In this conversation, Angel Howard welcomes Kate McKay, keynote speaker, author, athlete, and entrepreneur, for a deep discussion on grief, grace, healing, and the strength it takes to live after loss. Kate shares the story behind her upcoming book, Grief and Grace, including the loss of her son to suicide and the earlier murder of her brother, and explains how these experiences shaped her work, faith, and purpose. The episode explores how grief lives in the body, why self-forgiveness matters, how peace requires active choice, and why strength training, presence, and compassion can help people return to themselves after pain.

Takeaways

• Kate McKay’s upcoming book, Grief and Grace, grew from her personal experience with deep loss.
• Kate lost her son to suicide in 2017, a tragedy that reshaped her life and work.
• Her brother was murdered decades earlier, creating a layered experience of grief across generations.
• Grief can affect entire families and often reveals wounds that were never fully healed.
• Kate believes loved ones who have passed can leave behind qualities we can choose to carry forward.
• The conversation explores the difference between forgiveness and compassion as paths toward peace.
• Both speakers discuss how bitterness can damage the person who holds it.
• Kate emphasizes that self-forgiveness is often harder than forgiving others.
• Grief is described as a physical and somatic experience that can live in the body.
• Strength training, movement, presence, and inner work are presented as ways to support healing and resilience.

Today's guest, Kate McKay, can be found at:

Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/katemckay

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@iamkatemckay

Podcast: https://kate-mckay.com/podcast/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@katesmckay

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamkatemckay/

Your host, Angel Howard, can be found online at:

Website: https://angelhoward.co/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howard-angel/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@angelhowardissuescoach

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelhowardofficial/

Get Angel's book: https://amzn.to/4o4UcEi

Keywords

Grief, Grace, Healing, Loss, Suicide, Family Trauma, Faith, Compassion, Forgiveness, Self-Forgiveness, Peace, Somatic Healing, Body Awareness, Strength Training, Resilience, Personal Growth, Spirituality, Trauma, Presence, Inner Child, Mitochondria, Muscle Mass, Purpose, Brokenness, Recovery, Emotional Healing, Authenticity