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How Do You Rebuild After Losing Everything?

In this episode, we sit down with disaster recovery expert Justin Hollerich from Bright Harbor to talk about what really helps after catastrophic loss—what works, what doesn’t, and what most people overlook. With over two decades navigating recovery from wildfires, floods, and hurricanes, Justin shares practical lessons on managing the mental toll of starting over, building back stronger, and staying grounded when life is in chaos.

We cover:

• Why most people underestimate the mental strain of recovery
• Simple strategies to protect your health and mindset during tough times
• How community can make or break the path to rebuilding
• Why facts—not fear—are essential to recovery
• The unique resilience Justin has witnessed in Los Angeles after the fires

Whether you’re navigating personal loss, supporting someone who is, or just interested in how people rise after devastation, this conversation offers grounded insights and actionable takeaways.

🎧 Listen now to understand why community matters more than ever.

If you find this useful, share it with someone rebuilding or working through hard things.

Shared Ground is produced by Sean Knierim and Allan Marks. Thanks to Cory Grabow, Kara Poltor, Corey Walles (from The Recording Studio) for your support in launching this effort.

For more stories of resilience & rebuilding, kindness & generosity: visit shared-ground.com and subscribe to Sean's substack. We invite you to share your own stories of resilience at the Shared Ground website - whether in response to the January fires in LA or other situations.

Follow us at seanknierim.substack.com, Instagram, or wherever you listen to podcasts (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc).