The Empowered Grief Journey

In this insightful and deeply compassionate episode of The Empowered Grief Journey Podcast, host Chris Mamone welcomes Aly Bird — grief and trauma therapist, author, and fierce advocate for having the hard conversations around death, dying, and loss. Aly shares her unique perspective as both a professional and someone who has personally experienced life-altering grief. Her grounded approach offers...

In this transformative episode of The Empowered Grief Journey Podcast, host Chris Mamone welcomes Debbie Simmons — mother of nine, faith-driven nonprofit leader, and legacy coach whose life’s work was born from unimaginable loss. After the heartbreaking death of her quadruplets, Debbie found herself at a crossroads. Instead of being consumed by grief, she chose to transform her pain into purpose....

In this deeply moving episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone welcomes grief coach and bereaved mother Paula Hill. After the tragic loss of her son Austin in a motorcycle accident in 2022, Paula found herself grieving not only her child, but also the sudden disappearance of community and support. Refusing to let grief isolate her, Paula chose to transform her pain into purpose —...

In this eye-opening episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone sits down with Dr. Gayla Gates — former family physician, emotional empath, and now a powerful voice for healing beyond the exam room. On paper, Gayla had it all: magna cum laude, a thriving medical career, a lifelong dream fulfilled. But beneath the surface she was absorbing her patients’ pain, burning out, and losing h...

In this inspiring episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone is joined by motivational speaker, master life coach, and author Dearice Spencer Shackelford. Dearice’s grief journey began in childhood, when her father’s mental health crisis left her facing early abandonment. Years later, she endured the devastating loss of her husband, a U.S. Marine veteran — suddenly becoming a single...

In this insightful and unexpectedly uplifting episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone sits down with Sandy Doyle — author of My Life at the Cemetery: It’s Not As Dead As You Think. With years of experience in the funeral home and cemetery industry, Sandy offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at life, death, and everything in between. She opens up about how her personal grief — in...

In this expansive episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone welcomes Alicia Sweezer — wildlife biologist turned scientific psychic, intuitive life coach, and three-time bestselling author. With a rare blend of analytical intelligence and intuitive depth, Alicia helps others embrace their authenticity and break free from the boxes society places around identity, spirituality, and su...

In this deeply moving episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone speaks with Devin DeGriff — physical therapist, intuitive healer, transformational coach, and author of Good Grief: The Journey from Grief to Joy. After the tragic loss of her mother to murder, Devin began a profound healing journey that led her from pain to purpose. Through embodied healing, therapeutic wisdom, and ra...

In this illuminating episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone welcomes Jose Mendoza, a holistic healer and Doctor of Chinese Energetic Medicine, for a powerful conversation about the bridge between Western medicine and spiritual healing. Once a cardiovascular surgical specialist, Jose witnessed how many patients returned unwell despite medical intervention. That experience led him...

In this heartfelt episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone welcomes Laurel O’Sullivan — grief educator, guide, and former public interest lawyer — for a deeply moving conversation about how grief can become a bridge to belonging. Laurel shares her personal journey through the sudden deaths of her father, the father of her children, and her beloved 18-year-old son, Patrick, who die...

In this powerful episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone sits down with LaCole Smith — transformative leader, author, and cancer advocate — to explore her incredible journey from tragedy to triumph. LaCole opens up about surviving a devastating house fire that claimed her mother’s life, enduring a life-altering accident, and facing cancer — all of which became catalysts for her f...

In this heartfelt episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone welcomes Bishop Barlow — author, minister, and founder of Known Ministries — for a powerful conversation about walking through grief while staying anchored in faith and purpose. Bishop shares how loss reshaped his relationship with God, his sense of identity, and his calling to serve others. Through his blog Away From the...

In this enlightening episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone welcomes Crystal Robinson — National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach and founder of Crystal Moon Holistic Healing — for a powerful conversation about healing through the integration of science and soul. Crystal shares her inspiring story of leaving behind a 30-year corporate engineering career to follow a spir...

In this heartfelt episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone sits down with Jeff, founder of Divorce Daddy, to discuss his raw and transformative journey through the collapse of a toxic marriage and the pain of divorce. Jeff opens up about living in a fog of betrayal, loss, and disconnection — and the pivotal moment he decided not to stay stuck in victimhood, but to rise. Through co...

In this heartfelt episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone speaks with Jana Wellemeyer — a Coast Guard wife, homeschooling mother of three, and healing guide shaped by profound loss. Jana opens up about her experiences with multiple miscarriages and a stillbirth, sharing the emotional toll of grieving while continuing to show up for everyday life. Through her work with the Grief R...

In this heartfelt episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone sits down with Australian community advocate and author Heidi Prowse, OAM, for an inspiring conversation about grief, leadership, and purpose after loss. After losing her husband, Andrew, to cystic fibrosis, Heidi found herself navigating deep sorrow, identity shifts, and rediscovery. Instead of retreating from life, she s...

In this powerful return episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone welcomes back Scott Stewart — professional speaker and personal development advocate — for a deeper exploration into forgiveness, identity, and breaking generational cycles. Scott shares how his path from childhood adversity to emotional freedom continues to evolve, revealing what it truly means to forgive without fo...

In this inspiring and unfiltered episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone welcomes Dallas — a self-proclaimed “emotional baggage handler” and coach from Vancouver Island, Canada — for a powerful conversation about starting over when life falls apart. Dallas shares what he calls his “year of collapse” — a season marked by cancer, addiction, and the loss of his marriage, family, bus...

In this deeply compassionate episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone is joined by Marie Betcher, whose personal experiences with grief and professional work in hospice care offer profound insight into how we can support one another through life’s most sacred transitions. Marie shares how loss has shaped her life and how her years of hospice work have transformed her understanding...

In this deeply moving episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone sits down with Jenny Leavitt — board-certified mental health coach, author, and speaker — who turned the heartbreak of losing her son into a mission of hope and healing. Jenny opens up about her journey through unimaginable loss, sharing how faith became both a lifeline and a guiding force through the darkest moments....

In this uplifting episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone welcomes Emily Mantranach — yoga teacher, Ayurvedic wellness counselor, and life coach — for a heart-centered conversation on healing, embodiment, and the wisdom of the soul. Emily shares her personal journey through grief and transformation, revealing how ancient practices like yoga and Ayurveda helped her process loss, r...

In this insightful episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone sits down with Neville Starick, a performance and prosperity specialist from Australia, to explore how grief can reshape the way we view success, purpose, and well-being. Neville shares how personal loss became the catalyst for his journey into coaching and why he now helps business leaders cultivate self-awareness as a f...

In this deeply vulnerable episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone sits down with Jillene Gallatin to explore the raw emotions that often accompany grief — especially those we’re taught to suppress, like anger at God. After the heartbreaking loss of her mother, Jillene found herself consumed by pain, resentment, and a sense of spiritual disconnection. Yet through her willingness t...

In this heartfelt episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone sits down with Keiko, who vulnerably shares her experience navigating two life-altering losses — the end of her marriage and the death of her mother. Keiko opens up about the emotional complexity of grieving both a living relationship and a loved one who has passed, and how those experiences intertwined to shape her identi...

In this candid and empowering episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone sits down with Lisa Woolery — public relations executive turned sudden widow — to explore what it really means to rebuild life after loss. Lisa opens up about the shock of losing her husband without warning and the messy, unfiltered realities of navigating grief, parenting, finances, dating, and identity. With...