Rod & Chris: Unqualified and Unsupervised

Episode 25: Peggy Dunn – The Long Goodbye What happens when the person you’ve loved for more than 50 years is still here—but life together begins to change? Peggy Dunn joins Rod & Chris to share what happened when her husband of more than five decades was diagnosed with dementia, beginning a journey often described as the long goodbye . Peggy talks honestly about watching someone you’ve built...

Episode 24: Toni Plante – A Mother’s Story, Part 2 Some conversations need more time. In Part 1 of our conversation with Toni Plante, she shared the heartbreaking story of losing her 15-year-old daughter to suicide after her struggle with depression. In Part 2 , we continue Toni’s story. Toni talks about what came next—learning to live with an unimaginable loss, finding a way forward, and eventual...

Episode 23: Toni Plante – A Mother’s Story, Part 1 Some stories can’t—and shouldn’t—be squeezed into one episode. In this rare two-part conversation, Toni Plante joins Rod & Chris to share the story of her 15-year-old daughter, her struggle with depression, and her death by suicide. Toni talks openly about what their family experienced, the things she understands differently now, and the unima...

Episode 22: Kevi Niland – When You Don't Get to Say GoodbyeWhat happens when someone you love is dying—but circumstances keep you from being there? In Episode 22 of Rod & Chris: Unqualified and Unsupervised , we're joined by Kevi Niland, whose life and career took her to Washington, D.C., where she worked as a Reading Clerk on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. But this co...

Episode 21: Toni Loyal – Grief, Tradition, and Homegoing How we grieve is shaped by who we are, where we come from, and the traditions passed down through generations. In Episode 21 of Rod & Chris: Unqualified and Unsupervised , we're joined by Toni Loyal, who grew up on the South Side of Chicago and shares the traditions surrounding death, mourning, and remembrance in his Black family and...

Episode 20: Dr. Sterling Laaveg – The Gift of Respite What do you do when you've been caring for someone around the clock and you desperately need a break... but feel guilty for taking one? That's where respite care comes in. In Episode 20 of Rod & Chris: Unqualified and Unsupervised , we're joined by Dr. Sterling Laaveg to talk about the life-changing impact of respite care. Drawi...

Episode 19: Jamie Locke – Funeral Etiquette, Expectations & The Stories You Never Hear What should you wear to a funeral? Is there really a "right" way to behave? And what are some of the funniest, strangest, or most memorable requests funeral directors have ever received? In Episode 19 of Rod & Chris: Unqualified and Unsupervised , we're joined by funeral director Jamie Lock...

Episode 18: Conversational Goulash – When Plans Go Sideways What do you do when your guest texts to say they're stuck in Twin Cities traffic and won't make the interview? Well... we guess we make goulash. In Episode 18 of Rod & Chris: Unqualified and Unsupervised , our carefully planned interview turned into something completely unplanned. Instead of a guest, it's just Rod and Chri...

Episode 17: Scott Schell – Loss, Faith, and Answering the Call Sometimes life leads you down a path you never expected. In Episode 17 of Rod & Chris: Unqualified and Unsupervised , we're joined by Scott Schell, whose journey took him from the business world to the pulpit. But long before becoming a pastor, Scott experienced heartbreaking loss as several of his close friends died during the...

Episode 16: Trey Sandvig – When Home Isn't Safe Home should be the safest place in the world. For far too many people, it isn't. In Episode 15 of Rod & Chris: Unqualified and Unsupervised , we're joined by Trey Sandvig, a Domestic Assault Advocate with ACCESS (Assault Care Center Extending Shelter & Support). Trey shares what it's really like to help survivors of domestic v...

Episode 15: Conrae Huinker - Walking Both Sides of Hospice What is hospice really like? Hospice nurse Conrae Huinker has spent years walking alongside patients and families during life's most difficult moments. She thought she understood grief—until her own husband was diagnosed with ALS.In this episode of Rod & Chris: Unqualified and Unsupervised, Conrae shares moving stories from her car...

Episode 14: Sybil Soukup – The Healing Power of Pets They greet us with wagging tails, unconditional love, and somehow always seem to know exactly when we need them most. In Episode 14 of Rod & Chris: Unqualified and Unsupervised , we're joined by Sybil Soukup, Executive Director of the Humane Society of North Iowa, for a heartfelt conversation about the unique bond between people and thei...

Trailer: Welcome to Rod & Chris: Unqualified and Unsupervised Life doesn't come with a manual... and we're definitely not qualified to write one. Welcome to Rod & Chris: Unqualified and Unsupervised —the podcast where real people have honest conversations about grief, caregiving, resilience, and finding a way to keep moving forward after life knocks you flat. We're not therapis...

