Shows
Are We There Yet?Sitara FalconI always enjoy interviewing men because they tend to have a slightly different attitude about trauma and loss. Falcon and his family of four left their home up in the foothills of Altadena late on January 7 when the smoke was already thick and big embers were violently flying through the air. Their home didn't burn, but they could never go back because of the extensive damage and their landlord's decision to sell.Falcon is a TK/Kindergarten teacher, so he understands child development and has valuable insights to share. But on January 7th, he was in...2025-07-1744 minAre We There Yet?Daryl and Jessica BilandzijaIn this episode, I speak with two parents who lost their home in the Eaton Fire. Daryl and Jessica both teach in the community, so I was eager to find out how they see the kids in our area recovering from the destruction of their homes, schools, neighborhoods, and communities. They shared their unique experience of discovering their house was gone and processing the shock of seeing so many houses destroyed overnight. But they consider themselves lucky and are optimistic about what the future holds for their beloved Altadena. At the same time, they both expressed deep sadness over...2025-07-0348 minAre We There Yet?Staci MitchellStaci Mitchell has lived in Altadena all her life, but in this conversation she explains that it wasn't until the media coverage of the recent fires that she understood she and her family are at the center of the historic Black community there. Staci is a semi-retired professor of Pan-African Studies at CalState LA, as well as a playwright, yoga instructor, and all-around creative force. She talks about her and her husband's ancestors who came to Altadena during the Great Migration and how many of their extended family and their children still live in the area. So when Staci...2025-06-1950 minAre We There Yet?Ed RobinsonThis episode is a slight pivot from this season on the wildfires in Los Angeles because I felt I needed to do something in response to the protests and injustices happening right now. I had no idea when I interviewed Ed Robinson this morning that I would be staying up late to publish it tonight, but I found him so insightful and very helpful in this moment. Ed and I connected over podcasting and a mutual interest in grief, but Ed is a lifelong community organizer who has lived in L.A. all his life and was around during...2025-06-1254 min
The Hoffman PodcastS10e15 Ade and Claudette Faison - Unlocking FuturesAde and Claudette Faison have worked in the field of human development for more than 50 years and 40 years, respectively. Together, that’s more than 90 combined years working to support others in transformation and lives of possibility. It’s no surprise, then, that they both came to do the Hoffman Process along the way.
Yet, it’s all still fresh in their minds. They remember specific instances from their Process. Claudette shares her experience at the Process when she was having a conversation – a quad talk – with her intellect and Spiritual Self. She was asking her Spiritual Self, “Are you Budd...2025-05-2936 minAre We There Yet?Erin O'Toole-DelawariI'm so pleased to be able to share this deeply moving interview with Erin O'Toole-Delawari, a teacher and mother of four who lost her home in January when the Eaton Fire tore through her neighborhood. Erin is so thoughtful in her explanation of what happened to her and her family, their trauma responses, and her understanding of those responses now. It's an incredible story of what happens in a natural disaster and how Erin, as a mother and a teacher, carried the responsibility of caring for children and pets in a moment of having no control over what's happening...2025-05-2947 minAre We There Yet?Jen and Ted MullerThis week's episode is an interview with my brother and sister-in-law, Jen and Ted Muller, who lived through the 2018 Camp Fire, the deadliest and most destructive fire in California history. Ted was working in Paradise, CA, as an ER doctor when the fire broke out, and he narrowly escaped. Meanwhile, Jen was an hour and a half away, knowing Ted was in danger, but with no way to contact him. I wanted to ask them about this harrowing experience and how they explained it to their three kids, who were still pretty young. Jen and Ted returned to Paradise...2025-05-1542 minAre We There Yet?Best-Selling Author Laurel BraitmanWelcome to Season Three, a shorter season devoted to exploring how families and kids respond to the grief associated with fire losses. Laurel Braitman is the best-selling author of Animal Madness and What Looks Like Bravery, the latter of which is a memoir about losing her father when she was a teen, then her family home in a fire when she was an adult, and soon after that, her mother to cancer. Laurel knows a lot about adolescent grief and fire loss, so I knew she'd be a great guest to kick off this season devoted to the recent...2025-05-0838 minAre We There Yet?Bonus Episode with Benji GablerI recorded this episode with Benji Gabler in October 2024 which seems like a lifetime ago. I had planned to publish it in January and then the fires happened and I shifted gears to try to address the losses of my community. But once I finished season 2 I still wanted to publish this episode with Benji, which is a beautiful conversation about fatherhood as it relates to early loss, something I haven't had an opportunity to address before. Benji lives in Isreal which added another layer of interest for me as I have always admired Jewish traditions around death and...2025-02-2043 min
