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.
Purpose, Not Pity
A Letter to My Son, Two Years After
On the second anniversary of my son Jovan’s passing, I’m opening this podcast with something deeply personal, a letter to him.
This isn’t a story told from a place of healing already found, but from the middle of it. In this episode, I take you back to the hours before he left, the silence that followed, the anger I carried, and the truth I finally allowed myself to say out loud.
You’ll hear about grief, yes. But also what it means to start over. To seek peace. To rediscover purpose, not because you’re ready, but because you have no other choice.
This letter is where my story begins. And maybe… where some of yours will begin, too.
🧡 Stay connected:
TikTok: @by.erikahernandez
Instagram: @byerikahernandez
🎧 New episodes drop the 1st & 3rd Tuesday of every month
📬 Want to share your story or connect?
Email: byerikahernandez@gmail.com
💛 Thanks for listening. Keep choosing purpose, not pity.