In this episode of Unparented: A Dead Parents Club Podcast, I sit down with Alan Lazaros, CEO of Next Level University, a global top 100 podcast dedicated to helping others level up in life, love, health, and wealth. Alan lost his father in a car accident when he was just two years old, a loss that created deep pain and a sense of disconnection that would shape his entire journey. Decades later, after surviving his own near-fatal car accident, Alan found himself questioning everything: his choices, his identity, and the trajectory of his life. Instead of running from grief, he decided to turn it into purpose. Alan shares how the chip on his shoulder fueled his success in corporate America, and why he ultimately stepped away to create lasting impact through honest conversations and personal growth. We talk about family, loss, therapy, finding meaning after tragedy, and Alan’s powerful belief that the hardest moments can become the foundation for helping others. His story is raw, vulnerable, and full of hope, a reminder that grief doesn’t have to end our story, but can become the starting point for a whole new chapter. 🌐 Learn more about Alan’s work and podcast: Next Level University📸 Follow Alan on Instagram: @alazaros88🎥 Watch on YouTube: Next Level University Podcast📩 Want to share your story on Unparented? Email me: hello@unparented.me📸 Follow on Instagram: @theunparentedpodcast

What can surfing teach us about grief, resilience, and learning to live in the present? In this episode of Unparented: A Dead Parents Club Podcast, I sit down with Angie Hawkins, author of Running in Slippers and a coach helping high-achieving women let go of external validation. Angie lost her dad in 2017, a loss that sent her into the deepest grief she’d ever known and ultimately into a journey of healing, transformation, and connection with her father on the other side. Angie shares how surfing became more than a daily practice in Hawaii, it became a metaphor for life and grief. From the “surfer’s mindset” of savoring the ride without fearing the end, to the slow work of rebuilding identity after loss, Angie’s story is raw, vulnerable, and deeply human. We talk about growing up with emotionally unavailable parents, the weight of guilt after an estranged relationship, the darkness of isolation and even a suicide attempt, and how she slowly found her way back to light, purpose, and joy. Her story is a reminder that grief has no timeline, that healing can come in unexpected waves, and that our relationships with those we’ve lost don’t have to end, they simply change. 🌐 Learn more about Angie’s work and book: runninginslippers.com📸 Follow Angie on Instagram: @angiehawkinscoaching🎥 Watch on YouTube: Unparented Podcast📩 Want to share your story on Unparented? Email me: hello@unparented.me📸 Follow on Instagram: @theunparentedpodcast

What happens when you lose your mom at just 18 years old, before you’ve even had the chance to figure out who you are? In this episode of Unparented: A Dead Parents Club Podcast, I sit down with Lisa Espinosa, a writer, speaker, and certified grief and loss counselor, to talk about the life-altering experience of losing her mom as a teenager. Lisa shares how her mom’s death from lung cancer shaped her early adulthood, what it taught her about love, presence, and faith, and how it later influenced the way she mothered and now “Mimi’s” her own family. Lisa opens up about how she didn’t grieve well at first, the pressure she felt to be “strong,” and the unhealthy ways she tried to minimize her pain. She also shares how she eventually learned that grief isn’t something to get over, but something we learn to carry. From her mom sewing her wedding dress while sick, to the everyday lessons of presence and love, Lisa’s story is a reminder of how deeply our parents leave their mark on us. We also talk about faith, the story of Job, and why Lisa believes that faith isn’t a magic formula, it’s trusting God even when life doesn’t make sense. If you’ve ever lost a mother, or struggled with how to grieve as a young adult, Lisa’s story will remind you that even in profound loss, there is still room for hope, meaning, and joy. 🌐 Learn more about Lisa’s work: lisaespinoza.com📸 Follow Lisa on Instagram: @lisa.espinoza🎥 Watch on YouTube: Unparented Podcast📩 Want to share your story on Unparented? Email me: hello@unparented.me📸 Follow on Instagram: @theunparentedpodcast