The Less DesirablesThe Less Desirables: February 12, 2025The Less Desirables Recorded in The Omniverus Studios at Liberty Plaza. Tim is joined by Tiffany Birdsong of the Fostering Faith Foundation as his special guest co-host. Together, they talk with the world-class and world-champion body painter and fine artist Cheryl Ann Lipstreu and Chef Extraordinaire Shanta Faison of Twin City Catering. Cheryl Ann and Shanta have started […]2025-02-131h 06Are We There Yet?Season 2 Finale With AJ JohnsonFor this last episode, I spoke with AJ Johnson about the early loss of her mother when she was 16, as well as how she's navigating the collective grief we're all experiencing here in LA. AJ is a hilarious person, and I was giggling throughout the interview despite the heaviness of this moment in our city. I met AJ at Comfort Zone Camp, so we talked about camp and the tools it has given her to manage her grief from adolescence into adulthood and how she's using those tools now. I especially love how she talks about asking for what...2025-02-0651 minAre We There Yet?Bella and Catalina (Age 22 an 19) On The FiresBecause I live very close to Altadena in Los Angeles and because of the fires that raged through here two weeks ago, I decided to pivot and record an episode with two people I love about how they're doing after losing their home in the Eaton Fire. This is all very fresh for them (and for me) and I only had a day to edit so the episode is longer and more raw than usual. But it is already one of the most powerful episodes I've done because my guests were so great, so honest, and real, and it's...2025-01-2352 minAre We There Yet?Volunteering At Comfort ZoneThis episode with Steve Pomerantz dives into why volunteering at Comfort Zone Camp is so rewarding. When I met Steve at CZC, he struck me as a bright light I wanted to get to know better. Steve brings so much energy and enthusiasm to camp that he epitomizes the joy and fun we have at CZC and why kids get so much out of it. Because Steve has volunteered at CZC for so many years, he has seen a broad range of grieving kids and was able to share his insights on the differences between different ages and how...2025-01-0938 minAre We There Yet?Talking With My Sister KateI recorded this episode with my eldest sister Kate last spring but it took some time to edit and release it. Listening to Kate talk about the loss of our mother highlighted for me how completely different our experiences were, largely due to our seven-year age difference but also our attitudes and views on grief, and because she moved to New Zealand and I moved to California when we were both fairly young. Because of these differences and distances, my sister Kate and I have had very few discussions about losing our mother, so this conversation brought up a...2024-12-2633 minAre We There Yet?Claudia and Olivia Biggs (Age 22 and 20)Claudia and Olivia Biggs lived through a very difficult and at times hellish period when their mother suddenly became seriously mentally ill. They were in middle and high school when it happened so their father John was caring for all three of them for several years. (I interviewed John Biggs earlier in the season and I recommend listening to his episode too because he tells a more chronological story of what happened over that period.) Their Dad was upset and overtaxed and struggled to support the kids emotionally while dealing with the pressure of all his responsibilities.2024-12-1257 minAre We There Yet?Ari Jalomo (Age 20)In this episode, I speak with the wonderful Ari Jalomo, a student at Kenyan College currently studying abroad in Spain. Ari and I met at Comfort Zone Camp this past summer, where she was participating in the young adults group and I was volunteering as the group's "mentor." I was so impressed by Ari, as a great example of someone who has clearly benefited from going to CZC over many years and having the opportunity to talk about her loss multiple times. Ari's father died by homicide when she was seven years old, and even at a young age...2024-11-2947 min
Plan PParenting, Grief, and Growth: A Conversation with Ann FaisonIn this episode, we’re in for a special treat as we sit down with Ann Faison—a mother of two adolescents, artist, author, teacher, wife, and so much more. Ann shares her powerful insights on parenting, particularly the intersection of grief and growth that comes with raising children through all stages.
