This episode contains strong language and references to sex and drugs. Listener discretion is advised.

In Episode 10 of Laugh at the Odds Podcast with Heidi and Dave, we speak with New York comedian and COVID-19 widower, Rich Kiamco, on grief and humor. We also discuss the circumstances of his partner Sandy's passing, from his COVID positive diagnosis to his quick decline, as well as the unique challenges that widowed members of the LGBTQIA+ community face, such as disenfranchised grief.

ABOUT OUR GUEST:
 
Rich Kiamco has appeared on The Howard Stern Show, The Wendy Williams Show and he's opened for Gilbert Gottfried and Louie Anderson in Las Vegas. He received standing ovations at FACT: Filipino Americans Coming Together, the largest midwest conference of Fil-Am students and at True Colors, the world's largest LGBTQ youth conference. He can be seen on BuzzFeed's Follow This on Netflix and was pictured on the cover of the NYTimes with The ManKind Project, an international nonprofit mens organization promoting healthy masculinity and emotional growth and his WTY (We There Yet?) Podcast is on ITunes.

OUR GUEST'S LINKS:

https://youtu.be/yh9P2KG7Cdw
https://www.instagram.com/richkiamco/
https://www.RichKiamco.com
info@RichKiamco.com

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In Episode 9 of Laugh at the Odds Podcast with Heidi and Dave, we talk about Heidi's very recent loss, Dave’s own losses from years prior, and how these have affected us both as widowed people, as well as Benji. We also speak with Nancy Saxton-Lopez and Ken Dolan-Del Vecchio, both therapists who ran a pet loss group for 30 years, and co-authors of “The Pet Loss Companion; Healing Advice From Family Therapists Who Lead Pet Loss Groups,” and co-hosts of the podcast “The Pet Loss Companion.” They help us navigate and understand our own experiences with pet loss, and share lessons and advice from their collective years in behavioral health in general, and in the subject of pet loss in particular.

ABOUT OUR GUESTS:

Nancy Saxton-Lopez is a licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist, speaker, trainer, coach and consultant.  She has had over 30 years of clinical and managerial experience in behavioral health.  She currently is Sr. Partner in Clinical Services Management, a behavioral health consulting management firm.  Ms. Saxton-Lopez also maintains a private practice providing therapy and coaching to adolescents and adults.  She is well versed working with adolescent issues, depression, anxiety, and life challenges.  Her main expertise is in grief and bereavement, specifically companion animal loss. She co-led a support group for companion animal loss in New Jersey for 30 years. Ms. Saxton-Lopez also co-authored the book “The Pet Loss Companion; Healing Advice From Family Therapists Who Lead Pet Loss Groups” with Ken Dolan-DelVecchio.  She is a graduate of New York University School of Social Work, has a Certificate in Family Therapy from The New Jersey Center for Family Studies and holds a Certificate from the University of Tennessee in Veterinary Social Work.

Ken Dolan-Del Vecchio is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and Senior Professional in Human Resources. He is a lifelong animal companion enthusiast who, along with fellow therapist Nancy Saxton-Lopez, coauthored The Pet Loss Companion: Healing Advice from Family Therapists Who Lead Pet Loss Groups. Ken and Nancy host The Pet Loss Companion live broadcast on YouTube and Facebook every Thurs at 6PM ET.

Ken is the author or coauthor of three other books, including his latest, Simple Habits of Exceptional (But Not Perfect) Parents.  He is an award-winning leader and keynote speaker in the field of workplace mental health and leadership. In 2017, Ken retired from his 19-year tenure at Prudential, where as Vice President, Health and Wellness, where he was responsible for behavioral health services for US employees, leadership consulting internationally, and violence prevention.  Learn more at GreenGateLeadership.com and see Ken’s videos on YouTube at Work Life Confidential and The Pet Loss Companion.

