Brave Widow Show

If you’ve ever wondered what life might look like 10 years after losing your spouse, this conversation will feel like a deep breath.

Connect with Dori Ann Dupré

Brave Widow Resources  

In this episode, Emily talks with author and widow Dori Ann Dupré about growing up in a family of widows, losing her husband to colon cancer, raising daughters without their dad, and turning generational grief into legacy through her new novel “Widows and Children” and an upcoming children’s book about a grandfather her granddaughter never met.

You’ll hear how writing became “medicine,” why grief feels like a heavy backpack you learn to carry, and the small, sacred ways we can keep our person’s memory alive for future generations.

In this episode:

Chapters

00:00 – When your widow story spans generations
02:38 – Meeting Eric: love, integrity & young-onset colon cancer
06:25 – Keeping “Pop” alive for a granddaughter he never met
08:10 – Writing through cancer and finishing a book before he died
12:40 – Stepdads who stand in the gap (and the story behind Good Buddy)
15:05 – The “widow curse” in one family & the new novel Widows and Children
18:45 – Double loss: her daughter’s first love and her dad in the same year
21:40 – What widows recognize in each other across a room
22:55 – The grief backpack: learning to carry a weight that never fully leaves
24:35 – Hope for new widows + how to connect with Dori

💬 If this episode helped you, please: 

If you’re new here, my name is Emily Tanner. I’m the founder of Brave Widow and Brave Widow Academy.

I help widows move from barely surviving their loss… to rebuilding a life they can actually love again without feeling like they’re betraying their person.

By day (and for 20+ years), I’ve led large teams and complex operations in the corporate world. 

After my husband Nathan died in 2021, just shy of our 20-year anniversary, I took everything I knew about leadership, systems, and change — and started applying it to grief.

Since then, I’ve:

Shared my story publicly to make widows feel less alone.

Launched the Brave Widow podcast, now with 180+ episodes and listeners around the world.

Coached hundreds of widows 1:1 and in groups, and talked with thousands more through the podcast, communities, and events.

Built Brave Widow Academy, a 6-month coaching program with a clear framework for moving from deep grief to rebuilding a life you can love again.

I don’t teach “just think positive” grief tips.

I teach widows how to:

Heal their heart.

Stop waiting on “time” to fix everything.

Take small, brave steps toward a life that feels meaningful again.

How I Got Here…

2021: My husband Nathan dies unexpectedly. I’m 4 kids in, overwhelmed, and drowning in paperwork, decisions, and pain. Therapy helps, but I still feel stuck with no roadmap.

2021–2022: I start devouring books, interviewing widows, trying grief groups, and studying coaching — desperate to find something that actually helps me feel different.

2022: I start the Brave Widow podcast, recording episodes while terrified and crying between takes — but determined that no widow should feel as alone as I did.

Year 1: I begin coaching widows 1:1. Word spreads quietly. The same patterns and problems keep showing up, so I start building frameworks instead of one-off advice.

Year 2: I launch Brave Widow Academy — a structured, 6-month coaching program with a step-by-step path: from deep grief, to stability, to rebuilding.

Year 3: Brave Widow has listeners around the world. I’ve personally coached hundreds of widows and spoken with thousands more through consults, lives, emails, and DMs. 

Today: My work is simple:

Help widows stop surviving each day… and start rebuilding a life that makes them genuinely glad to be alive again.

Brave Widow Resources  

📍 In‑Person Events Mentioned:
• Held in Hope Conference – Jenks, OK – Oct 8–9, 2026: https://www.standinthegap.org/heldinhope/
• San Antonio, TX meetup (September 2026)
• Faith and Growth Summit – Miami, FL – Dec 3, 2026: https://faithbasedcoachingacademy.com/faith-and-growth-summit/

If you stand in front of the fridge asking, “What do I want?” and come up blank – not just about food, but about life – this episode is for you.

