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Andy has been married to his wife, Cathy Cooper Miller, for nearly 44 years. Together, they have three children—Brooke, Todd, and Drew—and three grandchildren, Mila, Eli, and Asher.

He began his professional career after earning a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology, working for three years in two different counseling settings before transitioning those skills into the world of business and sales.

Since 1991, he has led an executive search and recruiting firm. Today, he leads a team of 55 people and continues to grow the company. One of his greatest sources of pride is the culture he has worked hard to build at BrainWorks—a culture centered on caring, sharing, and genuinely investing in people.

But perhaps the greatest challenge of his life has been surviving the loss of his son, Drew, who died by suicide on November 29, 2021.

Early in his grief journey, one of the first books he read was My Son... My Son... by Iris Bolton, who lost her own son to suicide. At one point, Bolton writes about eventually finding a gift within the loss. Initially, that message made him angry. It was simply too soon, and the pain was far too raw to imagine that anything good could possibly come from such a devastating loss.

Yet, with time, something began to change. While he would never describe Drew’s death as a gift, he recognizes that his journey through grief has transformed him. Today, he considers himself a kinder, gentler, and more compassionate person—someone who cares more deeply about others and understands the importance of meeting people where they are in their pain.

And then there is the fun side of who he is. Born and raised in Philadelphia, he is a lifelong, diehard Eagles and Phillies fan—and at 71 years old, he is still playing baseball.

His story is one of love, loss, resilience, transformation, and the ongoing journey of learning how to live while carrying grief.

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In this episode, we are joined by Scott McCutcheon from Vermilion, Ohio. Scott shares the story of losing his son, Sammy, on April 29, 2021, at the age of 29, to an overdose resulting from an addiction that developed after injuries he sustained while serving in Afghanistan.

Scott openly shares about the hope he has found and the significant role his faith has played throughout his grief journey. He also talks about how, after Sammy’s death, he had to put his own grief on hold for nearly three months while caring for his wife, Susie, following an accident.

Sammy left behind a son, Dawson, who was just seven years old when his father died. Scott had not seen Dawson for more than five years, but this summer, he was given the opportunity to spend 10 days with his grandson. As Scott talks about Dawson, you can hear the joy in his voice. He describes Dawson as the spitting image of Sammy and shares how reconnecting with his grandson has played a tremendous role in helping him work through the PTSD surrounding his son’s death.

Scott has been very intentional about moving forward and finding healing along his grief journey, and Dawson has become a huge part of that journey. His story is a powerful reminder that even in the midst of profound loss, hope, faith, and meaningful relationships can help us find a path forward.

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In this episode, we are joined by Sarah, who lost her husband, Dave, in 2004. Dave was a helicopter pilot who was killed in action in Iraq just a couple of weeks before he was scheduled to come home. At the time of his death, Sarah was raising two children, ages 8 and 10.

Sarah shares her journey of trying to find stability for her family in the aftermath of such a devastating loss. For the first couple of years, she found herself putting on a facade and trying to hold everything together on the outside, even while struggling on the inside.

She also shares how her faith and spiritual journey have provided her with hope, purpose, and direction as she has navigated life after loss. Sarah reflects honestly on the realization that simply existing and surviving wasn't enough—she wanted to truly thrive.

Her story is a powerful reminder that there can be a path forward after profound loss, and that healing can lead us not just toward survival, but toward a life filled with purpose and hope.