Today's episode of The Be Ruthless Show is a wake up call.

A 13 year old completes her own intake paperwork. No parent. No guardian. No emergency contact. If something had gone wrong, there would have been no adult to call.

A 16 year old starts therapy. No parent reaches out before. No parent follows up after.

This is not about blame. It is about responsibility.

Teens today are reporting record levels of anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Emergency room visits for adolescent mental health crises have surged in recent years. And yet more and more adults are stepping back from direct involvement in their children's care.

In this episode, I discuss :

• The growing gap between adolescent mental health needs and adult engagement

• Why autonomy without containment is dangerous

• The legal and ethical realities therapists face when no guardian is involved

• The difference between empowering teens and abandoning oversight

• When adult absence is avoidance, burnout, or something more serious

• The cultural shift toward convenience over accountability

I also address the harder truths:

Some teens are acting out.

Some are protecting themselves in unsafe homes.

Some adults are overwhelmed.

Some are disengaged.

And systems are making it easier for everyone to opt out.

If a minor is in therapy, an adult is part of the treatment whether they participate or not.

This episode challenges caregivers, therapists, and systems to examine where responsibility begins and where it has quietly disappeared.

Because when a teen shows up alone, someone else is missing.

And that matters.

On today's episode of The Be Ruthless Show, I unpack a question that derails more conversations than we realize:

“Why are you yelling at me?”

What if no one was actually yelling?

I talk about how quickly people jump to conclusions based on tone and volume, and how often those assumptions create unnecessary hurt, distance, and conflict. This episode explores why loud does not automatically mean angry, aggressive, or unsafe, and how hearing differences, cultural norms, personality styles, stress, and grief all shape the way we communicate.

I break down why our nervous systems default to defense mode, how emotional memory overrides logic, and why silence and walking away often cause more damage than asking one simple question.

This episode is an invitation to pause before assuming, ask before withdrawing, and choose clarity over conclusions.

Because not every raised voice is a raised fight, and curiosity could save a relationship.

Remember,

You can reach out anytime:⁠

sam@griefhab.org⁠

Join the Griefhab Family:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/griefhab7⁠

Join Team Ruthless - for multiple support groups every week and EVERY holiday!

https://samantharuth.com/team-ruthless

Become a Faces of Grief: Surviving Pet Loss Author:

https://samantharuth.com/apply-to-be-an-author

On today’s important episode of The Be Ruthless Show, I address the targeted killing of a licensed mental health counselor inside her Orlando office and the uncomfortable truth the profession avoids. This was not random violence. This was intentional, and it happened in a space designed for healing.

I break down why this loss hits so deeply for clinicians, especially those in private practice, and why empathy, skill, and experience do not make someone immune to physical danger. I speak to the silence within mental health culture around workplace violence, the pressure to internalize risk, and the myth that better boundaries or better therapy could have prevented harm.

This episode challenges the idea that safety measures mean fear, that boundaries provoke violence, or that therapists are responsible for managing other people’s dangerous behavior. I name the ethical tension between duty to care and duty to self, and why being a “good therapist” should never require being a martyr.

This is a conversation about grief, anger, fear, and the collective impact incidents like this have on the field. It is also a call for ruthless honesty about risk, responsibility, and the right of mental health professionals to go home alive.

Content note: This episode discusses workplace violence and death. Listener discretion is advised.

If this episode stirred something in you, you’re not alone. You’re not weak. And you’re not overreacting.

Because compassion is not a bulletproof vest.

Remember, You can reach out anytime:⁠

sam@griefhab.org⁠

Join the Griefhab Family:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/griefhab7⁠

Join Team Ruthless - for multiple support groups every week and EVERY holiday!

https://samantharuth.com/team-ruthless

Become a Faces of Grief: Surviving Pet Loss Author:

https://samantharuth.com/apply-to-be-an-author

On Sunday - January 18th, Griefhab turns 5!

Five!

Five years ago, Griefhab started as an idea. Today, it’s a more than a community. On today’s episode of The Be Ruthless Show, I reflect on what’s changed from then until now, what grief has taught me in real time, and what I want you to know if you’re still trying to find your footing after loss. This episode is about truth, love, and learning how to live again without pretending you’re “over it.”

In this episode, we talk about:

• What it means to keep living while still missing them
• The shift from “What’s wrong with me?” to “What happened to me?”
• Why “closure” isn’t the goal and what actually helps
• How grief changes you, and why “different” doesn’t mean “broken”
• What it looks like to ask for support without needing to be “fixed”
• A guided moment to help you honor who (or what) you miss

Remember,

You can reach out anytime:⁠

sam@griefhab.org⁠

Join the Griefhab Family

https://www.facebook.com/groups/griefhab7⁠

Join Team Ruthless - for multiple support groups every week and EVERY holiday!

https://samantharuth.com/team-ruthless

Become a Faces of Grief: Surviving Pet Loss Author:

https://samantharuth.com/apply-to-be-an-author

January is Stalking Awareness Month. Dry January. Poverty Awareness Month.