After losing your person, wanting anything can feel numb, wrong, or like a betrayal. In this Brave Widow episode, Emily gently helps you practice wanting again without forcing yourself into big dreams or a brand-new life purpose.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

🎁 Free “Desire Again” Worksheet

Want help unpacking your own resistance and desires as you listen?

Grab the free worksheet that goes with this episode:

Chapters:

00:00 – “What do I want?” when the fridge question is really about life
01:18 – How grief suppresses desire and makes “neutral” feel safe
04:05 – Practicing tiny wants: coffee, mornings, and dinner plans
07:02 – Not “What do I want out of life?” but “What do I want more of?”
08:45 – Redesigning your weekends: three words and a 90‑minute block
11:35 – Trying without guarantees: experiments vs promised outcomes
13:40 – Frozen vs healing: numbness, overwhelm, and timing in grief
15:35 – Old dreams, shared dreams, and the dreams that are yours now
17:25 – “I’m allowed to want…” and giving yourself permission
18:40 – How to get the worksheet, join the community, and live events

Subscribe for more faith‑based, hopeful grief support for widows:
@BraveWidow on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram & Facebook

💬 If this episode helped you, please: 

If you’re new here, my name is Emily Tanner. I’m the founder of Brave Widow and Brave Widow Academy.

I help widows move from barely surviving their loss… to rebuilding a life they can actually love again without feeling like they’re betraying their person.

By day (and for 20+ years), I’ve led large teams and complex operations in the corporate world. 

After my husband Nathan died in 2021, just shy of our 20-year anniversary, I took everything I knew about leadership, systems, and change — and started applying it to grief.

Since then, I’ve:

Shared my story publicly to make widows feel less alone.

Launched the Brave Widow podcast, now with 180+ episodes and listeners around the world.

Coached hundreds of widows 1:1 and in groups, and talked with thousands more through the podcast, communities, and events.

Built Brave Widow Academy, a 6-month coaching program with a clear framework for moving from deep grief to rebuilding a life you can love again.

I don’t teach “just think positive” grief tips.

I teach widows how to:

Heal their heart.

Stop waiting on “time” to fix everything.

Take small, brave steps toward a life that feels meaningful again.

How I Got Here…

2021: My husband Nathan dies unexpectedly. I’m 4 kids in, overwhelmed, and drowning in paperwork, decisions, and pain. Therapy helps, but I still feel stuck with no roadmap.

2021–2022: I start devouring books, interviewing widows, trying grief groups, and studying coaching — desperate to find something that actually helps me feel different.

2022: I start the Brave Widow podcast, recording episodes while terrified and crying between takes — but determined that no widow should feel as alone as I did.

Year 1: I begin coaching widows 1:1. Word spreads quietly. The same patterns and problems keep showing up, so I start building frameworks instead of one-off advice.

Year 2: I launch Brave Widow Academy — a structured, 6-month coaching program with a step-by-step path: from deep grief, to stability, to rebuilding.

Year 3: Brave Widow has listeners around the world. I’ve personally coached hundreds of widows and spoken with thousands more through consults, lives, emails, and DMs. 

Today: My work is simple:

Help widows stop surviving each day… and start rebuilding a life that makes them genuinely glad to be alive again.

If you’ve ever wondered what your future self would say to you 5 years after losing your spouse, this episode is for you. July 17 marked 5 years since my husband Nathan died, and I sat down with our Momentum Monday community to share the 10 things I wish I had known as a brand‑new widow.

Brave Widow Resources  

We talk about feeling like a zombie, wondering if you’ll ever laugh and mean it again, how unprocessed grief can show up in your body, why “bad days” don’t mean you’re going backwards, and the brutal belief that moving forward means leaving your person behind. I also share how my faith shaped the way I think about time, legacy, and building a life Nathan would be proud of.

You will hear live reactions and questions from other widows who joined this Momentum Monday call, so you can imagine your future self and your widow friends sitting with you as you listen.