Episode 13: Madaline Barnes – We Did It Again... We Accidentally Booked Another Expert It's happening more often than we'd like to admit... another guest who's actually qualified and supervised. In Episode 13 of Rod & Chris: Unqualified and Unsupervised , therapist and neuroscientist Madaline Barnes joins us for a fascinating conversation about grief, mental health, and how our brains respond...

New here? Start with this 30-second trailer! Life doesn't come with a manual... and we're definitely not qualified to write one. Get a quick taste of what Rod & Chris: Unqualified and Unsupervised is all about: honest conversations, unexpected laughs, inspiring guests, and real stories about grief, caregiving, resilience, and finding a way to keep moving forward after life knocks you f...

Episode 12: Kim Weaver – Finding Comfort Beyond the Conversation Some conversations ask more questions than they answer... and that's okay. In Episode 12 of Rod & Chris: Unqualified and Unsupervised , we're joined by Kim Weaver for a fascinating and heartfelt discussion about grief, healing, faith, and the many ways people search for peace after losing someone they love. Kim shares her persona...

Episode 11: Kelli Hill – Wait... We Accidentally Invited an Expert This week, something unusual happened. For the first time, Rod & Chris: Unqualified and Unsupervised welcomes someone who's actually... qualified. And supervised. Kelli Hill, a child clinical psychologist, joins us for a thoughtful, practical, and surprisingly hopeful conversation about helping children navigate death, loss, an...

Episode 10: Mark Kuhn – A Tennis Court, A Legacy, and the Power of Moving Forward What does a Wimbledon-style grass tennis court built in the middle of an Iowa farm have to do with grief? More than you might imagine. In Episode 10 of Rod & Chris: Unqualified and Unsupervised , we're joined by North Iowa farmer and former State Representative Mark Kuhn. Mark shares the remarkable story behind t...

Episode 9: Caroline Scammell-Robertie – When You Have to Learn to Live Again Some stories stop you in your tracks. Caroline Scammell-Robertie's is one of them. In this heartfelt episode of Rod & Chris: Unqualified and Unsupervised , Caroline shares her journey through unimaginable loss—the death of her child, the loss of her husband, and the difficult path of learning how to keep living when l...

Episode 8: Christina Maulsby – Grieving the Life You Thought You'd Have Sometimes grief isn't about losing someone you've loved. Sometimes it's grieving the future you thought was waiting for you. In this deeply personal episode of Rod & Chris: Unqualified and Unsupervised , Christina Maulsby shares the story of raising her two sons—one living with lifelong neurological disabilities caused by...

Episode 7: Mindy Coe – From the Band Room to the Badge Band director. Navy weapons instructor. State trooper. Police captain. Most people would be happy with just one of those careers. Mindy Coe decided to collect them. In Episode 7 of Rod & Chris: Unqualified and Unsupervised , Mindy joins us to share stories from a life spent serving others—often on the worst days of their lives. We talk abo...

Episode 6: No Guest. No Script. Just Us. No guest this week. Just Rod and Chris... which means there's a pretty good chance we'll solve absolutely nothing. Sometimes there isn't an expert to call, a five-step plan to follow, or an easy answer waiting around the corner. Sometimes life throws you something you never saw coming, and all you can do is figure out the next step. In this episode of Rod &...

Episode 5: Fr. Josh – Even Priests Grieve People often expect priests to have all the answers. Fr. Josh is the first to tell you that's not how grief works. In Episode 5 of Rod & Chris: Unqualified and Unsupervised , Fr. Josh joins us for an honest conversation about grief from both sides of the aisle—his own personal losses and what it's like to stand at the altar leading funeral services for...

Episode 4: Ed Halbach – The Guy We Can Blame for All of This This one's a little different... and a little special. Ed Halbach is the reason Rod & Chris: Unqualified and Unsupervised exists. So naturally, we figured it was only fair to bring him on the show—and maybe blame him for what we've started. We talk about life, loss, friendship, sarcasm, and the kind of conversations that only happen...

Episode 3: Mary Lynn – When Life Changes in an Instant None of us signed up for the club nobody asked to join, but somehow we keep finding some pretty incredible people once we're here. In Episode 3 of Rod & Chris: Unqualified and Unsupervised , we sit down with Mary Lynn, who lost her husband suddenly at a young age. A retired writing instructor, nature lover, and lifelong learner, Mary Lynn...