In this heartfelt and deeply practical episode, Karen Coyne sits down with Kathi Balasek—educator, grief literacy advocate, and founder of Grief Ready Communications—to talk about how to support someone through loss.Drawing on her experience as a young widow raising five children, Kathi shares why our culture often gets grief wrong, how well‑meaning comments can unintentionally wound, and how to communicate with empathy when someone is hurting.Together, they unpack the idea of becoming “grief literate”: understanding the realities of grief, recognizing that loss extends far beyond death, and learning how to show up with real presence instead of reflexive optimism.With loss, major financial decisions often follow. This episode is also an invitation to have the hard conversations now, long before a crisis. In this episode:What it truly means to be grief literate and why it changes relationshipsThe phrases we default to that unintentionally disconnect peopleHow loss and money collide in widowhood, divorce, caregiving, and career changeWhy financial conversations belong at the dinner table long before a crisisConnect with Karen:Clarity PlanningLinkedInYouTubeInstagramConnect with our guests: Kathi Balasek on LinkedInKathibalasek.com