Chapters

0:00 Five Years Out: A Message From Your Future Widow Self
2:00 1 - You Really Can Feel Like A “Normal” Human Again
4:00 2 - When Unprocessed Grief Shows Up In Your Body
7:30 3 - You’re Not Going Backwards In Your Grief
11:30 4 - Moving Forward Is Not Leaving Them Behind
16:00 5 - Healing Comes From Action, Not Just Time
21:30 6 - Expanding Your Capacity For Grief And Joy
25:30 7 - Your Life Grows Where Your Attention Goes
30:00 8 - You Don’t Have To “Find Yourself” – You Decide Who You’ll Be
36:00 9 - The Story You Tell Matters More Than What Happened
39:00 10 - Not Everyone Will Understand (And That’s Okay)
43:00 Bonus - You Were Never Meant To Do This Alone
46:00 How To Get Support Inside The Brave Widow Community

Subscribe for more faith‑based, hopeful grief support for widows:
@BraveWidow on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram & Facebook

💬 If this episode helped you, please: 

If you’re new here, my name is Emily Tanner. I’m the founder of Brave Widow and Brave Widow Academy.

I help widows move from barely surviving their loss… to rebuilding a life they can actually love again without feeling like they’re betraying their person.

By day (and for 20+ years), I’ve led large teams and complex operations in the corporate world. 

After my husband Nathan died in 2021, just shy of our 20-year anniversary, I took everything I knew about leadership, systems, and change — and started applying it to grief.

Since then, I’ve:

Shared my story publicly to make widows feel less alone.

Launched the Brave Widow podcast, now with 180+ episodes and listeners around the world.

Coached hundreds of widows 1:1 and in groups, and talked with thousands more through the podcast, communities, and events.

Built Brave Widow Academy, a 6-month coaching program with a clear framework for moving from deep grief to rebuilding a life you can love again.

I don’t teach “just think positive” grief tips.

I teach widows how to:

Heal their heart.

Stop waiting on “time” to fix everything.

Take small, brave steps toward a life that feels meaningful again.

How I Got Here…

2021: My husband Nathan dies unexpectedly. I’m 4 kids in, overwhelmed, and drowning in paperwork, decisions, and pain. Therapy helps, but I still feel stuck with no roadmap.

2021–2022: I start devouring books, interviewing widows, trying grief groups, and studying coaching — desperate to find something that actually helps me feel different.

2022: I start the Brave Widow podcast, recording episodes while terrified and crying between takes — but determined that no widow should feel as alone as I did.

Year 1: I begin coaching widows 1:1. Word spreads quietly. The same patterns and problems keep showing up, so I start building frameworks instead of one-off advice.

Year 2: I launch Brave Widow Academy — a structured, 6-month coaching program with a step-by-step path: from deep grief, to stability, to rebuilding.

Year 3: Brave Widow has listeners around the world. I’ve personally coached hundreds of widows and spoken with thousands more through consults, lives, emails, and DMs. 

Today: My work is simple:

Help widows stop surviving each day… and start rebuilding a life that makes them genuinely glad to be alive again.

If you’ve ever felt invisible at church after your spouse died, this episode is for you.

Emily talks with Amy Woody, Director of the Widows Program at Stand In The Gap Ministries in Tulsa, OK. After losing her husband suddenly at 36, Amy went from feeling totally alone to helping churches around the world build intentional widows ministries so that no widow grieves in isolation.

We talk about:

If you’ve been waiting for someone to “fix” your church… this may be your invitation to stand in the gap.

