The P-I-G: Stories of Life, Love, Loss & Legacy

Some losses happen in a moment. Others continue unfolding for years.

In this deeply moving conversation, Lisa Espinoza shares the layered story of grief that has shaped her life—from losing her mother at just 18 years old to the devastating loss of her youngest son, Chandler, in 2019 after he was struck by a car while riding his bike to work. 

For 18 grueling days, Lisa and her family lived between hope and heartbreak as Chandler remained on life support. And in the middle of that unimaginable pain, they were faced with another devastating reality: complications and failures in his final care that ultimately prevented his wish of becoming an organ donor from being fulfilled. 

But this conversation is about more than loss. It’s about what happens after.

Together, we explore:

•  The long-term impact of layered grief and trauma 
•  What it means to continue living after unimaginable loss 
•  How purpose, perspective, and faith evolve through suffering 
•  The physical reality of grief and heartbreak 
•  The complicated relationship between sorrow and joy 
•  Why healing doesn’t mean “moving on” 

Lisa also shares the story behind one of the most powerful ideas in the episode: “What would honor Chandler?” 

And ultimately, what it means to simply: “Be willing to be willing… to be open to the possibility of joy.” 

This conversation is tender, honest, heartbreaking, and deeply hopeful all at once. If you’ve ever loved deeply… grieved deeply… or wondered whether joy is still possible after loss—this episode is for you.

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From Our Heart to Yours...
Hearing the stories of others helps us connect more deeply to our own—because legacy is built in how we live, every single day.

Support the Show
If The P-I-G has meant something to you, consider supporting or sponsoring the podcast. Learn more at thepigpodcast.com/sponsorship.

Connect with Us
📬 The P-I-G Website: https://www.thepigpodcast.com/contact
📱 Facebook: /podcast.thePIG
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📱 LinkedIn: /thepigpodcast

What is a crisis—really?

In this powerful and deeply personal conversation, we sit down with marriage crisis coach Dr. Becky Whetstone to explore what happens when life overwhelms our ability to cope—and how we begin to find our way forward.

Dr. Becky shares both her professional expertise and her own lived experience, including the devastating loss of her Marine son to friendly fire, and the lifelong grief that followed. Together, we unpack the ways crisis can show up quietly, the cost of avoiding the truth, and why naming what’s real is often the first step toward healing.

In this episode, we explore:

•  growing up in the segregated South and the experiences that shaped her voice 
•  the loss of her son and what it means to live forward through grief 
•  how crisis is defined—and why it doesn’t always look the way we expect 
•  why avoiding the truth often deepens the pain 
•  what it means to take the next right step when everything feels uncertain 

This conversation is a reminder that crisis doesn’t mean the end of the story—it may be the moment that invites us to tell the truth, seek support, and begin again.

🎧 Listen now and share with someone who might need it.

We would love to hear from you—please send us some "Fan Mail"!

Support the show

From Our Heart to Yours...
Hearing the stories of others helps us connect more deeply to our own—because legacy is built in how we live, every single day.

Support the Show
If The P-I-G has meant something to you, consider supporting or sponsoring the podcast. Learn more at thepigpodcast.com/sponsorship.

Connect with Us
📬 The P-I-G Website: https://www.thepigpodcast.com/contact
📱 Facebook: /podcast.thePIG
📱 Instagram: /thepigpodcast
📱 LinkedIn: /thepigpodcast

Some stories don’t end when the moment passes. They evolve.

One year after first sharing her powerful story, Gini Thomas returns to The P-I-G for a deeply honest conversation about what life looks like after survival becomes reality.

This is not a retelling of the accident that took her husband Joe and eventually led to the loss of her leg—it’s a look at everything that comes after. 

Gini opens up about:

•  The physical and emotional realities of continued healing 
•  Recurring surgeries, setbacks, and the patience required to rebuild 
•  The role of perspective in navigating both pain and progress 
•  Why no two grief journeys—or amputee journeys—are ever the same 
•  The importance of advocating for yourself in both life and medical care 

As part of Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month, this conversation also expands into advocacy—highlighting accessibility, insurance limitations, and the growing movement to ensure that people with limb loss have the tools they need to fully participate in life.

Gini also shares her upcoming work with the Limb Kind Foundation, including a life-changing mission trip to Ethiopia—continuing her commitment to turning pain into purpose.

This episode is a reminder that resilience isn’t a moment—it’s a process. And sometimes, the most meaningful part of the story… is what happens after.

If you haven’t yet heard Gini’s full journey, we encourage you to go back and listen to Episode #6: Still Here, Still Standing.

