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Death Curious

Death Curious

By Death Curious

Death is really scary, and is hard to talk about honestly. The Death Curious Podcast is here to change that. Our mission is to eliminate death avoidance and bring people together through death-positive education. Hosted and created by Alexandra Jo (they/them), Director of Outreach and Education at Parting Stone. Produced by Parting Stone.

To stay up to date on articles, the podcast, and more, sign up for the Death Curious Newsletter: justincrowe635.lpages.co/death-curious-newsletter-podcast-bio/

To learn more about Parting Stone and solidified remains visit hubs.la/H0W4_Gm0
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Episode 19: The Future of Deathcare

Death CuriousJul 12, 2021

00:00
30:38
Episode 13: Looking at Funerals from Alternative Perspectives

Episode 13: Looking at Funerals from Alternative Perspectives

This week we return to my conversation with Christopher Stoll, artist, illustrator, and my very dear friend. Chris is the owner and creator behind Multiverse Books and, as a very important person in my own life, is one of the people I most frequently talk with about hard things– like death. I wanted to have Chris on the show because until now, we’ve only featured people within the death care profession as guests. I thought it would be insightful and balanced to provide space for conversations about death with people who have experienced grief from the other side of things. Chris has a unique perspective because, like me, he is queer and polyamorous. This means that also like me, Chris has a unique take on traditional funerals and memorial services that aren’t necessarily designed with people like us in mind. In this conversation, we talk about funeral planning and traditional memorial services from a queer and polyamorous perspective.

Created and hosted by Aries Jo (they/them), Director of Outreach and Education at Parting Stone. Produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Parting Stone⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

For more Death Curious content get our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Death Curious is produced by Parting Stone. To learn more about Parting Stone and solidified remains visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Parting Stone's website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.


Apr 02, 202432:47
Episode 12: Mortuary School and Funeral Professional Licensing
Mar 21, 202452:02
Episode 11: AI and the Future of Death Care

Episode 11: AI and the Future of Death Care

This week we return to my conversation with Chase Downs (he/him), Demand Gen Specialist at Gather, an innovative technology platform built specifically for funeral homes, that helps both funeral directors and families. In this part of our conversation, Chase and I discuss AI and the future of Death Care… how AI could impact death care workspaces, the death planning process, memorial services, and more. We talk about the absolute necessity of personalization in death care practices, and where AI might fall short in delivering the services that grieving families deserve. 

We recorded this episode in the spring of 2023, and a lot has evolved in AI and its role in our world since then, so stay tuned after our convo for some extra content from me. 

Created and hosted by Aries Jo (they/them), Director of Outreach and Education at Parting Stone. Produced by ⁠⁠⁠Parting Stone⁠⁠⁠.

For more Death Curious content get our ⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter,⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠. Death Curious is produced by Parting Stone. To learn more about Parting Stone and solidified remains visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠Parting Stone's website⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Jan 05, 202434:11
Episode 10: Destigmatizing Death from Suicide Pt. 1

Episode 10: Destigmatizing Death from Suicide Pt. 1

Content warning: this episode is all about suicide, and grief from suicide loss. This topic might be triggering or challenging for some people, so if that’s you, skip this one and join us next month. If you or a loved one struggle with suicidal ideation, call or text 988 to reach the national suicide and crisis hotline.

This week I’m so excited to bring Dr. Sara Murphy (she/her) back to the podcast to talk about destigmatizing suicide, suicidality, and surviving the loss of a loved one to suicide. Dr. Murphey is a death educator, Certified Thanatologist, and suicidologist with fifteen years of scholarly, pedagogical, and professional experience in the field. She is a faculty member at the University of Rhode Island where she teaches undergrad and graduate courses in the fields of thanatology and suicidology. In this episode, we dive into why suicide has always been a stigmatized cause of death (even though suicidality is a widespread occurrence across humanity) and ways that we can work toward dismantling that stigma. We also cover how dismantling suicide stigma helps folx who ideate suicide feel safer seeking and getting help, and also allows us to better support people who are grieving the loss of a loved one to suicide.

Created and hosted by Aries Jo (they/them), Director of Outreach and Education at Parting Stone. Produced by ⁠⁠Parting Stone⁠⁠.

For more Death Curious content get our ⁠⁠⁠newsletter,⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠. Death Curious is produced by Parting Stone. To learn more about Parting Stone and solidified remains visit ⁠⁠⁠Parting Stone's website⁠⁠⁠.

