The Mourning Crew
Three millennial gals normalize talking about grief. Having each experienced a big loss, we know life isn’t always a tragic place with the sad movie music playing in the background. We can cry, but we can laugh too! Whether it’s work, friendships, dating, or other everyday encounters, grief somehow finds a way to sneak in, but we hope this podcast lets you feel less alone and less uncertain speaking about it. So grab a cup of coffee (or a drink), go on a walk, throw it on in the car–we think grief conversations can actually be that casual...
When It's Our 50th(ish) Episode
Kathy, Kelsey, and Mads are back together for the first time this year — and they're marking a big one: their 50th(ish) episode! The girls take a moment to reflect on their greatest learning moments from the podcast, diving into how their understanding of everyday grief has evolved since day one. And of course the latest life updates - Mads shares her exciting engagement news (!!!), Kelsey reflects on 10 years at her job and the grief that quietly crept in, and Kathy opens up about her relationship and navigating 2026 as the 20th anniversary of losing her dad. The crew closes ou...
When Your World Becomes Senseless with Erika Mahoney
Kelsey and Kathy sit down with journalist and storyteller Erika Mahoney to talk about grief and what happens when the unthinkable happens to you. In 2021, Erika’s life changed in an instant when her dad was killed in the King Soopers shooting in Boulder, Colorado. She shares her raw and deeply human journey — giving birth while grieving, navigating trauma, and ultimately using her skills as a reporter to make sense of the senseless through her podcast, Senseless with Erika Mahoney.
Erika opens up about what those early days were really like, how her family and husband supported her...
When Time Flies By
Time has flown by, and the crew is finally back together for a long-overdue catch-up! Kathy opens up about stepping into a new relationship and how she’s weaving her history with grief into this next chapter. Kelsey reflects on entering her 30s and how her birthday resurfaced memories of her mom, especially at her same age. Mads shares updates on welcoming the latest addition to her family and supporting a childhood friend through the loss of her mother. A heartfelt conversation about love, loss, and growth
Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningcrew@gmail.com
When Grief Lives in the Everyday
This week it’s Kelsey and Mads holding down the fort! They share life updates and how grief continues to sneak into everyday moments. From engagements and family trips, to birthdays and anniversaries, to the small comforts of leaning on the people closest to you—grief finds its way into all of it. Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningcrew@gmail.com
When Grief, Death, and Courage Collide
TW: Accident Death
Kelsey, Kathy, & Mads finally catch up in 2025 and talk about all of the craziness this year has brought. Kathy details her very exciting new chapter, moving to NYC and all the feelings that came with it. Kelsey discusses her experience starting a workplace grief support group and becoming more public with her story. Lastly, Mads offers a heartfelt and vulnerable update, reflecting on the loss of her friend in the January DC Potomac River plane crash. Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningcrew@gmail.com
When Carla Fernandez Teaches Us About Renegade Grief & The Dinner Party
Carla Fernandez joins The Crew to explore the themes of her powerful new book, Renegade Grief! She shares her personal grief story, losing her dad at 21, and how it led to building a thriving peer support community called The Dinner Party. In this raw, open conversation, we discuss challenging societal norms around grief, science-backed coping strategies, care practices, grave sites, dating, weddings, guilt, and navigating loss on holidays. Carla’s refreshing perspectives and tangible tools make this a must-listen for anyone grieving. We can’t recommend her book enough! Renegade Grief available everywhere on March 11, available now for pre-order. Foll...
