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GRIEF CHATS
Introducing Grief Chats! A video series hosted by Dana Frost (@forcedjoyproject) and Mira Simone (@newmoonmira), where we unpack what it’s actually like to grieve a traumatic loss in our world today.
Episodes will be released every second Thursday evening on IGTV & on our fancy new YouTube Channel: Grief Chats. Dana and Mira are both young widows. They share their experiences navigating the world through grief and loss.
Join us, with your tea or your wine, while we talk candidly about all things grief and widowhood. Grief is hard. Let’s talk about it.
Fulfillament Storytelling
Fulfillament is a live storytelling event where community leaders & entrepreneurs share their journey towards fulfillment through vocation that challenges them to COME ALIVE!
Dana talks about the power of sharing our stories - especially the difficult ones - and why it’s ok to not be fine.
Exist Detroit: The Forced Joy Project
Exist Detroit interviews Dana about her cancer diagnosis, the loss of her husband, and the Forced Joy Project.
Keynote Address: Cassie Hines Shoe Cancer Foundation
Dana has the honor of being the keynote speaker for the 6th Annual Gala for the Cassie Hines Shoe Cancer Foundation. She speaks about the impact of treks in nature, the power of sharing our stories, and about her experience as a young adult cancer survivor and widow.
Defending Your Life- Blog & Podcast
Defending Your Life is a multi-media project about living courageously started by Dana’s late husband, Brad & his best friend, Jeremy. As part of this, Dana, Brad, and Jeremy recorded conversations from the day Brad was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer, up until his death. Dana and Jeremy then continued the conversations after, discussing topics like grief, widowhood, and moving forward,
Articles
Podcasts
14 Foot falls: Of earth and soul
Grief & Transformation
When what we didn’t receive becomes the very thing we are here to create. The necessity to understand and feel our deepest sense of belonging as we move through grief and transformation. Community and witness, presence and togetherness, knowing what we need through grief and healing. The grand permission that comes with feeling our feelings. There’s no shortcutting the process. Faith and trust will come. Inner authority. And the power of telling and hearing stories.
Best Life Best Death
What is the Forced Joy Project?
“This week I have a striking conversation with Dana Frost of the Forced Joy Project. In the depth of her husband’s illness, Dana and Brad decided that they were going to need to find a way to “force some joy.” No matter how bad the day was, together they kept finding moments of humor, connection and yes – joy. We talk about her life experiences, why stories about the people we love matter, and how she works to support others and create community as people are in these hardest of places around grief and loss, health and illness, life and death.”
I Don’t Know How You Do It
Finding Joy and Not Being Fine
Just when Dana Frost overcame her battle with cancer, life dealt her another devastating blow. But it was a simple concept she called, "Forced Joy," that not only helped her through the darkest of times, but continues to help others in countless ways.
Through a supportive community and irreverent and unique products, the Forced Joy Project helps people who are grieving find solace and a path towards healing through joy.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Practical ways to find joy even in the darkest times.
Why "fine" isn't something we should either aspire to or settle for.
The role of community in easing the pain caused by loss.
The impact of sharing memories and personal stories in the healing process.
Dating after death
Episode 4: A wholistic look at love after loss
“Dana Frost shares her story and her experience with dating after Brad's death. This episode is particularly special because not only does it address the complexities of dating as a widow, but it also includes clips of Brad and Dana from their podcast, Defending Your Life. They started the podcast after Brad’s diagnosis, documenting the experience in real-time, and was continued by Dana after his death.”
The Widow Coach
Grief, Loss, and Love
“I am thrilled to be able to share this conversation with you as it is so inspiring. Dana is a widow, cancer survivor and founder of The Forced Joy Project, and here she shares so much from her own journey through widowhood you can’t help but feel inspired by her.
We talk about what Brad taught Dana and how she takes that forward with her honouring him in her new life, the importance of creating space for our grief and how it feels to be widowed with no children.
We also discuss how we learn to trust our intuition, the choices we make in life and how we have to ‘do the work’ in grief, plus the world of dating!!!
It really is jam-packed full of wisdom, hope and compassion, Dana is a woman I admire hugely and I know you’ll get so much from listening to this. Enjoy.”
Fulfillament Storytelling
F%!# Fine and the Power of Sharing Our Stories
“Fulfillament is a live storytelling event where community leaders & entrepreneurs share their journey toward fulfillment through vocation that challenges them to COME ALIVE!
Dana talks about the power of sharing our stories - especially the difficult ones - and why it’s ok to not be fine.”
Conventionot
Episode 81: Finding Joy
“Dana Frost wakes up every day feeling life’s full effect. As a young person, she lost her spouse, Brad to cancer, fought her own battle with the disease and faced the realities that most people don’t see until much later in life. Thankfully, this cheerful guest found time to sit with Mike and McD on this host-favorite episode.
The thing about Dana is that she’s channelled the tragedy and has learned to be vulnerable in ways that we thing most listeners should pay attention to. Her husband left her 100 days after he was diagnosed and her inspiration afterward is unbelievable. Frost started the Forced Joy Project as a way to help herself… and others find happiness after loss.
She never thought she was cut out for grief and this hour with Dana doesn’t just focus on the sad things - the guys are able to hear about her new and exciting endeavors, throw around coping strategies and more.
We’re really proud to have met her and experienced her attitude, smile and shining light. You'll have to push play to find out more.”
SURTHRIVAL DIARIES
Episode 10: On Widowhood, Cancer, and Forced Joy
“Dana Frost is the beautiful soul behind the Forced Joy Project. She shares what forced joy means to her. Dana speaks about grief, loss, and widowhood in a candid and refreshing way. She also talks about her own experience with cancer when she was 28. Dana gives useful advice on caregiving for someone with terminal illness. She shares about her worst days and what kept her going, as well as how she knew she was ready to explore a new relationship as a widow. Finally, Dana offers concrete advice on how you can find joy as well, no matter what is going on in your life.”
Widow We Do Now Podcast
Episode 65: Grief Chats with Dana & Mira
“Dana and Mira chat with the ladies of Widow We Do Now about their series Grief Chats and why it’s important to talk about the “taboo” topics of grief. We cover everything from from religion, suicidal thoughts in grief, and - the very taboo topic - cheese.”
Cold Shower Podcast
Episode 41: Forced Joy Project-Dana Frost
“Dana sits down with Taylor Cramer, host of the Cold Shower Podcast, and talks about the Forced Joy Project and navigating life after the loss of her husband, Brad.”
Cold Shower Podcast
Episode 83: This sucks
“In this episode, Dana sits down with Taylor Cramer to discuss how each person is handling this pandemic differently, the sadness of missing milestones, the pain of not being able to visit loved ones in the hospital, and what productivity looks like in this current landscape.”
Widow 180 Podcast
Episode 14: How To Navigate This Messy Life By Forcing Some Joy
“Dana was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma at the young age of 28. Four years later her husband Brad was diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney cancer. He died 100 days later.
During his few short months of treatment, Bard and Dana documented their cancer journey through a series of podcast discussions on a website called DefendingYourLife.us.
Dana then started the Forced Joy Project to document the small things that brought them joy every single day. She then expanded the business to start Book Of Stories. Dana collects stories from clients and compiles them into a beautiful, custom linen-bound book.
Dana realized that what she wanted more than anything after Brad died was to hear stories of him. Now she wants to bring that feeling of familiarity and comfort to other widows and families by paying a beautiful tribute to the husband they lost.”