What if a single moment in your grief revealed a truth that rewrote your entire identity? That’s exactly what happened to today’s guest, Rich Boerner, whose life changed forever after his mother’s passing. While cleaning out her apartment, Rich uncovered a long-hidden secret about his father—one that forced him to confront love, betrayal, forgiveness, and ultimately, healing.

This episode dives deep into the emotional terrain of family secrets, identity, and the surprising ways grief can open doors to growth we never expected.

🌟 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• How growing up without a father shaped Rich’s beliefs about himself
• The shocking discovery that changed everything after his mother's death
• Why our family stories affect us long after childhood
• The emotional journey from anger to compassion
• How meeting his half-sister helped him understand the truth
• Why he felt called to write The Not So Only Child
• How humor, curiosity, and vulnerability became tools for healing
• What Rich hopes his story will teach his own children

📚 About Rich’s Book

Rich’s memoir, The Not So Only Child: My True Story, is a heartfelt, thought-provoking, and surprisingly funny exploration of identity and belonging. Perfect for anyone navigating complicated family dynamics, grief, or personal reinvention.

👉 Get the book: [Insert Amazon / Audible / Kindle link]
👉 Rich’s Website: [Insert link]

💬 Join the Conversation

Your experiences matter.

• Have you ever uncovered a surprising family truth?
• Did grief reveal something unexpected to you?
• What part of Rich’s story resonated most?

✨ Share your thoughts with us!
Leave a comment on YouTube, or join the discussion on https://grief2growth.substack.com

🔗 Connect with Rich

Website: [Insert link]
Instagram: [Insert handle]
Podcast / Audio Work: [Insert link]

❤️ Support the Show

If today’s conversation touched you:

Visit the Grief 2 Growth store for FREE items as well as other tools to help you along your journey:

• Guided Meditations
• My book GEMS of Healing (signed copy)
• My Oracle deck to help you connect with your loved ones
• Mini-courses
• Mini-guides
  
  

Check it out at https://grief2growth.com/store

I'm excited to announce a new resource I'm very proud of. This guide outlines the four daily practices I discovered on my grief journey. These techniques have helped dozens of my clients. Get it free today.

GEMS- 4 Steps To Go From Grief To Joy

This deck is a labor of love. It's a 44 card oracle deck that's about connecting you to your loved one in spirit. The deck comes with a companion digital guide that gives you an affirmation, a reflection, and an activity for the day.

Check it out at https://stan.store/grief2growth/p/oracle-deck

Support the show

🧑🏿‍🤝‍🧑🏻 Join Facebook Group- Get Support and Education
👛 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth Premium (bonus episodes)
📰 Get A Free Gift
📅 Book A Complimentary Discovery Call
📈 Leave A Review

Thanks so much for your support

In this deeply moving conversation, Brian sits down with Michael Reed, author of The Million Stages of Grief, whose life changed forever on the night of the 2016 Gatlinburg fires. Michael lost his wife Constance and daughters Chloe and Lily in the tragedy—and today, he shares not only his story, but the wisdom, compassion, and hard-earned insight that grew from unimaginable loss.

This episode explores what grief really looks like—messy, nonlinear, human—and why comparing grief (“less than,” “more than,” “should be over it”) only creates more suffering.

You’ll hear how Michael went from suicidal despair to becoming a voice for grievers everywhere.

💡 What You’ll Learn

• Why the “five stages of grief” don’t reflect most people’s real experience
• How men are socialized to hide grief—and how to break that cycle
• The truth about survivor’s guilt
• Faith after tragedy: doubt, anger, surrender, and transformation
• What helped Michael choose to live when he didn’t want to
• How writing became a lifeline
• What it means to move forward without “moving on”

🔗 Guest Links

• 🌐 Website: https://themillionstages.com
  
  
• 📘 Book: The Million Stages of Grief (available on Amazon)
• 📱 Follow Michael on social media: listed on his website

🎙️ Listen & Support Grief 2 Growth

• 💌 Join our community & weekly reflections: https://grief2growth.substack.com
• ⭐ Please rate & review the show to help others find support.

🧭 Interactive Elements

👉 Your Reflection Prompt:
What is one memory of your loved one that brings both pain and comfort?
Share it with us in the comments or reply on Substack—we honor them together.

