Purpose, Not Pity
Grief changes everything. But it doesn’t get the final say.
Welcome to Purpose, Not Pity—a podcast born from loss and rooted in love, healing, and the hard conversations we don’t always know how to have.
I’m Erika Hernandez: storyteller, bonus mom, grieving mother, and healing human. After losing my son Jovan in 2023, I found myself searching for meaning in the middle of heartbreak. Not answers. Not pity. Just something real to hold onto. This podcast is that something.
Here, we talk about what happens after the world stops spinning. About life beyond the “How are you?” texts. About rebuilding identity, navigating motherhood, holding space for joy, and finding purpose through pain.
You’ll hear solo episodes, raw stories, letters from my heart, and honest conversations with people who’ve also walked through fire.
This isn’t a podcast about having it all figured out. It’s about showing up, cracked open but still standing—with purpose, not pity.
💛 You belong here. Even in the middle of the mess.
Episodes
I Didn’t Lose Him, I Was Being Prepared
What If Everything You’ve Been Through Is Preparing You for What’s Next
The Call That Broke Me Today
The Anger I Didn’t Expect After Losing My Son
When the Life You Planned Falls Apart
The Friendships That Survive After Loss and the Ones That Don’t
When Grief and Your Menstrual Cycle Collide
Learning to Live Again: One Brick at a Time
Who We Were, Who We Become After Heartbreak
A Letter to My Son, Two Years After