Today, January 7th, is Invisible Pain Day - a day dedeicated to acknowledging and validating those living with chronic pain or mental health struggles that are not visible to others.

On today’s episode of The Be Ruthless Show, I discuss why this day, and all of the invisibles, are so important. Period!

Join me at Benefit Bingo for a Cause, tonight, at Shorts Brewery in Elk Rapids at 6PM! Bring a friend. Because Healing Happens Together!

Can't make it? Not local? Have a meal that matters!

Eat for a Cause! Panda Express has made it possible for anyone , anywhere to support Griefhab.

Order online all day today, January 7th

Anywhere Nationwide

Use Code. 9011147 at checkout

Eat. Share. Support! With Purpose!

Remember,

You can reach out anytime:⁠

sam@griefhab.org⁠

Join the Griefhab Family https://www.facebook.com/groups/griefhab7⁠

Join Team Ruthless - for multiple support groups every week and EVERY holiday!
https://samantharuth.com/team-ruthless

Become a Faces of Grief: Surviving Pet Loss Author:
https://samantharuth.com/apply-to-be-an-author

Today on The Be Ruthless Show, I'm joined by Deb Krier, the Founder of tryingnottodie.LIVE. Deb is a seasoned entrepreneur and cancer advocate who supports high-performing professionals navigating cancer with clarity, strength, and real talk. Her story is powerful, her mission is personal, and this conversation is one you won’t forget.

About Deb:

Deb is a seasoned entrepreneur, cancer advocate, and the visionary force behind tryingnottodie.LIVE. She combines her business acumen, lived experience, and certification as an Integrative Cancer Coach to support high-performing professionals through one of life's most disruptive challenges. With more than two decades of experience in communications, marketing, and public relations, Deb has guided large corporations, small businesses, and nonprofits through impactful storytelling and strategic branding. But her most powerful work began after life threw her a curveball-or three.

Following diagnoses of Stage 4 triple-positive breast cancer in 2015, basal cell carcinoma in 2021, and thyroid cancer in

2023, Deb transformed her personal journey into a mission to help others thrive. In 2022, she launched tryingnottodie.LIVE, a platform dedicated to empowering those impacted by cancer with community, resources, and real talk.

Today, Deb serves as a strategic advisor to business owners and executives facing cancer, offering guidance to help them stay strong, lead effectively, and maintain clarity in both life and work during treatment and recovery.

website: https:// tryingnottodie.live/.

Deb's podcast: The Business Power Hour

Social Links:

LinkedIn: https:/www.linkedin.com/in/deborahkrier/_

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1465660477225232

And Remember:

You can reach out anytime:

⁠sam@griefhab.org⁠

Remember to ⁠Join the Griefhab Family:⁠

https://www.facebook.com/groups/griefhab7⁠

Join Team Ruthless - for multiple support groups every week and EVERY holiday!

https://forms.gle/Zw639P7htwg2qFDH6

Become a Faces of Grief: Surviving Pet Loss Author:

sam@griefhab.org

In this final episode of the year, I explore what it really means to expect the unexpected, especially when grief and life don’t follow a neat timeline. Marking the eight-year anniversary of losing Jim, I share honest reflections on how unpredictable waves can still hit, why “being strong” doesn’t mean being unaffected, and how readiness matters more than control. With practical, real-world perspective, I offer a grounded way to move into the new year without pressure or toxic positivity, focusing instead on anchors that help you keep going when life gets messy.

Join us at Shorts Brewery in Elk Rapids on January 7th for Beers for Tears Benefit Bingo -

And if you can’t make it, One meal can make a difference❣️

On January 7th, Panda Express is donating 28% of online orders to Griefhab — helping us support people through grief, loss, and the days and challenges no one sees.

Use code 9011147 in the fundraiser box at checkout!

You can reach out anytime: ⁠sam@griefhab.org⁠

Remember to ⁠Join the Griefhab Family:⁠

https://www.facebook.com/groups/griefhab7⁠

Join Team Ruthless - for multiple support groups every week and EVERY holiday!

https://forms.gle/Zw639P7htwg2qFDH6

Become a Faces of Grief: Surviving Pet Loss Author:

sam@griefhab.org

When people feel protective, they can accidentally turn into a wrecking ball. In this episode, I discuss what it looks like to lead with love when your work is being questioned, your name is being echoed, or the internet is doing what it does best: jumping to conclusions and throwing stones.

This is a boundary episode, a mental health episode, and a humanity episode. Not a callout. Not a pile-on. A reset.

What we cover:

• How “support” can quietly become harm when people attack others in your name
• The difference between clarity and cruelty
• Why online outrage spreads so fast (and why it feels so satisfying)
• How rumors and partial stories turn into digital verdicts
• What to do instead of dogpiling, harassing, or escalating
• A practical framework for responding with values, not adrenaline

Key takeaways

• You can protect what you build without becoming unsafe.
• Accountability doesn’t require humiliation.
• Before intensity, identity: make sure you have the right person, right source, and real context.
• If you love someone, don’t attack people in their name.
• Repair is leadership: delete, own it, correct it, replace it with something helpful.