Podcast
The Be Ruthless Show
Hosted by Samantha Ruth · EN
The Be Ruthless Show is a place where we’ll be having the conversations other people don’t. The conversations other people won’t. In order to do that, I’m going BIG and BOLD. I’m anxious, I’m proud, and I’ll shout it for the world to hear.
The shame game has got to stop, and it starts with US not being ashamed of OURSELVES! Look out, world. I’m ready to make a lot of NOISE and DISRUPT things…. Ruthlessly
11episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Making Moves
4w ago00:33:12Tap to summarizeI'm baaack...... and I'm not where you think I am...Making moves isn’t always exciting. This time it was exhausting, overwhelming, and completely unexpected. And possibly the smartest decision of my entire life - for Dallas, myself, and Griefhab!On today’s episode of The Be Ruthless Show, I talk about Dallas's health, what happened when I sought a new opinion, and how quickly things can change when you find the right support . I also share some challenges that led to this move, what I've learned about changing direction, and why pivoting isn’t failure - even when the world tries to convince you otherwise.Learn more about Griefhab's in person healing center. We're delayed but not denied. Opening Soon in OAKLAND COUNTY!!! The vision hasn’t changed. The mission hasn’t changed. Just the date and location, which turns out to be BETTER for YOU!This episode is about resilience, trusting yourself, making difficult decisions that people don’t understand, and remembering that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is leave what isn’t working to move towards what is.Thank you for patiently walking through Season 8 with me. You can reach out anytime: sam@griefhab.org See you back for Season 9! Always Be Ruthless!Join the Griefhab Family: https://www.facebook.com/groups/griefhab7Join Team Ruthless - for multiple support groups every week and EVERY holiday! https://samantharuth.com/team-ruthlessBecome a Faces of Grief - Surviving Pet Loss Author: https://samantharuth.com/apply-to-be-an-author
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The Invisible Data
Apr 800:31:52Tap to summarizeOn today's episode of The Be Ruthless Show, II discuss the devastating reality facing Michigan families who are being forced to navigate a broken mental health system. It is a heartbreaking situation where parents are being forced to send their children out of state to receive the care they need.I’m focusing on the human toll of this crisis—the families who are being fractured and the parents left with impossible choices when their children are in a mental health emergency.What I discuss in this episode:• The Agony of Choice: The reality of being a parent in Michigan today, forced to choose between keeping a child at home without adequate support or sending them to a stranger in another state.• The Abandonment of Families: How the lack of local resources, everywhere in this country, leaves families isolated and without a safety net during their most vulnerable moments.• The Breaking Point: I share the story of a recent crisis with a client who desperately needs help but refuses to let their child be sent away, highlighting the deep fear and valid mistrust parents have of an outsourced system.• The "Complex Case" Trap: Why children with the most significant needs are often the ones the system is least prepared to help locally, leaving families in a constant state of crisis.• The Need for Proximity: Why healing happens best when children are close to their support systems and the urgent necessity for local solutions that keep families together.• A Community-Driven Future: What it looks like when we stop waiting for a failing system and start building the local, compassionate resources our neighbors and children deserve!Remember - you can reach out anytime: sam@griefhab.orgJoin the Griefhab Family: https://www.facebook.com/groups/griefhab7Join Team Ruthless - for multiple support groups every week and EVERY holiday! https://samantharuth.com/team-ruthlessBecome a Faces of Grief - Surviving Pet Loss Author: https://samantharuth.com/apply-to-be-an-author
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The Calls You Don't See: Trauma On The Frontline
Apr 300:37:47Tap to summarizeTrauma and grief. Homelessness and grief. Addiction and grief. Domestic violence and grief. I see connections between unresolved grief and all of the issues our first responders face every single day. It’s one of the reasons collaboration is crucial. On today’s episode of The Be Ruthless Show, Jenn Holm , the Police Social Worker Coordinator (PSWC) for the Traverse City Police Department, is joining me for a powerful conversation. Jenn is a dual-licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), with additional credentials in sign language interpreting and teaching. Her previous experience with both macro and clinical social work impacts her systemic and individual approaches to social work services.She developed and now facilitates the TCPD RESILIENCE Program. The goal of her position is to reduce law enforcement calls on vulnerable populations by interrupting the cycle of arrest and addiction through care coordination and reduction of community barriers.Remember - you can reach out anytime: sam@griefhab.orgJoin the Griefhab Family: https://www.facebook.com/groups/griefhab7Join Team Ruthless - for multiple support groups every week and EVERY holiday! https://samantharuth.com/team-ruthlessBecome a Faces of Grief - Surviving Pet Loss Author: https://samantharuth.com/apply-to-be-an-author
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When the Walk Changes
Mar 3100:42:33Tap to summarizeA routine afternoon walk in Williamsburg turned into a crisis in seconds when a loose dog attacked me and Dallas. Today's episode of The Be Ruthless Show isn't about the trauma of the event itself, but the immediate, jarring shift from "normal" to survival.In this episode, I discuss:• The Protector Instinct: The split-second decision to prioritize Dallas’s safety over my own.• Dallas’s Recovery: Moving past the myth of the "bounce back" to address real nervous system shifts and hypervigilance in animals.• The Dual Identity: Navigating the gap between being a trained trauma responder and a human being in shock.• Grief Without Death: Addressing the loss of safety in ordinary moments and the theft of a peaceful daily routine.• Accountability vs. Compassion: Why loving animals and reporting harm are not opposites, but a necessity for community safety.• Integrity in Healing: Why I am canceling my April event to prioritize regulated recovery over performing normalcy.We are rebuilding trust in micro-moments—slowly and without a deadline. Because the truth is, nothing about loving animals makes you exempt from what happens when safety is broken.Remember - you can reach out anytime: sam@griefhab.orgJoin the Griefhab Family: https://www.facebook.com/groups/griefhab7Join Team Ruthless - for multiple support groups every week and EVERY holiday! https://samantharuth.com/team-ruthlessBecome a Faces of Grief - Surviving Pet Loss Author: https://samantharuth.com/apply-to-be-an-author
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When Life Forces The Pivot (And Your Body Demands It!)
