In this special P-I-G Afterthoughts episode, Kellie and Erin circle back to reflect on their powerful conversation with Gini Thomas—whose story of love, loss, and resilience is still echoing in their hearts.

They unpack the layers of Gini’s journey: meeting the love of her life, surviving the accident that took him, navigating 24 surgeries and an eventual amputation, and ultimately becoming a fierce advocate for herself and others.

Along the way, The Sisters explore their own experiences with trauma, motherhood, faith, and the power of showing up for one another. From "Eeyore days" to gratitude lists, this honest and heartfelt conversation is a reminder that we all have the capacity to rise—and to carry legacy forward, even in our hardest seasons.

April is Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month—and this reflection continues the conversation with deep respect and gratitude for Gini and all who walk this path.

Resources & Links: 

• Connect with Gini Thomas at https://linktr.ee/ginithomas
• Celebrate April's Limb Loss & Limb Difference Awareness Month
• Learn more about & support The Limb Preservation Foundation

Support the show

Ways to Connect:

If you have a story to share, please reach out & connect...we'd love to hear from you and have a conversation. You can learn more about The P-I-G and listen or link to all episodes at https://www.thepigpodcast.com. Connect on social at:

• https://www.facebook.com/podcast.thePIG
• https://www.instagram.com/thepigpodcast
• https://discord.gg/dd4n4ArMtc
• OWN: visit our website to scan the QR code.

Hearing the stories of others helps us create a more meaningful connection to our own because, “Legacy isn’t just what we leave behind—it’s how we live right now." If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe on your favorite podcast platform, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend, loved one, or anyone navigating their own journey through life, love, loss, and legacy.

When life changes in an instant, how do you rebuild from the ground up?

Gini Thomas faced this question head-on after a catastrophic motorcycle accident in 2012 that claimed the life of her husband and left her with devastating injuries—ultimately leading to the amputation of her leg above the knee.

Her story begins with love: meeting Joe, a musician twenty years her senior who brought peace and joy into her life before their world was shattered just seventeen months into their marriage. With remarkable candor and grace, Gini walks us through that fateful August day, the immediate aftermath, and the grueling three-year journey through limb salvage surgeries before making the decision to amputate.

What follows is a masterclass in resilience. Gini has endured 24 surgeries, navigated the heartbreak of losing her husband, cared for her mother through dementia, and learned to become her own medical advocate—all while continuing to show up with quiet strength. Through it all, her mother taught her a mindset that sustains her still: "You've told me everything that's bad today, now tell me something good."

Today, Gini serves as a patient ambassador for Integrum and Ottobock—companies that manufacture the prosthetic technologies that helped her reclaim her life. She has found new love, discovered joy in helping others on their limb loss journey, and reminds us all that while grief may change us forever, it doesn’t have to define us.

This conversation explores: 

• Becoming your own medical advocate
• The non-linear nature of grief and resilience
• How love, purpose, and perspective evolve after loss
• Raising awareness during Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month

Whether you’re navigating your own life-altering experience or supporting someone who is, Gini’s story offers a roadmap for living with both grace and grit.

Show Resources & Links: 

• Connect with Gini Thomas at https://linktr.ee/ginithomas
• Celebrate April's Limb Loss & Limb Difference Awareness Month
• Learn more about & support The Limb Preservation Foundation

Support the show

Ways to Connect:

If you have a story to share, please reach out & connect...we'd love to hear from you and have a conversation. You can learn more about The P-I-G and listen or link to all episodes at https://www.thepigpodcast.com. Connect on social at:

• https://www.facebook.com/podcast.thePIG
• https://www.instagram.com/thepigpodcast
• https://discord.gg/dd4n4ArMtc
• OWN: visit our website to scan the QR code.

Hearing the stories of others helps us create a more meaningful connection to our own because, “Legacy isn’t just what we leave behind—it’s how we live right now." If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe on your favorite podcast platform, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend, loved one, or anyone navigating their own journey through life, love, loss, and legacy.