We would love to hear from you—please send us some "Fan Mail"!

Support the show

From Our Heart to Yours...
Hearing the stories of others helps us connect more deeply to our own—because legacy is built in how we live, every single day.

Support the Show
If The P-I-G has meant something to you, consider supporting or sponsoring the podcast. Learn more at thepigpodcast.com/sponsorship.

Connect with Us
📬 The P-I-G Website: https://www.thepigpodcast.com/contact
📱 Facebook: /podcast.thePIG
📱 Instagram: /thepigpodcast
📱 LinkedIn: /thepigpodcast

Some addictions don’t look dangerous—until they are.

In this powerful and deeply honest conversation, we sit down with Chad Womack as he shares how a legal, widely available “wellness tonic” quietly turned into a daily kratom addiction that nearly cost him everything.

What began as something accessible—something that felt manageable—slowly became a cycle of dependence, secrecy, and shame that impacted his identity, his relationships, and his life at home.

Chad opens up about:

•  How kratom and kava products can mask early signs of addiction 
•  The subtle progression from use to dependence 
•  The emotional toll of secrecy, shame, and disconnection 
•  The breaking point that led to detox and treatment 
•  What recovery looks like when you choose honesty over hiding 

This conversation is not just about addiction—it’s about awareness. It’s about recognizing what we don’t always see in ourselves… and having the courage to face it before it’s too late.

If this episode resonates, we encourage you to share it with someone who may need to hear it.

🔗 Resources & Support

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use or dependency, support is available:

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357) — free, confidential, 24/7 
• National Institute on Drug Abuse: nida.nih.gov 
• American Addiction Centers: americanaddictioncenters.org 

To learn more about substances discussed in this episode:

•  Kratom and its effects: nida.nih.gov/research-topics/kratom 
•  Kava and safety considerations: fda.gov 

You are not alone—and support is available.

We would love to hear from you—please send us some "Fan Mail"!

Support the show

From Our Heart to Yours...
Hearing the stories of others helps us connect more deeply to our own—because legacy is built in how we live, every single day.

Support the Show
If The P-I-G has meant something to you, consider supporting or sponsoring the podcast. Learn more at thepigpodcast.com/sponsorship.

Connect with Us
📬 The P-I-G Website: https://www.thepigpodcast.com/contact
📱 Facebook: /podcast.thePIG
📱 Instagram: /thepigpodcast
📱 LinkedIn: /thepigpodcast

Six months ago, we made a decision that would completely change the trajectory of our relationship—not just as sisters, but as women, mothers, and partners.

We stopped guessing.
We stopped assuming.
And we started doing the work.

In this first Relationship Reset Check-in, we sit down with our coach, Marcus Straub, to reflect on what’s actually changed since beginning this journey through DISC, Driving Forces, and integrity-based communication.

This isn’t theory—it’s real life.

We talk about:

• What we’ve learned about ourselves—and each other—faster than we ever expected
• How awareness replaces assumption and transforms communication
• What it looks like to apply these tools in real time (not just read about them)
• The ripple effect into our families, parenting, marriages, and friendships
• How this work changed the quality of time we shared during the holidays
• Why most people struggle in relationships—and what actually helps

Marcus also shares his perspective after working with us weekly for six months, along with why assessment-based coaching creates such powerful and lasting change.

If you’ve ever thought, “Why don’t they understand me?” or “Why does this keep happening?”—this conversation will give you language, clarity, and a path forward.

Because relationships don’t change by chance.
They change by choice—and by tools that actually work.

*NOTE: To follow along with our Relationship Comparison Report, visit thePIGpodcast.com/episodes/episode-31.

We would love to hear from you—please send us some "Fan Mail"!

Support the show

From Our Heart to Yours...
Hearing the stories of others helps us connect more deeply to our own—because legacy is built in how we live, every single day.

Support the Show
If The P-I-G has meant something to you, consider supporting or sponsoring the podcast. Learn more at thepigpodcast.com/sponsorship.

Connect with Us
📬 The P-I-G Website: https://www.thepigpodcast.com/contact
📱 Facebook: /podcast.thePIG
📱 Instagram: /thepigpodcast
📱 LinkedIn: /thepigpodcast

One year ago, we pressed record on The P-I-G Podcast without fully understanding what this journey would ask of us—creatively, relationally, and personally.

In this powerful anniversary episode, we sit down with Chris Howard—producer of The Boxes Project, trusted collaborator, and now chosen family—to reflect on what this past year has truly been.

What started as a documentary exploration of our mother’s legacy became something far deeper: a transformation of our relationship as sisters, a reckoning with old wounds, and a commitment to holding space for stories beyond our own.

