What happens when life takes everything familiar away?

In this powerful episode of The Giant Builders, Lois Wyant sits down with Lin Banis, a former executive coach and leadership consultant who now helps women navigate profound loss and rebuild their identity with clarity and purpose.

Lin shares her deeply personal story of loss—caring for her mother until age 106, losing her brother suddenly, and then losing her husband unexpectedly within a short span of time. Through that devastation, she discovered that grief is not just emotional pain—it is an identity earthquake that changes everything from how you wake up in the morning to how you see your future.

This conversation explores why women often feel lost after the death of a spouse, the loss of a job, or even the quiet loss of themselves after years of caregiving and responsibility. Lin explains why major decisions should be delayed during early grief, how brain fog impacts thinking, and why “fixing” someone in grief often causes more harm than healing.

You’ll also learn practical ways to support a grieving friend without saying the wrong thing, why community matters more than advice, and how women can begin unpeeling expectations that no longer serve them.This episode is for women who feel stuck, exhausted, or unsure who they are after life has changed—and for those who want to support someone walking through grief with compassion and wisdom.

Watch now and discover how loss can become a doorway—not just an ending.

🎥 Watch the full episode here:

https://youtu.be/R11YyExQlyA

https://www.facebook.com/lbanis/https://

www.linkedin.com/in/lynn-banis-36987b2aa/www.widowsrisingtogether.com

https://www.instagram.com/banislynn/

[email protected]

Timestamp Overview

0:00 Cycles of loss and why grief reshapes identity

1:00 Lin’s professional background and leadership work

1:49 Losing multiple family members in a short time

2:56 The physical and emotional toll of unresolved grief

3:29 Why grief attacks identity, not just emotions

4:49 Why major life decisions should wait

6:14 Honoring memories instead of erasing them

7:05 What “Women Rising Together” really looks like

8:47 The loneliness of grief and disappearing friendships

9:54 What to say (and not say) to someone grieving

11:24 Why casseroles aren’t always helpful

12:21 Grief as a sacred passage, not something to fix

13:52 When someone is ready for rebuilding, not just surviving

15:18 Reframing loss as a door opening, not closing

16:38 One belief women must unlearn

18:24 Responsibility, boundaries, and emotional burnout

19:09 Final encouragement for women walking through loss

Check out other episodes

Business: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf7Uc6zi2pF9pnIL1foYJ3uVP8z1fCVmZ

Health: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf7Uc6zi2pF9QEQ1q2e05K28IjUvLPGJy

Spiritual: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf7Uc6zi2pF96jBzfz6QHUegeULd7YEsY

Family: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf7Uc6zi2pF_SaLQxs8op1CPSDg_wG8vL

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