How to Find Joy After Loss: Healing, Grief, and New Beginnings with Dr. Argie Nell Nichols and Jan Reed
What happens when grief changes your life, your identity, and the future you thought you would have?
In this heartfelt episode of the Women Thrive, host Raimonda Jan sits down with Dr. Argie Nell Nichols and Jan Reed, co-authors of Where the Crabapple Blooms: The Braided Journey of Two Women Learning to Love, Grieve, and Bloom Again.
Their story began unexpectedly at a women's retreat in the Dominican Republic. Both women were carrying profound grief: Dr. Argie had lost her brother to cancer, while Jan had lost her husband to suicide. A conversation that lasted three and a half hours became the beginning of a friendship, a shared journey of healing, and eventually a book.
Together, they explore what it means to live with loss while continuing to discover who you are becoming. They share how friendship helped them feel less alone, how memories can become a source of connection, and how it is possible to honor someone you love while still allowing yourself to experience joy.
Dr. Argie also reflects on the legacy she is building in honor of her brother, while Jan shares how she learned to face grief, rediscover her identity, and find new purpose in helping others navigate loss.
This is a conversation about grief, love, friendship, legacy, and the possibility of new beginnings. It is a reminder that moving forward does not mean leaving the people we love behind.
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✨ WHAT YOU'LL TAKE AWAY FROM THIS EPISODE
• Finding your identity after loss
• Allowing grief and joy to coexist
• The healing power of connection
• How to find a community that supports your vision
• Turning personal experience into purpose
• Building a legacy while you are here
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📘ABOUT THE BOOK
Where the Crabapple Blooms: The Braided Journey of Two Women Learning to Love, Grieve, and Bloom Again
Where the Crabapple Blooms is a heartfelt story of friendship, grief, resilience and rediscovering life after loss. Through their intertwined personal journeys, Jan and Argie explore how women navigate life's most difficult transitions, find strength in unexpected places and learn to embrace joy and possibility again. It's a reminder that even after profound loss, there is still room to grow, find purpose and bloom again.
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ABOUT Dr. ARGIE NELL NICHOLS
Dr. Argie Nell Nichols is a legacy mentor, Master Financial Coach and leadership educator with over 45 years of experience in education and leadership. Through her HER Legacy Framework™, she empowers women, particularly those over 55, to embrace their wisdom, rediscover their purpose and create meaningful legacies that extend far beyond financial wealth.
🔗 CONNECT WITH Dr. ARGIE NELL NICHOLS
Book: https://drargienellnichols.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/argie-nell-nichols/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArgieNellNichols/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/argienellnichols_/
Website: https://herlifelegacy.com/
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ABOUT JAN REED
Jan is an educator, author and advocate for personal transformation, resilience and finding purpose after loss. Her work explores the journey of releasing what no longer serves us, realigning with who we are becoming and embracing new beginnings. Drawing on her own experiences of grief, friendship and life transitions, she encourages women to recognise that their stories are still unfolding and that it's never too late to begin a new chapter.
🔗 CONNECT WITH JAN REED
Book: https://book.janreed.com/
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ABOUT THE WOMEN THRIVE PODCAST
The Women Thrive Podcast features conversations with inspiring women, entrepreneurs, speakers, mentors, and coaches from around the world. Through their stories, experiences, and insights, we explore personal growth, visibility, business, leadership, and the challenges and breakthroughs that shape women's journeys.
Our goal is to create a space where women can learn from one another, share their voices, challenge their limitations, and discover what's possible when they embrace their potential.
💫 HAVE A POWERFUL STORY OR MESSAGE TO SHARE?
Are you an entrepreneur, speaker, coach, mentor, or expert with a message that could inspire and empower other women?
We'd love to hear your story.
Apply to be a guest on the Women Thrive Podcast:
https://womenthrivemedia.com/podcast