What happens when your children lose their mom before they’re old enough to remember her? In this episode of Unparented: A Dead Parents Club Podcast, I sit down with Sean Foster, host of The Next Minute, to talk about what it means to raise two boys in the shadow of grief. Sean’s wife, Taylor, died in 2020 just 12 hours after giving birth to their youngest son, leaving him a grieving husband and single father overnight. Sean shares the reality of carrying not only his own grief but also the grief of his sons, helping them process emotions they don’t yet have words for, creating rituals to keep their mom present, and learning how differently children express loss at each age. He opens up about guilt, loneliness, and the anxiety that once kept him from making memories with his boys, and the turning point that helped him reclaim joy with them. If you’ve ever wondered how children grieve, or how a parent can hold space for their kids’ pain while still working through their own, this conversation will remind you that love and loss are forever intertwined. 🎙️ Listen to Sean’s podcast: The Next Minute 🎥 Watch on YouTube: Unparented Podcast 📩 Want to share your story on Unparented? Email me: hello@unparented.me 📸 Follow on Instagram: @theunparentedpodcast

What happens when you lose both parents as an adult, one unexpectedly and one during a pandemic? In this episode of Unparented: A Dead Parents Club Podcast, I sit down with Zulma Williams, better known as @theswearingtherapist, to talk about grief in its rawest form. Zulma shares her story of losing her mom and dad within seven years, navigating cancer, depression, and abusive relationships, and still finding her way back to resilience. She reminds us that grief is love with nowhere to go, and that there is nothing to “get over.” Instead, we can choose how to honor our loved ones through memory, rituals, or simply carrying their presence with us. Zulma also shares powerful insights on why grief groups matter, how each sibling loses a different version of the same parent, and why we need to stop comparing the way we grieve. If you have ever felt like your grief did not look like anyone else’s, this conversation will make you feel less alone. 🌐 Learn more about Zulma’s work: dragonflytherapyservices.net🎥 Watch on YouTube: Unparented Podcast📩 Want to share your story on Unparented? Email me: hello@unparented.me📸 Follow on Instagram: @theunparentedpodcast

Becka lost both of her parents before turning 30. In this conversation, she shares how grief reshaped her sense of identity, the isolation of feeling “orphaned” as an adult, and the surprising gifts that loss can bring. We talk about therapy, comparison, and learning to linger in moments of grief. If you’ve ever felt alone in your loss, or want to share your story on Unparented, I’d love to hear from you.

Grief is not one-size-fits-all. Therapist Lydia Lomahan joins me to talk about why grief is an extension of love, how cultural scripts around loss can create pressure, and what it means to hold space for grief without trying to “fix” it. This conversation is for anyone carrying loss, trauma, or big emotions that don’t fit neatly into a box. If you’re a therapist, caregiver, or someone walking through grief who wants to share your perspective, I’d love to have you as a guest on Unparented.

John was adopted at birth, and after losing his adoptive dad, he found himself navigating two stories at once: grief and identity. In this episode, we talk about what it means to lose a parent, how adoption shaped his grief, and the search for connection with his birth family. If you’ve walked through loss or adoption and want to share your story, I’d love to connect. Guests are always welcome on Unparented.

What happens when you grow up without parents and then become one yourself? In this episode of Unparented: A Dead Parents Club Podcast, I share how losing my dad at 15 and my mom at 26 shaped the way I parent my own kids. From the fear of dying young like my father, to breaking cycles of grief and trauma, this is a raw look at becoming the parent I never had. If you’ve lost a parent and want to talk about how it shaped your life, I’d love to hear your story. Reach out if you’d like to be a guest on Unparented.

When I lost my dad at 15 and my mom at 26, grief became the story I couldn’t escape. In this first episode of Unparented: A Dead Parents Club Podcast, I share my journey of losing both parents, the loneliness of navigating life without them, and how therapy and faith have helped me carry the weight. If you’ve lost a parent and want to share your story on the podcast, reach out. This space is for all of us learning how to live with grief.