👉 Your Action Step:
Choose one person who might feel alone in their grief today. Send them this episode and a simple message:
“You don’t have to go through this alone.”

👉 Feedback Request:
We want to uplift more voices like Michael’s.
What to

Visit the Grief 2 Growth store for FREE items as well as other tools to help you along your journey:

• Guided Meditations
• My book GEMS of Healing (signed copy)
• My Oracle deck to help you connect with your loved ones
• Mini-courses
• Mini-guides
  
  

Check it out at https://grief2growth.com/store

I'm excited to announce a new resource I'm very proud of. This guide outlines the four daily practices I discovered on my grief journey. These techniques have helped dozens of my clients. Get it free today.

GEMS- 4 Steps To Go From Grief To Joy

This deck is a labor of love. It's a 44 card oracle deck that's about connecting you to your loved one in spirit. The deck comes with a companion digital guide that gives you an affirmation, a reflection, and an activity for the day.

Check it out at https://stan.store/grief2growth/p/oracle-deck

Support the show

🧑🏿‍🤝‍🧑🏻 Join Facebook Group- Get Support and Education
👛 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth Premium (bonus episodes)
📰 Get A Free Gift
📅 Book A Complimentary Discovery Call
📈 Leave A Review

Thanks so much for your support

In today’s powerful episode of Grief 2 Growth, Brian sits down with Samina Bari — author of Don’t Call Me Widow and host of the Afterlife podcast — for a raw and insightful look at spousal loss, solo parenting, grief brain, and the quiet ways we can show up for those who are hurting most.

Samina lost her husband suddenly in 2023. What followed was a journey through shock, trauma, identity loss, and rebuilding life as a solo parent of twins. Her honesty brings comfort, clarity, and guidance to anyone walking beside someone who’s grieving — or navigating grief themselves.

🔑 In This Episode You’ll Discover

• What “grief brain” really feels like and why it affects memory, decisions, and daily functioning
• Why year two can feel harder than year one
• How solo parenting is different from single parenting
• Why the word “widow” is so emotionally charged — and why Samina rejects it
• How children grieve and what they need most
• What actually helps someone grieving (and what makes things worse)
• The unseen emotional and logistical weight after a spouse dies
• Why saying the loved one’s name matters more than you think
• How friends can become the lifeline a grieving person depends on
  
  

🌟 About Samina Bari

Website: https://saminabari.com

Books:

• I Can, I Will, and I Did
• Don’t Call Me Widow
  Podcast: Afterlife (available on all major platforms)

Samina blends lived experience with heartfelt advocacy, helping others understand the realities of spousal grief in a culture that’s deeply uncomfortable with loss.

🧠 Listener Takeaways

• Small acts of kindness matter far more than big gestures
• Children are not naturally resilient — they need support
• Grief changes identity, timelines, and the imagined future
• Community support can literally hold a grieving person together
• It’s never too late to reach out to someone who’s hurting
  
  

Visit the Grief 2 Growth store for FREE items as well as other tools to help you along your journey:

• Guided Meditations
• My book GEMS of Healing (signed copy)
• My Oracle deck to help you connect with your loved ones
• Mini-courses
• Mini-guides
  
  

Check it out at https://grief2growth.com/store

I'm excited to announce a new resource I'm very proud of. This guide outlines the four daily practices I discovered on my grief journey. These techniques have helped dozens of my clients. Get it free today.

GEMS- 4 Steps To Go From Grief To Joy

This deck is a labor of love. It's a 44 card oracle deck that's about connecting you to your loved one in spirit. The deck comes with a companion digital guide that gives you an affirmation, a reflection, and an activity for the day.

Check it out at https://stan.store/grief2growth/p/oracle-deck

Support the show

🧑🏿‍🤝‍🧑🏻 Join Facebook Group- Get Support and Education
👛 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth Premium (bonus episodes)
📰 Get A Free Gift
📅 Book A Complimentary Discovery Call
📈 Leave A Review

Thanks so much for your support

In this powerful episode of Grief 2 Growth, internationally bestselling author and dream expert Theresa Cheung joins me to explore the deeper meaning of dreams — including the ones that frighten us, comfort us, and stay with us long after we wake up.

Theresa shares why she believes we sleep to dream, how dreams reflect our soul's growth, and how they can become gateways to healing—especially after profound loss. Whether you're longing for an afterlife dream visit, navigating recurring nightmares, or simply curious about the hidden messages behind your dreams, this conversation offers clarity and hope.