When You Wrap Up The Year
TGIF—Thank God It’s February! Before diving into the whirlwind of January 2025, The Crew recorded a reflective recap of 2024. Mads shares the large lessons grief taught her over the past year, Kelsey discusses how she’s been integrating and promoting the podcast into her daily life, and Kathy opens up about the strong support she experienced throughout the year. We also bid farewell to the iconic Eras Tour while eagerly anticipating the release of the upcoming Reputation (Taylor's Version) album. Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningcrew@gmail.com
When Grief Shapes Your Career (and Everything Else) with Mallory Meeks
The Crew is thrilled to welcome Kelsey's longtime friend, Mallory Meeks! Mallory, a cherished Teacher and Director of Product at The Class—a movement practice that connects body and mind—joins us to share her deeply personal journey. For the first time, Mallory opens up about losing her father in 2017, recounting her story with heartfelt honesty and reflection. Through her experience, we discover how she found her way to The Class, where she now helps others navigate and process their emotions. Mallory also shares how her grief has shaped her relationships and influenced her perspective, especially in supporting Kelsey thro...
When Grief Visits During Summer Break
After a much needed summer hiatus, the crew is finally back recording again! We share some heavy life updates in each of our lives and how we found support during these times, including leaning on each other when we needed it most. We also discuss a viral TikTok that features a mom giving dating advice & why it's so important to try to find someone who can support you through grief. Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningcrew@gmail.com / The Dinner Party / TikTok
When The Crew Finally Meets In Person
Kathy, Kelsey, and Mads finally met in person after 2.5 years! With only 24 hours together in LA, they made the most of it—enjoying meals out, a hilarious photo shoot (shoutout to Mads' boyfriend Will), and just soaking up time together without focusing on grief. While this episode doesn’t tackle grief directly, it’s a reminder that although something heavy brought them together, it also led to this genuine friendship and magical day. Our summer hiatus is over, we will be back with regular episodes after this special episode. Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningcrew@gmail.com / The Mourning Crew Facebook Page...
When You Just Need a Catch Up
The Crew has a long overdue catchup after multiple guest episodes. Mads updates us about her new job and how the podcast & grief have even played a role. Kelsey & Kathy share some unexpected lessons from the dating scene. And finally, we talk about the future LA meetup and our predictions and expectations for the upcoming Taylor Swift album. Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningcrew@gmail.com / The Mourning Crew Facebook Page / Mental Health Resources
When You Need to Explain Grief to Young Kids
New author Kristel Crews joins the Mourning Crew to tackle how to authentically talk about grief and death with young children. When her mom died, her two young boys had many questions about where Gran went, what a casket was, how a funeral works, and how they were supposed to feel. Kristel candidly explains how she handled these questions and helped guide her kids through their grief. She hopes that her new children's book, Sundays With Gran, can help other families start a difficult conversation that begins to heal the heart of the child in all of us. Buy...
When You Turn Pain Into Purpose
Please join us in welcoming special guest and new author - Emily P. Bingham! Emily joins the crew to talk about the loss of her husband to uveal melanoma in 2019, when she was 35 years old. Since becoming a widow, she leaned into her pain and turned it into purpose, by becoming a certified grief coach & content creator. Her most recent success includes her new book, Love & Grief, which beautifully blends her personal anecdotes with practical tools for fellow grievers. Check out her book now!
Instagram @emilypbingham/ TikTok @emilypbingham/ Love and Grief Book / Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningcrew@gmail...
When Kelsey's Dad Joins the Crew
We are so excited to have our first Mourning Crew guest of the year-- Kelsey's dad, Ken! Ken discusses his background and his full relationship with his wife Keri, including how they approached parenting before and after Keri's cancer diagnosis and then the grief of losing her and becoming a widow. He fully opens up about his experience with therapy, sharing a range of stories and advice. Plus - even Ken shares his favorite Taylor Swift album and songs, and they may surprise you. Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningcrew@gmail.com / The Mourning Crew Facebook Page / Mental Health Resources / Link...
When Grief Rings In the New Year
It's a new year and new season of The Mourning Crew! The crew starts the episode by recounting the holidays and sharing how grief managed to creep in. Mads has a heavy update - she shares the loss of her beautiful grandmother, Carol. Shes opens up about the immediate emotions & grief that she's experienced so far and how she's been able to manage. While it's been a tough season, all three gals share their upcoming hopes & wishes for 2024, including their word of the year. Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningcrew@gmail.com / The Mourning Crew Facebook Page / Mental Health Resources / Comfort...