Chris shares his perspective on watching our reconnection unfold—especially after initially believing we were already “close & deeply connected.” We talk about creative breakthroughs, hard truths, unexpected healing, and the weight of real-life loss. Over the past year, Chris navigated the passing of both his father-in-law and his mother within months of each other—all while continuing to show up for this work and for us.

Together, we explore:

• What changed most in Year One
• The current state of The Boxes Project
• How storytelling reshaped our relationship
• The impact of chosen family
• What it means to create while grieving
• Why we believe our best episodes are still ahead

This isn’t just a look back. It’s a declaration of what’s possible when Purpose, Intention, and Gratitude guide the work—even when life gets heavy.

Thank you for being part of this first year. Year Two begins now.

We would love to hear from you—please send us some "Fan Mail"!

Support the show

From Our Heart to Yours...
Hearing the stories of others helps us connect more deeply to our own—because legacy is built in how we live, every single day.

Support the Show
If The P-I-G has meant something to you, consider supporting or sponsoring the podcast. Learn more at thepigpodcast.com/sponsorship.

Connect with Us
📬 The P-I-G Website: https://www.thepigpodcast.com/contact
📱 Facebook: /podcast.thePIG
📱 Instagram: /thepigpodcast
📱 LinkedIn: /thepigpodcast

Some conversations feel destined.

In this powerful and deeply aligned episode of The P-I-G Podcast, we sit down with Cindy Hartzell—founder of Heart Soul Confidence-Based Horsemanship®, wild horse advocate, bestselling author, and co-host of The Holistic Horsemanship and Husbandry Podcast—to explore what happens when trauma forces us to rebuild trust from the ground up.

Cindy shares her personal story of a life-changing accident with her beloved Palomino, RC—an experience that shattered her confidence and reshaped her understanding of leadership, fear, and healing. What followed was not just recovery, but a calling: to help women rebuild trust in themselves through partnership with horses.

Together, we explore the deep synchronicities that brought our paths together, the sacred work of rescuing and protecting wild horses, and what it means to shed old identities—like the skin of the Snake—and step boldly into the Year of the Fire Horse with strength, passion, and clarity.

This conversation is about more than horsemanship. It’s about trust. It’s about trauma. It’s about leadership that begins within. And it’s about choosing movement that comes from alignment—not urgency.

🎙️ In this episode, we discuss:

• Cindy’s accident and the healing journey that followed
• Rebuilding trust after trauma—physically and emotionally
• The human-horse connection as a mirror for leadership and self-awareness
• Wild horse rescue and the importance of preserving freedom
• Shedding the skin of old identities
• What the Fire Horse year invites us to embody
• Stepping into strength with hands firmly on the reins

Whether you love horses or have never touched one, this conversation will move you. Because at its heart, this episode is about reclaiming your confidence—and remembering the strength that was always there.

We would love to hear from you—please send us some "Fan Mail"!

Support the show

From Our Heart to Yours...
Hearing the stories of others helps us connect more deeply to our own—because legacy is built in how we live, every single day.

Support the Show
If The P-I-G has meant something to you, consider supporting or sponsoring the podcast. Learn more at thepigpodcast.com/sponsorship.

Connect with Us
📬 The P-I-G Website: https://www.thepigpodcast.com/contact
📱 Facebook: /podcast.thePIG
📱 Instagram: /thepigpodcast
📱 LinkedIn: /thepigpodcast

Some stories are hard to hear — but they are the ones that matter most.

In this powerful episode of The P-I-G Podcast, we sit down with Tiffaney Childers, a suicide loss survivor and advocate to explore what happens when grief is buried in silence — and what becomes possible when truth is finally spoken.

Tiffaney shares her experience of losing both of her parents to suicide, followed by the sudden death of her father-in-law and the loss of her brother to pancreatic cancer — all while raising two young children and carrying the weight of trauma quietly for nearly two decades. What followed was not only emotional pain, but physical suffering: chronic pain that became her body’s way of holding what her voice could not yet release.

Together, we talk about the long-term effects of suppressed grief, the stigma surrounding suicide loss, parenting through trauma, and the moment Tiffaney realized healing could no longer wait. She also shares how her journey led her to create meaningful support for others navigating loss — and why speaking openly about suicide saves lives.

🎙️ In this episode, we discuss:

• Surviving suicide loss and carrying it in silence
• How unprocessed grief can manifest physically
• Parenting through trauma while honoring truth
• Chronic pain, emotional suppression, and healing
• The Rise Up Method and living forward with intention
• Why breaking the silence around suicide loss matters

This may not be an easy listen — but it is a necessary one. A reminder that silence does not have to be the end of the story, and that healing begins when we allow ourselves to be seen, supported, and heard.

