In the wake of superstar Kobe Bryant's death, the inevitable question gets asked: "What would you do differently if you approached each day thinking of life as having a game-ending shot clock, but don't know when it will go off?" Oh wait, that IS life. That's every freakin' day. In one of their most personal and possibly (sorta) profound "how was your week" check-ins yet, Kobe Bryant's and daughter Gianna's passing isn't the only thing that stinks this week. Having had a week full of literal shit storms - including questionable plumbing and pipe sawing by a neighbor - Nicole is ready to talk about how we navigate pain and the lessons it holds for us... Erin Hatzikostas and Nicole Licata Grant first take on the impact loss of all kinds - friendships, partners, loved ones, generational heroes, career - can have on families and communities. Erin's son Mick shares 8-year-old wisdom and reflects on the value of learning hard lessons young. But also, how do you hold onto grace, compassion, and humility when you really want to "rage against the machine"? What happens when you feel like you have no control in a blast zone of people who have nothing to lose? And how do you not be that kind of terrorist in your own life? (Thankfully another chaos-saving neighbor who spears sewer rats makes an appearance too. Considering the pathway out of pain (including having a podcast/community!), Erin and Nicole reflect that at the outset of b Cause, they thought they were here to "teach", but instead realize that they are the students and b Cause is a place to examine authentically "what are we going to learn and share with others real-time?" Despite only one-half of the duo being proficient in sport analogies, Erin talks about loss on the actual court as a coach of her daughter's basketball team. What can we all learn from sports - the losses as much as the wine - to live our own best lives? Erin shares coaching them to navigating challenging situations with an emotional "exorcism" - leading to the all-important conversation on being excellent, above all things. As they think about life's shot clock ticking down. Erin takes some new professional risks during a trip to Denver (vis Orlando?!) and reminds us that authenticity is gender-neutral with allies and extenders everywhere (this time it's a MArk, not a Dave, but good enough!) In her own "time of the essence moment", Nicole actually puts forward a proposal for elevating her position in her company, and how is now going to discuss with others how to put forward their own self-worth at work too. Keep on shooting, friends! If you like jammin' with us on the podcast, b sure to join us for more fun and inspiration! Here are some options... Check out the b BRILLIANT career coaching program @   b Cause Podcast Facebook group @ We share even more crazy stuff here (you probably thought that was impossible).  Take our simple, fun and insightful "What Kind of Dog Are You At Work?" by going to  We have so much fun stuff going on...we wouldn't want you to miss out - join the authenticity movement and our community by adding your email just about anywhere @  Check out our blog for more of our no-BS career advice @ We have fun and inspiring t-shirts @ DISCLAIMER: This episode is not explicit, though contains mild swearing that may be unsuitable for younger audiences.  Tweetable Comments: "Why can I smell shit? Why is there brown stuff in my shower? Is that a burrito?" "Turns out our neighbor did some illegal plumbing on the house, so he's out there sawing a pipe on the front of the house." "There's probably a chopped-up body down there too." "You stole my cleanse." "I'd rather have to learn these things now than learn them when I'm an adult." - Mick. "I've been having conversations with the kids recently and really changing my philosophy on what's important in parenting." "You have to find the lessons, otherwise it hurts too much." "There's only one person who can find a path out of pain, and that's yourself." "Not everybody has a podcast, but God I hope everybody has a community." "How do we remember to have charity...have compassion for ourselves?" "Humility serves better over ego." "I put time in my calendar. I sat down, and I did it. I did something I wouldn't normally do." "People who have nothing to lose are like terrorists in their own life. They are going to blow up. You just have to try to contain it." "You need to have faith in your path. You need to have faith in what you are doing, ad you need to have fath in yourself." "You've got one chance; this is not a dress rehearsal." "We want to believe we can fix everything." "I did not use my drink coupon on the 5:45am flight out." "don't take me to a bowling alley and talk about women's issues. You will see someone that is one step away from being arrested." "Authenticity is gender-neutral." "You don't get to diversity by following the rules." "I was extremely clear that I'm not going to do more free labor to solve my own problems." "If it's an air ball, it's an air ball, but at least you took the shot."