OUR GUESTS' LINKS:

https://www.kendolan-delvecchio.com/
https://www.GreenGateLeadership.com
PET LOSS COMPANION PODCAST:  https://open.spotify.com/show/4DG0btqT9T6R0RZK15kgcg
PET LOSS COMPANION BOOK: http://www.thepetlosscompanion.com/
SIMPLE HABITS OF EXCEPTIONAL (BUT NOT PERFECT) PARENTS BOOK https://www.kendolan-delvecchio.com/simple-habits-preview/
WORK LIFE CONFIDENTIAL YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUaYKZZR31HPxkVNow8kAuA



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In Episode 8 of Laugh at the Odds Podcast with Heidi and Dave, we speak with Kristin Meekhof about her work as a therapist, wellness coach, and her writing. We will delve into the research she did for her work and what she learned about resilience and storytelling from speaking with widows around the world.

ABOUT OUR GUESTS:

Kristin Meekhof is a licensed master's level social worker, co- author of the best-selling book, "A Widow's Guide to Healing" (Sourcebooks, 2015), a life coach and a resilience and wellness expert. She helps people share their message and expand their reach with integrity and authenticity. Kristin has advised some of the most influential people in the media and politics.

https://www.kristinmeekhof.com/

WHERE TO PURCHASE "A WIDOW'S GUIDE TO HEALING"

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Books a Million
Indie Bound

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In Episode 7 of Laugh at the Odds Podcast with Heidi and Dave, we speak with Desiree’ Tulsidai Kinney and learn about her passions and how devoting her time and energy to them has impacted her grief and healing.

ABOUT OUR GUESTS:

Desiree’ Tulsidai Kinney is the CEO and Founder of The Business Matchmaker. She serves in Wealth Management at a Fortune 500 in New York City, and is an Empowerment Speaker, Career Coach, and Media/TV Personality. As seen on CBS2 News, NY1 News, News 12, Fox Business, InvestmentNews, ZeeTV, and TVAsia, she has also spoken at the likes of Fortune 500 Firms across the Financial industry. Her specialty speaking topics are: She Means Business, Are You Linked In or Linked Out?, Personal Branding for Business Owners or Executives, and the Art of Networking. She is a panelist for Brooklyn Savvy TV and the former Co-Host of the Discover a New Future Show. She is also currently a Host of the Work Your Money podcast and her segment is entitled "Women and Men In Business Who Rock".

https://www.thebusinessmatchmaker.org/

ABOUT LAUGH AT THE ODDS:

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BUY AS A COFFEE: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/laughattheodds

In Episode 6 of Laugh at the Odds Podcast with Heidi and Dave, we start our mini-series on grief and race, and how the latter impacts various ethnic and racial groups differently. This week, we focus on how Asians and Asian Americans grieve, seek help, and heal from their losses.

We also talk about the model minority myth, and how this notion and the expectations thrust upon us Asians are detrimental to not just our healing and recovery from grief as widows, but also in our everyday lives, particularly in how we seek help and report crimes in light of the increased violence that’s now finally being reported at a national and even international scale

Search for Laugh at the Odds Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcast, or your favorite podcast player.

ABOUT OUR GUESTS:

Allie Espanto-Mock, 51, was widowed in 2007 when her husband Stan was killed in a motorcycle accident. Rooted in Oakland, California and is the solo parent of her 2 daughters 18 and 21. Having worked in the Social Services field for over 25 years, she is ready to be an empty nester, travel and enjoy life with no regrets.

Lynn Nguyen was widowed from her late husband Can in 2015. She currently works as a project manager in IT Finance and recently relocated from Texas to beautiful Clearwater, Florida, where she raises her two boys now aged 5 and 10 and catches sunsets whenever they can.

Heidi Gutierrez joined this club that nobody wants to join, back in 2014, when her husband Arnel passed from a pulmonary embolism while cycling near their home in Scotch Plains, NJ. Today, she is surrounded by many friends in and outside the widowed community, including her new family consisting of Dave, Benji, and her two fur babies, Ziggy and Xena.

ABOUT LAUGH AT THE ODDS:

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BUY AS A COFFEE: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/laughattheodds

In Episode 5 of Laugh at the Odds Podcast with Heidi and Dave, we speak with Kelley Lynn - actor, comedian, TED Talk speaker, author and a recently remarried widow - about her iconic 2017 TED Talk about grief, which garnered 1 and a half million views, and nearly 6000 comments on YouTube. We also talk about the importance of language and how it shapes our perspectives, which in turn shape our world. And we also discuss her book, her wedding in the time of COVID, and how she pays it forward to honor her late husband, Don.

