"Don't let people bully you about your grief. You take as much time as you need." —Ally Dalsimer

Inner fabulosity — the idea that you're worthy and whole even on the days you can barely tread water — is the heart of this conversation with award-winning author and speaker Ally Dalsimer.
Ally lost her husband to cancer eleven years ago, and in this episode, she walks through what actually happened after: the job loss, a failed run for Congress, caring for a dying mother, and the morning she realized no one needed her to get out of bed.
This episode is for anyone grieving a spouse, parent, or child, and for anyone who's been told — directly or not — that they should be "over it" by now. Ally is candid about how long healing took her, how she helped her two kids process losing their father, and how she eventually rebuilt a life around writing, speaking, and a philosophy she calls inner fabulosity.
Key takeaways:
• Grief has no universal timeline — it took Ally almost ten years before she could speak about her husband without crying, and she insists that's neither too long nor too short.
• Kids process loss differently than adults because they lack the cognitive tools to name what they're feeling, so patience matters more than explanations.
• Trying to "solve" a grieving person's pain often backfires; listening without offering solutions is usually the more supportive move.
• Small, repeatable actions — Ally's rule was doing just three things a day — can rebuild a sense of purpose faster than waiting to "feel ready."
• Telling someone their grief has an expiration date is one of the most damaging things you can say to a person in mourning.
• Running for public office, even in a losing campaign, gave Ally proof that she was capable of far more than she believed.
Listen to the full conversation and subscribe to Live, Love, Survive, Thrive for more real stories on healing, resilience, and rediscovering purpose after loss.

Connect with Dr. Kimberly:
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Episode Highlights:
04:07 Meet Ally Dalsimer
06:03 What "Inner Fabulosity" Really Means
08:16 Losing Her Husband: The Full Grief Story
15:02 Helping Her Kids Grieve Without Fixing Them
21:12 Grief as a Child vs. Grief as an Adult
24:20 Running for Congress While Grieving
27:20 Advice for Someone New to Grief
40:31 Where to Find Ally and Her Podcast
40:50 Ally's Favorite Plant-Based Recipe

Resources:
Get Ally's Book
📖 It's Okay Not to be Fabulous Every Day: A Journey to Self-Discovery

Get Kim's Books
📖Grid: Once in a Lifetime You Get to Start Over
📖Live, Love, Survive, Thrive!

Thank you for listening.
To keep my podcast alive,
Wanna buy my dog Dakota a bone?
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"Let some time dictate what you need to do. Let yourself grieve." —Tina O'Keeffe

Decluttering after loss isn't about trash bags and deadlines — it's about timing, permission, and grief you can't rush. In this episode, Dr. Kimberly Hubenette sits down with Tina O'Keeffe, founder of Stow and Behold and a professional organizer of 13 years, to unpack what actually happens when someone tries to clear out a home after a death, a move, or years of quiet accumulation.
Tina's path started far from organizing — in copywriting, grant writing, and two years in the Peace Corps — before a chance conversation at a Women Entrepreneurs conference in 2005 changed her direction. She's since become a go-to voice for senior downsizing, hoarding intervention, and the emotional side of letting go, and she's now helping launch the Hoarding Alliance of Long Island to connect families with the right support.
This conversation is for anyone standing in a closet full of someone else's things, unsure what to keep, what to give away, and when it's okay to decide. Tina explains why sentimental items should be the last thing tackled, not the first, and why grief has its own timeline that no calendar or well-meaning relative can override.
Key Takeaways:
• Sentimental items — photos, letters, keepsakes — should be handled last, not first, because they carry the most emotional weight.
• Grief-driven shopping sprees, what Tina calls the "widow habit," often fill an emotional gap rather than a practical need.
• Roughly 80% of what Tina removes from a home gets donated, which helps clients feel their items are still useful rather than discarded.
• No one else — not an adult child, not a spouse — gets to decide when someone else is ready to let go of a loved one's belongings.
• Preserving and relocating an item is a valid middle ground between keeping it out and getting rid of it entirely.
• Organizing for seniors often means keeping things visible and accessible, not hidden away, to protect their independence.
• Ready to rethink how you approach the stuff that's been sitting untouched? Listen to the full conversation.