🌟 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• The surprising spiritual purpose of ordinary dreams
• How to distinguish symbolic dreams from true afterlife dream visits
• Why nightmares are “tough love” signs from the subconscious
• How dreams help us process grief and reconnect with those we love
• The power of lucid dreaming and emotional rehearsal
• How Theresa weaves dream wisdom into her new spiritual thriller, Nightborn

🧠 About Our Guest — Theresa Cheung

Theresa Cheung is a world-renowned spiritual writer with 20+ years of experience researching dreams, intuition, and the afterlife. She’s the author of multiple Sunday Times bestsellers and now, her debut spiritual thriller:

👉 Nightborne — A gripping story infused with hidden dream-decoding teachings.

🔗 Website: https://www.theresacheung.com

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetheresacheung

✨ Resources Mentioned

• Theresa’s novel: Nightborn
• Past Grief 2 Growth episodes on afterlife communication and dream visits
• Dream journaling tips and recall practices

💬 Join the Conversation

We want to hear from you!

• Did this episode spark a memory of a powerful dream?
• Have you experienced a dream visit from a loved one?
• What dream symbols show up most often for you?

Share your thoughts with us on Substack:
 👉 https

Visit the Grief 2 Growth store for FREE items as well as other tools to help you along your journey:

• Guided Meditations
• My book GEMS of Healing (signed copy)
• My Oracle deck to help you connect with your loved ones
• Mini-courses
• Mini-guides
  
  

Check it out at https://grief2growth.com/store

I'm excited to announce a new resource I'm very proud of. This guide outlines the four daily practices I discovered on my grief journey. These techniques have helped dozens of my clients. Get it free today.

GEMS- 4 Steps To Go From Grief To Joy

This deck is a labor of love. It's a 44 card oracle deck that's about connecting you to your loved one in spirit. The deck comes with a companion digital guide that gives you an affirmation, a reflection, and an activity for the day.

Check it out at https://stan.store/grief2growth/p/oracle-deck

Support the show

🧑🏿‍🤝‍🧑🏻 Join Facebook Group- Get Support and Education
👛 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth Premium (bonus episodes)
📰 Get A Free Gift
📅 Book A Complimentary Discovery Call
📈 Leave A Review

Thanks so much for your support

🎧 Episode Title: My Grief Is Not Like Yours: Theo Boyd on Layered Loss, Divine Signs & Radical Hope

Guest: Theo Boyd
– Author, Grief Educator, and Speaker
Books:
📘 My Grief Is Not Like Yours
📗 Hope All The Way
Grief Study Resource: Download the National Grief Study

💡 Episode Summary:

What if grief didn’t just break you—it rebuilt you?

In this deeply moving conversation, Theo Boyd shares how her life was upended by a string of heartbreaking losses: her mother in a tragic farm accident, her father’s suicide, the sudden death of her longtime counselor, and the end of her marriage. But Theo didn’t stay in the darkness.

Through writing, faith, and raw resilience, she created two life-affirming books that are helping thousands find healing. This episode is an emotional blueprint for anyone navigating the chaos of grief and searching for signs that love never dies.

📝 Key Topics Covered:

• Why Theo says grief is like black paint—and how the light returns
• The silent trauma of witnessing compounded loss
• The surprising story of how signs from her parents helped restore her faith
• What 79% of grieving Americans say they wish the media would do
• How to help someone who's grieving (hint: just be there)
• The most misunderstood truths about “prolonged grief disorder”

💬 Favorite Quotes:

“Grief is just like that black paint… it coats you and covers you. It takes a while for that to dry and chip away so that you see the rays of light come through. Those are the little specks of hope.” – Theo Boyd“The loss that is the hardest… is the loss that you are experiencing.”“I gave up on my faith, but my faith never gave up on me.”

🙋‍♀️ Your Turn:

What’s one way you’ve found light through the black paint of grief?
 📩 Leave a comment or join the conversation on Substack: grieftogrowth.substack.com

Visit the Grief 2 Growth store for FREE items as well as other tools to help you along your journey:

• Guided Meditations
• My book GEMS of Healing (signed copy)
• My Oracle deck to help you connect with your loved ones
• Mini-courses
• Mini-guides
  
  

Check it out at https://grief2growth.com/store

I'm excited to announce a new resource I'm very proud of. This guide outlines the four daily practices I discovered on my grief journey. These techniques have helped dozens of my clients. Get it free today.

