Send us Fan Mail What do you do with the rest of your life when the future you expected suddenly disappears? In this deeply moving episode of Women Like Me Stories & Business, Julie Fairhurst speaks with Dr. Lynn Banis about grief, identity loss, widowhood, major life transitions, and how women can begin rebuilding their lives after devastating change. Within three years, Lynn lost her mother, her younger brother, and her husband. These losses did more than break her heart; they changed her relationships, motivation, identity, and sense of purpose. Despite her extensive background in human behavior and coaching, Lynn discovered that grief could not be solved through knowledge alone. This conversation is for the woman who survived the immediate crisis but is still quietly wondering: • Who am I now? • Why am I so exhausted and unmotivated? • Will I ever experience joy again? • Is it wrong to laugh, travel, date, or build a business after loss? • What do I do with the rest of my life? Julie and Lynn also discuss an important truth: grief is not limited to death. Divorce, retirement, job loss, becoming an empty nester, losing a relationship, and watching an expected future disappear can all leave a woman grieving the person she used to be. In this episode, you will learn: • Why grief can feel like laziness or lack of motivation • What happens when the world expects you to “be better” • How self-limiting beliefs can block your next chapter • Why women sometimes feel guilty for experiencing joy again • How divorce, retirement, and job loss affect identity • When professional mental health support may be needed • How to stop allowing the past to control your future • Why connection with other women matters during reinvention • One small action you can take to reconnect with yourself • How grief can eventually lead to renewed purpose Moving forward does not mean forgetting the people or life you lost. It means allowing yourself to carry the love, lessons, and memories with you as you begin creating what comes next. Your life is not over. You still have value, purpose, and chapters waiting to be written. ABOUT DR. LYNN BANIS Dr. Lynn Banis is a transformational guide, grief mentor, speaker, and the founder of Women Rising Together. Drawing from her background in human behavior, decades of coaching experience, and her own journey through profound loss, Lynn helps women move through grief, reconnect with their identities, and create meaningful new lives filled with purpose, connection, and joy. Connect with Dr. Lynn Banis: Women Rising Together: https://womenrisingtogether.org/ Community and resources: https://app.widowsrisingtogether.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynn-banis-36987b2aa/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/banislynn/ If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins. Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place. I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power. Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's Podcast Julie's Website
