The P-I-G: Stories of Life, Love, Loss & Legacy

Kellie Straub & Erin Thomas
  • 5.0 (20)
  • Relationships
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to The P-I-G, a podcast where we explore life, love, loss, and legacy through real conversations and meaningful stories—with Purpose, Intention, and Gratitude. Hosted by sisters, Kellie Straub and Erin Thomas, The P-I-G was born from the bond they shared with their late mother, Marsha—a woman whose life and love continue to inspire every story told. What began as a deeply personal project has since evolved into a growing legacy movement, including The Boxes, a developing film and television series inspired by the physical gifts their mother left behind—each one unwrapped at a defining life moment after her passing. At its heart, The P-I-G is about what matters most: connection. It’s a warm, welcoming space for open and honest conversations about the things we all carry—and the stories that shape who we are. While “loss” is often defined by death, our episodes explore a much broader truth: We grieve relationships, mobility, identity, careers, finances, health, pets, confidence, memory, belongings, faith—even entire versions of ourselves. Through personal reflections, powerful guest interviews, and expert insights, each episode invites you to consider what it means to live fully, love deeply, grieve honestly, and leave a legacy that matters. Whether you’re navigating a loss, rediscovering your voice, or simply craving deeper connection—you belong here. 💬 Favorite topics include: Grief and healing (in all its forms)Sibling stories and family dynamicsLove, marriage, caregiving, and motherhoodSpirituality, resilience, and personal growthLegacy storytelling and honoring those we’ve lost🎧 New episodes post every other week. Follow and share to help us spread the message that hearing the stories of others helps us create a more meaningful connection to our own and legacy isn’t just what we leave behind—it’s how we live right now. Hogs & Kisses, everyone. 💗🐷💗

  1. 4d ago

    The Rise Back: Beyond Survival

    Some stories deserve to be heard again. As Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month comes to a close, we're revisiting a conversation that has stayed with us since it originally aired on February 4, 2026. Tiffaney Childers knows the aftermath of suicide loss in a way few of us can imagine. After losing both of her parents to suicide within a year of each other, she spent nearly two decades carrying much of that grief in silence. But this isn't only a story about what Tiffaney lost. It's about what happened when she began speaking about it. In this deeply personal conversation, Tiffaney shares the complicated reality of surviving suicide loss, the weight of unanswered questions, the ways grief can shape a life long after the immediate loss, and the healing that became possible when she stopped carrying so much of it alone. We explore: Losing both parents to suicide—and the very different circumstances surrounding each lossThe silence, stigma, anger, guilt, and unanswered questions that can follow suicideWhat it meant to carry those experiences for nearly 20 yearsThe difference between surviving something and beginning to heal from itHow sharing our stories can create connection where isolation once livedTiffaney's involvement with the L.O.S.S. Team and supporting others in the immediate aftermath of suicide lossLearning to make room for joy, purpose, love, and life alongside griefWhat it means to move beyond survival and begin to rise backWe're bringing Tiffaney's story forward again because awareness doesn't end when the calendar turns to October. Neither does grief. And neither does the need for honest conversation, compassion, connection, and support. This conversation originally aired February 4, 2026, and includes a newly recorded introduction. If you or someone you know needs support: The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides free, confidential support 24/7. Call or text 988, or connect through the 988 Lifeline. 988 Lifeline Additional resources for those affected by suicide loss are available through the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and L.O.S.S. Team. AFSP offers survivor resources including Healing Conversations and support-group information; L.O.S.S. Teams focus specifically on postvention support for people bereaved by suicide.   Explore more from The P-I-G: thePIGpodcast.com We would love to hear from you—please send us some "Fan Mail"! Support the show From Our Heart to Yours... Hearing the stories of others helps us connect more deeply to our own—because legacy is built in how we live, every single day. Support the Show If The P-I-G has meant something to you, consider supporting or sponsoring the podcast. Learn more at thepigpodcast.com/sponsorship. Connect with Us 📬 The P-I-G Website: https://www.thepigpodcast.com/contact 📱 Facebook: /podcast.thePIG 📱 Instagram: /thepigpodcast 📱 LinkedIn: /thepigpodcast

    The Rise Back: Beyond Survival

  2. Sep 16

    The Me Before Life Happened | Jenny Cohen on Losing Yourself, Finding Your Way Back & Beginning Again