Dec 27, 202331:13
Episode 9: Evolving International Death Care

Episode 9: Evolving International Death Care

This week, I welcome Jennifer Muldowney (she/her), also known as The Glam Reaper, onto the podcast to talk about how death care is evolving around the world today. Jennifer founded Muldowney Memorials a death planning company that offers celebrant services and specialized memorial planning. She is also the creator of the Glam Reaper Podcast. In this episode, we talk about how Jennifer found her way into death care, the differences between the funeral service profession in America, and Ireland, where Jen is from, and the directions we see death care going in in the near future. 

This is part one of my talk with Jennifer.

Created and hosted by Aries Jo (they/them), Director of Outreach and Education at Parting Stone. Produced by ⁠Parting Stone⁠.

For more Death Curious content get our ⁠⁠newsletter,⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠. Death Curious is produced by Parting Stone. To learn more about Parting Stone and solidified remains visit ⁠⁠Parting Stone's website⁠⁠.

Dec 08, 202329:52
Episode 8: Taxidermy and Tangible Grief, Part 1

Episode 8: Taxidermy and Tangible Grief, Part 1

This week, I have the absolute pleasure of talking with Kiki Klonis (she/her) from Burning Sentients taxidermy. Kiki and I talk about processing grief in tangible ways, like creativity, art, and, for Kiki, taxidermy. We discuss how grieving actually led to Kiki’s career as a taxidermist, what that journey has entailed, and how, for many people, getting to have a continued relationship with the remains of our loved ones and pets can be a huge aid in moving through the grief process. Kiki is actually based here in Santa Fe, NM (Unceded Tewa Land) so this interview takes place in her home, which is full of truly incredible taxidermied animals. You’ll hear us reference some of her amazing pieces throughout the episode. Content warning: suicide, and details about the taxidermy process are talked about in this episode.


Created and hosted by and Alexandra Jo (they/them), Director of Outreach and Education at Parting Stone. Produced by Parting Stone.

For more Death Curious content get our ⁠newsletter,⁠ and follow us on ⁠TikTok⁠ and ⁠Instagram⁠. Death Curious is produced by Parting Stone. To learn more about Parting Stone and solidified remains visit ⁠Parting Stone's website⁠.

Nov 03, 202327:39
Episode 7: Grief, Relationships, and Polyamory

Episode 7: Grief, Relationships, and Polyamory

This week we are doing things a little differently…  I’m joined by artist, illustrator, and my dear friend and loved one, Christopher Stoll (he/him). Chris is the owner and creator behind Multiverse Books As a very important person in my own life, Chris is one of the people I most frequently talk with about hard things– like death. I wanted to have Chris on the show, because until now, we’ve only featured people within the death care profession as guests. I thought it would be insightful and balancing to provide space for conversations about death with people who have experienced grief from the other side of things. Chris has a unique perspective because, like me, he is queer and polyamorous. Living in these so-called “alternative” worlds necessarily means that grief and interacting with systems like death care, are experienced differently by people like Chris and I. In this episode, we dive into how grief affects relationships, how our relationships inform our grief, and the nuances that come with being polyamorous and experiencing grief.

Created and hosted by and Alexandra Jo (they/them), Director of Outreach and Education at Parting Stone. Produced by Parting Stone.

For more Death Curious content get our newsletter, and follow us on TikTok and Instagram. Death Curious is produced by Parting Stone. To learn more about Parting Stone and solidified remains visit Parting Stone's website.

Oct 17, 202350:15
Episode 6: What Happens When We Die?

Episode 6: What Happens When We Die?

This week I’m delighted to talk with Brian Waters of Undertaking the Podcast. Brian is a licensed funeral director and CFSP. Our conversation was such an unexpected pleasure because it took some really unexpected turns and departures from what I was expecting, and is really different from what I usually cover in these interviews. In this episode, Brian and I both share our thoughts about what we think happens when people die– both physically and otherwise– and how being curious about the unknown plays a part in dealing with grief. 

Content warning: We both talk frankly about the loss of loved ones, and in my case, loss of a loved one to suicide and overdose.

Created and hosted by and Alexandra Jo (they/them), Director of Outreach and Education at Parting Stone. Produced by Parting Stone.

For more Death Curious content get our newsletter, and follow us on TikTok and Instagram. Death Curious is produced by Parting Stone. To learn more about Parting Stone and solidified remains visit Parting Stone's website.

