The Kindred & Brave Project

Today’s episode is a real-time riff on what happens when shit doesn’t work out how you hoped, the weight of expectations, and over-apologizing.    Instead of beating yourself up over it, let it instead be a moment for you to remember that you can begin again, and again, and again.

Today I share a story about the power of grief as a teacher. When we open our hearts to the understanding that grief is love we can open ourselves to experiencing the whole emotion, all of its parts.    My son showed me a light into his grief, and the love he has for my mom because I haven’t been afraid to be in the dark. No platitudes. No explanations. Just an honest look at what it feels like to...

In this episode, I talk about two activities that I offer in my Communication classes that can help us all stretch & grow. They remind us as a society to understand that critical thinking and being human are both courageous acts. They are each a skill and we can get better at both of them with practice.   How can you stretch yourself to reach out of your comfort zone to grow in community, lear...

Today, I have a candid, vulnerable, and real AF conversation with one of my dearest friends, mentors, and wisest women, Kelley Szany. She is an award-winning Holocaust and genocide educator with over 20 years of experience as the Senior Vice President of Education and Exhibitions at Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center.    We talk about where her belief in humanity and passion for soci...

In this episode, I talk about my journey through understanding perimenopause. I share a behind-the-scenes look at some of the symptoms I’ve experienced as well as how they’ve impacted my life (hint: it’s not pretty).    The goal is to open the conversation up about this very important, very real, and very undiscussed time in women’s lives.    Resources: The New Menopause: Navigating Your Path Thro...

In this episode, I speak with Barri Leiner Grant about how losing her mother sparked a passion to create what she needed - a place to tend to grief & feel supported.    Barri is a wordsmith & has lived many professional lives - as you’ll hear - her work in the grief space is meant to be, an act of service that has impacted folks in the circle, on the mat, & on retreat.   We talk about...

In this episode, I share a few coaching reflections to help you think about what we’ve accomplished together so far this year & how we can hope to grow into the remainder of the year. I've got some practical tips for celebrating the everyday moments & reminding yourself that you have permission to give yourself a midyear review.   Reflect // What have you done in this half of the year that...

Mandy talks with bestselling author Natasha Sizlo about her book All Signs Point to Paris: A Memoir of Love, Loss, & Destiny. They discuss what they learned from Grief Training & the ways (including right in this recording) they feel their beloved guiding them.  Natasha talks about how her grief journey turned into a spiritual one & all the ways she’s learned to honor her father - alwa...

In this touching episode, Mandy talks with author and Child Life Specialist Jessica about following her calling and supporting others through the most difficult times in their lives.    Jessica has a passion for supporting children going through difficult life experiences. This passion was amplified after she and her family personally went through several miscarriages and the stillbirth of their l...

In this episode, Mandy talks about how our mental health is important all year round and how we can tune into it.  She talks about the connections between the mind and the body including how our body gives us signs that our mental health may need a check up.    Also, Mandy offers up some suggestions for us to check in with our own mental health and using research to remind us how to move through o...

In this episode, Mandy and Les go deep using a garden metaphor for life to talk about mental health, emotions, & accepting the seasons that life has. They dig into what it’s like to take a leap, practice real self-care, and ride the highs & lows of life.   Les Alfred is an award-winning podcast host, speaker, and content creator. For nearly a decade Les has created inspiring, approachable...

On today’s episode Mandy talks about the history of Mother’s Day (it’s not what you may think!) as well as how to practice Celebrating AND Communicating with those you love on this day.    Mother’s Day is a holiday that serves as a trigger for many - motherless daughters, women yearning to become mothers, mothers who have lost babies, and women who have complicated relationships with their mothers...

Digging Deeper Episodes are conversations that support being grounded in heart-first, human-centered, story-driven connection. In this episode, Mandy talks with Leslie Foy-Toon about a vulnerable social media post that helped many practice empathy & share their own stories. Leslie is a former teacher turned real estate agent (with an episode on House Hunters!) who opens up about the challenges...

