Episode Details

💔 About This Episode

What do you do when grief crashes into your life without warning?

In this intimate and emotionally raw conversation, host Brian Smith sits down with Diandra Ford-Wing, an African-American author and sales director who made the courageous decision to pause her life and fully sit with her grief after her mother’s sudden passing.

Together, Brian and Diandra—both of whom have experienced the devastating shock of sudden loss—open up about the moments that shattered them, the signs that gave them hope, and the transformation that comes when we choose to feel deeply rather than move on quickly.

This is more than an interview. It’s two people speaking from their hearts about the mess, the mystery, and the meaning found in mourning.

🕊️ What You'll Hear

• The moment Diandra got the call that changed everything
• Why she left her career to process grief on her own terms
• The powerful symbolism behind the red bird
• The mystery surrounding her aunt’s death in The Gambia
• How Brian's daughter Shayna continues to guide his life after death
• Why grief in the Black community often goes unspoken—and how storytelling breaks that silence
• A candid discussion about anger, disbelief, and the fog of the first year
• The surprising connection between Diandra’s mother and her newborn great-niece, Eden

📘 About Diandra's Book: Red Bird

Red Bird began as journal entries written during a sacred pause—and grew into a soul-stirring novel that helps readers explore their own relationship to loss, love, and legacy. It’s a short, powerful read meant to be absorbed in a day or two, but carried with you for a lifetime.

📚 Get the book: booksbydiandra.com
📷 Follow Diandra on Instagram: @diandrafordwing

🧠 Reflect + Connect

💬 Listener prompt:
Have you ever had a moment where a sign—like a bird, a dream, or a memory—felt like a message from a loved one on the other side?

👉 Share your story with us at: grief2growth.com/community
You're not alone—and your story might help someone else feel less alone too.

🙏 Support This Podcast

If this episode moved you, please:
 ✅ Leave a review
 ✅ Share it with someone who’s grieving
 ✅ Subscribe for more soul-nourishing conversations

You've been listening. You're doing the work. But there's still this feeling that you're circling the same place.

Maybe you've thought about working with me one-on-one. Maybe something's held you back. 

I get that. And I want you to know there's still a place for you.

All of it, pay what you want. You decide what it's worth. Nobody gets turned away because of money.

https://grief2g

The International Association for Near-Death Studies or IANDS will host its annual conference at the Hyatt Regency in Bellevue.  The event features an all-star lineup of keynotes like Proof of Heaven Author Eben Alexander, MD, and Dying to Be Me Author Anita Moorjani. I Early bird registration rates are available through July 15.

Visit IANDS.org to register

The International Association for Near-Death Studies or IANDS will host its annual conference at the Hyatt Regency in Bellevue.  The event features an all-star lineup of keynotes like Proof of Heaven Author Eben Alexander, MD, and Dying to Be Me Author Anita Moorjani. I Early bird registration rates are available through July 15. 

Visit IANDS.org to register