Aug 21, 202327:49
Episode 5: The Value of Being Death Curious
May 10, 202312:31
Episode 4: Death on Social Media

Episode 4: Death on Social Media

This week I have the pleasure of talking to Eileen Hollis, Licensed Funeral Director at Hollis Funeral Home, about death on social media! Eileen runs the TikTok and Instagram accounts for Hollis Funeral Home and has built a following of nearly a million people between the two platforms. In this episode, we talk about why social media is a great place for death education, what content death curious folx are looking for on social media, and how the internet can actually be a really great place for building community.


Created and hosted by and Alexandra Jo (they/them), Director of Outreach and Education at Parting Stone.

For more Death Curious content get our newsletter, and follow us on TikTok and Instagram. Death Curious is produced by Parting Stone. To learn more about Parting Stone and solidified remains visit Parting Stone's website.

Apr 20, 202329:11
Episode 3: Technology and the Death Care Profession

Episode 3: Technology and the Death Care Profession

In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with Chase Downs (he/him), Demand Gen Specialist at Gather, to talk about Technology in the Death Care Profession. Gather is an innovative technology platform built specifically for funeral homes, that helps both funeral directors and families. Until the Covid-19 pandemic, death care was far behind other professions technology-wise. Chase and I discuss some of the benefits that have come from funeral services moving forward rapidly when it comes to things like live-streamed funeral services, remote memorial planning, and normalizing death care businesses having websites.


Created and hosted by and Alexandra Jo (they/them), Director of Outreach and Education at Parting Stone.

For more Death Curious content, get our ⁠newsletter and follow us on TikTok and Instagram. Death Curious is produced by Parting Stone. To learn more about Parting Stone and solidified remains visit Parting Stone's website.

Mar 27, 202323:35
Episode 2: The Spiritual Weight of Death Avoidance

Episode 2: The Spiritual Weight of Death Avoidance

This week I’m so excited to return to my conversation with Rev. Cat Webb (they/them), Metaphysical Celebrant, Spiritual Educator, and Psychopomp, to talk about the spiritual weight of death avoidance. Both death avoidance and grief avoidance are pervasive in our society. In this conversation, Rev. Cat and I take a deep dive into how death and loss became taboo subjects, and why avoiding the reality of human ephemerality can have major impacts on mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.

Created and hosted by and Alexandra Jo (they/them), Director of Outreach and Education at Parting Stone.

For more Death Curious content, get our ⁠newsletter,⁠ follow us on TikTok and Instagram. Death Curious is produced by Parting Stone. To learn more about Parting Stone and solidified remains visit Parting Stone's website.

Mar 14, 202325:50
Episode 1: Alkaline Hydrolysis 101
Feb 22, 202332:33
Deathcare Decoded is now the Death Curious Podcast!
Jan 13, 202317:51
Episode 72: The Funeral Rule
Jan 06, 202316:08
Episode 71: What is a Psychopomp?

Episode 71: What is a Psychopomp?

This week I’m joined by Rev. Cat Webb (they/them), Metaphysical Celebrant, Spiritual Educator and Psychopomp to talk about spirituality at end of life and beyond. In this episode we talk about end of life work that occurs after someone has died, what it means to be a psychopomp, and why it’s important to offer support for diverse spiritual practices in end of life care. 

Produced and Hosted by and Alexandra Jo (they/them), Director of Outreach and Education at Parting Stone, and Co-Hosted by Justin Crowe (he/him), Founder & CEO of Parting Stone.

To learn more about Parting Stone and solidified remains visit Parting Stone's website.

Dec 27, 202220:59
Episode 70: The Demand for Eco-Conscious Deathcare
Dec 09, 202219:59
Episode 69: Deathcare Workplace Equity

Episode 69: Deathcare Workplace Equity

This week I return to my conversation with Mark Harrison (he/him), President of Certified Safety Training, and Ebone Dukes (she/her), Funeral Service Program Director at Northwest Mississippi Community College, to continue our discussion about equity over equality in the workplace. In this part of the conversation we dive deeper into how meeting people where they are and addressing individual needs, whether that’s your employees, or the families you serve, will make the death care profession a healthier space. We touch on generational, gender, orientation, and racial inequities, and how meeting the needs of all will better serve the whole.


Produced and Hosted by and Alexandra Jo (they/them), Director of Outreach and Education at Parting Stone, and Co-Hosted by Justin Crowe (he/him), Founder & CEO of Parting Stone.

To learn more about Parting Stone and solidified remains visit Parting Stone's website.