    What if you could live an entire life without realizing you'd somehow lost touch with yourself? For Jenny Cohen, that realization didn't come all at once. It came after decades of adapting, achieving, caregiving, surviving, and becoming whoever life seemed to require her to be. Jenny's story begins in Taiwan and winds through immigration to the United States, childhood experiences that taught her to adapt quickly, a lifelong relationship with dance and performance, marriage and motherhood, caregiving, cancer, family health crises, and ultimately a profound realization: She didn't simply want to find the woman she was before cancer. She wanted to find the person she had been before life happened. In this deeply personal—and often wonderfully funny—conversation, Jenny explores what it means to reconnect with ourselves after years of living through roles, responsibilities, expectations, and experiences that can quietly shape who we become. We talk about:  Immigration, childhood, belonging, and the early experiences that taught Jenny how to adapt  How survival skills can serve us—and sometimes separate us from ourselves  Dance, movement, and the complicated journey of learning to feel at home in her body  Love, marriage, motherhood, IVF, caregiving, and the many roles that became part of Jenny's identity  Cancer and the health experiences that forced her to listen differently to herself and her body  Parenting through diagnoses, mental health challenges, and her children's evolving identities  Why presence can matter more than having the perfect answer  Learning to stop “flying everyone else's plane”  The body as a source of information, connection, and an inner compass  Healing as an ongoing practice rather than a finish line  Midlife, reinvention, “second spring,” and what becomes possible when we allow ourselves to be seen  Why Jenny is still dancing, dreaming—and stepping into entirely new possibilities in her late 50s Because perhaps finding ourselves isn't about going backward. Maybe it's about remembering what has always been there—and deciding how we want to live from here. Learn more about Jenny, her work & resources: dancetohealpodcast.com | linkedin.com/in/jennyccohen/ Explore more from The P-I-G: thePIGpodcast.com We would love to hear from you—please send us some "Fan Mail"! Support the show From Our Heart to Yours... Hearing the stories of others helps us connect more deeply to our own—because legacy is built in how we live, every single day. Support the Show If The P-I-G has meant something to you, consider supporting or sponsoring the podcast. Learn more at thepigpodcast.com/sponsorship. Connect with Us 📬 The P-I-G Website: https://www.thepigpodcast.com/contact 📱 Facebook: /podcast.thePIG 📱 Instagram: /thepigpodcast 📱 LinkedIn: /thepigpodcast

    The Me Before Life Happened | Jenny Cohen on Losing Yourself, Finding Your Way Back & Beginning Again

  3. Sep 2

    What If... It’s Your Turn to Fly? | Hanna Bankier on Launching Kids & Finding Your Wings

    At some point in parenting, the job changes.  The children we've spent years raising begin building lives of their own. They need us differently. The relationship shifts. And somewhere between pride, worry, freedom, grief, joy, and the occasional urge to step in and fix everything, we're left with a question we may not have expected: What happens to us when they begin to fly? Hanna Bankier, founder of BirdyLauncher, believes it's time to rethink the way we talk about this transition. Rather than an “empty nest,” she sees launching as an opportunity—for our children to become more fully themselves and for parents to rediscover who they are becoming, too. Drawing from her own experiences with immigration, motherhood, a high-powered television career, divorce, reinvention, and launching two sons, Hanna joins us for a wonderfully candid conversation about letting go without disconnecting and staying close without holding on too tightly. We explore: Why Hanna believes language like “empty nest” gets this transition wrongThe complicated mix of grief, relief, pride, worry, freedom, and joy that can accompany launching childrenWhy parenting older kids may have as much to do with managing our own anxiety as managing anything they're doingHow relationships can evolve from authority toward mutualityNavigating college departures, returns home, changing boundaries, and new expectationsWhy letting our kids struggle, choose, fail, and figure things out can be one of the hardest forms of loveWhat launching children can reveal about identity, relationships, careers, and the roles we've allowed to define usHanna's hilarious—and surprisingly powerful—new parental “job description”How curiosity, community, values, and a willingness to ask “What if?” can help us find our own way forwardBecause launching isn't only about helping someone else find their wings. Sometimes it's an invitation to remember that we have wings, too. Learn more about Hanna and Birdy Launcher at BirdyLauncher.com. We would love to hear from you—please send us some "Fan Mail"! Support the show From Our Heart to Yours... Hearing the stories of others helps us connect more deeply to our own—because legacy is built in how we live, every single day. Support the Show If The P-I-G has meant something to you, consider supporting or sponsoring the podcast. Learn more at thepigpodcast.com/sponsorship. Connect with Us 📬 The P-I-G Website: https://www.thepigpodcast.com/contact 📱 Facebook: /podcast.thePIG 📱 Instagram: /thepigpodcast 📱 LinkedIn: /thepigpodcast