Learn more about Stand In The Gap & Held in Hope:
Website: Stand in the Gap Ministries – https://www.standinthegap.org
Held in Hope Conference (Jenks, OK) October 8–9: https://www.standinthegap.org/heldinhope/

Amy’s Book: What I Wish I Could Tell Myself: My Journey Through Grief: https://a.co/d/00KBgecL

Connect with Amy & Stand in the Gap
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StandintheGapMinistries/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/standinthegapministries/

CHAPTERS 

00:00 Intro: When church doesn’t know how to help widows
02:30 Amy’s sudden loss at 36 and feeling completely alone
06:45 “It won’t always feel this way” – 10 years of perspective on grief
10:20 How Stand In The Gap equips churches to care for widows
14:40 Plug‑and‑play tools for starting a widows ministry at your church
18:30 From deep hurt to leading: God using broken pieces to serve others
21:10 Why widows are some of the most generous, resilient people
22:40 Held in Hope Conference: who it’s for and what to expect
25:45 How churches, leaders, and widows can get involved
28:30 Brave Widow: next steps if you don’t want to grieve alone

Brave Widow Resources  

Subscribe for more faith‑based, hopeful grief support for widows:
@BraveWidow on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram & Facebook

💬 If this episode helped you, please: 

If you’re new here, my name is Emily Tanner. I’m the founder of Brave Widow and Brave Widow Academy.

I help widows move from barely surviving their loss… to rebuilding a life they can actually love again without feeling like they’re betraying their person.

By day (and for 20+ years), I’ve led large teams and complex operations in the corporate world. 

After my husband Nathan died in 2021, just shy of our 20-year anniversary, I took everything I knew about leadership, systems, and change — and started applying it to grief.

Since then, I’ve:

Shared my story publicly to make widows feel less alone.

Launched the Brave Widow podcast, now with 180+ episodes and listeners around the world.

Coached hundreds of widows 1:1 and in groups, and talked with thousands more through the podcast, communities, and events.

Built Brave Widow Academy, a 6-month coaching program with a clear framework for moving from deep grief to rebuilding a life you can love again.

I don’t teach “just think positive” grief tips.

I teach widows how to:

Heal their heart.

Stop waiting on “time” to fix everything.

Take small, brave steps toward a life that feels meaningful again.

How I Got Here…

2021: My husband Nathan dies unexpectedly. I’m 4 kids in, overwhelmed, and drowning in paperwork, decisions, and pain. Therapy helps, but I still feel stuck with no roadmap.

2021–2022: I start devouring books, interviewing widows, trying grief groups, and studying coaching — desperate to find something that actually helps me feel different.

2022: I start the Brave Widow podcast, recording episodes while terrified and crying between takes — but determined that no widow should feel as alone as I did.

Year 1: I begin coaching widows 1:1. Word spreads quietly. The same patterns and problems keep showing up, so I start building frameworks instead of one-off advice.

Year 2: I launch Brave Widow Academy — a structured, 6-month coaching program with a step-by-step path: from deep grief, to stability, to rebuilding.

Year 3: Brave Widow has listeners around the world. I’ve personally coached hundreds of widows and spoken with thousands more through consults, lives, emails, and DMs. 

Today: My work is simple:

Help widows stop surviving each day… and start rebuilding a life that makes them genuinely glad to be alive again.

If music has been part of your healing, or you wish it could be, this conversation will feel like a deep exhale. 

In this episode, I’m talking with Victoria (artist name: SH3), a music therapist, grief counselor, and widow who created The Blue Album after the sudden loss of her partner.

We talk about using music to process grief, the power of community and support groups, continuing bonds with your person, and why love truly doesn’t die.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• Victoria’s story of sudden loss and turning to music for survival  

• How being a grief counselor did (and didn’t) prepare her for her own grief  

• Why grief support groups and community changed the way she practices  

• The faith and meaning that keep her grounded working in hospice  

• How The Blue Album maps to Worden’s Tasks of Mourning  

• The story behind “Love Doesn’t Die” and continuing your bond  

• Finding real hope that this is not the end of your story together  

CHAPTERS:

00:00 – Music, grief, and why this episode matters if you’re hurting  

01:12 – Victoria’s loss story and turning to music after her partner died  

03:35 – Grief groups, community, and how support changed her work  

06:10 – Hospice work, faith, and going back to supporting other grievers  

08:32 – Creating The Blue Album using the Tasks of Mourning  

13:40 – “Love Doesn’t Die”: continuing bonds instead of “goodbye”  

