Getting Back Up Podcast: Finding Life After Death
Two fathers. Two stories of loss. One mission to get back up.
Real conversations with two men learning to navigate life, raise children, and find love again…after loss.
Hosted by Jamal Jones and David McClain, Getting Back Up: Life after Death is a real, raw, and often humorous podcast about what comes after the unthinkable—losing a partner, facing grief, and finding your way through it. As two widowers, now devoted girl dads (and one remarried man), Jamal and David create space for honest conversations around healing, identity, and starting over.
Getting knocked down is part of life. Getting back up is how we live.
Episodes
45 episodes
40: Why Am I Still Angry?
Episode 40: Why Am I Still Angry?For many widowers and grieving spouses, anger doesn’t always show up in the beginning. Sometimes it arrives later—after the funeral, after the shock, after life gets quiet again. And when it does, ...
39: I Felt Guilty for Laughing Again, After Loss
Episode 39: I Felt Guilty for Laughing Again After LossThere’s a moment many widowers and grieving spouses experience—but rarely say out loud: the first time you genuinely laugh again… and immediately feel guilty afterward. <...
38: When Your Child Has an Emergency — Why It Hits Different After Loss
Episode 38: When Your Child Has an Emergency — Why It Hits Different After LossThere’s a moment every parent dreads—the call you weren’t expecting… the one that makes your heart drop before you even have the full story. In th...
37. When Life Hits Again - Unemployed after loss
Episode 37: When Life Hits Again - Unemployed after lossWhat happens when life knocks you down… again?In this episode, Jamal and David step into something raw and unfiltered. Just weeks after being laid off, Jamal shares ...
36: Finding Passion & Purpose Again
Episode 36: Finding Passion & Purpose AgainThere comes a moment in the journey where survival isn’t the question anymore… it’s now what?In this episode, Jamal and David dive into one of the hardest transitions after l...
35: In-Laws or Out-Laws? — Dealing with Their Family After You Move On
Episode 35: In-Laws or Out-Laws? — Dealing with Their Family After You Move OnMoving forward after loss isn’t just about you—it can shift every relationship connected to your past. In this episode, Jamal and David tackle one of the most ...
34: Bitter Sweet Sixteens - Navigating Fatherhood Through Milestones
Episode 34: Bitter Sweet Sixteens — Navigating Fatherhood Through MilestonesTurning sixteen is supposed to be a celebration — a moment where parents look at their daughters and realize childhood is slowly giving way to adulthood. B...
33: Am I Depressed… or Am I Grieving?
Episode 33: Am I Depressed… or Am I Grieving?In this episode, Jamal and David take on a question many widowers wrestle with quietly: Am I depressed… or am I grieving? It’s a question that usually shows up late at night, in the q...
32: Telling the Story With Heart — A Conversation with Dr. Nicole Clark
Episode 32: Telling the Story With Heart — A Conversation with Dr. Nicole Clark In this episode, Jamal and David sit down with Dr. Nicole Clark, Emmy award-winning anchor and reporter for Spectrum News Texas — but befo...
31: Grief Beyond Death — A Conversation with Jocelyn Barrera of The Christi Center
Episode 31: Grief Beyond Death — A Conversation with Jocelyn Barrera of The Christi CenterIn this on-location episode in Austin, Jamal and David sit down with Jocelyn Barrera, Executive and Clinical Director of The Christi Center,...
30: “If Only I Had…” — Living With the Loop of Regret (Part 2)
Episode 30: “If Only I Had…” — Living With the Loop of Regret (Part 2)In Part 2 of our conversation on regret, Jamal and David move from awareness to release. Many widowers quietly believe that suffering proves love — that carryin...
29: “If Only I Had…” — Living With the Loop of Regret (Part 1)
Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)Episode 29: “If Only I Had…” — Living With the Loop of Regret (Part 1)In Part 1 of this raw and reflective conversation, Jamal and David open up about one of...
28: What Must Be Carried (Pt. 2 ) w/ Whitney Lyn Allen
Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)Episode 28: What Must Be Carried (Pt. 2 ) w/ Whitney Lyn AllenIn this second half of our conversation with grief coach and author Whitney Lyn Allen, w...
27: What Must Be Carried (Pt. 1 ) w/ Whitney Lyn Allen
Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)Episode 27: What Must Be Carried (Pt. 1 ) w/ Whitney Lyn AllenIn this deeply personal conversation, we sit down with Whitney Lyn Allen—grief coach, at...
26: The Cost of the Craft with Russell Hornsby (Part 2)
Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)Episode 26: The Cost of the Craft with Russell HornsbyIn Part 2 of our powerful conversation with actor Russell Hornsby, we move from personal loss to...
25: Black Men, Cancer, and the Fight for Our Lives @ Clark Atlanta University
Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)Episode 25: Black Men, Cancer, and the Fight for Our LivesIn this special episode, Jamal and David head to Clark Atlanta University to sit down with research...
24: A New Year. A New You.
Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)Episode 24: A New Year. A New You.It’s 2026—and for those of us navigating life after loss, the new year can feel less like a reset and more like a reckoning...
23: When the Job Is Gone, Who Are You? with Degion Craddock
Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)Episode 23: When the Job Is Gone, Who Are You? with Degion CraddockIn this episode, Jamal and David sit down with marketing pro and former Dell colleague Degion Cr...
22: For the People - A Conversation with our Community
Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)Episode 22: For the People - A Conversation with our CommunityIn this episode, Jamal and Dave step back from the mic to reflect on the journey so far—and to ...
21: A Son’s Reflection on Love, Loss, and Legacy with Russell Hornsby (Part 1)
Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)Episode 21: A Son’s Reflection on Love, Loss, & Legacy with Russell Hornsby (Part 1) In this deeply personal conversation, Jamal and David sit down ...
A Thanksgiving Break
Going into Thanksgiving and somewhat taking a break. We are thankful to our fans and listeners and grateful for this community. Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death is a podcast that explores the raw, ...
20. Children and Grief with Kelly Medvin (LPC)
Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)Episode 20: Children and Grief with Kelly Medvin (LPC)In this episode, Jamal and Dave sit down with Kelly Medvin, a licensed professional counselor from New ...
19: Life After Loss w/ Melody Rollins Downes (Part 2)
Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)Episode 19: Life After Loss w/ Melody Rollins Downes (Part 2)In Part 2 of thier powerful conversation, Melody opens up about the final chapter of her husband...
18: Life After Loss w/ Melody Rollins Downes (Part 1)
Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)Episode 18: Life After Loss w/ Melody Rollins Downes (Part 1)In this episode, Jamal and David sit down with Melody Rollins Downes, a close friend, mother, an...