Connect with Dr. Kimberly:
Website
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook
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Pinterest
Apple Podcast
Spotify

Episode Highlights:
05:21 Meet Tina O'Keeffe: From Peace Corps to Professional Organizer
08:48 Why Organizing Isn't About the Stuff — It's About the Story
13:00 When Family Pushes Faster Than a Loved One Is Ready
17:22 The "Widow Habit": Grief-Driven Shopping Explained
22:51 Organizing to the Client's Needs, Not Your Own
32:31 The Mantras That Get Her Through the Hardest Rooms
38:01 Do No Harm: Helping Hesitant Clients Take the First Step
44:37 Ending the Shame Around Hoarding and Disorganization
48:00 Free Consultations, Zoom Sessions, and Where to Find Tina

Resources:
Get Kim's Books
📖Grid: Once in a Lifetime You Get to Start Over
📖Live, Love, Survive, Thrive!

Thank you for listening.
To keep my podcast alive,
Wanna buy my dog Dakota a bone?
☕️https://buymeacoffee.com/livelovesurvivethrive

"It's important to allow those emotions to move through, because emotions are energy in motion, and if we hold the emotions back, it can create physical and mental illnesses. So, it's important to be vulnerable." —Isabella Young

Grief healing is rarely a straight path, and in this deeply personal conversation, New Human of New Earth author Isabella Young shares how unimaginable loss reshaped her life and ultimately led her toward healing through nature, spirituality, and personal resilience.
After losing her first husband unexpectedly while pregnant with their child, Isabella's search for meaning eventually drew her into a controlling spiritual cult. Following years of manipulation and the devastating loss of her teenage son, she found the strength to reclaim her life and begin rebuilding from the ground up.
Throughout this episode, Isabella discusses:
• Navigating profound grief without expecting "closure"
• Recognizing manipulation and reclaiming personal sovereignty
• Why connecting with nature became the foundation of her healing
• Daily practices including grounding, time outdoors, gardening, and mindful living
• Viewing suffering as a catalyst for wisdom and personal transformation

Dr. Kimberly and Isabella also explore how grief can reshape identity, purpose, and the journey toward thriving after adversity.
Whether you're grieving the loss of a loved one, recovering from trauma, or searching for hope during difficult seasons, this episode offers thoughtful reflections and practical ideas for reconnecting with yourself.
If this conversation resonates with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who may need encouragement today: https://bitl.to/5vY1

Connect with Dr. Kimberly:
Website: https://drkimberlyhubenette.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-hubenette-dds-magd-2800a624/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authordr.kimberlyhubenette/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authordr.kimberlyhubenette
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9--bH78AxF-FCR2ygP-Fyg
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/khubenette/_created/
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/live-love-survive-thrive-podcast/id1852221037
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1U789oDWQrUBEPaSbdV9YU

Episode Highlights:
03:23 Losing a Husband and Beginning Grief
06:25 A Spiritual Search for Meaning
09:46 Life Inside a Controlling Cult
15:01 Recognizing Manipulation and Leaving
19:10 Healthy Ways to Process Grief
23:31 Finding Purpose Through Suffering
26:00 Nature-Based Healing Practices
35:30 Grounding Practices for Overcoming Difficult Changes
39:20 Nature is the Best Medicine

Resources:
Get Isabella's Book
📖New Human of New Earth: Medicine for the Freedom and Future of Humanity

Get Kim's Books
📖Grid: Once in a Lifetime You Get to Start Over
📖Live, Love, Survive, Thrive!