    What If... It’s Your Turn to Fly? | Hanna Bankier on Launching Kids & Finding Your Wings

  4. Aug 19

    Back to Business… But Not Back to Normal: Summer Reflections & What Comes Next

    Eight weeks ago, we stepped away from the microphones with an invitation: go live a little more. Make room for wonder. Rest. Friendship. Courage. Adventure. Legacy. Now we're back—and maybe not quite the same. In this candid conversation between sisters, we look back at what P-I-G Summer Camp taught us, beginning with the childhood summer camp experience that helped shape who we became. From years spent at Camp Alleghany to two very different summers as adults, we explore why stepping away doesn't have to mean leaving your life behind—and why sometimes creating even a little space can help us return more awake to the life we're already living. We talk about: The lasting impact Camp Alleghany had on our childhoods, relationships, independence, and understanding of communityWhat wonder, rest, friendship, courage, adventure, and legacy looked like for each of us this summerWhy rest and restoration don't require a month-long vacationThe importance of protecting the life we're working so hard to buildThe devastating fires, floods, and personal losses that unfolded around us while we were awayWhat those losses reminded us about grief, gratitude, hope, and living legacy nowSome of the extraordinary guest conversations coming nextWhy we're finally ready to bring our children behind the microphones—and begin unboxing more of our own storyBecause Summer Camp was never really about taking a break. It was about creating enough space to notice what matters—and deciding what we're ready to do with that awareness.  And as we begin this next chapter of The P-I-G, we're ready for more. Learn more, explore resources & connect with us: thePIGpodcast.com Watch the summer adventure video mentioned in this episode, find memorial and donation resources supporting the families and communities we honor in this conversation, explore additional resources & connect with us: thePIGpodcast.com/episodes/back-to-business-but-not-back-to-normal  We would love to hear from you—please send us some "Fan Mail"! Support the show From Our Heart to Yours... Hearing the stories of others helps us connect more deeply to our own—because legacy is built in how we live, every single day. Support the Show If The P-I-G has meant something to you, consider supporting or sponsoring the podcast. Learn more at thepigpodcast.com/sponsorship. Connect with Us 📬 The P-I-G Website: https://www.thepigpodcast.com/contact 📱 Facebook: /podcast.thePIG 📱 Instagram: /thepigpodcast 📱 LinkedIn: /thepigpodcast

    Back to Business… But Not Back to Normal: Summer Reflections & What Comes Next

  5. Jul 1

    The Power of Belief (Part 2 of 2) | Angel Mollel & Tony Matteroli on Purpose, Legacy & Paying It Forward

    One act of belief changed Angel Mollel's life. In Part Two of this extraordinary conversation, we discover what happened next—and how that same belief continues to ripple across families, villages, and generations. After arriving in the United States as a fifth-grade student from a small Maasai village in Northern Tanzania, Angel could have focused solely on building her own future. Instead, she chose something bigger. Together with her adopted father, Tony Matteroli, she founded 1 Love, a nonprofit dedicated to creating educational opportunities and improving daily life in the community that first shaped her. What began as a high school service project has grown into a mission that continues to transform lives through education, clean water, electricity, safer homes, transportation, and opportunities that create lasting change. Together, we explore:  How 1 Love grew from an idea into a thriving nonprofit  The life-changing impact of clean water, electricity, and education  Why empowering women transforms entire communities  Angel's journey from CU Boulder to FOX31 Denver  Being named Colorado's 2021 Remarkable Woman  Returning home to Tanzania after four years away  Tony's reflections on fatherhood, adoption, and legacy  What family truly means when it's built through love rather than biology At its heart, this conversation isn't about recognition. It's about responsibility. It's about choosing to take the opportunities we've been given and creating them for someone else. Because the greatest legacy isn't what we accomplish ourselves. It's what we make possible for others. Learn more about Angel's work and 1 Love: https://www.1loveorg.org Explore episode resources and photographs:  thePIGpodcast.com/episodes/tony-matteroli-angel-mollel-part-2 We would love to hear from you—please send us some "Fan Mail"! Support the show From Our Heart to Yours... Hearing the stories of others helps us connect more deeply to our own—because legacy is built in how we live, every single day. Support the Show If The P-I-G has meant something to you, consider supporting or sponsoring the podcast. Learn more at thepigpodcast.com/sponsorship. Connect with Us 📬 The P-I-G Website: https://www.thepigpodcast.com/contact 📱 Facebook: /podcast.thePIG 📱 Instagram: /thepigpodcast 📱 LinkedIn: /thepigpodcast

