Where's The Grief?

In this episode, I sat down with comedian Lori Sommer! Lori initially reached out to me to talk about the loss of the love of her life, and as life would have it, just two weeks prior to our interview the comedy world lost one of our own -- Poppi Kramer died unexpectedly and left so many of us wondering how to move forward.

Lori and I talk about the importance of community, of looking for silver linings, and how much it means to be able to have a place to express one's feelings.

Lori performs regularly all over the city, but can often be found at the new Westside Comedy Club - Check out their upcoming events to see her.

She also performs regularly with Bon Bon Burlesque! Follow them on FB to find out more!

In this episode recorded at the 2018 Compassionate Friends National Conference in St. Louis, MO, Jordon sits down with Mitch Carmody,  a writer, artist, grief educator and a nationally recognized motivational speaker. He is the author of several books, and hosts his own Radio Show “Grief Chat”. He is a Grief Facilitator for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (T.A.P.S) of military loss, member of The Association of Death Education and Counseling (A.D.E.C.) and has served on the National Board of Directors for The Compassionate Friends, the largest grief support organization in the world.

After losing his twin sister in an accident in 1985 and then his son to cancer in 1987 Mitch has dedicated his life to serving the bereaved in any way he can.

His is truly a story of hope and perseverance.

Follow all the good that he does at http://heartlightstudios.net

In this special episode, I report from the 41st National Compassionate Friends Conference in St. Louis, Missouri. 

The Compassionate Friends is an international self-help support group that provides resources and to families who have lost a child, a grandchild or a sibling. As a bereaved sibling myself, it is the national conference and my local meetings that were the most helpful part of my healing process, and ultimately spurred me to do this podcast in the first place.

This episode features conversations with Zander Sprague, Garrett McCormick and Heather Horsely.

Zander has a podcast of his own focused on sibling grief called The Lemonade Stand, as well as a book about sibling loss called "Making Lemonade." Find his podcast and his book at ZanderSprague.com

Heather Horsely runs the Open To Hope Foundation with her family. Her sister Heidi and her mother Gloria are the faces of Open to Hope, but Heather also plays an integral role in producing a TV and Radio show, as well as countless articles and other resources for people dealing with loss. Go to OpenToHope.com to get the Hope YOU need.

The Compassionate Friends has local chapters all over the country, as well as a number of closed Facebook groups dedicated to specific types of loss. Go to CompassionateFriends.org to see if there's a chapter near you!

In this episode, Jordon sits down with comedian Keenan Steiner to talk about life after the death of his mother nearly 2 years ago to breast cancer.

We talk about the different coping mechanisms we use to deal with the myriad of feelings that come up after a loss, and how to ultimately be functional without being insensitive to what we conceive as minor grievances. 

Follow Keenan on IG @keenstartrillionaire

Check out all other things Keenan at his website HERE.

In this episode, I sat down with comedian and recent author Kelly Lynn! Kelly's husband Don died of a sudden heart attack 7 years ago, and over the last 5 years, Kelly has been working on her newly published book about her loss, "My Husband is Not a Rainbow," Now available on Amazon and Kindle.

We talk about the importance of community, and how refreshing it is to normalize the ways we talk about grief and loss so that we can move forward. We also talk about how much humor there is in the process of grieving, and how laughing at the darkest parts of ourselves helps guide us back into the light.

Follow Kelly online at http://www.ripthelifeiknew.com

Buy her book on Amazon!

Here's a link to Camp Widow 

In this episode, I sat down with comedian, actor and fellow podcaster Dante Nero!

Dante has his own podcast, The Beige Phillip Show, focused on dating and relationships, but Dante and his crew talk about all aspects of life, and all types of relationships, including familial.

6 years after the death of his father and two years after the death of his mother, Dante shares his thoughts about how to reconcile his love for his parents with his animosity towards how they treated him. We talk about finding ways to be the best version of ourselves, and how important forgiveness is, even when you just give it to yourself.

Follow Dante on Instagram @TheDanteNero

Check out his podcast here!

For everything else Dante related, check his website! DanteNero.com

In this episode, Jordon sits down with veteran comedian Ross Bennett to talk about the death of his first wife, over 30 years ago. We talk about how men are taught to deal with grief, as well as how performers harness their truths to create connections and find ways to move forward in both their lives and careers.

Ross just released his second album via Stand Up Records, "Not if You Were The Last Man on Earth." https://standuprecords.com/products/ross-bennett

It's also available on iTunes - Buy it on iTunes here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/not-if-you-were-the-last-man-on-earth/1363295638

Stand Up Records produces some of the best comedy albums in the biz, including several former podcast guests. Check out their whole catalogue at https://standuprecords.com

Find out more about all that Ross does at RossBennett.com

In this episode, I sat down with my good friend and comedian Danny Lobell! Danny is unquestionably one of the the original comedy podcasters, and quite possibly the reason I have this podcast myself. We talk about the loss of Danny's first love to a rare form of cancer, and the trials and tribulations that come with having to say goodbye to someone who is desperately trying to hang on. We also talk about the loss of one of Danny's best friends and mentor's, the late comedian Ralphie May.

Check out Danny's own podcast, "Modern Day Philosophers" and make sure you check out his recently released comic book, "Fair Enough."

Follow all things Danny at DannyLobell.com

In this episode, Jordon talks with comedian and podcaster Dan Lamorte! In advance of this taping, Dan felt that he may not have had the amount of loss usually featured on this show, but upon sitting down it seemed as though he actually had quite a bit of personal loss, despite some of it being other than close loved ones. We talk about a multitude of types of loss, from friends to extended family members, to careers, relationships, and ultimately about the loss of ones self.

Follow Dan and all that he does at http://www.danlamorte.com

In this episode, I sat down to talk with comedian Stacy Kendro about the various losses that she has had in her life, and the ways in which they have brought her appreciate the life that she has.

Stacy has lost both of her parents to cancer, and both of them went out of their ways to shield her from their illnesses, giving her less than a week to process the diagnosis before they were gone.

Since then, Stacy has found ways to acknowledge their absence while still being acutely aware of their respective impacts on her life moving forward.

Follow Stacy and find out more about what shes up to at http://stacykendro.blogspot.com/