When You Go Through the Stages of Grief (Part 2)
Following up from Part 1, the crew dives into the other two stages of grief - depression and acceptance. They discuss the differences between longer term depression and depression as a grief stage and what "acceptance" means to each of them. The crew also talks about how they can use their grief for good and use it as a gift. Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningcrew@gmail.com / The Mourning Crew Facebook Page / Mental Health Resources
When You Go Through the Stages of Grief (Part 1)
In this 2-part series, the crew walks through all the different stages of grief, comparing different experiences, thoughts, and feelings related to each stage. Part 1 focuses on denial, anger, and bargaining. Kathy & Mads talk about numbness and coping mechanisms related to denial, while Kelsey opens up about suppressing feelings of anger. Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningcrew@gmail.com / The Mourning Crew Facebook Page / Mental Health Resources
When Grief Hits You Unexpectedly
Kath and Kels hold down the fort while Mads is out and discuss Kathy's unexpected grief moment at her friend's wedding. She breaks down that even when you think you've experienced all of the possible triggers, grief has a way of being very unpredictable. They discuss how important it is to be in tune with your body, not just your mind and thoughts when dealing with a grief trigger moment. They also cover the Golden Bachelor and how powerful it is seeing stories of loss and second chances featured on national TV.
When You Share Your Story Years Later
In this episode, the Crew discusses what it's like to catch up with former friends and classmates, especially when it comes to major life updates. We hear how Kathy chose to share her grief story with friends she met later on in life, while Kelsey seeks out advice heading into her 10 year high school reunion! Also, Mads gives a big personal update and shares stories from her latest family visit in Chicago.
Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningcrew@gmail.com / The Mourning Crew Facebook Page / Mental Health Resources
When Kelsey Returns
The Crew is back together! Kelsey returns after a couple months away from the podcast and fills Kath and Mads in on everything that happened, predominantly with the loss of her Nana (her mom's mom.) She shares it all, from the impact of compounding loss, what was most triggering, what were the most useful coping mechanisms, and what this podcast had prepared her for. She even shares a confidence tip for attending or speaking at funerals. Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningcrew@gmail.com / The Mourning Crew Facebook Page / Mental Health Resources
When You Go Through A Breakup
Kathy and Mads are holding down the fort for another episode, where they discuss all the similarities between breakups/relationships and loss of a loved one. Kathy opens up about a past relationship and how her grief journey impacted her feelings surrounding the breakup. Mads talks about all the collateral grief involved with a breakup like losing your partner's family and friends. They also tap into attachment styles and how grief has impacted their style. Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningcrew@gmail.com / The Mourning Crew Facebook Page / Mental Health Resources / Maui Support
When You Feel Seen on the Screen (Continued)
Kathy and Mads host a bonus episode, diving into grief on the screen, part two. Beware: spoiler Alerts ahead! These two discuss how grief is portrayed in Succession, and specifically in Connor's Wedding episode. They also talk Summer I Turned Pretty, with a special fun fact from Mads, and Shrinking, a new Apple TV favorite centered around a widower and his daughter. Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningcrew@gmail.com / The Mourning Crew Facebook Page / Mental Health Resources
When You Lose A Sibling
Another special guest joins the Crew, Mads' longtime friend Blake! Blake lost his older sister very suddenly to a brain aneurysm a couple years ago and he opens up about how he's handled grieving. He talks about how crucial therapy has been for him, what made him decide to speak at her funeral, and why he went to work the next day after getting the news. He discusses "masking" his grief especially as the man of his family and how his perspective on life as a whole altered. Trigger warning: mention of suicide. Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningcrew@gmail.com / The...
