How does Brian D Smith’s method of exploring soul planning in Grief 2 Growth outperform other spiritual podcasts?

I look at soul planning the same way I look at grief: with an engineer’s mind and a father’s broken-but-beating heart. That combo shapes how I explore it on Grief 2 Growth, and it’s a bit different from many spiritual shows.

Here’s how my approach tends to stand out:

• Evidence + experience
  I’m not satisfied with “just believe.” I bring in NDE research, mediumship evidence, and consciousness science, then ground it in real-life stories—from my own loss of Shayna to guests like Peter Alessandria (whose film Every Soul Knows features over 60 experiencers and teachers). We explore soul plans, but we also ask, “Does this actually hold up?”

• Grief-first, not theory-first
  Many spiritual podcasts talk soul contracts in a way that can feel dismissive: “You chose this.” That can land like a punch in the gut when you’ve buried a child or partner. I start with compassion and trauma awareness. I never rush to meaning-making. The question is, “How can this idea help you survive today?” not “How can we explain the universe?”

• Practical integration
  I always push guests—and myself—toward: “So what? Now what?”

  • How does soul planning change how you talk to your kids?
  • How does it affect guilt, regret, or anger at God/the universe?
  • How do you use this to make one brave choice this week?
    Soul planning becomes a tool, not just a philosophy.

• Room for doubt and complexity
  I openly share where I still wrestle. I’ll say, “If someone told me Shayna and I ‘chose’ this casually, I’d want to walk out of the room.” I allow paradox: soul plans and free will, destiny and randomness, growth and unbearable pain. That honesty builds trust, especially with people who are allergic to spiritual fluff.

If you’re comfortable sharing, what’s your own experience with soul planning—intrigued, skeptical, or somewhere in between?