Mostly Death Stuff

Peri Rigler
  • 5.0 (10)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Mostly Death Stuff is centered around the belief that the more comfortable we can get talking about death, the better life we can create for ourselves. By digging into death, we have the ability to shift our view on what it really means to be alive. During our time together, we’re going to loosen the death grip we all have around the topic of death. We’ll chat with experts and hear perspectives that challenge us, and maybe even shift our view of the world. Can talking about death give us life? Let's find out together.

  1. Clay Risen: The New York Times Obituaries

    3D AGO

    Clay Risen: The New York Times Obituaries

    What’s your favorite section of the newspaper? As someone who would receive a printed copy of The New York Times on Sundays, I would spend 10 minutes pulling out my priority sections: front page news of course (it’s kind of the whole point of subscribing), Real Estate, Food to know where I should eat next and what to cook next, Style to stay current, and always the obituaries. My guest today is Clay Risen, a reporter for The New York Times on the obituaries desk. Clay gives us an insider perspective on the process of writing obituaries. He says, “our job isn’t to write about death. The death is an occasion for which we are writing about a life.” That’s a reframe that stopped me in my tracks. What’s clear after speaking with Clay is that we are all connected. There’s more that connects us than divides us, and that reading the obituaries is a practice that can remind you that you’re still alive!

    45 min
  2. Stefanie Greenleaf & Julia Sweetland: Widow's Fire

    NOV 11

    Stefanie Greenleaf & Julia Sweetland: Widow's Fire

    Whoa nelly. This one is hot. Today my guests are Stefanie Greenleaf and Julia Sweetland. We’re digging into the topic of Widow’s Fire. "Widow's Fire" is the intense, often overwhelming surge of sexual desire and need for physical intimacy that can occur in the weeks or months after a spouse's death. And this overwhelming desire coincides with…you guessed it, grief. Stef and Julia hold nothing back in this honest, authentic and empowering discussion. Even if you’re not a widow, I bet this episode makes you think about your own sexuality and the role intimacy plays in your life. Learn more about the community that Julia has built by visiting widowsfire.com Enjoy Stef and Julia— they bring the fire.

    53 min
  3. Nancy Mello: Animal Communicator

    OCT 27

    Nancy Mello: Animal Communicator

    Today my guest is Nancy Mello, animal communicator and medium. Nancy’s story is one that I think is going to really touch a lot of people. It certainly touched me. She shares how being an outcast and being seen as a weirdo throughout her life, is something she’s turned into her super power. Nancy reminds us that your authentic self is always the answer, and that on the rollercoaster of life, you can either choose to grip the safety bar or put your hands up in the air and have fun. It’s the best analogy and one that’s stuck with me for weeks. Enjoy the gifted, quirky and wildly wonderful Nancy Mello. Learn more about Nancy and book a session: https://nancymello.com/

    48 min
  4. Sarah Herron & Kelly McDyre: Child Loss Foundation

    OCT 15

    Sarah Herron & Kelly McDyre: Child Loss Foundation

    In honor of October being Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month we have two very special guests today. Sarah Herron is a mother, wife, outdoor adventure woman and former contestant on The Bachelor. Through social media, Sarah has taken us with her on some major adventures– from summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro to epic alpine lakes, Sarah has empowered women to achieve what they didn’t think was possible. And then the unimaginable happened. Sarah and her husband Dylan lost their son Oliver at 24 weeks. In this episode we're also joined by Kelly McDyre, President and CEO of the Child Loss Foundation. Kelly and her team help families like Sarah’s navigate child loss offering up financial, emotional and community support. These two phenomenal women have helped people through some of their darkest times. It was a true honor to speak with them. Learn more about Child Loss Foundation here: https://www.childlossfoundation.org/ Follow Sarah Herron on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/sarahherron/?hl=en