Dec 03, 202227:47
Episode 68: Regulation Compliance and Workplace Equity in Deathcare Part 1

Episode 68: Regulation Compliance and Workplace Equity in Deathcare Part 1

This week I have the pleasure of being joined by Mark Harrison, President of Certified Safety Training, and Ebone Dukes, Funeral Service Program Director at Northwest Mississippi Community College. We talk about the importance of funeral business regulation compliance and the effects that regulations can have on our profession as a whole. We discuss how regulations can help communicate the value of funeral home services to the public, and how CST’s practices are focused on making compliance an equitable experience for all deathcare professionals.


Produced and Hosted by and Alexandra Jo (they/them), Director of Outreach and Education at Parting Stone, and Co-Hosted by Justin Crowe (he/him), Founder & CEO of Parting Stone.

To learn more about Parting Stone and solidified remains visit Parting Stone's website.

Nov 10, 202221:28
Episode 67: How Talking About Death Can Enrich Lives- Part 2

Episode 67: How Talking About Death Can Enrich Lives- Part 2

This week I return to my conversation with Dianne Hullet, death educator, death doula, and founder of Best Life Best Death. In this episode, we continue our conversation about how more open and honest conversations about death and grief can improve the emotional and mental wellbeing of our society. In part two of our conversation we talk about how to explore what needs to be done in your life to prepare for a good death, and how to get started on your death curious journey. We cover some recommended reading from both Diane and myself, and the differences between living in a death denying culture, and a grief denying one.


Produced and Hosted by and Alexandra Jo (they/them), Director of Outreach and Education at Parting Stone, and Co-Hosted by Justin Crowe (he/him), Founder & CEO of Parting Stone.

To learn more about Parting Stone and solidified remains visit Parting Stone's website.

Nov 02, 202225:54
Episode 66: The Value of Curiosity and Creativity in Death Care

Episode 66: The Value of Curiosity and Creativity in Death Care

This week, I return to my conversation with Glenda Stansbury, VP of InSight Books, Co-Founder and Dean of the InSight Institute Certified Celebrant Program, adjunct professor in the University of Central Oklahoma’s Funeral Department, and licensed funeral director and embalmer. We discuss the role of celebrants in more detail, and some of the key characteristics that a successful celebrant will have. We also take a deep dive into the value that curiosity and creativity have in our roles as death care professionals, and how these two qualities can make us better funeral arrangers, help us avoid burnout, and are ultimately be assets to the families that we serve.

Produced and Hosted by and Alexandra Jo (they/them), Director of Outreach and Education at Parting Stone, and Co-Hosted by Justin Crowe (he/him), Founder & CEO of Parting Stone.

To learn more about Parting Stone and solidified remains visit Parting Stone's website.

Oct 21, 202233:49
Episode 65: Parting Stone and Best Life Best Death

Episode 65: Parting Stone and Best Life Best Death

This week I return to my conversation with Dianne Hullet, death educator, death doula, and founder of Best Life Best Death. In this part of our conversation, we change things up, and Dianne interviews me about my role at Parting Stone, my own journey into the death profession, and why forward thinking progress in death care is vital. We talk about the value of innovative technologies like solidified remains, and how new options like Parting Stone can help everyone have a better end of life experience.

Produced and Hosted by and Alexandra Jo (they/them), Director of Outreach and Education at Parting Stone, and Co-Hosted by Justin Crowe (he/him), Founder & CEO of Parting Stone.

To learn more about Parting Stone and solidified remains visit Parting Stone's website.

Oct 17, 202224:55
Episode 64: Death Cafes!

Episode 64: Death Cafes!

This week, I return to my wonderful conversation with Tiana Dargent (she/her), Founder of Queer Community Deathcare in Ontario Canada, to discuss Death Cafes! We talk about what death cafes are, the benefits they offer, and why death cafes should be available in every community. We also touch on the Queer Community Death Cafe that Tiana runs, and how conversations around death are particularly important for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

Produced and Hosted by and Alexandra Jo (they/them), Director of Outreach and Education at Parting Stone, and Co-Hosted by Justin Crowe (he/him), Founder & CEO of Parting Stone.

To learn more about Parting Stone and solidified remains visit Parting Stone's website.