GEMS- 4 Steps To Go From Grief To Joy

This deck is a labor of love. It's a 44 card oracle deck that's about connecting you to your loved one in spirit. The deck comes with a companion digital guide that gives you an affirmation, a reflection, and an activity for the day.

Check it out at https://stan.store/grief2growth/p/oracle-deck

Support the show

🧑🏿‍🤝‍🧑🏻 Join Facebook Group- Get Support and Education
👛 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth Premium (bonus episodes)
📰 Get A Free Gift
📅 Book A Complimentary Discovery Call
📈 Leave A Review

Thanks so much for your support

How do we hold love in one hand and suffering in the other — without breaking? In this beautiful and soul-stretching conversation, Brian sits down with Zach Beach to explore the deep connection between our capacity to love and our capacity to hurt. Zach brings wisdom from spiritual traditions, psychology, and lived experience to illuminate why grief is not something to “fix,” but something to honor.

This episode is rich with insights on compassion, presence, mindfulness, and the human journey through loss. If you're grieving, supporting someone in grief, or walking your own spiritual path, this one will speak directly to your heart.

🧘‍♂️ What You’ll Learn

• Why love and suffering are intertwined, and why this matters for healing
• How compassion differs from empathy — and why compassion energizes instead of draining us
• The dangers of “premature problem solving” in grief
• How mindfulness helps us “suffer well” and stay grounded
• Wisdom from the Buddha, Jesus, and mystical traditions on pain and presence
• Practical ways to support someone who’s grieving (beyond platitudes)
• Brian’s personal insights on transforming the darkest moments into growth

🔗 Connect with Zach

• Website: https://www.zachbeach.com
  
  
• Instagram: @zachbeachlove
• Book: Love and Suffering: A Spiritual Guide for Helpers, Healers, and Humans

💬 We Want to Hear From You

• What part of this conversation moved you the most?
• Have you ever experienced love and suffering arriving together?
• What practices help you stay present with difficult emotions?

👉 Share your thoughts in the comments or email Brian directly.
👉 Continue the conversation at grief2growth.substack.com.

⭐ Support the Show

If this episode nourished your heart, please:

• Rate and review the podcast
• Share this episode with someone who’s grieving
• Subscribe so you never miss an episode that can help you grow

Visit the Grief 2 Growth store for FREE items as well as other tools to help you along your journey:

• Guided Meditations
• My book GEMS of Healing (signed copy)
• My Oracle deck to help you connect with your loved ones
• Mini-courses
• Mini-guides
  
  

Check it out at https://grief2growth.com/store

I'm excited to announce a new resource I'm very proud of. This guide outlines the four daily practices I discovered on my grief journey. These techniques have helped dozens of my clients. Get it free today.

GEMS- 4 Steps To Go From Grief To Joy

This deck is a labor of love. It's a 44 card oracle deck that's about connecting you to your loved one in spirit. The deck comes with a companion digital guide that gives you an affirmation, a reflection, and an activity for the day.

Check it out at https://stan.store/grief2growth/p/oracle-deck

Support the show

🧑🏿‍🤝‍🧑🏻 Join Facebook Group- Get Support and Education
👛 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth Premium (bonus episodes)
📰 Get A Free Gift
📅 Book A Complimentary Discovery Call
📈 Leave A Review

Thanks so much for your support

Have you ever felt like your emotions are running your life—despite your best efforts to control them? In this eye-opening episode, I sit down with Cedric Bertelli, founder of the Emotional Health Institute and co-developer of EmRes (Emotional Resolution). Together, we explore the groundbreaking difference between regulating emotions and truly resolving them.

Cedric shares how emotional pain is not a life sentence, but a loop the brain is predicting over and over—and how learning to sit with our sensations can rewire those predictions for good.

This episode isn’t just informative—it’s transformational.

