People love to say, “At least you had time to prepare.” But the truth is, nothing prepares you to lose your mama. Whether it comes slow through decline or fast like a sucker punch, grief doesn’t follow a polite timeline. In this intimate and powerful conversation, Ryanne sits down with her best friend Ellen Flechas, whose mother passed away after a battle with breast cancer that mestastised to her brain. As Ellen faced her own cancer diagnosis during that same season, the two friends share a raw and real dialogue about what it means to grieve while your own body is in a fight for its life. Together, they explore the myth of being “ready,” the tenderness of friendship in the middle of chaos, and the unexpected strength that comes when you’re forced to live and let go at the same time. This episode is an unfiltered reminder that preparation doesn’t soften grief, but love can hold you through it.

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When Ryanne started How Do I Do This?, she thought she was creating a podcast to help others heal. What she didn’t expect was that the act of creating it would start healing her too. In this soul-stirring episode, Ryanne explores why creativity helps us process pain and how making something—whether it’s a painting, a poem, or a podcast—can make the weight of grief a little lighter. She’s joined by Marshall Ramsey, award-winning cartoonist and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist known for his iconic tributes to national moments of loss and resilience, and Jessica Vallor, licensed art therapist and photographer who helps people process trauma through creative expression. Together, they uncover how art bypasses words, rewires the heart, and reminds us that healing doesn’t always start in therapy. Sometimes, it starts with a crayon, a cookie sheet, or a conversation.

Follow Marshall on Instagram @marshallramsey and Jessica on @jessvallor_photography

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Parenting is hard on a good day, but parenting while grieving? That’s a language no one teaches you. In this deeply personal episode, Ryanne shares her own experience navigating grief alongside her son, who called her mom “Cookie,” and the moment she realized love sometimes has to lead before language catches up. To help guide this conversation, she’s joined by Lisa Aman, Executive Director of Kate’s Club, and Lane Pease Hendricks, the organization’s Director of Education and Innovative Programs. Together, they unpack how to talk to children about death in honest, age-appropriate ways, what to do when grief resurfaces months or even years later, and how to find accessible support through programs like Kate’s Hub. This episode is both classroom and comfort, reminding every parent that even in grief, you’re still learning, growing, and loving your way through.

Follow Kate’s Club on Instagram @katesclub

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Alright men, after this episode, “I don’t know what to do” is officially retired. This is the playbook. In one of the most heartfelt and practical conversations of the season, Ryanne sits down with her husband Dan Saucier and her friend Brandon Flechas to talk about what it really means to support your partner through grief. Both men have walked alongside women they love through profound loss, and together they share how showing up, without waiting for instructions, can change everything. From learning to listen instead of fix, to realizing that sometimes love looks like doing the dishes or simply sitting in silence, this episode is a masterclass in emotional presence. It’s real, it’s vulnerable, and it’s the conversation every couple needs to hear about loving someone through the hardest season of their life.

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The holidays can be the hardest time to grieve. For Ryanne, the first season after her mom’s passing was a blur—one she barely remembers through the numbness. This year feels different: it’s the first one she’s fully awake in the absence. In this heartfelt conversation, she sits down with Paige Ewing—certified grief and life coach, mom of two, and newly crowned Mrs. America—who knows loss on a deeply personal level. Paige has experienced the death of eight family members in eight consecutive years, and she brings both her professional wisdom and lived experience to this conversation. Together, they talk about the real symptoms of grief that show up during the holidays, how to balance motherhood with mourning, and Paige’s powerful DANCE framework for moving through grief. This episode offers permission to do the holidays your way—and reminds you that even when traditions change, love still lingers.

Follow Paige on Instagram @paige_ewing and @mrsmaericapresents 

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Grief changes our relationship with memory. Some days, remembering feels like a gift. Other days, it feels like too much to hold. In this episode, Ryanne sits down with Marshall Ramsey—award-winning cartoonist, cancer survivor, husband, and dad—to explore how to honor loved ones when even the memories ache. Marshall opens up about losing both of his parents and how art helped him navigate that loss, transform pain into purpose, and connect with others through storytelling. Together, they talk about how to hold love and grief at the same time, ways to mark a one-year “angelversary,” and how to help children grieve in their own way while you’re still finding yours. This episode reminds us that remembering isn’t about reliving—it’s about rebuilding.

Follow Marshall on Instagram @marshallramsey

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No one warns you that when someone you love dies, the paperwork doesn’t stop. The bills still come. The accounts still need closing. And somehow, you’re expected to make impossible decisions while your heart is in pieces. In this episode, Ryanne sits down with Rachel Donnelly, founder and CEO of AfterLight, to talk about the real, unspoken side of loss. The logistics, the legalities, and the emotional toll of handling what’s left behind. Rachel shares her own story of losing multiple family members and how she turned that pain into purpose by creating a business that helps others manage the “business of death.” This episode will help you understand what really happens after a loss, how to prepare before it happens, and how to start honest conversations with the people you love—without fear, but with grace. Follow Rachel on Instagram @myafterlight

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Grief changes how we carry our stories—and sometimes it silences them. In this deeply personal conversation, Ryanne sits down with Denisse Tamez, who shares her journey of honoring her daughter Alana, gone too soon, while raising her two-year-old rainbow baby. Together, they explore what it means to mother while grieving, to speak aloud the losses previous generations kept quiet, and to find healing through honesty, remembrance, and love. This episode reminds listeners that breaking cycles of silence is one of the bravest acts of motherhood.

Follow Denisse on Instagram @dennybunn

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Some people treat uncertainty like a mindset challenge—but for guest Colleen Nichols, it’s real life. Living with a genetic diagnosis that has no cure and losing her father to the same disease, Colleen still built a multimillion-dollar business and a thriving online community. The bestselling author of Don’t Make It Weird: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Being Human on the Internet, Colleen joins Ryanne to talk about what it means to keep showing up when grief follows you into the workplace. Together, they unpack how to redefine success when life unravels, the tools that keep you grounded, and why consistency (not perfection) will carry you forward.
Follow Colleen on Instagram @noshamesalesgame

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Two voicemails from my mom saying “Call me back” left me wondering: what if connection with our loved ones was really that simple? In this episode, psychic medium Elias Patras returns to do a live reading for me. Whether you’re a believer or a skeptic, this conversation explores grief, signs, and how love keeps reaching for us—sometimes in the most unexpected ways.

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