Widow 180 The Podcast with Jen Zwinck

Natalie Reid-Knutson lost her husband Wayne suddenly after a family vacation in 2018.  She was left to raise their 3 boys and put the pieces back together of their broken life. But Natalie realizes that this life is short and we are not to waste one precious day! On the show today, she shares her passion for helping other widows. We talk about: ~ serving others to take away your own pain ~ How she...

Kathleen Jucar-Forbes lost her husband Brad suddenly in December 2018. Kathleen shares her story of how losing Brad has shaped her into who she is today. We talk about: ~ Finding purpose and meaning in life after we lose a spouse. ~ Visiting mediums to connect with lost loved ones ~ How Camp Widow is an amazing place to connect with other widows ~ How grief can affect us physically ~Important fina...

20 days changed everything for Becki Koon. Her husband Jack was diagnosed with cancer and 20 days later he passed away. Becki and I chat about: ~ focusing on a "conscious death" process and what that means. ~ how one month after Jack passed, she was able to connect with him through meditation. ~ how we can feel connected to our loved ones who've passed ~ How she wrote the book &quot...

This is something that we all struggle with when we've been through loss and heartache and we're thinking about dating again. It's finding the confidence in ourselves to get back out there and be vulnerable again. Here are 3 ways to gain confidence in yourself so you can put yourself back out there and find love again. This is definitely something that we cover in our new dating pro...

100 Episodes of Widow 180: The Podcast! I couldn't think of a better way to recognize this monumental occasion than by highlighting some of the incredible quotes and stories from the past 100 episodes! This podcast has been the most rewarding thing I've ever done with my life. Thank you all for listening! Please leave a rating and review! Please share the podcast with other widows who ne...

I have interviewed a lot of widows on the podcast and I've found that this is the NUMBER 1 reason why widows don't date again after losing their spouse!   You don't want to miss this! If you are interested in dating again, but don't know where to start, I encourage you to sign up for my FREE workshop next Thursday January 27, 2022. It's called New Year, New Love! In this w...

My first interview of 2022 and it's one you don't want to miss! This is April Katherman-Redgrave, surviving widow of fallen police officer Mike Katherman who was killed in 2016. April and I chat about: ~ Raising her 2 boys after losing Mike ~ An unexpected flood of her home where she had to be rescued by boat, just 6 months after losing Mike. ~ Starting new traditions around milestone da...

This is something we hear a lot! Year 2 of widowhood is much harder than year 1. But is that really true?? This question was asked in our last group meeting by one of our members and I wanted to share the answers that followed. 4 different widows. Different stages of grief. Each with a different perspective. I invite you all to join the Widow Connection Community for more group discussions like th...

How can you create new possibilities in the new year? To help start 2022 strong, let's talk about some powerful words that you can explore and adopt into your life to elevate you to the best version of yourself! These are words that will motivate and inspire you, words that you can go back to and focus on to remind yourself of your goals and intentions for the year! For more discussions like...

Jenny Stults lost her husband Dan from a seizure in January 2015. Jenny takes us on her path of healing and shares her story about becoming a blogger then author of the book Carry On Castle, a memoir of love and loss. In this episode we chat about: ~ Finding a good therapist! ~ Relationships with in-laws ~ Forgiving yourself for soloparenting struggles! ~ Moving into a new home and all of the emot...

I want to say a BIG thank you to all of my incredible podcast guests this last year! These brave, beautiful souls poured out their wisdom and experience in hopes of making a difference in someone's life...and I truly believe they did! In this episode, they share some advice on how to get through the holidays as a widow.  I want to wish you all so much love and peace and calm this Christmas Ev...

I have this idea and I would love for you to be a part of it! After hosting my Widow's Holiday Club for the second year in a row, I felt like I wanted to continue our weekly Zoom meetings regularly. As we all know, different things come up with in-laws or with kids or with stress or with stress around finances, so many overwhelming aspects of grief! And we know at those times we need some ext...

