Grief does not always arrive on schedule.

Sometimes it waits.

Greg Kettner thought he had processed the death of his father. He had a career, a family, a purpose. He even speaks to companies about mental health for a living.

Then, one month after his dad died, Greg stood on stage in front of a full audience and completely broke down.

In this episode of Dead Dads, Greg talks about delayed grief after losing his father, Dr. Sydney Kettner. He shares how losing a parent can feel manageable until it suddenly is not, and what happens when you are the guy everyone expects to have it together.

We talk about grief, therapy, father loss, men’s mental health, and the strange way grief can show up long after the funeral is over.

If your dad died recently, or it has been years and you still cannot explain why it hits you, this episode is for you.

You are not fine all the time.

That is allowed.

🎧 In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Why grief after losing a parent can take time to surface
• What delayed grief can look like for men
• How to deal with grief when you are in a public-facing role
• Why Greg resisted therapy before finally trying it
• What therapy can actually look like for guys
• What his dad taught him about purpose and service
• How losing his dad changed the way he talks about mental health

The text message challenge that changed a room full of strangers

👨‍👦 About Greg and his dad

Greg Kettner is a keynote speaker and mental health advocate on a mission to help a million people talk about mental health at work.

His father, Dr. Sydney Kettner, shaped Greg’s sense of purpose, service, and how to show up for other people.

In this episode, Greg talks about losing his dad, breaking down in public, finding therapy, and learning that grief does not care how prepared or put-together you look.

It is a conversation about father loss, delayed grief, men’s mental health, therapy, purpose, family, and what happens when the grief you thought you handled finally catches up.

Also, yes, there are laughs. Because grief is weird like that. Rude, honestly.

⏱️ Episode chapters

0:00 – Why Losing Your Dad Hits Different as a Man

2:10 – Why Greg Said Yes to Talking About This

6:30 – Who His Dad Was

12:20 – The First Stroke

18:00 – The Hospital and the Decision

24:40 – The Moment His Dad Died

30:10 – Why Grief Hits Later

36:30 – Breaking Down in Public

42:00 – Therapy: What It’s Actually Like for Guys

49:20 – Finding a Therapist You Can Talk To

55:00 – How This Changed His Life

1:02:00 – What He’d Say to His Dad Now

1:07:20 – Advice for Guys Going Through This

🖤 About Dead Dads

Dead Dads is a podcast for men figuring out life after losing their dad. Hosted by Roger Nairn and Scott Cunningham, the show features honest conversations about father loss, grief, identity, family, memory, masculinity, and all the strange stuff that happens after your dad dies. No grief brochure voice. No tidy healing arc. Just real conversations for guys who are grieving, remembering, avoiding, laughing, carrying on, or trying to understand what losing a father did to them.

You’re not alone.

☕ If Dead Dads has helped you feel a little less alone, consider buying us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/deaddadspodcast

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New episodes every week.

Dead Dads Podcast is produced with the support of JAR Podcast Solutions, the branded podcast agency that helps organizations build shows people actually want to spend time with. Learn more at https://jarpodcasts.com/