Sep 29, 202227:19
Episode 63: How Talking about Death Can Enrich Lives- Part 1
Sep 19, 202227:53
Episode 62: Cultural Competency and the Role of Ritual in Deathcare

Episode 62: Cultural Competency and the Role of Ritual in Deathcare

This week, I’m delighted to bring Joél Simone Anthony (she/her) back to Deathcare Decoded. Joél, also known as the Grave Woman, is a sacred grief practitioner, licensed funeral director, and deathcare educator. She joins us this week to talk about some of her new courses on Cultural Competency in funeral service, and how diversifying our education as funeral professionals will benefit everyone that we serve. We also discuss the importance ritual in the role of a death care provider, and how creating opportunities for ritual building for your families might be easier than you think.

Produced and Hosted by and Alexandra Jo (they/them), Director of Outreach and Education at Parting Stone, and Co-Hosted by Justin Crowe (he/him), Founder & CEO of Parting Stone.

To learn more about Parting Stone and solidified remains visit Parting Stone's website.

Sep 06, 202230:41
Episode 61: Guiding Better Bereavement Care

Episode 61: Guiding Better Bereavement Care

This week, I return to my conversation with Cara McCarty (she/her), Founder and CEO of Betterleave, a bereavement care company which helps employers provide grief support and bereavement care benefits to employees. In this episode, we discuss how death care and bereavement regulations and laws differ state-by-state, and how Betterleave provides resources for helping local communities understand what services are available in their area. We also cover how funeral homes and deathcare providers can work with Betterleave to provide better bereavement care and resources to both their employees and the families they serve.

Produced and Hosted by and Alexandra Jo (they/them), Director of Outreach and Education at Parting Stone, and Co-Hosted by Justin Crowe (he/him), Founder & CEO of Parting Stone.

To learn more about Parting Stone and solidified remains visit Parting Stone's website.

Aug 29, 202223:10
Episode 60: Directing the Future of Deathcare

Episode 60: Directing the Future of Deathcare

This week, I return to my conversation with Glenda Stansbury (she/her), VP of InSight Books, Co-Founder and Dean of the InSight Institute Certified Celebrant Program, adjunct professor in the University of Central Oklahoma’s Funeral Department, and licensed funeral director and embalmer. This week we talk about the current trajectory that the funeral profession is on, some of the biggest hurdles to recruiting and retaining the next generation of deathcare employees, and how funeral professionals today can have a hand in shaping and directing the future of deathcare.

Produced and Hosted by and Alexandra Jo (they/she), Director of Outreach and Education at Parting Stone, and Co-Hosted by Justin Crowe (he/him), Founder & CEO of Parting Stone.

To learn more about Parting Stone and solidified remains visit Parting Stone's website.

Aug 18, 202226:39
Episode 59: Making Deathcare a Safer Space for the LGBTQIA2S+ Community

Episode 59: Making Deathcare a Safer Space for the LGBTQIA2S+ Community

This week we return to my conversation with Tiana Dargent (she/her), founder of Queer Community Deathcare in Ontario Canada, to talk about how to make death and end of life care a safer space for the LGBTQIA2S+ population. We talk about specific roadblocks this community has to receiving safe and equitable care, why more queer-identifying deathcare workers are a good thing, and some steps that deathcare businesses can take to better understand and serve the specific end-of-life needs of this population.


Produced and Hosted by and Alexandra Jo (they/she), Director of Outreach and Education at Parting Stone, and Co-Hosted by Justin Crowe (he/him), Founder & CEO of Parting Stone.

To learn more about Parting Stone and solidified remains visit Parting Stone's website.

Aug 10, 202225:39
Episode 58: Betterleave on the Value of Better Bereavement Care

Episode 58: Betterleave on the Value of Better Bereavement Care

This week, I have the pleasure of speaking with Cara McCarty (she/her), founder and CEO of Betterleave, a bereavement care company which helps employers provide grief support and bereavement care benefits and resources to employees. In this episode, Cara shares the personal story of why she started Betterleave, the three pillars of support the company provides, and why bereavement support is vital for positive company culture and long term employee success, as well as changing the larger societal conversation around death, dying, and grief.

Produced and Hosted by and Alexandra Jo (she/they), Director of Outreach and Education at Parting Stone, and Co-Hosted by Justin Crowe (he/him), Founder & CEO of Parting Stone.

To learn more about Parting Stone and solidified remains visit Parting Stone's website.

