Moving Forward with Mia and Julia

Though you may know Ben Higgins from Season 20 of ABC's, "The Bachelor," (which ultimately led to his platform that he uses to share more about his faith and hope for humanity), he's also the cofounder of Generous International, a for purpose company dedicated to contributing profits to social issues around the world and he has partnered with Culinary Creative Group to start over 20 restaurants worldwide. Ben is also a husband a ne...

We are super fans of Lisa's! Lisa Keefauver, MSW is a Grief Activist who transformed her personal and professional experiences with loss into a mission to reimagine grief. As host of a top-rated grief podcast, TEDx and keynote speaker, grief-smart workplace consultant, grief guide, and author of the highly-acclaimed book, Grief is a Sneaky Bitch: An Uncensored Guide to Navigating Loss, she is expanding our collective story of g...

Dr. Javan Reed is a dynamic and visionary leader whose steadfast commitment to student success has driven transformative change in higher education. His career is marked by a passion for empowering students, fostering inclusive learning environments, and ensuring institutions deliver meaningful and lasting educational experiences.

As the former Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Simmons College, Dr. Reed prioritized s...

Nikki Thompson Frazier is a journalist, culinary entrepreneur, speaker, and creator of A Life Worth Tasting. As the founder of Sweet Encounter Bakery Café and the innovator behind the nationally shipped Cupcakes in a Jar, Nikki blends purpose, passion, and storytelling into everything she does. She’s on a mission to help people heal, rise, and reclaim joy whether through a journal, a cupcake, or a conversation. Check out her YouTub...

When Rachel Doyle was a high school junior, she started GlamourGals in honor of her grandmother to bring joy to seniors and alleviate their feelings of loneliness. What started as a personal project has now grown into a nationwide movement with over 10,000 teen volunteers making a difference in their communities. Now, with 25+ years of experience as a CEO and social entrepreneur, Rachel has led GlamourGals, expanding it to 31 state...

Landrie Williams was raised and lives in Arizona. She has been married to her husband, Kade, for nearly six years and is a mom to Hazel, who is 4, and Rhett, who is 1 (and who joined us on the podcast). When she's not caring for her family, Landrie likes to remain active and spends time working out or being outdoors. She uses her free time to run a social media account for Hazel's medical journey. You can learn more about t...

Evangelist, Dr. Kiena Hackworth has stayed steadfast in her dedication to God throughout her life. She wrote the book, The Will to Live: My Testimony following the loss of both her husband and her son. Dr. Hackworth serves as the 1st lady of the Unity Church of God in Christ in Elkhart, Indiana, the president of the Women's Department of Unity Church, and serves as jurisdictional president of the Young Women's Christian Cou...

Justin Clifford is the CEO and cofounder of Bereave (beareave.io), after two of his friends lost their parents prematurely. They all learned that the system of loss can be more harmful than helpful. They supported each other and realized that it was clear that way people experience death, particularly in the workplace, needs an overhaul. This is an important conversation for employers and employees seeking to change the status quo....

Heather Tracy (she/her) is a travel agent by day, and a masked copy editor and writer by night.

As a travel agent, she plans Nerdventures—travel for the nerd in all of us. These can be anything

from visiting New Zealand to see Lord of the Rings filming locations to visiting castles in Europe to

following in the footsteps of your favorite author.

As a copy editor, she’s found hundreds of typos, comma splices, and other grammatical nitpi...

Heather Schilling is a lifelong educator, with over three decades of teaching at the high school and collegiate levels. The greatest gift of teaching is the opportunity to empower others - empower them to realize that regardless of the situation, their mindset matters.

Heather loves to travel with her son and his fiancée as well as students. She is actively engaged in her community, serving on several professional boards and commi...

Marcee Doherty is a full-time healthcare analytics professional, a full-time PhD student, a part-time professional actor, and a full time dog mom.

Both Dr. Mia Johnson and Dr. Julia Porter are adjunct professors in the PhD program in Global Leadership, where Marcee is a student. Once she heard their presentation on Grief, Trauma, and Leadership at a residency weekend, she realized she fell into the category of compound grief, o...

Mina Starsiak Hawk is a real estate agent, HGTV star, and co-founder of the home renovation company Two Chicks And A Hammer, known for her work on the show "Good Bones" . She has also appeared on several other network shows including "Rock the Block" and "A Very Brady Renovation". Mina is married to Steve Hawk and they have two kids; Jack (6) and Charlie (4). While navigating a life in the public eye, ...

oday, we are joined by journalist, Allison Gilbert, who shares more about her work with connection.

Allison Gilbert is an Emmy Award-winning journalist and one of the most influential writers and speakers on how to find the inner resources to overcome life’s biggest challenges. Through research and lived experience, Allison helps audiences transform grief and loss and find connection amid the growing public health crisis of soc...

This week, on Moving Forward with Mia and Julia, Cara Bastone joins us to talk about grief in her new book, Promise Me Sunshine.

Cara Bastone is a full time writer living and writing in Brooklyn with her husband, sons, and an almost-goldendoodle. Her goal with her work is to find the swoon in ordinary love stories. 

She's been a fan of the romance genre since she found a grocery bag filled with her grandmother’s old Harlequin Ro...

Rebecca Soffer is cofounder of Modern Loss, which offers creative, meaningful and encouraging content and community addressing the long arc of grief. She is also the bestselling author of  The Modern Loss Handbook: An Interactive Guide to Moving Through Grief and Building Your Resilience (Running Press, 2022), which Gayle King named a favorite book of the year. Rebecca is also coauthor of the book Modern Loss: Candid Conversation A...

While certified as a coach and grief educator, Jai prefers to identify as a companion - someone who listens deeply, walks alongside, and meets you in the moment without judgement. Founder of Coaching for All of Life and owner of Quest for Balance Wellness, Jai has been helping others find meaning in loss through story, mindfulness, and movement for more than 20 years. Honoring a lifetime call to support the wellness and well-being ...