    51 min
  5. Joshua Siegel: Titan Casket

    OCT 1

    Joshua Siegel: Titan Casket

    You’ve likely heard of BYOB, but have you heard of BYOC? The “C” in this case stands for casket. Did you know you can bring your own casket to the funeral home you choose? You can, and Titan is leading the way to make sure more people know it. Today my guest is Josh Siegel, Co-founder of Titan Casket, the coolest, most culturally relevant casket company in the funeral space. Titan’s mission is to make caskets easily accessible, customizable and affordable for all. Their marketing efforts have earned them being named one of the marketers of the year last year by AdAge. Surprisingly, they’re the only casket company to make the list next to brands like Crocs and Ferrari. They’re also the only casket company to have a celebrity talk show, Grave Conversations, hosted by David Dastmalchian that takes place in...Titan caskets. It’s not to be missed. We chat about the role of humor in driving brand awareness and why Swifites were part of the secret sauce that helped catapult Titan into the space they are now. You can learn more about Titan Casket here: https://titancasket.com/ You can order your very own Mort Plushie: https://titancasket.com/products/mort-plushie Check out Grave Conversations on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@graveconversations

    32 min
  6. Cindy Goodrich: Empathy

    SEP 10

    Cindy Goodrich: Empathy

    After a little summer downtime, some rest and relaxation, we’re kicking off season 2 of the podcast with Cindy Goodrich, Chief Marketing Officer at Empathy, a company that’s shifting the beliefs and behaviors around what support looks like after the loss of a loved one. After raising $72 Million in their Series C back in May, Empathy has expanded their reach, announcing partnership after partnership with every big life insurer in the industry. Empathy has even brought on David Kessler as their Chief Empathy Officer– a best-selling author and speaker and one of the most trusted voices on the topic of grief. Such an amazing move to bring David into the fold. My chat with Cindy re-affirmed that most companies in the US are still operating in the dark ages when it comes to how they approach death and grief for their employees. Cindy and the team at Empathy are working to build a more resilient society through their offering. As Cindy said it’s not about moving on from grief, it’s about moving forward. Learn more about Empathy and the work they’re doing by visiting empathy.com

    51 min
  7. Dr. Shea Cox: Honor Pet

    AUG 7

    Dr. Shea Cox: Honor Pet

    Today my guest is Dr. Shea Cox, veterinarian and founder of Honor Pet, an end of life care center for our four legged friends. At the 10,000 sq .ft peaceful sanctuary based in L.A., people get to honor their pet in the most personal and meaningful ways before saying their last goodbye. Shea and I talk about pet palliative care and pet hospice care, topics that were completely new to me. As a pet parent, this episode offered me a totally new perspective when it comes to how to approach illness, surgery and also death for my pets. Shea and her team bring empathy, care and dignity to the pet death space. Even if you’re not a pet owner, this episode is eye-opening and I bet you take away a few lessons that you can apply to your own end of life plan. Enjoy Shea Cox, an entrepreneur who is reinventing the pet death space. Links & Resources: Learn more about Honor Pet: https://www.honor.pet/ Book a virtual end of life pre-planning session for your pet with Honor Pet: https://www.honor.pet/pre-planning A directory for mobile vets, including those providing hospice and end-of-life care: https://www.inhomepeteuthanasia.com/ Enroll in a quality of life Master Class developed by Shea: https://bit.ly/40WqRT7 Shop for Euthabag, the dignity pet body bag we discuss on this episode: https://a.co/d/8AMaM2h

    56 min
  8. Louise Skajem & Aura Murillo: Resting Reef

    JUL 21

    Louise Skajem & Aura Murillo: Resting Reef

    Your cremated remains can help rebuild the ocean! Prepare to be inspired by this story of creativity, healing and determination. My guests are Louise Skajem and Aura Murillo, the founders of Resting Reef, a company that uses human or pet cremated remains mixed with oyster shells to create reef structures that not only help memorialize you or your loved ones, but help regenerate the ocean floor. This dual purpose mission is breathing new life into the death care space by rebuilding reefs in Bali, and soon, other places throughout the world. On this special episode we talk about creativity, and how the idea for Resting Reef was born from a place of grief and healing. We talk about how all great ideas are a little bit crazy, but how having the right people in your corner telling you to keep going, makes all the difference. You can learn more about Resting Reef by visiting: https://restingreef.co.uk/ You can watch the official trailer for the movie Ocean with David Attenborough by visiting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5J7aP2FYH4

    49 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Mostly Death Stuff is centered around the belief that the more comfortable we can get talking about death, the better life we can create for ourselves. By digging into death, we have the ability to shift our view on what it really means to be alive. During our time together, we’re going to loosen the death grip we all have around the topic of death. We’ll chat with experts and hear perspectives that challenge us, and maybe even shift our view of the world. Can talking about death give us life? Let's find out together.

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