🧠 What We Talk About:

• Why traditional emotional regulation may be keeping you stuck
• The surprising science behind how your brain predicts emotions
• How trauma embeds itself through dissociation
• What “interoception” is and why it’s a game-changer
• A simple, body-based method to dissolve emotional charge
• The role of subconscious tension in your day-to-day reactions
• How MRAS helps with anxiety, anger, and even chronic physical symptoms
• Why grief must be felt—but guilt, shame, and anger don’t have to stay
• How to reconnect to your grief in a sacred, healing way

🔗 Connect with Cedric Bertelli:

🌐 Website: https://emotionalhealthinstitute.org

🔍 Practitioner Directory: Find a Certified EmRes Practitioner

📚 Free Classes & Trainings: Check the site calendar for upcoming sessions
👤 Cedric’s Personal Site: Search “Cedric Bertelli” for direct contact and coaching

💬 Let’s Reflect Together:

🔹 What emotions are you regulating—but not resolving?
 🔹 Have you ever noticed a physical trigger that’s tied to a past trauma?
 🔹 What would it feel like to fully grieve without guilt or shame?

💭 Share your thoughts in the comments or come join our growing support space at:
 🌟 https://grieftogrowth.substack.com

📥 Stay Connected:

📧 Subscribe to the pod

Visit the Grief 2 Growth store for FREE items as well as other tools to help you along your journey:

• Guided Meditations
• My book GEMS of Healing (signed copy)
• My Oracle deck to help you connect with your loved ones
• Mini-courses
• Mini-guides
  
  

Check it out at https://grief2growth.com/store

I'm excited to announce a new resource I'm very proud of. This guide outlines the four daily practices I discovered on my grief journey. These techniques have helped dozens of my clients. Get it free today.

GEMS- 4 Steps To Go From Grief To Joy

This deck is a labor of love. It's a 44 card oracle deck that's about connecting you to your loved one in spirit. The deck comes with a companion digital guide that gives you an affirmation, a reflection, and an activity for the day.

Check it out at https://stan.store/grief2growth/p/oracle-deck

Support the show

🧑🏿‍🤝‍🧑🏻 Join Facebook Group- Get Support and Education
👛 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth Premium (bonus episodes)
📰 Get A Free Gift
📅 Book A Complimentary Discovery Call
📈 Leave A Review

Thanks so much for your support

When we think of grief, we often picture death. But what about the silent grief that comes from illness — the kind that alters your identity, steals your energy, and isolates you from the world?

In this powerful episode, I speak with Brenda Snow, a woman who turned a life-changing diagnosis into a movement that’s touched millions. After being dismissed by doctors and told her symptoms were “all in her head,” Brenda found herself at rock bottom — until a single moment with her young daughter re-ignited her will to fight.

Now the founder of Snow Companies and author of Diagnosed: The Essential Guide to Navigating the Patient Journey, Brenda shares how she walked through grief, reclaimed her identity, and built a life of purpose.

We cover:

• The “unnamed grief” of chronic illness
• Why hope is essential — even before a diagnosis
• How Brenda went from patient to pioneer
• The power of storytelling in healing and advocacy
• What the healthcare system must do better
• Rebuilding identity when your body feels like a stranger
• The difference between giving up and accepting what is

I was especially moved by Brenda’s metaphor of taking MS “by the hand.” It reminded me of the core truth of Grief 2 Growth: we’re not buried—we’re planted. 🌱

Links & Resources:

📘 Diagnosed: The Essential Guide to Navigating the Patient Journey
🛒 Order the Book on Amazon

💌 Need a free copy due to hardship? Contact Brenda directly at [email protected]

🌐 Brenda’s Website: https://www.brendasnow.com

📰 Related article & community discussion:
👉 Join us on Substack

✨ Listener Reflection Prompt:
Have you ever grieved something that didn’t involve death? How did it change your sense of self?
💬 Tell us in the comments on Substack or reply to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Let’s Connect:
🔔 Subscribe to the podcast
❤️ Rate & review — it helps others find this me

Visit the Grief 2 Growth store for FREE items as well as other tools to help you along your journey:

• Guided Meditations
• My book GEMS of Healing (signed copy)
• My Oracle deck to help you connect with your loved ones
• Mini-courses
• Mini-guides
  
  

Check it out at https://grief2growth.com/store

I'm excited to announce a new resource I'm very proud of. This guide outlines the four daily practices I discovered on my grief journey. These techniques have helped dozens of my clients. Get it free today.

GEMS- 4 Steps To Go From Grief To Joy

This deck is a labor of love. It's a 44 card oracle deck that's about connecting you to your loved one in spirit. The deck comes with a companion digital guide that gives you an affirmation, a reflection, and an activity for the day.