Ann opens up about her personal journey and the lessons she's learned along the way, especially the importance of providing consistency and encouragement for her children. She speaks beautifully about the challenges of miscommunication in parenting and how it led to transformative change within her fami...2024-11-2034 minAre We There Yet?Doneila McIntosh Studies Black GriefDoneila McIntosh, M.Div., M.A. is a researcher getting her PhD in Family Social Science from the University of Minnesota. Her work as a therapist focuses on compassionate grief therapy, helping families navigate the intersection of grief and trauma. Her research is focused on disenfranchised grief among African American families particularly in the aftermath of violent death.It was amazing to talk to someone so knowledgeable about the disproportionate amount of death and loss in Black communities and studies the effects of that on families. Doneila works with families and prefers to think about grief...2024-11-1452 minAre We There Yet?Gina Troisi On Writing Childhood TraumaGina Troisi's Memoir The Angle of Flickering Light is a beautiful account of her confusing and often scary childhood through the eyes of her younger self. I was immediately drawn in by this book and Gina's ability to write so precisely from the perspective of a child about the complexity of her father's and stepmother's emotional abuse, which led to her having eating disorders at a young age, doing too many drugs, and other self-destructive habits.What surprised me most about Gina's story was how much I related to it even though our childhoods were radically...2024-10-3137 minAre We There Yet?Hailey Smith (age 25)Hailey is another amazing young adult who I met through Comfort Zone Camp. Hailey has been through a lot of turmoil in her life and she is just an amazing example of resiliency and learning to cope with the fallout of the losses she has experienced. While Hailey was in high school, two of her siblings died within the span of two years. Life at home was hard and her main sources of support were her best friend and a school psychologist who inspired her to become a school counselor.Hailey's brother Dillon died by suicide...2024-10-1753 minAre We There Yet?Dr. Julie KaplowIn this episode, we delve deep into the research and practical experience of Dr. Julie Kaplow, PhD, ABPP, a leading psychologist in the field of childhood grief and trauma. It is always gratifying to learn that the research aligns with what I've learned by interviewing people who lost a family member at a young age. Early in her career, she began to differentiate between grief and trauma while also recognizing the ways they overlap, particularly in children. She shares why it's important to understand the difference between PTSD symptoms and grief responses in kids and how she treats them...2024-10-0342 minAre We There Yet?Nora Martinez (age 24)Nora Martinez lost her father Ken to gastrointestinal (GIST) cancer almost twenty years ago when she was just five years old. As someone who has benefited from having support for her grief throughout her childhood and adolescence, Nora provides a fascinating window into childhood grief through her ability to reflect on it with clarity and perspective. I have encountered many people my age who lost a parent or other close family member in childhood who did not get much support and still struggle to talk about the loss or even admit that it has affected their lives.2024-09-1943 minAre We There Yet?Edwidge DanticatIt was an honor to interview Edwidge Danticat, one of my favorite writers on death, dying, and grief about her early losses and what she is trying to achieve in her work. We spoke about her new book "We're Alone," a collection of essays about her life as a writer straddling her life as a Haitian immigrant with strong ties to her home country. I also asked about some of her earliest books ("Breath, Eyes, Memory," "Brother, I'm Dying," and "Krik? Krak!") because she has written so beautifully about death and loss, both through the eyes of a child...2024-09-0544 minAre We There Yet?Mona Gable On Losing Her Mother To Mental IllnessIn this episode, I interview journalist and author Mona Gable about growing up in the 1950s with her mother who was mentally disabled by brain surgery right after Mona was born. Mona was never told what had happened to her mother which only contributed to her feelings of shame and isolation as a child growing up with a mother who was incapable of caring for her and instead required constant care. Mona says, "My mother was a complete mystery to me." All she knew was that none of her friends had a mother like hers. It's the kind of "...2024-08-2247 min