    The Power of Belief (Part 2 of 2) | Angel Mollel & Tony Matteroli on Purpose, Legacy & Paying It Forward

  6. Jun 24

    The Power of Belief (Part 1 of 2) | Tony Matteroli, Angel Mollel & an Unlikely Family

    What happens when one person chooses to believe in someone they've only just met? Sometimes... everything changes. In Part One of this special two-part conversation, we sit down with Tony Matteroli and Angel Mollel to share an extraordinary story that begins in a small Maasai village in Northern Tanzania and stretches across continents, cultures, and generations. After being laid off from a job he thought would last forever, Tony traveled to Tanzania expecting to volunteer for six months. Instead, he met a young girl whose determination to learn—and whose quiet resilience—would forever change the course of both of their lives. Angel grew up in a Maasai village with sixteen siblings, two mothers, and one father. While education for girls was far from guaranteed, her father's belief in her potential planted the first seed of a journey that would eventually bring her halfway around the world. Together, we explore: How an unexpected layoff became the beginning of a life-changing journeyGrowing up Maasai in rural TanzaniaWhy Angel's father insisted his daughters receive an educationThe unexpected friendship that became familyNavigating cultural differences with humility and trustHealth challenges, difficult decisions, and protecting a child's futureThe extraordinary effort required to bring Angel to the United StatesAngel's first experiences in America—and the determination that carried her forwardBut beneath every milestone lies a much deeper story.  A story about fathers... about courage... about opportunity. About choosing to believe in another human being long before they can fully see what's possible for themselves. And this is only the beginning… Join us next week for Part Two as Angel shares how one opportunity became a mission, one act of belief became a movement, and one remarkable journey continues to change lives in both Colorado and Tanzania. Because sometimes changing the world doesn't begin with changing everyone. It begins with believing in one person.  Learn more about Angel's work and 1 Love: www.1loveorg.org Explore episode resources and photographs: thePIGpodcast.com/episodes/tony-matteroli-angel-mollel-part-1 We would love to hear from you—please send us some "Fan Mail"! Support the show From Our Heart to Yours... Hearing the stories of others helps us connect more deeply to our own—because legacy is built in how we live, every single day. Support the Show If The P-I-G has meant something to you, consider supporting or sponsoring the podcast. Learn more at thepigpodcast.com/sponsorship. Connect with Us 📬 The P-I-G Website: https://www.thepigpodcast.com/contact 📱 Facebook: /podcast.thePIG 📱 Instagram: /thepigpodcast 📱 LinkedIn: /thepigpodcast

    The Power of Belief (Part 1 of 2) | Tony Matteroli, Angel Mollel & an Unlikely Family

  7. Jun 10

    Who Am I Really? | Susan Mazonson on Self-Discovery & the Courage to Become Yourself

    What if the person you're still becoming is more important than the person you thought you were supposed to be? In this deeply personal and reflective conversation, Susan Mazonson joins The P-I-G to share the lifelong journey that led her to ask a simple but transformational question: Who am I really? For decades, Susan built a successful life as a corporate leader, entrepreneur, innovator, and problem solver. Fiercely independent and determined to prove herself in environments where strength was often defined by traditionally masculine traits, she learned early to rely on herself and keep moving forward. But beneath the accomplishments was a deeper story. A story shaped by the sudden loss of her father at age fifteen, the shifting family dynamics that followed, the expectations she placed on herself, and the lifelong process of understanding who she was beyond achievement, titles, and external validation. Together, we explore: How losing her father during adolescence shaped her identity, independence, and worldviewThe hidden cost of always feeling the need to prove yourselfWhy she spent years downplaying the feminine qualities that would later become some of her greatest strengthsBuilding a successful career and discovering that achievement alone wasn't enoughCaring for her aging mother and witnessing extraordinary growth, courage, and transformation late in lifeThe power of curiosity, self-awareness, and lifelong learningLetting go of expectations that no longer fitUnderstanding ourselves more deeply so we can better understand othersWhy becoming isn't something we finish—it’s something we continueThroughout the conversation, Susan shares stories of family, loss, resilience, reinvention, and the unexpected lessons that emerge when we remain open to growth—even when life unfolds differently than we imagined. This episode is a reminder that transformation doesn't have an expiration date. And that some of life's most important discoveries may still be waiting for us. Learn more and explore additional resources: thePIGpodcast.com/episodes/susan-mazonson We would love to hear from you—please send us some "Fan Mail"! Support the show From Our Heart to Yours... Hearing the stories of others helps us connect more deeply to our own—because legacy is built in how we live, every single day. Support the Show If The P-I-G has meant something to you, consider supporting or sponsoring the podcast. Learn more at thepigpodcast.com/sponsorship. Connect with Us 📬 The P-I-G Website: https://www.thepigpodcast.com/contact 📱 Facebook: /podcast.thePIG 📱 Instagram: /thepigpodcast 📱 LinkedIn: /thepigpodcast