ABOUT OUR GUEST:

Kelley Lynn is an actor, comedian, TEDx talk speaker, and author of the book "My Husband Is not a Rainbow: the brutally awful, hilarious truth about life, love, grief, and loss.", which is available on Amazon or direct through Kelley’s website at www.akelleylynnlife.com

Kelley was widowed suddenly at age 39 in 2011 when her husband Don went into cardiac arrest at the young age of 46. Since then, Kelley has used her writing, comedic, and speaking talents to help others process through loss. She is a featured presenter at the Soaring Spirits International annual event "Camp Widow", does book signing events at various venues, and will be an upcoming speaker at the SSF-IIIHS (or Spiritual Science Fellowship - International Institute of Integral Human Sciences) International Conference in Montreal, Canada in August 2021.

Kelley recently remarried in a private, COVID-safe, Facebook LIVE wedding ceremony on New Year’s Eve 2020. She currently lives with her husband Nicholas in Fitchburg, Massachusetts.

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/kelleylynn
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/kelleyiskelley

ABOUT LAUGH AT THE ODDS:

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In Episode 4 of Laugh at the Odds Podcast with Heidi and Dave, we explore what it’s like for three healthcare warriors to work with COVID patients while grieving and healing from their own losses. Through our show, we give them a platform to share their experiences, and hold space for them as they talk about not just the challenges they face as recent widows, but also process how their own experiences with loss have helped them become better nurses and social workers who interface daily with patients nearing end of life, as well as the loved ones who are facing tough decisions and difficult days ahead.


ABOUT OUR GUESTS:

Jillian Bosinius is 43 years old and her journey began when Tony passed suddenly in January 2019. She has been a Social Worker in the field of Long Term Care for 22 years. She has experience working with those persons who have suffered a life changing health event requiring rehabilitation as well as those who are at the end of their life.  Another avenue of her career includes being an EMT since 2000. The experience of these careers coupled together has allowed her to see life and loss from a unique viewpoint. Neither of those could have prepared her for the lessons she would learn navigating this pandemic without the love and support of her significant other by her side.

Karen Leibowitz was married to Eliot for 3 years, and together for six. He passed away 6 months ago in August 2020, after suffering from pancreatic cancer. Karen is a Registered Nurse on a telemetry unit for a Long Island hospital. She works with all types of patients who require continuous cardiac and oxygen monitoring including COVID- positive patients.

Dorothy Michaels was married to Stu Michaels for 15 years and together for 22. Stu passed away of lung cancer in June 2020, after being sick for 9 months. She is an Adult Geriatric Nurse Practitioner with a sub specialty and certification in Wound and Ostomy care. She works in an acute care hospital on Long Island.


ABOUT LAUGH AT THE ODDS:

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In Episode 3 of Laugh at the Odds Podcast with Heidi and Dave, we have the honor of speaking with Michele Neff Hernandez, who founded Soaring Spirits International in 2008, three years after losing her husband in a sudden and unexpected cycling accident. We sit down and talk about how she turned her tragic loss, and her personal need to find other widows, into a mission of connecting people. This consequently created the ripple effect of a worldwide community and a nonprofit that has served over four million widows and widowers, through various programs such as Camp Widow, Widowed Village, Widowed Pen Pals, the Resilience Center, and an upcoming book entitled, "Different After You," just to name a few.


ABOUT OUR GUEST:

Michele Neff Hernandez is the founder, and CEO of Soaring Spirits International. Michele founded the Soaring Spirits Resilience Center at Schreiner University in Kerrville Texas and serves as the center’s Director. She is a speaker, writer, and community activist and has received local, state, and national recognition for her work in founding Soaring Spirits. She is also the author of the upcoming book Different After You which will be published by New World Library in February of  2022. Michele resides in Simi Valley, California with her three amazing kids, one great son-in-law and one very Australian husband.

ABOUT LAUGH AT THE ODDS:

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/LaughAtTheOddsPodcastWithHeidiDave
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