We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jen Zwinck a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Jen Zwinck. I became a widow at 35 years old when my husband Brent was suddenly and unexpectedly killed at a bachelor party for a friend. I was left alone to raise our 2 year old daughter, Claire. After months and even years of healing, I have learned many lessons about grief along the way. I had so much support from my family and a local widows group, who became an integral part of my healing journey. We shared our struggles, our hopes , our fears. I thrived on hearing the stories of those widows who were months and years ahead of me on their widowhood journey. I wondered “How did they get through this?” “How are they so happy now?” I felt a calling to help other widows and show them that there is light after the darkness. I wanted to share stories of hope and inspiration to widows around the world who did not have access to a local widow group like I did. I started Widow 180: The Podcast in 2019. I consider myself to be a “widowstorian” because I love to hear their stories and I learn something new from everyone that I interview on the podcast. There is so much wisdom we can gain from those who have walked this path before us. I felt it was important to share that wisdom with everyone. From there, Widow 180 also became a YouTube Channel (we currently have about 2k subscribers). The podcast now has over 200,000 downloads and I hear from widows all over the world! I host group coaching programs, write blog posts, offer resources, and we’ve even hosted an in-person retreat (hopefully more to come in the future!). Because grief is such a unique experience for everyone, I now offer a new product, the Widow 180 Workbook series. Widows can work at home, on their own time, going through the exercises in the workbooks if they don’t feel comfortable in a group setting. I do feel a sense of pride in all of the things I have created, but I get so much fulfillment from helping these women. I feel such a sense of purpose like I’ve never felt before. I want them to know that they’re not alone in all of this, that losing your spouse is the hardest thing you will ever have to go through. Losing your spouse affects every aspect of your life. It’s not just the person you lose, it’s the financial support, the parenting support, being able to keep up with your house, the bills, the kids, your job. It all compounds and you feel the weight of everything on your shoulders. BUT, it does get better. The pain diminishes. You will smile again. You will feel joy. You may even find love again. Widows need to know that there is so much life to still live after loss. I want to help them see that.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

The podcast and the YouTube Channel have been effective in helping people find me. I think when widows sit down at a computer to search for help, they stare at a blank screen for a bit because they don’t even know what they’re searching for. Some widows may type “loss of husband”, “grief”, or “widow”. Part of my strategy is trying to find useful keywords so that people find me on a search for any of those related terms. Podcasting is a long term strategy, as is the YouTube Channel. Fortunately, I LOVE doing both, but there is the time commitment element. Of course, I always wish I could do more. On the podcast, I have created multiple “commercials” pointing listeners to my website so they can find everything that I offer as far as products and resources. This is also a crucial element for building my email list.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Commitment and enthusiasm. Podcasting is a long game strategy. I use it to promote new products, to push people to my Facebook group, to grow my email list through my weekly newsletter, etc. I have been committed since day 1 to put out a weekly episode and I have consistently hit that goal. But, I also LOVE it! And I think people can tell that in my voice. I’ve been told that they come back to Widow 180 and listen because of the positivity. Let’s face it, grief is a heavy, dark subject. So, I don’t let things stay at a “doom and gloom” level with what I share. My podcast is about hope and positivity and encouragement.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.widow180.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/widow_180/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/widow180
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@widow180
• Other: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2166101