The Silver Linings Handbook

In this episode we dive deep into the heart-wrenching story of Jennifer Kesse's disappearance and the relentless search for answers. Jayson is joined by Bill Gilmour, Jennifer's uncle and author of "Aftermath of Jennifer Kesse's Abduction: An Uncle's Quest for Understanding and Inspiring Life Lessons." Bill shares the intimate journey of his grief, the spiritual awakening it triggered, and the les...

We are joined by Dana Poll to discuss her two-decade journey to bring closure to families of the missing and unidentified. In this episode, we explore motivations that were forged by childhood memories of missing children on milk cartons that used to sit on her family's breakfast table. Dana is a seasoned researcher of missing and unidentified persons cases and we also explore her pursuit of bring...

In this profoundly moving episode, we delve into the heart of a father's relentless quest for answers. Bruce Maitland, the founder of Private Investigations for the Missing, shares the stirring tale of his daughter Brianna's disappearance and the profound impact it has had on his life. His journey from anguish to action has led him to create an organization dedicated to aiding families in their se...

Dive into a world where true crime meets community, where the voices of Brett and Alice from the Prosecutors Podcast weave a narrative that's about much more than the cases they cover. Discover how a podcast became a beacon of connection during the pandemic, bringing together people from all walks of life. In this episode, we explore the essence of belonging, the power of community, and how one po...

Joining Jayson Blair is Clifton Talbert, an author, business consultant and speaker who's best known for his books, Once Upon a Time When We Were Colored and 8 Habits of the Heart. We step into the world where the legacy of the Mississippi Delta's cotton fields, the struggle for civil rights, and the warmth of a quilted heirloom converge. This episode explores hope and belonging, growing out of po...

Join us on a journey to the heart of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, where Monte Fronk, a tribal first responder, opens up about the painful loss of his daughter, Nada, and the ongoing struggle of indigenous communities against a backdrop of violence and neglect. As we discuss the history and impact of the missing and murdered indigenous people, Monte’s powerful narrative is a sobering reminder of...

Jerry Colona, the celebrated coach and author, joins us to discuss the transformative power of radical self-inquiry and building systemic belonging. Learn how to create environments that nurture growth and foster a sense of belonging for all. This isn't just about leading teams; it's aboutcreating change in homes, communities and workplaces. Tune in now to redefine what it means to lead and to bel...

In this bonus episode I recently had the opportunity to appear on Katie Moran's podcast, Artistic Spirit, to discuss how people can use their creativity to improve their mental health, how many people do not feel that they're creative but all of us have it in us and it has the power to help heal us and the power to help others. Be sure to check out Katie's podcast Artistic Spirit and learn more by...

Jackie Nichols is a detective with the Asotin County Sheriff's Office in Western Washington. Jackie is the only detective working for the Asotin County Sheriff's Office which is responsible for providing law enforcement services to this sparsely populated yet geographically large county in the southeastern corner of the state. Today we're going to discuss cold cases, the advances in DNA as a law e...

We made it through another year and 2023 this year like many brought some challenges, a lot of rewards and a ton of learning. I had the idea here in our first year looking through our episodes to see what messages we heard from our guests that enlightened us and challenged us to think through many complicated issues that we grapple with as humans. There were moments of hope, clarity, inspiration a...

This episode is a part of a discussion I recently had on the meaning of the holidays, family, friendship and community with several of our listeners. As we head toward the end of the year, I thought it would be nice to celebrate our 50th episode with a group of listeners I've met over the course of the past year. This group of listeners are people that I often receive feedback from and consult on...

This Christmas Eve we wanted to share with you a podcast that has been a true joy of the year and the season, Santa Maybe, a Criminal . Santa Maybe, a Criminal is a true-crime satire podcast that on its face is about whether Santa ran over a woman in a small Georgia town. But it is really about hope, healing and finding the meaning of Christmas. On Christmas Eve, we thought it would share this for...

Jayson is joined by Kristina Ralph, who works with leaders and others on personality characteristics, can help people develop self-awareness and live better lives and Brittney Lawhorn, the Director of Operations at Goose Creek Consulting, who also works with leaders and others who have those same goals. This episode will give us a chance to laugh, learn, get some chuckles and gain some insight. Wh...

