
Show Notes
Nina Rodriguez joins host Lisa Keefauver to explore aspects of grief too often ignored, particularly focusing on sibling loss and the the societal stigmas surrounding addiction-related deaths. Nina shares the impact of unexpected loss, the importance of savoring life's little pleasures, her journey of reclaiming narratives and the ongoing process of living with wonderment. One of the things you won’t hear in her bio, though you will get to know about her in our conversation today, is the way she carries her grief with such care. Honoring the love she still holds for her brother Yosef, even in a world that often dismisses or diminishes deaths that result from addiction.
ABOUT GUEST Nina Rodriguez is a grief-informed guide, indie podcaster, host and founder of Grief and Light, a platform and podcast dedicated to fostering a more grief-informed, hopeful world through honest conversations about life after loss. Following the sudden passing of her only sibling in 2019, Nina launched the Grief and Light podcast to shine a truthful light on grief as a lived experience to honor, tend, and integrate, rather than something to 'fix'. Now in its fourth season, the show has earned a 2025 Women Who Podcast Magazine award and ranks #18 of 100 on Goodpods in the Grief category. Nina speaks nationally on grief, grief literacy, and post-traumatic growth, with recent engagements at the University of Miami, the 2025 Latinas in Podcasting Summit, and multiple Reimagine events. She writes the Substack 'Resting Grief Face', contributes to Get Griefy Magazine, co-authored Resilient A.F.: Stories of Resilience, Vol. 2, and completed a Grief Care Professional Certificate Program. Based in South Florida, Nina welcomes aligned collaborations, speaking engagements, and opportunities to create spaces where grief, resilience, and humanity can be met with honesty and care. Follow her work at Grief and Light on all platforms.
LEARN MORE ABOUT NINA: https://www.griefandlight.com/ LISTEN TO HER PODCAST: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/grief-and-light/id1680003901
ABOUT THE SHOW & HOST Lisa Keefauver is an author, keynote speaker, social worker, widow, assault & cancer survivor turned grief activist on a mission to help us center aliveness in a world full of loss by reimagining the narratives of grief, one conversation at a time. LEARN MORE ABOUT LISA: at https://lisakeefauver.com/ ACCESS GRIEF SUPPORT: https://lisakeefauver.com/support READ BOOK: Grief is a Sneaky Bitch: An Uncensored Guide to Navigating Loss. https://bookshop.org/p/books/grief-is-a-sneaky-bitch-an-uncensored-guide-to-navigating-loss-lisa-keefauver/ffd73d6b6921e6b5?ean=9781477329306&next=t& READ ESSAYS: AFGO with Lisa Keefauver on Substack - https://afgowithlisakeefauver.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from Grief is a Sneaky Bitch
Shannon Watts is fired up. She’s sharing her wisdom on intuition, “shoulds,” and building a life of aliveness The incredible Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, and author of New York Times Bestselling book, Fired Up, joined host Lisa Keefauver for the first episode of Season 8 of Grief is a Sneaky Bitch where this season the show is focusing more deeply on what it means to center aliveness in a world full of loss. They dig into the cultural stories that pressure women to be perfect, selfless, and always certain, and offer a more humane alternative built on values, abilities, desires, and practice. In this conversation, Shannon shares how intuition shaped major turning points in her life, from starting Moms Demand Action to stepping away when it was time. Lisa and Shannon also explore embodiment, mindfulness, community, wonder, and play as essential tools for navigating change without losing sight of what feels most alive.
This special episode is a reminder of where we’ve been, what we’ve learned, and where we’re going next season! Host Lisa Keefauver closes out Season 7 of the show by reflecting on the conversations, guests, and lessons that shaped the year. She reminded us of the wisdom guests Marisa Renee Lee, Michelle Hord, Sandi Serling, and Angela Schellenberg offered on navigating complex losses and emotions. Guests Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, Naila Francis, and Sara Rian taught us about the power of poetry, metaphor, and creativity. You’ll get a sense (or be reminded) of the topics and wisdom offered by the other incredible 13 guests as well. In a preview of what’s coming next, Lisa also explores the story behind her decision to have a theme for the first time in the show’s history. Launching later this month, listeners will get a glimpse of some of the special guests and topics coming next, with a strong focus on aliveness, the narratives that keep us stuck, and the power of curiosity for navigating seasons of uncertainty.
J.S. Park returns to Grief is a Sneaky Bitch for a deeply moving conversation about the themes in his forthcoming book, We Are Made of Us. Together, we explore what it means to contend with family-of-origin, family dynamics, and inherited trauma. This episode may change how you see your family, your grief, and your own capacity to heal.
Casey Mulligan Walsh, author of The Full Catastrophe, joined host Lisa Keefauver for a profound conversation on how much loss shapes us more deeply than we realize—especially when it's modeled by those we'd turn to for guidance. In this raw and insightful conversation, Casey reveals how early trauma and unspoken grief patterns silently influence our lives. From surviving the sudden death of her parents as a child to navigating the chaos of divorce and the heartbreak of losing her son, Casey shares her journey toward reclaiming agency, understanding her parts, and finding peace in the liminal spaces of life.
Mae Yoshikawa, author, TEDx speaker, and the creator of Kizuki Journaling, joins host Lisa Keefauver to explore her profound journey through grief, culture, and embodiment. Her reflections challenge us to see grief not as a problem to fix, but as an integral part of human experience that deepens our capacity to love and live fully.