“The goal here is to create a situation you no longer have to escape or a life you don’t have to numb. The achievement of sobriety is not the point; it’s a by-product of the work. The work is the point. Addiction is the hook that gets you in the door, and quitting is the catalyst to heal deeper wounds.” Excerpt from Quit Like A Woman by Holly Whitaker. Mandy talks about her relationship with alcoh...

This episode is airing on April 1, the same date in 2020 that Mandy’s mom, Diana Lynn Jankus took her last breath at 4:41 pm. In this episode, Mandy shares some of the things grief has taught her in the past 4 years. Today's podcast serves as a dedication to those we have loved & lost as well as a reminder that you are not alone in your grief.    Please follow the podcast on Apple & rate &...

In this episode, Mandy shares some big learnings from a SXSW EDU session she attended with Ross Szabo, an author & educator who focuses on creating a common language for mental health.  Learn how Ross defines mental health as well as the six categories he says are included in understanding the concept as a whole.  Mandy includes some personal examples of how we are never too young or old to st...

Amy Kugler is a media executive, writer, and founder of BEAM - a venture that illuminates the unseen corners of motherhood with human-scale storytelling. BEAM sheds light on the diverse and, often, untold experiences that shape a parent’s journey by building public/private partnerships with advocacy collaborators through expert-led, interactive events and deeply resonant storytelling. She also hos...

In this episode, Mandy finishes the Friendship series with tips from the U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s Together The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World.    Mandy wraps up the series by making connections between the four books and 7 key takeaways about friendship.    Free groups & meetings coming up!    The Grief Patch: Grief Support Groups here //  https://www....

In this episode, Mandy uses the book We Should Get Together - The Secret to Cultivating Better Friendships by Kat Vellos to examine more of the ways to make friends and find communities.     This book helps give us a roadmap to understanding why we need friendships, how to make them and take better care of them, and shares valuable insight into more ways that we can grow or change our own behavior...

(Friendship in Mid(ish) Life Series)   In this episode, Mandy uses Dr. Marisa Franco’s book “Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make--and Keep--Friends” as a guide for digging deeper into the realm of friendship in mid(ish) life.  This is an episode that will help you turn inward to get curious about how your own past impacts who you are as a friend. Dr. Franco states “attachment...

(Friendship in Mid(ish) Life Series) In the first episode of our friendship in mid(ish) life series; Mandy explores the book “Braving the Wilderness” by Brené Brown.    We take a look at why it’s important to be friends with, or “belong” to ourselves first, as we navigate how to connect with others and be in community.    Mandy digs into some of the actionable practices from the book to help us ad...

(Friendship in Mid(ish) Life Series) In this episode, Mandy brings the topic of friendship to the forefront. As we grow older; our lives change, and some of our friendships likely do too. This process is natural and layered with grief, anxiety, and possibility.    IT’S HERE: the soft launch for The Kindred & Brave Project Mighty Networks COMMUNITY. A space to keep these conversations going and...

*Trigger Warning* Pet Loss In the first episode of 2024, Mandy shares the story of losing a beloved family member, a pet. She talks about the complexities of grieving while holding space for your children to do the same. Mandy reminds us that pet loss is real loss and that the grief that accompanies that loss is valid.  We learn about the buckets of courage as defined by Brené Brown and how to wat...

In this short episode, Mandy talks about the dichotomies we face around the holiday season. She shares two practices that she uses at the end of the year to gain perspective on what we hope to feel in the new year as well as what we want to let go of.  Episode 5 Practices:  Make a list of how you want to feel in 2024. What words come to mind? For example - some of my clients have said “calm, open,...

In this episode; Mandy talks about how to actively practice empathy. She discusses the steps of empathy that Dr. Brené Brown uses in her research how building our empathy muscles could foster connection with our loved ones when they experience grief. We also learn about some common empathy misses and how to repair and reconnect when we screw empathy up (because we will).    Please like, subscribe,...