Check it out at https://stan.store/grief2growth/p/oracle-deck

Support the show

🧑🏿‍🤝‍🧑🏻 Join Facebook Group- Get Support and Education
👛 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth Premium (bonus episodes)
📰 Get A Free Gift
📅 Book A Complimentary Discovery Call
📈 Leave A Review

Thanks so much for your support

Have you ever wondered why we suffer, where we go after we die, or what grief really means for the soul’s evolution?

In this eye-opening and deeply healing episode of Grief 2 Growth, Brian Smith welcomes spiritual teacher and mystic Hans Wilhelm, the creator of the wildly popular Life Explained video series and author of over 200 books with 40+ million copies sold.

Hans uses simple visuals and timeless spiritual truths to explain the laws of karma, reincarnation, Christ consciousness, and the spiritual reasons behind grief and suffering. Together, Brian and Hans explore how our deepest losses may hold the key to our greatest growth—and why Earth is not our home, but our school.

💬 Whether you're grieving, curious, or searching for peace, this episode is for you.

🔍 What You'll Discover:

• Why Earth is a spiritual school, not our home 🌍
• How karma works—and how we can release it through forgiveness 🔁
• Why reincarnation was removed from Christian doctrine ✝️
• What Hans means by the Christ Spark and inner healing 💫
• The truth about suicide and the afterlife 🕊️
• Why grief is often rooted in unspoken love or unmet expectations 💔
• A new way to relate to grief, gratitude, and your soul's path 🙏

🔗 Links & Resources:

🔹 Hans Wilhelm’s Website – https://www.lifeexplained.com

🔹 📺 Watch his YouTube series “Life Explained” – Hans Wilhelm on YouTube

🔹 📰 Continue the conversation – Join Brian at https://grieftogrowth.substack.com

💬 Join the Conversation

We want to hear from you:
 👉 What insight from this episode resonated most with you?
👉 Has grief ever been a doorway to spiritual awakening in your life?

💌 Reply in the comments or leave a review to let us know how this episode impacted you.

📲 Stay Connected

🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe to Grief 2 Growth for more soul-s

Visit the Grief 2 Growth store for FREE items as well as other tools to help you along your journey:

• Guided Meditations
• My book GEMS of Healing (signed copy)
• My Oracle deck to help you connect with your loved ones
• Mini-courses
• Mini-guides
  
  

Check it out at https://grief2growth.com/store

I'm excited to announce a new resource I'm very proud of. This guide outlines the four daily practices I discovered on my grief journey. These techniques have helped dozens of my clients. Get it free today.

GEMS- 4 Steps To Go From Grief To Joy

This deck is a labor of love. It's a 44 card oracle deck that's about connecting you to your loved one in spirit. The deck comes with a companion digital guide that gives you an affirmation, a reflection, and an activity for the day.

Check it out at https://stan.store/grief2growth/p/oracle-deck

Support the show

🧑🏿‍🤝‍🧑🏻 Join Facebook Group- Get Support and Education
👛 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth Premium (bonus episodes)
📰 Get A Free Gift
📅 Book A Complimentary Discovery Call
📈 Leave A Review

Thanks so much for your support

“Our time on Earth is just one little page in a never-ending story.” – Charlie Bynar

After the tragic loss of her only child, 16-year-old Isaac, Charlie Bynar’s world fell apart. What followed was a breathtaking journey through unimaginable grief, mysterious signs, and undeniable communication from the other side. In this deeply moving conversation, Charlie and Brian explore love that doesn’t die — and what it means to forgive, to trust, and to believe again.

Charlie went from skeptic to spiritual seeker after receiving repeated dream visitations, unmistakable signs, and life-changing readings with mediums — including world-renowned Allison DuBois of the TV show Medium. Her memoir, Through the Darkness: A Story of Love from the Other Side, isn’t just a book — it’s a lifeline for grieving parents and a beacon for anyone questioning what happens after death.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The medical negligence that changed Charlie’s life forever
• The stunning signs Isaac gave after passing
• What it’s like to connect with a child in Spirit
• Forgiving injustice, even murder
• The science of empathy and psychopathy
• How Charlie turned grief into education and purpose

Whether you’ve lost a child, are questioning the afterlife, or are looking for hope in the darkest of places — this episode is for you.