Learn more about Tiffaney at: www.risesavage.com. Purchase Tiffaney's book, "The Rise Back: Reclaiming Life After Suicide Loss, Pain, and Silence" on Amazon.

To learn more about LOSS Community Services and local support for suicide loss, please visit: https://losscs.org/.

We would love to hear from you—please send us some "Fan Mail"!

Support the show

From Our Heart to Yours...
Hearing the stories of others helps us connect more deeply to our own—because legacy is built in how we live, every single day.

Support the Show
If The P-I-G has meant something to you, consider supporting or sponsoring the podcast. Learn more at thepigpodcast.com/sponsorship.

Connect with Us
📬 The P-I-G Website: https://www.thepigpodcast.com/contact
📱 Facebook: /podcast.thePIG
📱 Instagram: /thepigpodcast
📱 LinkedIn: /thepigpodcast

One year ago, we pressed record without fully understanding what this journey would ask of us — emotionally, creatively, relationally, and personally.

What began as a heart-led project to honor our mom became something far bigger: a space for truth, reflection, reconnection, and growth — both for us and for our listeners.

In this special "PJs & Pokey" sister chat, we slow down to reflect on Year One of The P-I-G Podcast — the conversations that moved us, the work we didn’t know we were signing up for, the losses we carried quietly while still showing up, and the unexpected relationships that reshaped our lives along the way.

We talk openly about:

• How this podcast transformed our relationship as sisters
• What we learned through self-awareness, communication, and courage
• Why our coaching work — and the creation of The P-I-G Relationship Reset (link)— became something we had to share
• The people who became family when we didn’t even know we needed them
• What it means to honor the past while keeping our hands firmly on the wheel

This episode also marks the launch of Roots & Ripples, a new reflective resource inspired by the very work we’ve been doing here — designed to help listeners pause, look back with clarity, and move forward with intention.

This isn’t a highlight reel. It’s a breath. A reflection.
And an invitation to live with purpose, intention, and gratitude — even when the path surprises us.

🎧 Listen, reflect, and share with someone who’s walked this road with you.
 🌱 Learn more about Roots & Ripples and other listener resources at thepigpodcast.com.

We would love to hear from you—please send us some "Fan Mail"!

Support the show

From Our Heart to Yours...
Hearing the stories of others helps us connect more deeply to our own—because legacy is built in how we live, every single day.

Support the Show
If The P-I-G has meant something to you, consider supporting or sponsoring the podcast. Learn more at thepigpodcast.com/sponsorship.

Connect with Us
📬 The P-I-G Website: https://www.thepigpodcast.com/contact
📱 Facebook: /podcast.thePIG
📱 Instagram: /thepigpodcast
📱 LinkedIn: /thepigpodcast

Some stories don’t fit neatly into categories of grief or healing — they live in the space where both exist at the same time.

In this deeply honest and courageous conversation, Ashley Jo joins us to share the story behind her memoir, Tides of Grief, Waves of Grace: A Memoir of Scandal, Sobriety, Heartbreak, and Healing. Ashley opens up about losing her infant son to SMA, navigating the unraveling of her marriage, confronting addiction, surviving a paternity scandal and public shame, and rebuilding her life with truth, grace, and purpose.

Rather than offering easy answers, Ashley invites us into the real work of healing — where joy and sorrow can coexist, where redemption unfolds slowly, and where telling the whole truth becomes the doorway to freedom.

In this episode, we explore:

• Infant loss and the long road of grief
• Shame, secrecy, and choosing honesty
• Healing after addiction and heartbreak
• The courage it takes to tell your full story
• How grace often rises in the places we thought we were drowning

Ashley’s story reminds us that healing isn’t about erasing pain — it’s about learning to live fully, truthfully, and compassionately alongside it.

Learn more about Ashley Jo & connect on Instagram.
Purchase Tides of Grief, Waves of Grace on Amazon.

We would love to hear from you—please send us some "Fan Mail"!

Support the show

From Our Heart to Yours...
Hearing the stories of others helps us connect more deeply to our own—because legacy is built in how we live, every single day.

Support the Show
If The P-I-G has meant something to you, consider supporting or sponsoring the podcast. Learn more at thepigpodcast.com/sponsorship.

Connect with Us
📬 The P-I-G Website: https://www.thepigpodcast.com/contact
📱 Facebook: /podcast.thePIG
📱 Instagram: /thepigpodcast
📱 LinkedIn: /thepigpodcast