Mar 2400:38:05Tap to summarizeOn today’s episode of The Be Ruthless Show, I discuss what happens when life forces a pivot.Because no matter how much we plan, how organized we are, how prepared we think we are… life does not care. Things shift. Things pile up. Things hit all at once.What I Talk About:How quickly plans fall apart, even when you do everything “right”The impact of stacked stress (not just one thing, but everything hitting at once)Pushing through vs. what happens afterWhy success doesn’t cancel exhaustionWhat it actually looks like when your body needs restPivoting in real time instead of forcing productivityKey Takeaways:You don’t break from one thing, you break from the buildupJust because you pulled it off doesn’t mean you’re okayExhaustion is a signal, not a flawForcing it makes it worse, not betterAdjusting is strength, not failureJoin Griefhab™ April 24-25 for Sit. Stay. Heal. A weekend of animal therapy, art, writing, sound, and movement. FREE admission, donations always welcome!🎟️ Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1984228857928?aff=oddtdtcreator🧩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
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Tell Her Story
Mar 1700:34:30Tap to summarizea story unfolding in Traverse City, Michigan.Police were called to a domestic violence scene. During that call, officers shot and killed the man involved.Since then, most of the attention has centered on him. His job. His reputation. The people who knew him. The memories being shared about what a good guy he was.But there’s another person in this story.A woman who was injured during the assault. A woman who called for help. A woman whose name has not been released publicly.That’s who I’m talking about today.When violence happens, something interesting often unfolds in the public conversation. People rush to reconcile the person they thought they knew with the violence that occurred. Communities look for ways to explain it, soften it, or defend the person they remember.You start hearing the same phrases: he was a great guy, he was always kind, nobody saw this coming.Domestic violence doesn’t usually fit neatly into the way people expect it to look. Someone can be respected in public and still be harming someone in private. Those two realities can exist at the same time.What keeps bothering me about this story is how quickly the victim disappears from the narrative.We know details about the man. We know where he worked. We know how people felt about him.But the woman who was hurt is mostly invisible.Her name hasn’t been released, and there are important reasons for that. Survivors often need privacy and safety. But that also means the public conversation shifts away from the person who experienced the violence and toward the person who caused it.That pattern shows up again and again.On today's episode of The Be Ruthless Show, I discuss what domestic violence actually looks like, why communities struggle to hold two truths at the same time, and why victims are so often pushed to the background of their own stories.I’m also reflecting on the broader moment we’re living in right now. Violence takes many forms. Sometimes it happens inside homes. Sometimes it targets entire communities. Events like the recent attack connected to Temple Israel in West Bloomfield remind us how quickly safety can be disrupted in spaces people trust.Different events. Different victims. But they all raise the same question.Who do we center when harm happens?Today, I’m centering the woman who survived.Because the story shouldn’t only be about the person who died.It should also be about the person who is still here.Join Griefhab™ April 24-25 for Sit. Stay. Heal. A weekend of animal therapy, art, writing, sound, and movement. FREE admission, donations always welcome!🎟️ Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1984228857928?aff=oddtdtcreatorRemember, 🧩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
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Love, Baxter
Mar 1600:56:03Tap to summarizeIn today's episode of The Be Ruthless Show, I have an incredible guest, Adam.Adam turned his grief into a mission to support others through the pain of pet loss with compassion, community, and REAL resources.His career has been deeply connected to veterinary medicine. He built a company that helped more than 10,000 veterinary clinics grow and strengthen their online presence. Over the years, he learned how clinics operate, what their teams carry, and how fiercely they advocate for the families they serve.And then it became his turn.When Baxter declined, he learned, like so many pet parents do in real time, that you can be capable and experienced and still feel completely lost when you love your pet like family.Love, Baxter is his commitment to creating the world’s most helpful resource for pet end-of-life, senior pet care, euthanasia support, aftercare, and grief.Not as a brand story.But as a real response to a loss that changed his family.➡️Learn more about Adam's mission here: https://lovebaxter.com/🐾Join Griefhab™ April 24-25 for Sit. Stay. Heal. A weekend of animal therapy, art, writing, sound, and movement.FREE admission, donations always welcome!🎟️Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1984228857928?aff=oddtdtcreatorRemember, 🧩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
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Change Your Environment , Change Everything