When Kathy's Second Favorite Dad Joins The Crew
This week we have a special Father's Day episode featuring Kathy's "bonus dad", Gary. Gary is Kathy's childhood friend's dad who served as a male role model, especially during her most formative years. Gary opens up about the loss of his own father, identifying grief similarities within Kathy, and describes Kathy's teenage years alongside her journey. He tells us his secret ways of getting "the message to Kathy" and recounts the famous Father Daughter dance at her quinceañera! Kathy also shares one of the hardest moments in her grief journey so far. Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningcrew@gmail.com / T...
When You Redefine Peace After Loss
Inspired by one of the Crew's favorite Taylor Swift songs, "Peace," Kathy, Kelsey, and Mads discuss what it means to find peace in your everyday life after enduring a loss. They talk about the different era markers in their life, the impact of varying grief processing milestones, and how they each personally define what peace means to them right now. Also in this episode- Mads has big news about opening up to a close family member about the podcast and Kelsey talks about how she approached her mom's second birthday since she passed. Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningcrew@gmail.com / The...
When Dying is Expensive
After a Spring Break of their own, the Crew is back with an episode devoted to finances. Kathy, Kelsey, and Mads talk about the different costs associated with loss, including immediate expenses like funerals, burials, memorials as well as long-lasting impact. Kathy opens up about how her family's financial state changed after the loss of her dad, while Kelsey describes the behind the scenes finances involved with funeral planning. Mads talks about her experience with families in different financial situations and wanting to honor loved ones in the ways that will be the most meaningful.
When the Anticipatory Grief Comes Knocking
Building on last week's topic, the Crew discusses anticipatory grief - how common it is even though it's hard to talk about, the anxiety that comes with it, and how it can be heightened after already going through a big loss. They share their best tips for how to reframe and cope with it, how modern technology like Find My Friends can both help and hurt those anxieties, and how your "sad-o-meter" changes after you've endured loss. Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningcrew@gmail.com / The Mourning Crew Facebook Page / Mental Health Resources
When You're Waiting For The Other Shoe To Drop
Pop, Fizz, Clink! The Mourning Crew celebrates one year! Kathy, Kelsey, and Mads take a moment to thank both the listeners & each other for an incredible year. In this episode, the Crew talks about what it's like when life feels "too good". They explain how the "waiting for the other shoe to drop" feeling creeps in and what it takes to get rid of it. They also discuss how mental health can be connected to this feeling, specifically through depression & anxiety. As the veteran griever, Kathy shares some of the "armor" she's learned from her grief journey to help...
When Kelsey's Sister Joins The Crew
In this week's episode, Kelsey's younger sister Kylie joins the Mourning Crew! Kathy and Mads take the reins asking questions and we hear about the differences between the sisters, how their parents helped "mastermind" them being close growing up and how their relationship changed after losing their mom. Kylie shares how she endured her graduation one day after her mom passed, her biggest takeaways and tips having gone through this, and her perspective to some of the same moments Kelsey has discussed. Kylie also reveals her initial reaction to Kelsey telling her she was starting a podcast with two...
When It Makes You Rethink Health
Kathy and Kelsey tackle the topic of health and how watching a parent battle a terminal illness (both physically & mentally) changed how they both think about health. In this ep, they talk about the importance of their own health, how they view the health of others, and things they do or don't do for themselves. They talk about experiences in hospitals, how they want to remember their parents healthy, and what actions they've started to take. (We missed Mads and can't wait to have her back next week!) TW: Cancer
When The Milestones Hit Different
In this episode, Kathy, Kelsey, and Mads discuss milestones and how those days especially shine a light on loss. Kathy shares the special gift her dad left her for various life milestones. She shares the complexity of having such a beautiful gift but also how it leaves her wanting more. They also talk about John Mayer's poignant Instagram post, which marked the one-year anniversary of Bob Saget's passing, and how he explained grief in such a unique way.