Thank you for listening.
To keep my podcast alive,
Wanna buy my dog Dakota a bone?
☕️https://buymeacoffee.com/livelovesurvivethrive

"When you're really struggling, it's because you're in your own way… Don't judge yourself when you do it; just notice it. You can change your storyline to create momentum and the results you want to create within your life." —Camille Ellis

Grief coaching isn't about rushing through pain — and Certified Grief and Life Coach Camille Ellis has lived that truth in the most personal way possible. After losing her youngest son and navigating the end of a 27-year marriage, Camille built a coaching practice grounded in one honest belief: that healing begins the moment you start paying attention to the stories you're telling yourself.
In this conversation on Live Love Survive Thrive, Camille and Dr. Kimberly sit down for a raw, grounded discussion about what it actually looks like to move through devastating loss — not past it. Camille explains why grief never fully disappears, and why that's not something to fix. She walks through the practical technique she uses with every client: catching the thought, questioning the story, and finding a perspective that's equally true but far less crushing. She also shares what self-love looks like on the hard days — not as a wellness buzzword, but as a daily decision to ask yourself what you actually need right now.
Whether you're in the thick of loss, supporting someone who is, or simply trying to understand why certain seasons of life feel impossible to move through, this episode gives you something real to hold onto.

Connect with Dr. Kimberly:
Website
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
Pinterest

Episode Highlights:
03:34 Meet Camille Ellis: Certified Grief Coach and Life Coach
05:40 How 35 Years as a Stylist Became a Coaching Career
07:13 Navigating the Loss of Her Son: Where Her Philosophy Began
11:57 The Thought Pattern That Keeps Grieving People Stuck
13:44 Reframing Loss: The Technique She Used on Herself First
16:41 When Grief Lingers for Years — What's Really Happening
22:45 Self-Love as a Daily Practice, Not a Wellness Slogan
28:18 What a Grief Coach Does That a Therapist Doesn't
32:21 What Living, Loving, Surviving, and Thriving Really Means
34:10 How to Connect with Camille and Book a Free Session

Resources:
Get Kim's Books
📖Grid: Once in a Lifetime You Get to Start Over
📖Live, Love, Survive, Thrive!
Thank you for listening.
To keep my podcast alive,
Wanna buy my dog Dakota a bone?
☕️https://buymeacoffee.com/livelovesurvivethrive

"We have to remember our loved one is gone, and that's horrible. But we're still here, and we still have work to do. We still have purpose, we still have value, and that's to love our lives and help others love their lives as well." —Dianne Brazell

Creativity became Dianne Brazell's lifeline after losing her husband, Paul, just five months after their wedding. In this episode of Live, Love, Survive, Thrive, Dr. Kimberly Hubenette sits down with author and educator Dianne Brazell, who went from bride to widow in the span of a terminal cancer diagnosis — and found her way through grief by writing letters to a man she wasn't ready to let go.
Dianne shares three things that shaped her healing: writing as emotional release (including a chapter on anger she almost cut from her memoir), the unexpected gift of Paul's sisters becoming her closest travel companions, and learning — after a lifetime of fearing it — that she is her own best friend.
Seven years out, Dianne describes her grief as a pain that's dropped from a nine or ten to a one or two most days. It spikes. It surfaces on birthdays and anniversaries. But it no longer defines her.
Her new book, Weaving Peace: Creating Your Next Act, gives grievers practical tools to use photography, movement, music, and writing to rebuild. If you're in the early fog or years deep and still finding your footing, this conversation meets you there.

Connect with Dr. Kimberly:
Website
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
Pinterest

Episode Highlights:
02:42 Meet Dianne: From Bride to Widow in 5 Months
07:44 Losing Paul
13:47 Early Stages of Grief and Coping Mechanisms
19:52 Coping by Serving Others
26:18 Learning to Love Alone and Balancing Life
32:12 Recipe: Creative Chili

Resources:
Get Kim's Books
📖Grid: Once in a Lifetime You Get to Start Over
📖Live, Love, Survive, Thrive!
Get Dianne's Book:
📖Weaving Peace: A Memoir of My Time with Paul
📖Weaving Peace: Creating Your Next Act
Thank you for listening.
To keep my podcast alive,
Wanna buy my dog Dakota a bone?
☕️https://buymeacoffee.com/livelovesurvivethrive

