We need more people like Katie Leonard in the world, truly. When I heard about Katie's work, I knew I needed to sit down with her for this podcast. Katie is a pediatric hospice nurse. And while I've had a few wonderful conversations with hospice nurses on Grief is My Side Hustle, this one hit a bit differently.

Katie reveals that, after a brief time in pediatric oncology, she wanted to branch outside of the hospital space. After working as a case manager in pediatric neurology, she'd learned a lot about children with life-limiting and chronic conditions.

Katie has a true passion for end-of-life care and supporting families through this beautiful, but extremely difficult process. I loved learning about her as a person, as well as what carries through this extraordinary work, while also maintaining her other life roles. Trust me, this is a must-listen conversation! 

Thank you so much for your continued support- please give a rate and review wherever possible. 

More about Katie:

Casey Mulligan Walsh is a gorgeous writer and her book now has two major awards to prove it! 

I'm so excited to bring you all this conversation with my sweet, sweet friend, who found herself pondering what kind of legacy she'd leave the world of grief and loss- and ended up writing this gorgeous memoir! It is SUCH a gif to all of who are struggling in the wake of untenable, devastating pain. Casey has endured being orphaned as a young girl, going through a tumultuous divorce, and the death of her son at age 20. This book, for lack of more splendid adjectives, is beautiful, bold and courageous. 

It is absolutely a roadmap for all of us who struggle with what on earth we are meant to do when it feels like, at every turn, we are greeted with catastrophe. 

I hope you all are able to take something amazing away from this conversation. Casey is also a featured author at this year's Grieftastic Book Fair, so please be sure to grab your copy and have her sign when you meet her! Tickets still available at grieftastic.com . 

Thank you, as always, for listening, rating and reviewing! 

More about Casey Mulligan Walsh:

https://www.instagram.com/caseymulliganwalsh/ 

Alison Larkin is such a gift. She is an English-American, having been born here in the states and then adopted by British parents who raised her across the pond. 

These days, she is a comedian, novelist, actress, and audiobook narrator. Her novel, "The English American," sprang from her autobiographical one-woman comedy show about an adopted English woman who finds her birth parents in the United States. 

The grief of being adopted and searching for your birth parents might be enough, you say-but no. Alison also lost her soulmate, Bhima, five days after they decide to get married. 

Alison's story is as layered and devastating as it sounds; she had no choice but to make it into something funny, right? Enter her one-woman show and subsequent book, "Grief...A Comedy." The woman truly is griefy gold. 

She proves as much when Alison serenades my producer and I at the end of the episode with a song she wrote herself. She hits every sad nerve, and yet inspires such hope and wonder after loss. 

We LOVE Alison Larkin- and we're certain you will, too!

More about Alison:

https://alisonlarkin.com/alison-larkin-bio/ 

Kristina Amelong's brother, Jay, knew from an extremely young age that he was going to die. Not only that, but he predicted how it would happen, and that he would not live to be an adult. Kristina's gripping and gorgeous memoir, "What My Brother Knew," tells the heartbreaking story of a tragedy rooted in an understanding that reaches far beyond anything that she or I are capable of fully grasping; thus the pinnacle of our conversation today. 

I have always said that I struggle with my own spirituality, and my understanding of things that feel juuuussssttt out of our reach. With Kristina, it feels safe and comforting to discuss this topic; like there is someone on my team in this headspace. I hope, in listening to our chat today, that you feel the same. She is a warm and curious presence, and I'm SO intrigued by her journey!

These days, Kristina is a writer, photographer, and hollistic healer. According to her own website, "More than anything, I am drawn to stories that ask questions about who we are and why we are here. My spiritual studies have awakened in me a confidence in my connection with All-That-Is. I feel called to lead others to face the uncertainty of our collective future with hope. We can evolve together!"

Thank you, as always, for listening. Please rate and review us where possible, and feel free to reach out meghanriordanjarvis.com and leave suggestions or comments!

Learn more about Kristina:

I think you all are used to me saying this by now, but I found Timothy Frie online- and stalked him into talking to me. He is fascinating, as is his work, and I think once you listen to this episode you’ll agree.

Timothy Frie is a neuronutrition educator, nutritional psychology researcher, writer, and president of the National Academy of Neuronutrition. He helps neurodivergent people who have experienced early-life trauma understand the story behind their relationship with food.

This is such a crucial topic, and Tim does a beautiful job of illuminating how the elements of grief and mental health relate to -and impact- how we fortify ourselves. I loved this conversation, and our hope is that you will, too.

