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Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)

Episode 27: What Must Be Carried (Pt.1 ) w/ Whitney Lynn Allen

In this deeply personal conversation, we sit down with Whitney Lyn Allen—grief coach, attorney, author, and widow—to talk about the life she built with her late husband Ryan, and how she’s navigated life after his sudden passing from a rare reaction to a bee sting. In Part 1 of our two-part series, Whitney shares her early life influences, her path into law, and the love story that led to motherhood and devastating loss.

We explore the raw emotional terrain of early grief—numbness, rage, tears—and why she believes you don’t “get over” grief, but learn to carry it differently over time. She offers powerful wisdom on identity, parenting through pain, and why healing is messy, non-linear, and uniquely your own. Whether you’re newly grieving or years down the road, Whitney’s honesty and heart offer hope, not as a destination—but as a companion on the journey.

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death is a podcast that explores the raw, unfiltered reality of surviving profound personal loss—and finding a way forward. The idea for the podcast was born after David and Jamal met in 2023. Both widowers, who had lost their wives to cancer, quickly found a deep connection through multiple conversations about pain, perseverance, and parenthood. They realized that while men often bond over music, sports, or TV, they rarely speak candidly about loss or emotional recovery. Getting Back Up was created to change that narrative—blending the everyday with the existential in a format that’s as relatable as it is real.

Thank you for your support!

Hosts: David McClain & Jamal Jones

Guest: Whitney Lynn Allen

Executive Directors: Marlon Jackson & Ted Winners (Like A Gazelle Productions)
Editing: Chris Gazzo
Music:
Grenada, "Treasure"
McDonald, Otis, "Phife for Life", otismusic.com

Thank you for listening! Follow us on Instagram/TikTok @getbackuppodcast and on X @GBUpodcast

Send us a text

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)

Episode 26: The Cost of the Craft with Russell Hornsby

In Part 2 of our powerful conversation with actor Russell Hornsby, we move from personal loss to professional sacrifice—and how they’re more connected than people think. Fresh off filming two back-to-back movies in Atlanta, Russell talks with Jamal and Dave about what it means to be away from your family for weeks at a time, over and over again, in the name of art, legacy, and livelihood.

We dive into what he’s gained and lost by choosing this path, how the pressure has shifted from early hustle to seasoned purpose, and how starring in August Wilson’s American Century plays and ultimately the acclaimed movie, Fences, forced him to reckon with deeper questions around grief, identity, and creative mortality. Russell also opens up about the rise of AI in entertainment, what it means for working actors, and why—even now—he’s thinking hard about what legacy he wants to leave behind.

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death is a podcast that explores the raw, unfiltered reality of surviving profound personal loss—and finding a way forward. The idea for the podcast was born after David and Jamal met in 2023. Both widowers, who had lost their wives to cancer, quickly found a deep connection through multiple conversations about pain, perseverance, and parenthood. They realized that while men often bond over music, sports, or TV, they rarely speak candidly about loss or emotional recovery. Getting Back Up was created to change that narrative—blending the everyday with the existential in a format that’s as relatable as it is real.

Thank you for your support!

Hosts: David McClain & Jamal Jones
Executive Directors: Marlon Jackson & Ted Winners (Like A Gazelle Productions)
Editing: Steve Senisi (Reel Media)
Music:
Grenada, "Treasure"
McDonald, Otis, "Phife for Life", otismusic.com

Thank you for listening! Follow us on Instagram/TikTok @getbackuppodcast and on X @GBUpodcast

Send us a text

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)

Episode 25: Black Men, Cancer, and the Fight for Our Lives

In this special episode, Jamal and David head to Clark Atlanta University to sit down with researchers, doctors, and survivors at the frontlines of cancer care and advocacy. From pioneering lab discoveries to deeply personal stories of survival, this episode connects science with the soul.

We talked to Dr. Jaideep Chaudhary and his team of faculty experts about why Black men face a higher risk for prostate cancer—and what can actually be done about it. They break down research, challenges in community trust, and how survivor voices are shaping the next generation of care. We also speak with survivors—like Dr. Henry Elonge, Mr. Tony Williams, and his wife Cecelia Williams—who share the raw truths of diagnosis, fear, love, advocacy, and brotherhood. If you’re a man, love a man, or know a man…this is an episode for you.

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death is a podcast that explores the raw, unfiltered reality of surviving profound personal loss—and finding a way forward. The idea for the podcast was born after David and Jamal met in 2023. Both widowers, who had lost their wives to cancer, quickly found a deep connection through multiple conversations about pain, perseverance, and parenthood. They realized that while men often bond over music, sports, or TV, they rarely speak candidly about loss or emotional recovery. Getting Back Up was created to change that narrative—blending the everyday with the existential in a format that’s as relatable as it is real.

Thank you for your support!

Hosts: David McClain & Jamal Jones
Executive Directors: Marlon Jackson & Ted Winners (Like A Gazelle Productions)
Editing: Steve Senisi (Reel Media)
Music:
Grenada, "Treasure"
McDonald, Otis, "Phife for Life", otismusic.com

Thank you for listening! Follow us on Instagram/TikTok @getbackuppodcast and on X @GBUpodcast