known for creating and starring in the series Quirky Female Protagonist, which screened at the LA Film Festival and received critical acclaim from Huffington Post, IndieWire, and WUWM. She develops TV comedies @ CBS and Safe Space @ Lakeshore Entertainment. As an actor, Aliee has appeared on TV in...

Keep Going by Edgar Guest (Fine, I added the Queen.) Poem: When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you're trudging seems all up hill, When the funds are low and the debts are high, And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest if you must—but don't you quit. Life is queer with its twists and turns, As every one of us sometimes learns, A...

What does a woman do when her life has fallen apart and her heart has been ripped out and stepped on twice in two months? She goes on a wild adventure, makes some bad decisions, and does a sh*t load of soul searching. But most importantly? She finds out how to love…herself. This is so not Eat, Pray, Love. This is Eat, Pray, #FML . Gabrielle Stone is an actress, author, and dancer. She is known for...

I am no longer waiting for a special occasion; I burn the best candles on ordinary days. I am no longer waiting for the house to be clean; I fill it with people who understand that even dust is Sacred. I am no longer waiting for everyone to understand me; It's just not their task I am no longer waiting for the perfect children; my children have their own names that burn as brightly as any star. I...

Jasmin Jenkins is an Integrative Grief Guide, and the founder of Fall Up, a healing space that supports people navigating the spectrum of grief with 1:1 guidance, mentorship, community circles, and healing ceremonies. In her work, she brings her clients into the invitations within their grief journeys. Jasmin believes that healing is a co-creative process, and it is her deepest joy to support each...

Brandon Ravet is an award-winning writer/director. Today we discuss the loss of his dad to suicide, and what it's like supervising the Crisis Line at the Suicide Prevention Center. "In 2015 I lost my dad to suicide. He never left a note or gave me a chance to say goodbye. Until that moment I had lived a sheltered life. The only family members I had lost were my elderly grandparents. Tragedy was so...

Paige's Candle Co was created by Paige Graham, a born & raised New Yorker originally from an inner-city neighborhood in The Bronx, NY. After losing her mother at a young age, Paige's father involved her in various art programs as a way to find positive self-expression. Inspired by the art programs of her youth, Paige contributes to improve low-income neighborhoods through the arts by donating cand...

Today Amy Suddleson shares what it was like losing her mom to ovarian cancer while she was in high school. Amy is a professional organizer and designer. She is the owner of the Nimble Nest, Inc, a Los Angeles based boutique organizing + lifestyle brand rooted in sustainable systems and lasting design solutions. Amy and her team offer multi-level, full service professional organizing, by creatively...

Tremeika Small is a Brooklyn based writer, actress, and creative director. Her passions are inspiring women and advocating mental health awareness. A storyteller in her own right, her main goal is to make people feel. Because when you feel, you heal. And when you heal, you change the world. Tremeika was featured in BuzzFeed's Losing a Loved One to Covid-19 in 2020, produced by Chelsea London Lloyd...

Monika Crowfoot is an actress and writer from Window Rock, Arizona. She recently finished writing her memoir of growing up on the Navajo Reservation that documents her childhood experiences with her dead brother, and the aftermath of dealing with the grief as a teenager. For fun she likes to spend time with her husband and four children. Today we discuss the unexpected loss of her brother when she...

Hi! I'm Danielle Tropsa and I'm a young breast cancer survivor. I was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma ER/PR + HER2 - at 30 yrs old and my whole life changed. Now I advocate to the younger generations to take their health into their own hands by sharing my experiences, and knowledge I've learned from amazing medical professionals. I hope to inspire, educate, help, and motivate young people...

Today we discuss how For The Breast Of Us is empowering women of color affected by breast cancer through education, advocacy and community. This is Part 2! Check out last week's episode for Jasmine and Marissa's personal stories. @forthebreastofus Jasmine Souers, a breast cancer survivor from Jacksonville, FL, was diagnosed with stage I breast cancer at the age of 26. Diagnosed just two days befor...

For The Breast Of Us' mission is to empower women of color affected by breast cancer to make the rest of their lives the best of their lives through education, advocacy and community. @forthebreastofus Jasmine Souers, a breast cancer survivor from Jacksonville, FL, was diagnosed with stage I breast cancer at the age of 26. Diagnosed just two days before the new year in 2016, Jasmine thought the re...

AMY BYER SHAINMAN, also known as BRCA Responder, is an advocate, author, and producer providing support and education surrounding BRCA and other hereditary cancer syndromes. She's the executive producer of the award-winning documentary Pink & Blue: Colors of Hereditary Cancer. @brcaresponder Shainman is a BRCA1 gene mutation carrier and a "previvor"--meaning she is a survivor of a predisposition t...

Kristy is the author of, "Rise Up, Little Bluebirds," a sweet tale of grief and community. She lives with her husband and four children in Southern Minnesota. Today we discuss the loss of her mom to cancer, going viral on Facebook Marketplace, and writing her first children's book about loss. Kristy is the spearhead of her family's heart forward bluebird house business "Rudolph's Bluebird Houses"...

Today we take a moment to reflect on the 20th anniversary of 9/11. We're reading aloud Zibby's reflection of her experience losing a dear friend on 9/11 when they were 25. In honor of Stacey Sanders. Zibby Owens is a writer and the creator/host of Webby-nominated podcast, " Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books ." She lives in New York with her husband, Kyle Owens , and four children. @zibbyowens Aut...

Today we discuss the loss of Rett's mom to suicide in 2019 when Rett was 21. Rett Madison (she/they) is a singer-songwriter from West Virginia who, since moving to Los Angeles in 2015, has played hundreds of live shows; sung backing vocals for artists such as Lorde and Kate Nash; and opened for Five for Fighting, Shawn Colvin, JP Saxe, Theo Katzman, Lauren Ruth Ward, David Ryan Harris, Scary Pocke...

Liz began her career as most standup comedians do: as a tenured law professor. Liz won first place in the Boston Comedy Festival and Ladies of Laughter Competition, has been featured in a full article in the Wall Street Journal , and has opened for Myq Kaplan and Maria Bamford. Liz was also a part of the Seattle International Comedy Competition and will be a part of the upcoming HBO Women in Comed...