Episode Summary:
Curled up in pajamas with bowls of popcorn (affectionately called "pokey" by their late mother), sisters Kellie and Erin launch a brand-new PJs & Pokey series—an ongoing space for relaxed, heartfelt conversations about what they’re learning, how this journey is changing them, and the moments that matter most.

In this first PJs & Pokey episode, they take a step back to reflect on the unexpected lessons, deep conversations, and personal transformations that have unfolded through the first four episodes of The P-I-G. What began as a podcast to explore life, love, loss, and legacy has evolved into something far greater—an opportunity to reconnect, heal, and better understand each other in ways they never anticipated.

Through tears, laughter, and raw honesty, they discuss:

• Beating the Podcast Odds—Most shows don’t make it past episode three, but THE P-I-G is thriving!
• Memorable Moments & Takeaways—From Chris Howard’s powerful insights on legacy to Marcus & Jason’s personal journeys through love and loss, and Wendy Cohen’s unimaginable strength in the wake of her daughter’s tragic abduction and murder.
• Healing Their Sisterhood— After grieving in very different ways, maturity and launching this podcast has reconnected them in ways they never expected. 
• Lessons from SXSW—Strangers deeply resonated with their message, validating the importance of storytelling, connection, and sharing conversations about life, love, loss, and legacy.
• What’s Next on The P-I-G—A look ahead at upcoming episodes, including family stories, expert insights, and listener experiences.

“The greatest gift of all, the greatest gift that she gave either of us, is each other.”  This episode is raw, real, and deeply personal. Whether you’ve been with them since Episode 1 or you’re just tuning in, it’s a reminder that healing happens through connection, conversations change lives, and sometimes, the greatest gift of all is each other.

Support the show

Ways to Connect:

If you have a story to share, please reach out & connect...we'd love to hear from you and have a conversation. You can learn more about The P-I-G and listen or link to all episodes at https://www.thepigpodcast.com. Connect on social at:

• https://www.facebook.com/podcast.thePIG
• https://www.instagram.com/thepigpodcast
• https://discord.gg/dd4n4ArMtc
• OWN: visit our website to scan the QR code.

Hearing the stories of others helps us create a more meaningful connection to our own because, “Legacy isn’t just what we leave behind—it’s how we live right now." If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe on your favorite podcast platform, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend, loved one, or anyone navigating their own journey through life, love, loss, and legacy.

Episode Summary:
On January 17, 2003, Lacy Jo Miller vanished.

A 20-year-old college student from Fort Collins, Colorado, Lacy was enjoying a night out with friends. But she never made it home. Ten grueling days later, her body was discovered in a remote canyon outside the city—her life stolen in an act of unthinkable violence.

As investigators uncovered the truth, they learned that her killer had posed as a police officer, pulling her over for what appeared to be a routine traffic stop. Even more chilling, this wasn’t the first time he had used this method to lure victims.

Today, we sit down with Wendy Cohen, Lacy’s mother, to honor her daughter’s life, explore the devastating reality of loss, and learn how Wendy has found the strength to transform grief into gratitude, pain into purpose—all while carrying happiness, empathy, and love in her heart.

Together, We Discuss:

• Our personal connection to Lacy’s story and why this conversation matters.
• Who Lacy was—her spirit, her dreams, and the incredible young woman she was becoming.
• The night she disappeared and the grueling investigation that followed.
• Wendy’s journey to process unimaginable loss while building an unexpected connection with her daughter’s killer’s family—seeking healing for everyone involved.
• What we can learn from Lacy’s story—including crucial safety tips for anyone facing a nighttime traffic stop.

This is a deeply emotional and profoundly important conversation about the unbreakable strength of a mother’s love, the long shadow of grief, and the ways we carry forward the legacies of those we’ve lost.

This is an episode that deserves to be heard. If it resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear Lacy’s story.