Today we're sharing a bonus episode from our December meetup in Atlanta with several podcasters where I facilitated a discussion on the motivations behind hosting and producing true crime podcasts. The panel included Brandon Hall from Music City 911 Podcast, Nina Innsted from Already Gone, Dana Poll from True Crime P.I., Robert Parmer from The Broken System Podcast and Jason Ursy from Santa Maybe,...

Jayson is joined by Kristina Ralph, who works with leaders and others on the personality characteristics, can help people develop self-awareness and live better lives and Brittney Lawhorn, the Director of Operations at Goose Creek Consulting who also works with leaders and others who have those same goals. Today we're going to be using a framework designed by Dr. Bob Hogan, the founder of Hogan As...

In this episode, Jayson is joined by Brandon Schrand, an essayist, an award-winning author and the host of The Snake River Killer Podcast. In addition to hosting The Snake River Killer Podcast, Brandon is the communications director at the College of Agriculture, Hhuman and Natural Resource Sciences at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. In a day and age where true crime podcasting...

This is a bonus episode with Elizabeth McMaster, an attorney and an advocate who focuses on areas of law that intersect with Elder law, guardianship and mental health. Today we’re talking about a Virginia case that became national and international that she calls the granny kidnapping. Learn more by visiting our website and follow along with us on Instagram . The Silver Linings Handbook is a produ...

Joining Jayson today is Elizabeth McMaster, an attorney and an advocate who focuses on areas of law that intersect with Elder law, guardianship and mental health. Elizabeth not only practices law in this area, but she has a true passion for helping people whose psychological, social and financial wellbeing are negatively impacted and the legal tools that exist that can be brought to bear to improv...

In this episode, Kevin Greenlee, an attorney, and Áine Cain, a journalist, and hosts of The Murder Sheet Podcast join Jayson to talk about their journeys and their backgrounds about what motivates them, about what brought them together as a team in life and in covering cases and about some of the challenges that are being faced right now by the news media. As they work to push against the headwind...

Katie Moran is an author, speaker, social media influencer and an advocate for mental health, sexual assault and suicide prevention. Katie is a survivor of sexual assault, suicide attempts and suicidal ideation and has spoken with remarkable openness about her challenges with depression and anxiety in a world in which we can be prone at times to forget the stigma that still exists around these top...

In this episode, Jayson is joined by Greg Lygon, a former member of Calvary Temple, a church in Sterling, Virginia that has spent more than a decade ensnared in scandals about emotional, sexual and physical abuse, controlling members and alienating them from the rest of the world. They will talk about community, loss of power and religion, the prevalence of cults hidden behind buildings that look...

This is a Silver Linings Handbook bonus episode with The Murder Sheet Podcast with the hosts, Kevin and Áine. We talk about the Delphi Murders and the media circus surrounding them. This episode originally aired on The Murder Sheet but includes additional content for Silver Linings Handbook listeners. I can remember the moments walking along a rural street in Leesburg, Virginia when I wondered wha...

Jayson is joined by Brett Tally, an author of several bestselling novels and anthologies including He Who Walks in Shadow , That Which Should Not Be and The Fiddle Is the Devil's Instrument . He has been twice nominated for the Bram Stoker Award for superior achievement which is the top award for horror writing presented annually by the Horror Writers Association. Brett is also the author of sever...

Jayson is joined by Brett Tally, an author of several bestselling novels and anthologies including He Who Walks in Shadow , That Which Should Not Be and The Fiddle Is the Devil's Instrument . He has been twice nominated for the Bram Stoker Award for superior achievement which is the top award for horror writing presented annually by the Horror Writers Association. Brett is also the author of sever...

Two weeks ago, the author Allison Dickson joined us for a surprisingly bright conversation about darkness and this week I joined Allison on her podcast, Ding Dong Darkness Time, a show that explores the weird, the morbid and the macabre whether supernatural or not. More than a podcast about horror or the paranormal, Ding Dong Darkness Time is an exploration of society, culture, sociology, psycholo...