In this episode of our Midlife Awakening season of the Coached Podcast, the courageous Jody Lavoie joins Coach Keren Eldad to share her story of grief and growth. 

After an employee killed Jody’s husband at their place of business, in addition to waking up to the horror of the tragedy, she was forced to contend with a future that looked nothing like she had planned. Faced with the unthinkable, she decided, in an instant, not to choose defeat, but to step up. 

In one fell swoop, Jody went from being a stay-at-home mom to running a multi-million dollar business, solo parenting three daughters, and juggling new legal, financial, and household-related issues - succeeding above and beyond even her own expectations. Having taken this experience and merged it with a career as a certified professional coach, Jody talked to us about grief, about purpose and about reimagining your life.

https://kereneldad.com/enthusiasmacademy/

Highlights from this Episode:

• [02:50] Jody shares her remarkable story: from grief to transformation. 
• [05:02] Keren discusses the stages of the grief process. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance
• [13:27] Jody shares how she built her second act and new business:  “Widows in the Workplace”. 
• [16:35] Jody shares how you can find inspiration in life after loss, seeing the other side even as an opportunity for rebirth, reawakening, and rediscovery of who you are.

Key Takeaways:

• Grief stands on its own, but does share a few key elements with the Midlife Crisis. A midlife crisis can feel like grief in the beginning stages, but like grief, there can be beauty on the other side.
• Grief, like the midlife crisis, can turn your weakest moments into your greatest success by sharing your experience with others in a similar situation.

Quotes: 

“I believe the grief process requires radical acceptance. Everyone should have a safe place to speak candidly without judgment or shame because it’s a messy path to move forward”. – Jody LaVoie

Links: 

Website: https://www.jodylavoiecoaching.com/jody-lavoie-widow-coaching

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodylavoie/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/widowsintheworkplace/

Instagram: @widowsintheworkplace

Bio:

Jody is a widow and two-time breast cancer survivor, who has taken her life experiences to guide other women who have found themselves in a similar situation to rediscover themselves with renewed clarity and joy for what is next in their lives. Jody is the former CEO of the non-profit Female Strong and the Young Entrepreneurs Academy Chicago. Female Strong offers hands-on programs, mentorship and experiences that build confidence in middle and high school girls that enables them to be future leaders of tomorrow.

Jody is an active member of the Young President’s Organization (YPO) and is on the board of the Sheila A Doyle Foundation to support others that have experienced homicide.

She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago, is a mother to three amazing daughters, loves to hike and is always game for whatever will bring on more belly laughs.