Remarkable Content with Ian FaisonSummer Baking Championship: B2B Marketing Lessons from Food Network’s Seasonal Baking Series with Director of Content Marketing at Splunk, Ann SmithWhat do marketers and competitive bakers have in common? Quite a lot, actually.Both work amid time constraints, follow recipes for success, and have to express creativity under pressure. And there’s a lot marketers can learn from these competitive bakers, so that’s what we’re talking about this week.In this episode, we’re taking B2B marketing lessons from Food Network’s seasonal baking series, Summer Baking Championship.Together with the help of our special guest, the Director of Content Marketing at Splunk, Ann Smith, we talk about putting your...2024-08-2039 minAre We There Yet?Maya Puterbaugh (age 24)This episode is jam-packed with wisdom from Maya Puterbaugh, one of my younger guests, who knows a ton about grief and overcoming the trauma of a fatal car accident. After attending Comfort Zone Camp, Maya became a volunteer Big Buddy and now trains other volunteers for Comfort Zone Camp. She is so knowledgeable and a true leader when it comes to advocating for grieving kids. Maya shares very openly about what she went through when she lost her mother at sixteen. Maya's parents were divorced, so her father regained sole custody which meant moving back to California after living...2024-08-0859 minAre We There Yet?Hospice Nurse Tim TattuTim Tattu left a creative career in film production to become a hospice nurse after studying Zen meditation with an instructor who asked him to help set up a place to care for people who are dying in Washington State called Enso House. His whole life story is fascinating and I loved talking with him about grief and dying and his own childhood losses. Tim brings so much presence, wisdom, and compassion to this deep discussion about grief and how it affects us early in life and as we grow older. The most powerful thing he had to share...2024-07-2543 minAre We There Yet?John Biggs On Losing His Wife To Mental IllnessIn this episode, John Biggs takes us through the heartbreaking odyssey of losing his wife Samantha to a sudden mental breakdown. Seemingly overnight, Samantha went from being an incredible mother and artist to someone who could no longer function when their kids were just 12 and 14. John is a very entertaining storyteller so we laughed even more than we cried as he recounted the years when he had to become a full-time dad, caretaker, and breadwinner as Samantha was in and out of institutions. John's honesty, vulnerability, and openness as he described the most challenging moments of his ordeal is...2024-07-1152 minAre We There Yet?Mackenzie Mazen (age 25)In this episode, I speak to the amazing Mackenzie Mazen about being a little buddy and then a big buddy at comfort zone camp after her father died by suicide when she was ten. Once again, I was so impressed by another GenZer who is open to sharing her experience of grief. Mackenzie is very light-hearted and loves to joke and laugh about her childhood trauma which made our conversation fun and engaging. She shared about all the grief support she had growing up and how she continues to engage and participate in multiple grief spaces while pursuing her...2024-06-2747 minAre We There Yet?Dan Koeppel On Choosing (Quality Of) LifeIn this episode, I talk to journalist and author Dan Keoppel about how he centered his role as a father when choosing his treatment for bladder cancer. As a science reporter, he approached his diagnosis with curiosity and extensive research to figure out how to manage his cancer while being the Dad he wanted to be. Dan is so knowledgeable about his disease that he has been able to make the most informed decisions possible regarding his treatment. But his goal is not to "beat" cancer. Instead, Dan's aim is to live as well as possible alongside his disease...2024-06-1348 min
Encouraged and EmboldenedThe Animating ForceOn Pentecost (May 19th, 2024), Rev. Matt Sapp discusses the power of the Holy Spirit to breathe new life into people, using biblical references and real-life stories to illustrate the concept of being called back to life.References & CreditsThe Vietnam pilot mentioned in the sermon is Barry McClenahan. The source material for his story is from an article on Baptist News Global entitled "A message for seminary graduates: What it means to be chosen"The Elizabeth from New York story is an old pastor’s story, a parable.The poem by T. S. Eliot is "The Hollow Me...2024-06-0216 min