In this episode of The Teaching Journeys Podcast, host Dave Roberts welcomes back Nick Gaylord, a former pharmaceutical industry professional who found his calling in podcasting. Nick shares his profound journey from navigating a complicated relationship with his father to finding peace and purpose through his podcast, initially titled 'Our Dead Dads' and now rebranded as 'Grief Is Not a Dirty Word.' They discuss the importance of creating safe spaces for discussing grief and how Nick's podcast has touched lives worldwide, including stories from notable figures such as Gabby Petito’s parents and survivors of the Sandy Hook tragedy. Nick also reveals his future plans, including upcoming interviews with prominent figures and his speaking engagement at Pod Fest 2026.

Nick's Bio and Contact Information

Nick has always been driven by a desire to help others. As a child, his natural talent for numbers had him convinced he would become a math teacher. While life took him down a different path—spending nearly three decades in the pharmaceutical industry, working in Quality Assurance and Document Control—his passion for making a meaningful impact never wavered.

Yet, something always felt missing. No matter how important his work was in helping develop life-changing medicines, Nick longed for something more—something deeper, something that allowed him to connect with people in a way that truly mattered.

That search led him to podcasting. In early 2024, he launched Our Dead Dads Podcast, a space dedicated to the conversations we’re often too afraid to have—grief, loss, trauma, and everything in between. Through the podcast, Nick shares his own personal journey, including the complicated relationship he had with his father, who passed in 2021. By opening up about his own unresolved feelings, he creates space for others to do the same.

Nick is on a mission to normalize the conversations around death, grief, and the often-overwhelming emotions that come with them. He wants to inspire those who feel stuck in their pain to share their own stories or, at the very least, find healing in hearing someone else’s.

🔗 Listen & Connect:

• Subscribe to "Grief Is Not a Dirty Word" on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, Amazon Music, Pandora, and all major platforms
• Visit the website: https://griefisnotadirtyword.com
• Interested in sharing your story? Fill out the guest form on the website

To connect with Dave, go to davidrobertsmsw.com and his author site psychologyprofessorandminister.com