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What happens when grief breaks your heart, and just when you’ve learned to live with the pieces, it happens all over again?
At 20, Kate Gladdin lost her older sister, Nicole, in an accident while Nicole was traveling in Thailand. Years later, after turning Nicole’s memory into a mission that has reached hundreds of thousands of young people, Kate faced that same nightmare again when her mother, Julie, was struck and killed by a driver while crossing the street with the walk signal.
Encore episode: Originally released in October 2025, this is one of our most-loved conversations.
This isn’t a conversation about pretending everything happens for a reason. It’s about what to do when there are no good answers, when staying positive isn’t enough, and how to find a reason to keep going anyway. If you’ve ever lost someone you love or wondered how to move forward when everything has fallen apart, this one is for you.
In This Conversation
- Why grief and resilience aren’t opposites, and why letting yourself cry can be an act of strength
- How Kate turned her sister’s memory into a foundation supporting aspiring performers and athletes while educating hundreds of thousands of young people
- What happened when tragedy struck a second time, and why she’s now advocating to change Wyoming law
- Why finding purpose can carry you further than forcing positivity
- How to give yourself permission to feel joy again without feeling like you’re leaving someone behind
- Why the most ordinary moments with the people we love may be the ones that matter most
And there’s a beautiful love story involving a podcast and an unexpected connection that brought Kate halfway around the world. You’ll have to listen for that one.
Connect with Kate Gladdin
- Website: kategladdin.com, for her speaking, resilience coaching, podcast, her book Okay, Now What? How to Be Resilient When Life Gets Tough, and the Nicole and Julie Fitzsimons Foundation
- Instagram: @kategladdin
Also Mentioned
- Australian Government Smartraveller, for official travel safety advice: smartraveller.gov.au
- Sheridan College, home of the Julie Fitzsimons legacy scholarship: sheridan.edu
A Note from Kevin
After talking with Kate, one thought keeps coming back to me: how many ordinary moments in our lives are actually extraordinary ones we just haven’t recognized yet? A phone call with your mom. Laughing with your sister. Saying goodbye, fully expecting to see someone tomorrow.
So before you move on with your day, reach out to someone you love. Not because it’s a birthday or a holiday. Just because they’re here. Tell them they matter.
And if you’re carrying the weight of loss yourself, you don’t have to have it all figured out today. You don’t have to force a smile. Sometimes finding the courage to take one more step is enough.
Thank you for being here, my friend.
Kevin
Hey, it's Kevin!
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