Shows
Mostly Death StuffClay Risen: The New York Times ObituariesWhat’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 jo...
2025-12-2345 min
Mostly Death StuffStefanie Greenleaf & Julia Sweetland: Widow's FireWhoa 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 lif...
2025-11-1152 min
Mostly Death StuffNancy Mello: Animal CommunicatorToday 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...
2025-10-2848 min
Mostly Death StuffSarah Herron & Kelly McDyre: Child Loss FoundationIn 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...
2025-10-1550 min
Mostly Death StuffJoshua Siegel: Titan CasketYou’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 yea...
2025-10-0132 min
Mostly Death StuffCindy Goodrich: EmpathyAfter 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 gri...
2025-09-1050 min
Mostly Death StuffDr. Shea Cox: Honor PetToday 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...
2025-08-0755 min
Mostly Death StuffLouise Skajem & Aura Murillo: Resting ReefYour 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...
2025-07-2148 min
Mostly Death StuffMaria Fraietta: The NokboxA theme that keeps coming up on the show is that managing the process of closing out someone’s life and estate is so time-intensive and detail-oriented, that it needs a dedicated project manager. Our lives are so complex these days and so much of it is online, which can make it really challenging for your family who’s left to make sense of it all. It can be like a scavenger hunt….but not a fun one.
My guest today has the solve. Maria Fraietta is the founder of The Nokbox. N-O- K as in, Next of Kin. (It took m...
2025-07-1135 min
Mostly Death StuffLisa Pahl: The Death DeckTurns out that the topic of death is a great ice breaker! My guest today is Lisa Pahl, the founder of The Death Deck– a card game about, you guessed it, death. With 112 cards, it encourages conversation and life-changing dialogue on a topic that most of us are still not totally comfy with.
We jump right in and get to know each other through the game, which was a lot of fun. In addition to creating the Death Deck, Lisa is a Hospice and Emergency Medicine Social Worker. We have an informative discussion on MAID (Medical Assistance In Dying.) We di...
2025-06-2743 min
Mostly Death StuffBrock Sheets: WillowiseThere's so much innovation happening in the death care space right now. It's such a fun time to have a podcast focused on death you guys!
Speaking about innovation, my guest today is Brock Sheets, the Founder of Willowise, a tech company that helps families and friends celebrate and honor their loved ones with, as Brock puts it, “a curated tapestry” of their life. This is not your average zoom gathering.
One of the most inspiring parts of our chat is the discussion around thinking about your life like a diamond. Each facet represents a different aspect of who you are...
2025-06-0642 min
Mostly Death StuffEdward Martin: Pet CemeteryOver 70,000 pets are buried at Hartsdale Pet Cemetery, but not a single one is named Rover. Go figure.
If you drive 25 miles north of New York City, you’ll find yourself in the charming town of Hartsdale, NY. With a population of only about twenty five hundred people, Hartsdale is home to one of the oldest and most famous pet cemeteries in the United States. Founded in 1896, today the cemetery is the final resting place for more than 70,000 pets, as well as some of their moms and dads.
My guest today is Ed Martin III—the Vice President of the Hart...
2025-05-2841 min
Mostly Death StuffJustin Clifford: BereaveI bet you know your company’s vacation policy, travel policy and parental leave policy. But what about your bereavement policy? In the U.S., the standard is just three to five days of paid leave. In this episode we talk about why your company most likely needs to reimagine their approach to bereavement, and how Bereave can serve as the guide.
Justin Clifford is the CEO of Bereave, a company that’s on a mission to leverage technology to connect the world to the compassionate and transparent end-of-life experiences we all deserve. Bereave is rewriting the rule book on bere...
2025-05-0945 min
Mostly Death StuffEmily Miller: Colorado Burial PreserveNo, animals will not eat you if you're buried at Colorado Burial Preserve. I asked.
Emily Miller is the founder of Colorado Burial Preserve, an 80-acre piece of land in Florence, CO that is the state’s first dedicated green cemetery. In addition to serving as a cemetery, the land is also a habitat for flowers, blue birds and indigenous plants. Soon visitors will be able to walk the nature trail loop, learn about the land and maybe even take a yoga class. Cemetery yoga— you heard it here first.
You can learn more about the meaningful work Emily and her...
2025-05-0246 min
Mostly Death StuffMike Reagan: The Natural FuneralYou make an effort to recycle. You’ve got a compost bin under your sink. You pick products at the grocery store that are good for your family and the environment. Many of us spend our lives trying to do right by Mother Earth, but then make decisions for our funerals that do anything but.
When you get to the end of this episode you’ll have a fresh perspective on how to plan your funeral in a way that honors your values and the earth.
Mike Reagan is the CEO of The Natural Funeral, a leader in eco-conscious end-of-life care...
2025-04-1846 min
Mostly Death StuffAndy Pearson: Liquid DeathAndy Pearson is the VP of Creative at Liquid Death, the fearless beverage brand that has remained wonderfully weird since it started in 2019. On this episode we talk about the intersection of death, humor and creativity. Andy enlightens us with Obi-Wan Kenobi hallucinations, why having kids made him think about death more than ever, and what he's been put on this earth to do.
Andy has his own podcast about running. Check it out here: https://betweentwopinespodcast.com/
2025-04-0338 min
2025-03-0101 min