Mar 1000:52:33Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The Be Ruthless Show, I discuss something that is far more powerful than most people realize: the environment you live, work, and exist in every day.We often try to fix ourselves while staying in the exact same situations that are draining us, stressing us, or even making us physically sick. But the truth is, environment shapes far more of our lives than we acknowledge. It affects our health, our nervous system, our mood, our behavior, and the way we move through the world.I share a very personal experience in this episode. I recently moved because something in my home environment was making both me and my dogs sick. We were dealing with rashes, allergic reactions, and constant physical stress. When your body is under environmental attack, it doesn’t matter how disciplined you are or how mentally strong you try to be. Your system is constantly fighting to survive.This episode explores the connection between environment and the nervous system, and how chronic exposure to unhealthy spaces can keep the body stuck in a stress response. I also talk about how environments are not just physical spaces. They are emotional ecosystems created by the people and dynamics around us.I share stories from clients who experienced dramatic shifts simply by changing the environments they were in. One client saw major improvements in her mood and stress levels after a toxic colleague left her workplace. Another client left an unhealthy job and experienced better sleep, lower anxiety, and a return of energy she hadn’t felt in years.When the environment changes, everything from productivity to emotional wellbeing can shift.In this episode, I also discuss the hidden costs of staying too long in unhealthy environments. Chronic stress, burnout, and emotional exhaustion are often not personal failures. They are signals that something around us needs to change.We also look at the environments people often overlook, including digital environments, relational environments, and the internal mental spaces we create through the thoughts we allow to dominate our minds.Sometimes growth is not about pushing harder or trying to be stronger. Sometimes the most powerful step forward is changing the space you are standing in.This episode is an invitation to take an honest look at the environments in your life and ask a simple but powerful question:What might change if I had the courage to step into a healthier space?Because when the environment shifts, the nervous system shifts. And when that happens, everything else has the opportunity to change too.Remember, You can reach out anytime:sam@griefhab.orgJoin the Griefhab Family: https://www.facebook.com/groups/griefhab7Join Team Ruthless - for multiple support groups every week and EVERY holiday! https://samantharuth.com/team-ruthlessBecome a Faces of Grief: Surviving Pet Loss Author:https://samantharuth.com/apply-to-be-an-author
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Can I Say That?
Mar 700:39:37Tap to summarizeHow many times have you left a conversation and thought "I should have saId...." Or maybe you've left a conversation thinking "I shouldn't have said that!" We live in a world where many people believe that conversations equal conflict....so many people just bite their tongues. Today's guest on The Be Ruthless Show has plenty to say on this topic!Joining me today is Dr. Chloe Carmichael, a licensed clinical psychologist, USA Today-bestselling author, and media commentator known for her work on stress, anxiety, relationships, and the mental health benefits of free speech. She runs a private practice in New York City, speaks and consults widely, and writes books and articles aimed at helping high-functioning individuals thrive emotionally and socially. This episode is honest, practical, and full of takeaways.Connect with Dr. Chloe at drchloe.comRemember, You can reach out anytime:sam@griefhab.orgJoin the Griefhab Family: https://www.facebook.com/groups/griefhab7Join Team Ruthless - for multiple support groups every week and EVERY holiday! https://samantharuth.com/team-ruthlessBecome a Faces of Grief: Surviving Pet Loss Author:https://samantharuth.com/apply-to-be-an-author
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The Be Ruthless Show Turns 5!
Mar 700:42:34Tap to summarizeToday is special!! I’m celebrating five years of The Be Ruthless Show!!! How is it even possible?!!?I'll be spending the day having live conversations with Griefhab’s very own Melissa Bowman PLUS Northern Michigan changemakers, and honestly… I can’t wait for you to meet them.Meet MaryAnne from Biggby Coffee and hear about different ways Biggby supports community - every single day. Jennifer Holm will be representing the first responders. And I’ll have our April venue host joining us to announce our unique event - which is going to be super special!!We’ll have more special guests popping in to share about the work they’re doing, the communities they’re lifting, and what it really means to keep showing up.If you want to feel inspired, supported, or just connected - come hang out with us!Remember, You can reach out anytime:sam@griefhab.orgJoin the Griefhab Family: https://www.facebook.com/groups/griefhab7Join Team Ruthless - for multiple support groups every week and EVERY holiday! https://samantharuth.com/team-ruthlessBecome a Faces of Grief: Surviving Pet Loss Author:https://samantharuth.com/apply-to-be-an-author
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