(Special Episode)
Category: Coping From Grief and Loss

"Life was full of choices. You pick a road, you try not to look back, and you keep going down that road, and that's how life goes." —William Quan, DDS
Eighteen years after losing his wife, Dr. William Quan found love again — and he says there were only three roads anyone walking through grief can take.
In this special episode, Dr. Kimberly Hubenette sits down with her father, Dr. Quan, who lost his first wife nearly two decades ago and has been remarried to a fellow widow for 16 years. He breaks grief down into three concrete paths: live alone and cope solo, remarry and rebuild, or move in with family. He chose remarriage — and credits a chance encounter at a Chinese restaurant, where a fellow widow slipped him her phone number, changing his life.
The conversation also covers something rarely discussed out loud: the signs many widows and widowers report from a departed spouse, from a light bulb that should've been ice-cold but wasn't, to a toddler grandson who swore his late grandmother read him bedtime stories. Father and daughter land on the same truth — you can love more than one person, just in different ways, and grief doesn't mean you stop living.
If you're navigating loss, this episode offers a roadmap, not platitudes.

Connect with Dr. Kimberly:
Website
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
Pinterest

Episode Highlights:
02:30 A Mindfulness Lesson
06:05 Backstory: Dr. Quan's Widowhood — Losing His First Wife
10:54 Patients Sharing Grief: Conversations Beyond Dentistry
12:41 Dating After Loss )
15:20 The Choice to Keep Living:
17:48 Three Ways to Cope with Spousal Loss
21:18 Memories Persist: Pride in Shared Life
23:00 Pick a Road & Move Forward
27:00 Signs From Beyond
31:30 Feeling Loved Ones' Presence & Unexplained Signs
33:00 What's Your Choice

Resources:
Books
📖Grid: Once in a Lifetime You Get to Start Over by Dr. Kimberly Hubenette
📖Live, Love, Survive, Thrive! by Dr. Kimberly Hubenette
Podcast
Living Through Grief: How to Keep Going After Loss with Dr. William Quan Part 1
Thank you for listening.
To keep my podcast alive,
Wanna buy my dog Dakota a bone?
☕️https://buymeacoffee.com/livelovesurvivethrive

"In my memoir, I talk about planning my suicide, and I had it all planned out, and then things came up, and I did not do that. And so now people tell me, I'm very tenacious, and I try to do it in a joyful manner." —Nancy J. Martin

There are moments in life that test everything—your body, your spirit, your will to keep going. And in those moments, what carries you forward isn't perfection or certainty, but something steadier: a quiet, determined kind of joy.
In this powerful episode, Dr. Kimberly Hubenette sits down with author Nancy J. Martin, who shares her extraordinary journey through a life-altering diagnosis, facial paralysis, abandonment, and the long road of rebuilding a life rooted in resilience, creativity, and connection. Her story doesn't shy away from the hard parts, but it shines a light on what it means to keep choosing life, even when it feels unbearable.
From her darkest thoughts to embracing what she calls "joyful tenacity," Nancy opens up about living with visible difference, finding strength through expression, and creating a life filled with meaning, art, and human connection.
If this story resonates, support the podcast and help keep these conversations going.
Key Topics:
• Choosing joyful tenacity in the face of adversity
• Living with visible difference in a judgmental world
• Finding strength through creativity and self-expression
• Moving from despair toward purpose and connection
• The role of community in building a meaningful life

Connect with Dr. Kimberly:
Website
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
Pinterest

Episode Highlights:
02:05 Meet Nancy: Widow, Author, Jeweler, Thriver
04:14 The Diagnosis That Changed Everything: Acoustic Neuroma
07:12 A Career in Fashion
09:50 Joyful Tenacity: Surviving Facial Paralysis, Abandonment, and Grief
17:35 How Community Heals
21:32 Facing the World Different: Grief, Public Stares, and Choosing Visibility
29:28 Foodie At Heart

Resources:
Books
📖Grid: Once in a Lifetime You Get to Start Over by Dr. Kimberly Hubenette
📖Live, Love, Survive, Thrive! by Dr. Kimberly Hubenette
📖https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B07ZHQ2F12/allbooks?ingress=0&visitId=ed0bc148-5c71-4a84-bc01-a37218bef331
Thank you for listening.
To keep my podcast alive,
Wanna buy my dog Dakota a bone?
☕️https://buymeacoffee.com/livelovesurvivethrive