I had the privilege of speaking with Sharon McChristian on the podcast this week. Sharon lost her husband Randy in 2012 from a sudden heart attack. Sharon and I chat about: ~How she overcame her fears after becoming a widow ~ How GriefShare helped her healing process ~ How seeing Her late husband's signature was a major trigger for her ~ How she reconnected with an old friend and rekindled a...

This episode was inspired by the incredible ladies in the Widow's Holiday Club! It's been such a pleasure getting to know these amazing ladies and forming connections and friendships this holiday season. When I asked the group about how they were feeling this week, the most popular response was "overwhelmed!" So, in this episode I share 3 ways you can combat the holiday overwhe...

Thank you to everyone who participated in this week's episode! These are some pretty incredible souls, stepping up and putting themselves out there, working hard, supporting themselves, supporting their families, thriving, and making this world a better place! Here are the businesses from this week: 1. Marni Henderson - widow wellness and widow retreats - www.coalescediscovery.com IG: @coales...

My guest this week on the podcast is Laura Leanne , vlogger, world-traveller, widow, and entrepreneur. She joins me this week to talk about the loss of her husband James and how it's impacted her life. We chat about: ~ PTSD and how to handle anxiety ~ How to overcome the fear of travelling alone ~ How and where to spread loved one's ashes ~ How starting her Instagram @adventuresafteryou7...

Welcome to this Tuesday BONUS episode where we're answering a Widow's Holiday Club member question. This is a tough time of year for a lot of widows, with emotions and thoughts that get escalated around the holidays. It's important to know that we won't always know what to do or say or think and that we need to be COMPASSIONATE with ourselves! Please forward this episode to any...

It's back again and I am so excited! This is a special episode we call the WidowBiz Weekend Edition where listeners and supporters of the podcast can call in and advertise their biz! I applaud all of the women who called in to participate this year! I know how hard you all work to support your families. Let's show all these ladies some extra love and support this holiday season and buy f...

What to do with the empty chair at the table? This was always a grief trigger for me. Today I want to give a few suggestions on what to do with the empty chair at the table this holiday season.  Being prepared for those grief triggers can make the day and the moment much more bearable. Also, if you would like to purchase The Widow's Holiday Guidebook, you can get the download at www.widow180....

Sabine Horner, grief nutritionist and widow, joins me today on this fascinating look into what exactly grief does to us physically and mentally.  We all know it wreaks havoc, right? We can't eat properly, we feel like we can't breathe, we don't sleep, we can't think straight. Sabine talks to me about: ~ How grief and nutrition are linked ~ Ayurveda and how proper eating for bod...

Lisa Godwin became a widow after losing her husband Bert to esophageal cancer in 2016. Since that time, she has transformed her life, rediscovered who she is as a person, and stepped into embracing change like a champ! In our interview Lisa talks to me about: ~ The power of time to heal! ~ using Caring Bridge as a way of journaling emotions (as well as the practical updates) ~ Starting her passion...

Wanna promote your widow-owned business on the podcast? Are you a maker, a creator, a service-provider and you're looking for a way to boost business this time of year? I'll be doing my WidowBiz Weekend Edition of the podcast starting soon and if you would like to get your name out there and promote your business, I'm opening up the "podcast doors" for you to advertise ( f...

When we lose our spouse, we feel like part of us has died too. We feel numb. Life is about not just surviving, but thriving! Life is about not just existing, but living to the fullest! So, how do we start to come alive again? Here are some ways you can wake up and get back into the game of life! If you're starting to feel anxious about the holidays and think you may need some support during t...

Julie Vandingenen became a caregiver to her fiance Louis after he was diagnosed at the age of 26 with stomach cancer. He lost his cancer battle 6 months later in August 2017. J ulie talks to me about: ~turning to social media to find support during the caregiver phase and after she lost Louis. ~ Travel as a healthy coping mechanism!  ~Helpful advice to caregivers like "take time to yourself&q...

Here's a question I get asked a lot...How do I know if I'm ready to date again?  There are many, MANY layers to answer that question, but today I want to offer this one piece of advice to you to help answer the question "Are you ready to date?" Also, I wanted to share a clip from Episode 17 with Stephanie Mosley. She shares the story of how she met her now husband Rob! I hope t...