19:05 – Hope, reunion, and how to connect with Victoria + next steps  

LINKS MENTIONED:

Learn more about SH3 (Victoria) + her music:

https://www.sh3official.com

Follow SH3 on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/sh3official

Link to stream The Blue Album:

 https://li.sten.to/apjayenf?fbclid=PAVERFWASqAIlleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAaf9GjSfdnsHMRwRzo1derS1-LF46s5U-Iu19dwjsKkO1wk1UnlX1sY8LS7YbA_aem_JDtvN9ihPugXtZTwzeYr0A

If this helped you, please:

• Hit Subscribe

• Leave a quick rating & review

• Share this episode with a widow who needs hope today

Brave Widow Resources Mentioned 

If you’re a widow who looks “fine” on the outside but feels empty, stuck, or like you’re just getting through the day, this episode is for you.

In this deep dive, I walk you through:

If you’ve done GriefShare, counseling, or Facebook groups and you’re still asking, “Now what? Is this really the rest of my life?” I made this episode for you.

Our next Brave Widow Academy cohort starts Monday, July 13 at 5–7 pm Central.

Chapters

0:00 – Are you “functioning” but not really living?
2:18 – Why I created Brave Widow Academy (and where I was in my grief)
10:20 – Foundations vs Academy: which season of grief are you in?
17:45 – What you actually get inside Academy (structure, calls, community)
26:30 – How we measure “intangibles” like confidence, purpose, and moving forward
35:40 – Real student results: from dreading days to wanting to live 90% of them
47:05 – Midpoint check‑ins: what current students are noticing in real time
59:10 – Objections: money, time, “maybe it’s been too long,” “maybe I’m broken”
1:09:35 – Scholarships: how they work and what’s available this round
1:16:50 – How to apply and how to know if Academy is your next step

If you’re ready to stop just surviving and start intentionally rebuilding a life you could actually love again, apply for the next Brave Widow Academy cohort (starting Monday, July 13, 5–7 pm CT with coaches Allyson and Nicole).

Apply here: bravewidow.com/academy

Links & Next Steps

Learn more about Brave Widow Foundations (gentle, faith‑based support for the first seasons of grief):
👉 bravewidow.com/foundations

Join the free Brave Widow Community and get Momentum Monday calls:
👉 bravewidow.com/free

💛 Ready for deeper support?
Brave Widow Academy is my 6‑month, faith‑based program to help you heal your heart and rebuild a life you can love again. Small group, step‑by‑step roadmap, and weekly support. Learn more and apply here: bravewidow.com/academy

Subscribe for more faith‑based, hopeful grief support for widows:
@BraveWidow on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram & Facebook

💬 If this episode helped you, please: 

If you’re new here, my name is Emily Tanner. I’m the founder of Brave Widow and Brave Widow Academy.

I help widows move from barely surviving their loss… to rebuilding a life they can actually love again without feeling like they’re betraying their person.

By day (and for 20+ years), I’ve led large teams and complex operations in the corporate world. 

After my husband Nathan died in 2021, just shy of our 20-year anniversary, I took everything I knew about leadership, systems, and change — and started applying it to grief.

Since then, I’ve:

Shared my story publicly to make widows feel less alone.

Launched the Brave Widow podcast, now with 180+ episodes and listeners around the world.

Coached hundreds of widows 1:1 and in groups, and talked with thousands more through the podcast, communities, and events.

Built Brave Widow Academy, a 6-month coaching program with a clear framework for moving from deep grief to rebuilding a life you can love again.

I don’t teach “just think positive” grief tips.

I teach widows how to:

Heal their heart.

Stop waiting on “time” to fix everything.

Take small, brave steps toward a life that feels meaningful again.