Support the show

Ways to Connect:

If you have a story to share, please reach out & connect...we'd love to hear from you and have a conversation. You can learn more about The P-I-G and listen or link to all episodes at https://www.thepigpodcast.com. Connect on social at:

• https://www.facebook.com/podcast.thePIG
• https://www.instagram.com/thepigpodcast
• https://discord.gg/dd4n4ArMtc
• OWN: visit our website to scan the QR code.

Hearing the stories of others helps us create a more meaningful connection to our own because, “Legacy isn’t just what we leave behind—it’s how we live right now." If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe on your favorite podcast platform, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend, loved one, or anyone navigating their own journey through life, love, loss, and legacy.

Episode Summary:

Love. Loss. Legacy. These three words shape our lives in ways we often don’t fully understand—until we’re forced to. In part two of this powerful conversation with Marcus Straub and Jason Jepson, we explore the moments that changed them, the experiences that tested them, and the lessons they carry forward.

• Marcus is a 20+ year life and business coach who has guided thousands through grief, reinvention, and learning how to live with purpose. His own journey has been filled with challenges that shaped the way he shows up for himself, his family, and his clients. Connect with Marcus and LIG Coaching & Consulting at https://ligcoaching.com/.
  
  
• Jason is a father, entrepreneur, and creative force who has navigated deep personal loss and profound transformation. He understands what it means to build, to rebuild, and to find meaning in the process. 

This is an emotional, thought-provoking conversation about the lessons we carry forward, the relationships that shape us, and the choices we make every day to create a meaningful life. 

Support the show

Ways to Connect:

If you have a story to share, please reach out & connect...we'd love to hear from you and have a conversation. You can learn more about The P-I-G and listen or link to all episodes at https://www.thepigpodcast.com. Connect on social at:

• https://www.facebook.com/podcast.thePIG
• https://www.instagram.com/thepigpodcast
• https://discord.gg/dd4n4ArMtc
• OWN: visit our website to scan the QR code.

Hearing the stories of others helps us create a more meaningful connection to our own because, “Legacy isn’t just what we leave behind—it’s how we live right now." If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe on your favorite podcast platform, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend, loved one, or anyone navigating their own journey through life, love, loss, and legacy.

Episode Summary:
What happens when two strong, driven, and deeply introspective men sit down to discuss life, love, loss, and legacy? You get one of the most insightful and thought-provoking conversations yet on THE P-I-G. In this episode, we introduce you to two of the most important people in our lives—Kellie’s husband, Marcus, and Erin’s boyfriend, Jason. But this isn’t just about their connection to us. These two powerful, intelligent, and deeply reflective men have built their own unique legacies—shaped by love, heartbreak, success, and tremendous loss.

• Jason is a devoted father, an entrepreneur, and a creative visionary who has carved his own path both professionally and personally. He is someone who loves deeply, sees possibility everywhere, and has experienced profound shifts throughout his life that have shaped who he is today.
  
  
• Marcus is a 20+ year life and business coach who has spent decades helping people navigate the complexities of life—guiding them through personal transformation, owning their reality, and learning how to embrace love, loss, and reinvention with clarity and purpose. He has worked with thousands of clients worldwide, including us—Erin, Jason, and Kellie—to help us grow into better versions of ourselves and prepare for The Boxes and The P-I-G projects.

 
Join us as we dive into...

• How Jason unknowingly set this journey in motion by introducing The Boxes to his longtime friend and film/television producer Chris Howard.
• Marcus’s perspective as both a husband and a coach—and how watching The Boxes project unfold has deepened his view on legacy.
• The defining moments that shaped their lives—the loves they’ve cherished, the losses they’ve endured, and the lessons they’ve carried forward.
• How fatherhood has influenced their understanding of legacy, and what they hope to leave behind for their own children and families.
• The shifts they’ve witnessed in our relationship as sisters—and how this project has impacted our family dynamics…and so much more!

