--- title: "Theresa Benvenuto: Fathers, Legacy, and Living Your Purpose" url: https://stacklist.com/card/b83fb24a-5c86-4c19-be5a-a75b6881252f source_url: "https://www.podpage.com/stay-on-course-ingredients-for-success/theresa-benvenuto-fathers-legacy-and-living-your-purpose/" stack: https://stacklist.com/c/podcast/stack/cab5c6e4-b848-401d-905d-269d16e1313f summary: "Theresa Benvenuto, the Doctor of Connections, joins host Julie Riga on the Stay On Course Podcast for a Father's Day tribute exploring grief, legacy, and purpose through their shared experience of losing their fathers a decade ago. The episode discusses authentic grieving, honoring paternal legacies, and pursuing one's true calling without waiting for external approval." tags: "fathers-day, legacy, grief, purpose, podcast, personal-growth, loss" key_entities: "Theresa Benvenuto (person), Julie Riga (person), Doctor of Connections (concept), Stay On Course Podcast (organization), Father's Day (event), grief and legacy (concept), Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation (organization), Brooklyn (location), New York City (location)" classification: "transcript" content_hash: "sha256:f37c60298c67bd3288d5bb7710d5bd881e5224f417ca4bc0ba9732da364525d3" acp_version: "0.2" token_counts_approximate: 1067 visibility: public agent_accessible: true status: "final" --- # Theresa Benvenuto: Fathers, Legacy, and Living Your Purpose Search June 18, 2026 Theresa Benvenuto: Fathers, Legacy, and Living Your Purpose Play Episode Follow Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Castro Gaana iHeartRadio The Stay On Course Podcast - Ingredients for Success with Julie Riga Theresa Benvenuto: Fathers, Legacy, and Living Your Purpose Your browser does not support the audio tag. Theresa Benvenuto: Fathers, Legacy, and Living Your Purpose Guest: Theresa Benvenuto, Doctor of Connections Host: Julie Riga Overview In this heartfelt Father's Day tribute episode, Julie Riga sits down with her dear friend Theresa Benvenuto, the Doctor of Connections, for a deeply personal conversation about fathers, legacy, grief, purpose, and the invisible thread that connects us to the people we love even after they are gone. Whether your father is still here, no longer with you, or someone you carry complicated feelings about, this episode speaks directly to your heart. Theresa Benvenuto: Fathers, Legacy, and Living Your Purpose This special Father's Day edition of the Stay On Course Podcast brings together two women bonded through loss, faith, and a shared belief in purpose-driven living. Theresa and Julie each lost their fathers ten years ago. Together they explore what it means to grieve authentically, honor a legacy, and carry forward the lessons their fathers instilled in them. ️ About Theresa Benvenuto Theresa Benvenuto is the Doctor of Connections, with a remarkable gift for building meaningful relationships and helping others discover where their strengths, purpose, and people truly align. She brings her expertise in connection alongside her story of loss and legacy to this conversation. Fun Fact: Theresa's favorite dish is eggplant parmesan made the traditional way, with flour so the eggplant melts on the tongue. Her late mother-in-law made the best version she has ever tasted. What You Will Hear in This Episode Grief Has No Rules There is no timeline for loss. Julie shares how grief broke through at a Trader Joe's checkout just two days after losing her father. Theresa reflects on how it still arrives unexpectedly a decade later. Authentic grieving means following your own path, not someone else's timeline. The Gifts Our Fathers Left Behind Julie grieved her father by completing his life story and turning it into a book. Theresa is still sorting through her late father's baseball card collection, discovering handwritten letters he wrote to Brooklyn Dodgers legends. Both describe these inheritances as gifts that keep on giving. Our Fathers as Cheerleaders Julie's father became her greatest supporter after retirement, calling daily and cheering her on. Theresa's father attended her doctoral graduation just five months before he passed. Both speak to the irreplaceable loss of the person who believed in you without condition. Purpose, Legacy, and Letting Children Be Themselves A candid conversation about pursuing your true calling without waiting for approval. Julie reflects on wanting to sing, write, and build a business while those closest to her waited to believe it until they saw it done. People living in regret often blame others for things they never gave themselves permission to do. Signs from the Other Side Cardinals in the backyard. Roma tomatoes in impossible places. Both Julie and Theresa share the comfort of believing their fathers are still sending signs and cheering them on from heaven. Key Takeaways Grieve authentically on your own terms Look for the legacy your loved ones left behind Your purpose is yours alone to pursue Do the thing, even without approval Our fathers went first so we would believe anything is possible Special Note: Theresa's daughter begins medical school in July and runs the New York City Marathon in November to raise funds for the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation. If your father is still here, cherish every moment. If he is gone, trust he is still guiding you. Follow your purpose and do the thing he believed you could do. https://stacklist.app/julieriga #FathersDay #Legacy #PurposeDriven #StayOnCourse #GriefAndGrowth Subscribe to Stay On Course wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.