How I Got Here…

2021: My husband Nathan dies unexpectedly. I’m 4 kids in, overwhelmed, and drowning in paperwork, decisions, and pain. Therapy helps, but I still feel stuck with no roadmap.

2021–2022: I start devouring books, interviewing widows, trying grief groups, and studying coaching — desperate to find something that actually helps me feel different.

2022: I start the Brave Widow podcast, recording episodes while terrified and crying between takes — but determined that no widow should feel as alone as I did.

Year 1: I begin coaching widows 1:1. Word spreads quietly. The same patterns and problems keep showing up, so I start building frameworks instead of one-off advice.

Year 2: I launch Brave Widow Academy — a structured, 6-month coaching program with a step-by-step path: from deep grief, to stability, to rebuilding.

Year 3: Brave Widow has listeners around the world. I’ve personally coached hundreds of widows and spoken with thousands more through consults, lives, emails, and DMs. 

Today: My work is simple:

Help widows stop surviving each day… and start rebuilding a life that makes them genuinely glad to be alive again.

Brave Widow Resources Mentioned 

If you’re a widow who isn’t in raw, early grief anymore but still feels stuck, hollow, and thinking, “Is this really it for the rest of my life?”… this episode is for you.

Emily shares why simply “giving it time” will only give you MORE of what you have today, how unprocessed grief shows up in your body, and the exact small, brave steps she took to go from floating through life to genuinely feeling alive again.

You’ll also hear why most grief support stops too early, what makes Brave Widow different, and how Brave Widow Academy helps widows collapse their timeline and intentionally rebuild a life they can actually love again without betraying their person.

In this episode you’ll learn:

Chapters:

If you’re ready to stop just surviving and start intentionally rebuilding a life you could actually love again, apply for the next Brave Widow Academy cohort (starting Monday, July 13, 5–7 pm CT with coaches Allyson and Nicole).
Apply here: bravewidow.com/academy

Links & Next Steps

Learn more about Brave Widow Foundations (gentle, faith‑based support for the first seasons of grief):
👉 bravewidow.com/foundations

Join the free Brave Widow Community and get Momentum Monday calls:
👉 bravewidow.com/free

💛 Ready for deeper support?
Brave Widow Academy is my 6‑month, faith‑based program to help you heal your heart and rebuild a life you can love again. Small group, step‑by‑step roadmap, and weekly support. Learn more and apply here: bravewidow.com/academy

Subscribe for more faith‑based, hopeful grief support for widows:
@BraveWidow on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram & Facebook

💬 If this episode helped you, please: 

If you’re new here, my name is Emily Tanner. I’m the founder of Brave Widow and Brave Widow Academy.

I help widows move from barely surviving their loss… to rebuilding a life they can actually love again without feeling like they’re betraying their person.

By day (and for 20+ years), I’ve led large teams and complex operations in the corporate world. 

After my husband Nathan died in 2021, just shy of our 20-year anniversary, I took everything I knew about leadership, systems, and change — and started applying it to grief.

Since then, I’ve:

Shared my story publicly to make widows feel less alone.

Launched the Brave Widow podcast, now with 180+ episodes and listeners around the world.

Coached hundreds of widows 1:1 and in groups, and talked with thousands more through the podcast, communities, and events.

Built Brave Widow Academy, a 6-month coaching program with a clear framework for moving from deep grief to rebuilding a life you can love again.

I don’t teach “just think positive” grief tips.

I teach widows how to:

Heal their heart.

Stop waiting on “time” to fix everything.

Take small, brave steps toward a life that feels meaningful again.

How I Got Here…

2021: My husband Nathan dies unexpectedly. I’m 4 kids in, overwhelmed, and drowning in paperwork, decisions, and pain. Therapy helps, but I still feel stuck with no roadmap.

2021–2022: I start devouring books, interviewing widows, trying grief groups, and studying coaching — desperate to find something that actually helps me feel different.

