Joy Scout Club
A supportive & safe community helping to discover what’s possible after partner loss
Navigating the liminal space of widowhood, together.
Where we explore the space between the life you had and the life you want
It’s after the casseroles stop showing up. After the paperwork is filed. After people assume you’re “fine.”
It’s the moment you realize the life you chose is gone — and the life ahead of you hasn’t fully taken shape yet.
You’re making quiet, strange decisions no one prepared you for:
Do I throw away their toothbrush, or is that emotionally catastrophic?
Am I really grieving and Googling “what does dating a widow look like?” at 2am?
Should I feel guilty for having an ounce of joy?
Joy Scout Club exists for these moments.
For widows and widowers in transition — between the life you had and the life you’re still figuring out. This isn’t about “moving on.” It’s about choosing something new when what you previously chose was taken from you.
Joy Scout Club is a bridge — between loss and coming back to life.
A place to steady yourself, reconnect with who you are now, and explore what life could look like from here.
You can resist this terrain — or you can gently explore it, alongside others who understand how rocky it can be.
If you’re navigating the murky middle of widowhood with curiosity and a quiet hope that there’s still a life worth building, you're in the right place.
What You'll Find Inside:
Access to a community forum to connect in real time and see how others navigate grief, find joy, and handle the speed bumps along the way. Think old-school chat room style, where you can reach out for support anytime, day or night.
Regular Speaker Series with guest experts to help guide us on life after loss, with the option to participate live or watch the replay at your convenience.
Monthly Yoga Therapy with Julia Warren, a somatic, nervous-system-informed practice that supports healing through breath, movement, and mindful awareness. For grief, it offers a gentle way to reconnect with the body and find steadiness in the midst of loss. Show up live or watch the recordings at your own pace.
Virtual Gatherings like Member Grief Chats, Happy/Crappy Hours, Get Shit Done Accountability Hours, Writing Circles, Art Workshops, Book Clubs, Craft & Chats, and more!
Monthly Field Assignments designed to help you gently step outside your comfort zone and move toward a life that feels more than just “fine.” They are small, brave risks — done together — in service of a life that’s not just survived, but truly lived.
Resource Library and tools that support exploration, decision-making, and emotional steadiness, including checklists, downloadables, and somatic exercises to help regulate your nervous system.
Gentle invitations & challenges to try new things, reflect, and move forward — without pressure or timelines.
Check Out What Events Are Happening This Month
(as well as what replays are available from past events)
Joy Scout Club is for widows & widowers who:
Are no longer in pure survival mode, but not yet settled into a “new normal”
Feel the pull toward something more than just getting through the day
Are navigating shifts in identity, relationships, routines, work, or purpose
Want community without comparison or pressure
Believe it’s possible to carry grief and build a life you genuinely want
Are ready to be better than fine
If you’re standing between who you were and who you’re becoming, you belong here.
There was a shift in my grief I’ll never forget. I was lying on the floor, sobbing, wishing desperately for a different life.
It felt like I had lost everything. My partner, my home, my security, my identity, my faith in humanity (just to name a few). And I was waiting for something — anything — to change my circumstances.
And then it became painfully clear: nothing was coming to save me.
That realization wasn’t comforting. It was a rude awakening. I stayed plastered to that floor longer than I’d like to admit.
But eventually, something honest settled in: I didn't know what was next, but I knew this wasn't it. And if I wanted my life to be different, I had to make different choices. A thought that was both terrifying and empowering.
I peeled myself up, and knew — I no longer wanted to live my life consumed by everything I lost. And I began to take tiny, baby steps to creating a life I could maybe, one day love.
Rebuilding a life from the wreckage requires an immense amount of courage and effort. It requires stepping outside of everything that feels comfortable and wandering into the unknown. It’s about choosing to take a step forward, to stumble, and keep going.
Since my husband Brad died, I have driven 10,000 miles across the country. I have traveled to my 7th continent. I have sorted through a lifetime of memories, deciding to what stays and what goes. I have downloaded (and un-downlaoded) the dating apps. I have fallen in love again. I have moved (twice). I have switched careers. I have forced joy and noticed joy and found what brings me immense joy now. I have taken risks and failed and succeeded and pivoted over and over and over again.
And I have carried my loss alongside all of it.
In 2018, I pivoted my career in order to walk alongside grievers. I am the Founder of the Forced Joy Project, an organization that offers resources for those navigating life after loss. I am the creator of Book of Stories, custom memorial books that preserve the memories and stories of loved ones. And I am the co-founder of Widows in the Wild, retreats for those who have experienced partner loss.
I’m no stranger to grief. At 28, I was diagnosed with cancer (and relapsed at 29). At 33, I became a widow after Brad died of cancer. And at 35, I became the full-time caregiver for my dad who was dying of - yep, you guessed it - cancer. And the grief and loss didn’t stop there because, as I’ve learned, just because you step in shit once, doesn’t mean you won’t step in shit again (and again and again).
The grief doesn’t go away, but that doesn’t mean you can’t build a freaking beautiful life alongside it.
This community was built as a safe space to get curious. To try new things without certainty. To take small, brave steps toward a life that feels meaningful — even if you can’t yet see the full picture.
Here, we ask questions and advice. We share our wins (and attempts). We have support from the most beautiful humans who have walked a similar path.
Creating a life you love isn’t easy. But if you find the courage, the tenacity, and the grit to do it, it’s so so worth it.
I hope you’ll join us.
Frequently Asked Questions
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You’re welcome to join! To us, the term widow means the loss of a life partner. Legal titles don’t matter here.
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Yes, all genders are welcome in the club.
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The beauty of the club is that you get to show up in the way that's best for you. While we love when people come live (we find it's the best way to connect with other members), many people simply watch the replays, use the forum, and access the resources on their own time.
And if/when you do show up live, we are big believers in showing up as you are -- for many of us, that's showing up in our pjs from the couch.
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Like grief, there is no “right” timeline here in the club. Your grief is always welcome. However, we do talk about moving forward and rebuilding after loss. For some people, those topics can feel too hard, they might feel resentful of those conversations, and that's ok (we were once there, too).
If you want to make room for joy alongside your grief (even if it's not always easy), then you're in the right space.
You don't have to be “ready,” you just have to be open. If you're curious, come try it out!
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We want this community to bring value and validation to your life & grief experience. If at any point you feel like Joy Scout Club is not a good fit, you can cancel your membership.
What Makes Joy Scout Club Different
This isn’t a space built around sadness (although your grief is certainly welcome). And it isn’t a space that rushes healing.
Joy Scout Club is for widows who are curious about what life could hold — even if they’re unsure, scared, or still grieving deeply.
It’s about reclaiming choice. About exploring possibility. About rebuilding with intention. About remembering that you are allowed to want more.
Not more instead of your love. More because of it.