Stay tuned, because Tim and I have more collaborations in the works!

More about Timothy Frie:

@timothyfrie

https://www.timfrie.com/

Hospice Nurse Julie (AKA Julie McFadden) is one of my favorite recurring guests. She is an RN/BSN nurse with a passion for education- she believes that people should know about the dying process BEFORE they're actually going through it with a loved one or themselves. We have a beautiful, funny, and candid conversation about how death and dying are reflected in the media and film, as well as what to actually expect when you're at your loved one's bedside. 

Julie will also be a featured author at Grieftastic on November 21, 2025, showcasing her second book, The Nothing to Fear Journal (a companion to her first book, Nothing to Fear). We are SO excited- we know you'll LOVE Hospice Nurse Julie as much as we do!

Thank you for listening- please rate, review, and share the podcast if you like what you hear. 

More about Julie:

As Meghan always says, "Art may not solve all your problems, but it CAN save your life." There's definitely a few champions of this philosophy in the world, of course- certainly artists themselves. 

Today, however, we are lucky enough to be hosting the remarkable John Palfrey, President of the MacArthur Foundation. The MacArthur Foundation is famous for many things, namely their eponymous grant of $800,000, awarded to fellows of extraordinary talent so that they may support their work long-term.

John Palfrey is an educator, scholar, and law professor. His areas of focus include emerging media, Internet freedom, online transparency and accountability, and child safety. In short, he's a defender of miracles, and we're so lucky to hear from him on this episode about how important it is to not lose sight of our original point: ART SAVES LIVES. 

Thank you for tuning in, this week and always. If you like what you hear, please rate and review us where possible and tell a friend!

More about John:

Sara Rian writes poems whenever a thought strikes her while washing the dishes, or folding laundry. However, her words, her profound understanding of the human spirit and what it is to grieve, will make you feel as though she wrote each poem for YOU. She's in your head, your heart- you'll feel her work in your bones. This might sound like hyperbole, but it's true, I promise. She has a superpower.

Sara sits down with me to discuss her mother's lifelong struggles with suicidality, and how the end of her life has since shaped everything Sara does. She is also a skilled therapist, and her clinical understanding somehow makes her art that much more...visceral. 

From her own website: "As a mental health professional, suicide loss survivor, and grieving human, Sara shares her work with others to let them know that they are not alone in their love or grief. While grief and loss are complex topics, she utilizes a minimalist poetry style to capture these heavy experiences in a direct, digestible way. These poems are a balm for both new grievers and those farther along in the journey."

Amen to that! I hope you'll enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Sara is a true light and we are SO excited to see her in-person at Grieftastic this November 21, 2025, as one of our featured authors. 

Thanks for listening!

More about Sara:

https://www.sararianbooks.com/about

As their own website states, Ryan and his wife Calie Bowles started the Good Grief HQ community because they know what it's like to go through grief. They've lost parents, friends, pets, and had a miscarriage. They understand the deep ache that grief causes - the sleepless nights, confusion, and endless "what ifs".

Ryan is a dear friend and colleague in this space and I love his perspective on faith and healing. At this moment in time particularly, this conversation felt so necessary. We discuss his steadfast Christianity, my own checkered past with religion and trauma, and how sometimes trusting what you can't see allows you to FEEL on a level you may not have realized you needed. And that can look different for everyone. 

I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I loved having this dialogue with my friend. I always leave our chats feeling lighter, and considering my grief differently. Never a bad thing! 

More about Ryan:

Daria Burke is, according to her own website, an "Author, speaker and possibility pusher. An accomplished business leader and investor-turned-author, Daria is a multiplier of ideas and people, helping them expand to their highest potential, in business and in life."

Indeed, Daria is a teacher. She taught herself how to push through the incredible pain of living with grief, poverty, and an addicted parent in 1980s Detroit. In her book, Of My Own Making, she teaches the reader that (above everything else) belief in oneself can unlock the rest of the world we deserve to have access to. Your mind will try to limit you if you let it; your heart and spirit can do miraculous things if you lean into your personal fortitude. 

We hope you'll enjoy this magnificent kickoff to the latest season of Grief is My Side Hustle! We're so honored to call Daria a friend of the show, as well as a featured author at this year's Grieftastic Book Fair in November. 

Thank you for listening!

To learn more about Daria:

https://www.dariaburke.com/about 

https://www.instagram.com/dariaburke/