2022: I start the Brave Widow podcast, recording episodes while terrified and crying between takes — but determined that no widow should feel as alone as I did.

Year 1: I begin coaching widows 1:1. Word spreads quietly. The same patterns and problems keep showing up, so I start building frameworks instead of one-off advice.

Year 2: I launch Brave Widow Academy — a structured, 6-month coaching program with a step-by-step path: from deep grief, to stability, to rebuilding.

Year 3: Brave Widow has listeners around the world. I’ve personally coached hundreds of widows and spoken with thousands more through consults, lives, emails, and DMs. 

Today: My work is simple:

Help widows stop surviving each day… and start rebuilding a life that makes them genuinely glad to be alive again.

Brave Widow Resources Mentioned 

In this special 200th episode of The Brave Widow Show, Emily is joined by three members of the Brave Widow community – Carrie, Tammie, and Mary – who openly share their journeys through grief, anxiety, faith, and slow-but-real transformation.

They talk about the darkest days after loss, the guilt of investing in themselves, the concrete changes they’ve experienced since joining Brave Widow, and the ordinary moments when they realized, “I’m actually living again.”

If you’ve ever worried you’re “doing widowhood wrong” or that this is as good as it gets, this episode is for you.

Chapters:

Links & Next Steps

Learn more about Brave Widow Foundations (gentle, faith‑based support for the first seasons of grief):
👉 bravewidow.com/foundations

Join the free Brave Widow Community and get Momentum Monday calls:
👉 bravewidow.com/free

💛 Ready for deeper support?
Brave Widow Academy is my 6‑month, faith‑based program to help you heal your heart and rebuild a life you can love again. Small group, step‑by‑step roadmap, and weekly support. Learn more and apply here: bravewidow.com/academy

Subscribe for more faith‑based, hopeful grief support for widows:
@BraveWidow on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram & Facebook

💬 If this episode helped you, please: 

If you’re new here, my name is Emily Tanner. I’m the founder of Brave Widow and Brave Widow Academy.

I help widows move from barely surviving their loss… to rebuilding a life they can actually love again without feeling like they’re betraying their person.

By day (and for 20+ years), I’ve led large teams and complex operations in the corporate world. 

After my husband Nathan died in 2021, just shy of our 20-year anniversary, I took everything I knew about leadership, systems, and change — and started applying it to grief.

Since then, I’ve:

Shared my story publicly to make widows feel less alone.

Launched the Brave Widow podcast, now with 180+ episodes and listeners around the world.

Coached hundreds of widows 1:1 and in groups, and talked with thousands more through the podcast, communities, and events.

Built Brave Widow Academy, a 6-month coaching program with a clear framework for moving from deep grief to rebuilding a life you can love again.

I don’t teach “just think positive” grief tips.

I teach widows how to:

Heal their heart.

Stop waiting on “time” to fix everything.

Take small, brave steps toward a life that feels meaningful again.

How I Got Here…

2021: My husband Nathan dies unexpectedly. I’m 4 kids in, overwhelmed, and drowning in paperwork, decisions, and pain. Therapy helps, but I still feel stuck with no roadmap.

2021–2022: I start devouring books, interviewing widows, trying grief groups, and studying coaching — desperate to find something that actually helps me feel different.

2022: I start the Brave Widow podcast, recording episodes while terrified and crying between takes — but determined that no widow should feel as alone as I did.

Year 1: I begin coaching widows 1:1. Word spreads quietly. The same patterns and problems keep showing up, so I start building frameworks instead of one-off advice.

Year 2: I launch Brave Widow Academy — a structured, 6-month coaching program with a step-by-step path: from deep grief, to stability, to rebuilding.

Year 3: Brave Widow has listeners around the world. I’ve personally coached hundreds of widows and spoken with thousands more through consults, lives, emails, and DMs. 

Today: My work is simple:

Help widows stop surviving each day… and start rebuilding a life that makes them genuinely glad to be alive again.