We had the good fortune of connecting with Andrea Turnbow and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andrea, why did you pursue a creative career?
After experiencing a number of my own grief events, I started noticing two common themes that helped pull me out of the heaviest moments; community and creativity.

When someone experiences grief firsthand, they often don’t know where to turn or where to find the tools needed to navigate the new life they’re heading into. This leaves them struggling in isolation while their mind is swirling with confusion, sadness, and overwhelm.

It is my passion to spread awareness that grief and its interwoven emotions are natural responses to significant loss and are not something to hide or deal with alone. Through workshops, support groups, speaking events, and individual support, I help grievers discover ways to process and express their grief through creativity, connection, and tradition.

By tapping back into traditional ways of grieving, we can start to learn a lot about ourselves and how we process tragic events. When we give ourselves permission to sing, dance, write, paint, garden, or learn a new skill, we start to channel our grief in constructive ways. This process allows us to move forward, step by step.

The Grief Nook offers a comfortable space to share our truth in community and inspire each other through stories of resilience and hope.

What should our readers know about your business?
Although I didn’t realize it at the time, my journey into entrepreneurship began 10 years ago when I experienced a life-changing event; my first pregnancy ended in miscarriage. What was one of the happiest moments of my life quickly became one of the most traumatic.

Once I came out of the grief fog months later, I decided to share my story on social media. At the time, this wasn’t a topic people talked about openly – and certainly not on social media. I shared my experience with the intention of breaking the stigmas and taboos surrounding pregnancy loss and bringing awareness to the fact that it is more common than we realize.

Little did I know that my post would open up the door for many other people to share their stories with me. I even learned that two women in my own family had miscarriages that they never talked about! From that point on I helped anyone who was struggling with the loss of their baby, and I wanted to do more. I wanted to help more people, I just didn’t know what that path looked like.

Throughout the years, the call to find a way to help people in grief kept pulling at me. I experienced a number of additional personal grief events over the next eight years with one having a significant impact on entering this field of grief work. In October 2022 my grandpa was hit by a red-light-runner and died two days later due to his injuries. I was with him at the hospital followed by hospice where he spent his final hours. The entire experience opened my eyes to a world I didn’t even know existed. Ultimately, his death and the aftermath of his passing is what propelled me to learn more about the field of grief work.

I immediately started looking up degree programs, certifications, and courses in the areas of grief, trauma, counseling, and coaching. I found my path and became a Certified Grief Educator and Certified Trauma and Resilience Life Coach and launched my business shortly after.

The path to entrepreneurship wasn’t easy or clear for a very long time. I struggled with the idea of leaving behind my 15 year marketing career I worked so hard for. I constantly went back and forth, asking myself what the heck am I doing? How do I know this is the right move? I had to focus on the goal, listen to my intuition, and follow the pull to keep going. And I’m so glad I did.

When I look back at the impact of sharing my story in the hopes of breaking down taboos, I realize how important it is to be vulnerable and speak your truth. When we share our stories, gather in community, and listen to each other with open hearts, the amount of healing connections that are made is truly inspiring to witness. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to bring these events, workshops, and gatherings to the community and to create comfortable spaces for people to grieve in the ways that feel best for them.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Assuming they weren’t visiting during the months of May-September, we would be outside most of the time!

I’d take them hiking in the Superstition Mountains, on a short road trip past Canyon Lake to Tortilla Flat, wander around Boyce Thompson Botanical Garden, get on the water for a Desert Belle wine cruise at Saguaro Lake, get the full desert dining experience at San Tan Flat, visit the wild horses and otters along the Salt River, enjoy the view from Hole in the Rock, visit Desert Botanical Garden, and road trip to Sedona, Payson, or Flagstaff where there are countless things to do.

For restaurants and coffee shops around Phoenix, I’d look for places with outdoor patios and a fun atmosphere. For a nice dinner, I’d recommend one of the many amazing restaurants we have in Scottsdale!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I am so lucky to have the most genuinely supportive family, friends, and colleagues in my corner who help me celebrate my wins and encourage me to keep going. I’m incredibly grateful for their love and support!

But the biggest shoutout would have to go to my parents, my husband, and my son. They have not only been supportive of my entrepreneurial journey, but throughout my whole academic and professional life. When I decided to leave the corporate world and announced my new career path, they backed me up 100%.

They help with my business ideas, connect me with new contacts, attend my events, and my son helps me organize my materials for my workshops. They really are the best cheerleaders a girl could ask for!

Website: https://www.thegriefnook.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegriefnook/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreaturnbow/

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