This episode is raw, insightful, and deeply personal. It’s about what it means to be a strong, emotionally aware man in today’s world, how to navigate love and loss with intention, and how to build a life that truly matters.

Support the show

Ways to Connect:

If you have a story to share, please reach out & connect...we'd love to hear from you and have a conversation. You can learn more about The P-I-G and listen or link to all episodes at https://www.thepigpodcast.com. Connect on social at:

• https://www.facebook.com/podcast.thePIG
• https://www.instagram.com/thepigpodcast
• https://discord.gg/dd4n4ArMtc
• OWN: visit our website to scan the QR code.

Hearing the stories of others helps us create a more meaningful connection to our own because, “Legacy isn’t just what we leave behind—it’s how we live right now." If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe on your favorite podcast platform, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend, loved one, or anyone navigating their own journey through life, love, loss, and legacy.

Episode Summary:

In this deeply personal debut episode of The P-I-G, sisters Kellie Straub and Erin Thomas invite you into their family’s most sacred legacy—The Boxes. These carefully curated gifts, left by their late mother, Marsha, before her passing in 1994 arrived at pivotal life moments carrying her love, wisdom, and presence to bridge time and loss in a most extraordinary way.

Joined by close friend and producer Chris Howard, Kellie and Erin share the profound impact these gifts have had on their lives, the healing power of reconnection, and how this once private family story has grown into something much bigger. This episode dives into what it truly means to live with intention, to love deeply, to navigate loss, and to leave a legacy that transcends generations.

Whether you’re in the throes of loss or grief, exploring your own legacy, or simply seeking stories that inspire connection and reflection, this is the perfect place to begin your journey with us. 

Key Topics:

• The origin of The Boxes and their emotional significance
• The profound impact of life, love, loss, and legacy
• Reconnecting as sisters and the healing power of storytelling
• Chris’s personal reflections and connection to the project
• What The P-I-G podcast is all about and what’s to come

Resources & Links:

• "Uplugged with Chris Howard" (podcast): Listen on Apple Podcasts
• Merging Veterans & Players (MVP): https://vetsandplayers.org

Support the show

Ways to Connect:

If you have a story to share, please reach out & connect...we'd love to hear from you and have a conversation. You can learn more about The P-I-G and listen or link to all episodes at https://www.thepigpodcast.com. Connect on social at:

• https://www.facebook.com/podcast.thePIG
• https://www.instagram.com/thepigpodcast
• https://discord.gg/dd4n4ArMtc
• OWN: visit our website to scan the QR code.

Hearing the stories of others helps us create a more meaningful connection to our own because, “Legacy isn’t just what we leave behind—it’s how we live right now." If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe on your favorite podcast platform, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend, loved one, or anyone navigating their own journey through life, love, loss, and legacy.

Step into THE P-I-G, a heartfelt podcast exploring life, love, loss, and legacy with Purpose, Intention, and Gratitude. Hosted by sisters Kellie Straub and Erin Thomas, each episode weaves personal stories, expert insights, and real conversations that inspire healing, connection, and reflection. In this trailer, get a glimpse of what’s to come—authentic storytelling, moments of laughter and tears, and the powerful journeys that remind us all that family and connection matter most. 

Support the show

Ways to Connect:

If you have a story to share, please reach out & connect...we'd love to hear from you and have a conversation. You can learn more about The P-I-G and listen or link to all episodes at https://www.thepigpodcast.com. Connect on social at:

• https://www.facebook.com/podcast.thePIG
• https://www.instagram.com/thepigpodcast
• https://discord.gg/dd4n4ArMtc
• OWN: visit our website to scan the QR code.

Hearing the stories of others helps us create a more meaningful connection to our own because, “Legacy isn’t just what we leave behind—it’s how we live right now." If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe on your favorite podcast platform, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend, loved one, or anyone navigating their own journey through life, love, loss, and legacy.