When It's A New Year
Kathy, Kelsey, and Mads are back for Season 2! They all share a post-holiday recap. Mads visited her dad over the break and shares a sweet moment with him. Kathy talks about going on offense with grief and “sharing a drink” with her dad. And Kelsey discusses how her family chose to honor her mom at Christmas. The three gals also discuss cemetery visits and some unexpected triggers. Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningcrew@gmail.com / The Mourning Crew Facebook Page / Mental Health Resources
When It's The Holidays
In the last episode of 2022, Kathy, Mads, and Kelsey tackle the holidays--the many ways grief comes in stronger than usual and how they've each coped with it. They cover how they approach traditions, interacting with other family, social media and the added layer that grief brings to a very stressful (but also fun) time of the year. They also catch up on Mads' Good Morning America appearance and the story's connection to grief. To wrap up the episode, they each pick their word(s) of the year for 2023! Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningcrew@gmail.com / The Mourning Crew Facebook Page...
When You Play Offense Against Grief
Kathy, Mads, and Kelsey are back after a Thanksgiving break! Kathy explains how grief managed to creep into her week of stressful events, even when it was the last thing on her mind. We also discuss the viral Podcrushed clip featuring Andy Grammer's theory about going on "offense" with grief. Although this approach can seem daunting, we talk about the baby steps we can take to try to get there. Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningcrew@gmail.com / The Mourning Crew Facebook Page / Mental Health Resources
When You Get To Know Mads
In the third and final part of our series about getting to know the hosts as people beyond grief, Mads steps into the hot seat. Learn what advice she would have given herself in high school, what makes her the happiest (other than Mamma Mia 2), and why she almost ghosted Kathy during the tryout process. Plus hear her top four Taylor Swift songs of all time (not including Midnights) as one of Taylor's most loyal fans! Bonus: here's her favorite podcast interview with Michelle Obama that she loved so much she put quotes from the episode on sticky notes...
When You Get to Know Kelsey
We are back with part two of our three part special series, where Kelsey takes the hot seat. We learn about her love languages, who her biggest confidant is, career moves, and how she's navigated her year of firsts with grief. She also shares her favorite qualities of Kathy and Mads!
Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningcrew@gmail.com / The Mourning Crew Facebook Page / Mental Health Resources
When You Get to Know Kathy
Kathy is in the hot seat in part one of our new three part special series all about getting to know each co-host as people, not just surrounding grief. Learn about Kathy's personality type, dating life, career background, RBF, life goals, and the qualities she feels like she inherited from her dad. Plus hear her first impressions of Kelsey and Mads. Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningcrew@gmail.com / The Mourning Crew Facebook Page / Mental Health Resources
When Grief Always Runs In The Background
Kathy & Kelsey share a casual chat this week. They talk about what grief is like in those "in between moments," the times where there is no holiday, anniversary, or big milestone, just regular "everyday grief." After talking about their meetup in LA, they start to discuss the headspace that comes with grief, especially when it's brought on by natural and unavoidable triggers in life. Kathy & Kelsey share different experiences on vulnerability, ways they deal with grief, and how their mental health is impacted. Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningcrew@gmail.com / The Mourning Crew Facebook Page / Mental Health Resources
When Your Best Friend Is Also Grieving
The Mourning Crew welcomes Shannon, Mads’ best friend for nearly 15 years! Shannon’s dad passed away years before they became friends, so it wasn’t until Mads experienced grief herself that she was able to really connect to and understand what Shannon had been through. We reflect on things related to grief and loss that they only recently started talking about and all that they’ve learned about each other. Shannon also talks about her husband’s support, blended families, family anger, how she helped Mads and more. Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningcrew@gmail.com / The Mourning Crew Facebook Page / Mental Hea...
When You Hear from the Male Perspective
The Mourning Crew welcomes their first male guest... Shane! Kathy and Shane have known each other for years, but only recently started sharing stories about their grief journey with each other. Shane lost his dad about 7 years ago and assumed the role "male of the house." Kathy, Mads and Kelsey ask Shane about the expectations, differences, and common stereotypes that males face with grief. Shane opens up about who he confides in, how he still honors his dad, and the different man that he is today. Instagram @themourningcrew / Email: themourningcrew@gmail.com / The Mourning Crew Facebook Page / Mental Health...