    Who Am I Really? | Susan Mazonson on Self-Discovery & the Courage to Become Yourself

  8. May 27

    If You Can Write It, You Can Read It | Russell Van Brocklen on Dyslexia, Confidence & Human Potential

    A single sentence in childhood can become a life sentence. Russell Van Brocklen was once told he would never read at grade level. Years of labels, accommodations, exclusion, and frustration quietly shaped the way he saw himself—and the way others saw him too. Today, Russell is a New York State Senate-funded dyslexia researcher, founder of DyslexiaClasses.com, and the creator of a practical learning framework built around one transformational idea: “If You Can Write It, You Can Read It.” But this conversation goes far beyond dyslexia. Together, we explore: How school systems can quietly erode identity and confidenceWhy struggling learners often carry shame—not lack of intelligenceThe neuroscience behind typing, articulation, repetition, and structured writingWhy motivation and “specialty interests” matter so deeply during interventionThe emotional impact of constantly feeling behindHow small, repeatable wins rebuild trust over timeWhy strong writing and critical thinking skills matter even more in the AI eraRussell also challenges the belief that neurodiverse learners are somehow less capable—arguing instead that many simply need a different pathway to succeed. This episode is for parents, educators, students, neurodiverse adults, and honestly… anyone who has ever questioned their own intelligence after years of struggle. Because sometimes the problem was never potential. It was method.  Learn more about Russell’s work, programs, and forthcoming book, If You Can Write It, You Can Read It, at DyslexiaClasses.comExplore resources & support materials at The P-I-G Podcast Library.We would love to hear from you—please send us some "Fan Mail"! Support the show From Our Heart to Yours... Hearing the stories of others helps us connect more deeply to our own—because legacy is built in how we live, every single day. Support the Show If The P-I-G has meant something to you, consider supporting or sponsoring the podcast. Learn more at thepigpodcast.com/sponsorship. Connect with Us 📬 The P-I-G Website: https://www.thepigpodcast.com/contact 📱 Facebook: /podcast.thePIG 📱 Instagram: /thepigpodcast 📱 LinkedIn: /thepigpodcast

    If You Can Write It, You Can Read It | Russell Van Brocklen on Dyslexia, Confidence & Human Potential
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About

Welcome to The P-I-G, a podcast where we explore life, love, loss, and legacy through real conversations and meaningful stories—with Purpose, Intention, and Gratitude. Hosted by sisters, Kellie Straub and Erin Thomas, The P-I-G was born from the bond they shared with their late mother, Marsha—a woman whose life and love continue to inspire every story told. What began as a deeply personal project has since evolved into a growing legacy movement, including The Boxes, a developing film and television series inspired by the physical gifts their mother left behind—each one unwrapped at a defining life moment after her passing. At its heart, The P-I-G is about what matters most: connection. It’s a warm, welcoming space for open and honest conversations about the things we all carry—and the stories that shape who we are. While “loss” is often defined by death, our episodes explore a much broader truth: We grieve relationships, mobility, identity, careers, finances, health, pets, confidence, memory, belongings, faith—even entire versions of ourselves. Through personal reflections, powerful guest interviews, and expert insights, each episode invites you to consider what it means to live fully, love deeply, grieve honestly, and leave a legacy that matters. Whether you’re navigating a loss, rediscovering your voice, or simply craving deeper connection—you belong here. 💬 Favorite topics include: Grief and healing (in all its forms)Sibling stories and family dynamicsLove, marriage, caregiving, and motherhoodSpirituality, resilience, and personal growthLegacy storytelling and honoring those we’ve lost🎧 New episodes post every other week. Follow and share to help us spread the message that hearing the stories of others helps us create a more meaningful connection to our own and legacy isn’t just what we leave behind—it’s how we live right now. Hogs & Kisses, everyone. 💗🐷💗

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