Links & Resources

• Through the Darkness (Book): https://www.charliebynar.com
  
  
• Isaac’s Ant Foundation: https://www.charliebynar.com
  
  
• Read the book free on BookSirens: https://www.booksirens.com
  
  
• Join the conversation: https://grief2growth.substack.com
  
  

Join the conversation
Have you received a sign from a loved one in Spirit? What helped you believe in the afterlife? Share your story at https://grief2growth.substack.com
or reply directly in your podcast app.

Help others find this podcast

• Subscribe and leave

Visit the Grief 2 Growth store for FREE items as well as other tools to help you along your journey:

• Guided Meditations
• My book GEMS of Healing (signed copy)
• My Oracle deck to help you connect with your loved ones
• Mini-courses
• Mini-guides
  
  

Check it out at https://grief2growth.com/store

I'm excited to announce a new resource I'm very proud of. This guide outlines the four daily practices I discovered on my grief journey. These techniques have helped dozens of my clients. Get it free today.

GEMS- 4 Steps To Go From Grief To Joy

This deck is a labor of love. It's a 44 card oracle deck that's about connecting you to your loved one in spirit. The deck comes with a companion digital guide that gives you an affirmation, a reflection, and an activity for the day.

Check it out at https://stan.store/grief2growth/p/oracle-deck

Support the show

🧑🏿‍🤝‍🧑🏻 Join Facebook Group- Get Support and Education
👛 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth Premium (bonus episodes)
📰 Get A Free Gift
📅 Book A Complimentary Discovery Call
📈 Leave A Review

Thanks so much for your support

What happens when a mother loses her child—and chooses to live bigger than grief?

In this heart-opening episode of Grief to Growth, Brian D. Smith sits down with Melissa Hull—author of Dear Drew: Creating a Life Bigger Than Grief, speaker, and coach—on the very day her book launches.

Melissa shares the heartbreaking story of her 4½-year-old son Drew’s drowning, and how that unimaginable pain became the foundation for a new life of purpose, faith, and healing. But this isn’t a story of “moving on.” It’s about carrying love forward, rewriting the rules of grief, and honoring your child’s life through your own.

💡 What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• 💔 Why the traditional grief model often fails parents
• 🌱 How Melissa transformed guilt into growth through mindfulness and creativity
• ✍️ The healing power of writing, art, and telling your story
• 🧘‍♀️ Simple practices to stay connected to your loved one in spirit
• 📚 The letter from a stranger that saved Melissa’s life
• 💬 Why continuing the relationship with your child is not only possible—but necessary

🔗 Links & Resources:

• 💜 Buy Melissa’s book, Dear Drew: Creating a Life Bigger Than Grief
  ➤ https://melissahull.com
  
  
• 🛟 Free Water Safety Resources (a cause close to Melissa’s heart):
  ➤ https://melissahull.com
  
  
• 📬 Join Brian’s Substack for more grief and growth insights:
  ➤ https://grieftogrowth.substack.com
  
  

🗣️ Let’s Hear from You:

What part of Melissa’s story resonated with you the most?
 💬 Leave a comment on the episode
 🌟 Rate & review the podcast
 🔁 Share this episode with someone who needs it

Visit the Grief 2 Growth store for FREE items as well as other tools to help you along your journey:

• Guided Meditations
• My book GEMS of Healing (signed copy)
• My Oracle deck to help you connect with your loved ones
• Mini-courses
• Mini-guides
  
  

Check it out at https://grief2growth.com/store

I'm excited to announce a new resource I'm very proud of. This guide outlines the four daily practices I discovered on my grief journey. These techniques have helped dozens of my clients. Get it free today.

GEMS- 4 Steps To Go From Grief To Joy

This deck is a labor of love. It's a 44 card oracle deck that's about connecting you to your loved one in spirit. The deck comes with a companion digital guide that gives you an affirmation, a reflection, and an activity for the day.

Check it out at https://stan.store/grief2growth/p/oracle-deck

Support the show

🧑🏿‍🤝‍🧑🏻 Join Facebook Group- Get Support and Education
👛 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth Premium (bonus episodes)
📰 Get A Free Gift
📅 Book A Complimentary Discovery Call
📈 Leave A Review

Thanks so much for your support