Aug 03, 202228:39
Episode 57: The Value of Celebrant Services

Episode 57: The Value of Celebrant Services

This week, I have the absolute joy of talking with Glenda Stansbury (she/her), VP of InSight Books,and Co-Founder, Dean of the InSight Institute Certified Celebrant Program, adjunct professor in the University of Central Oklahoma’s Funeral Department, and licensed funeral director and embalmer. Glenda discusses how Insight Books got its start, how Insight Institute created it’s Celebrant program, and why celebrant services are valuable to every funeral home. We also cover the value of celebrant services for cremation families specifically, and how these services can help prepare the funeral profession as a whole for changes that are on our industry’s horizon.

Produced and Hosted by and Alexandra Jo (she/they), Director of Outreach and Education at Parting Stone, and Co-Hosted by Justin Crowe (he/him), Founder & CEO of Parting Stone.

To learn more about Parting Stone and solidified remains visit Parting Stone's website.
The Kates Boylston Publications survey mentioned in the episode can be found here

Jul 28, 202234:46
Episode 56: Why Do We Need Queer Death Support?

Episode 56: Why Do We Need Queer Death Support?

This week, I have the pleasure of talking with Tiana Dargent (she/her), founder of Queer Community Deathcare in Ontario Canada which offers a space of support for all members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in matters regarding end of life, death, dying, and grief.. In part one of this conversation, Tiana shares her personal journey to providing accessible death care support and and hosting death cafe’s for the queer and trans community. We talk about why having death and end of life care support specifically for the queer community is important, and how the needs of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community can be met in better ways for all in the death profession.

Produced and Hosted by and Alexandra Jo (she/they), Director of Outreach and Education at Parting Stone, and Co-Hosted by Justin Crowe (he/him), Founder & CEO of Parting Stone.

To learn more about Parting Stone and solidified remains visit Parting Stone's website.

Jul 21, 202222:47
Episode 55: The Role of Marketing in Deathcare Employee Recruitment and Retention
Jun 19, 202221:54
Episode 54: Cremation Marketing and The Future of Ecommerce Business in Deathcare
May 13, 202221:42
Episode 53: Innovations in Deathcare Today and Tomorrow

Episode 53: Innovations in Deathcare Today and Tomorrow

This week I return to my conversation with Lauren Bowser (she/her), Owner and Manager of Cusick Funeral Home to discuss unconventional areas of innovation in the deathcare space. We talk about the value of moving the profession forward with new technologies like green embalming fluids and products, the role of social media in continued learning and best practices for morticians and embalmers, and the need for more widespread education about eco-conscious cremation options in the deathcare profession.

Produced and Hosted by and Alexandra Jo (she/they), Content Manager at Parting Stone, and Co-Hosted by Justin Crowe (he/him), Founder & CEO of Parting Stone.

To learn more about Parting Stone and solidified remains visit Parting Stone's website.

May 05, 202221:47
Episode 52: Keys to Marketing Success for Deathcare Businesses

Episode 52: Keys to Marketing Success for Deathcare Businesses

This week I have the pleasure of talking with Courtney Gould Miller (she/her), Chief Strategy Officer at MKJ Marketing and Chief Marketing Officer at Tribute Technology, about the relationship between good marketing strategies and business success in deathcare. We discuss the value of working with a marketing firm with specific expertise in the deathcare profession, the specifics of what a good marketing strategy can do to grow your business, and where to start if your company is pursuing digital marketing for the first time.

Produced and Hosted by and Alexandra Jo (she/they), Content Manager at Parting Stone, and Co-Hosted by Justin Crowe (he/him), Founder & CEO of Parting Stone.

To learn more about Parting Stone and solidified remains visit Parting Stone's website.

May 02, 202242:08
Episode 51: Modern Tradition- Funeral Business Ownership in Today's World

Episode 51: Modern Tradition- Funeral Business Ownership in Today's World

This week I have the pleasure of speaking with Lauren Bowser (she/her), Owner and Manager of Cusick Funeral Home in Somerville New Jersey, to talk about being a first generation funeral business owner in today’s deathcare world. We discuss changes that funeral businesses saw during the Covid-19 pandemic, the differences between being an independent tradesman and owning a funeral home, and advice for other young funeral professionals stepping into first time funeral home ownership.

Produced and Hosted by and Alexandra Jo (she/they), Content Manager at Parting Stone, and Co-Hosted by Justin Crowe (he/him), Founder & CEO of Parting Stone.

To learn more about Parting Stone and solidified remains visit Parting Stone's website.

Apr 08, 202227:12
Episode 50: Cemetery Equity

Episode 50: Cemetery Equity

This week, I return to my conversation with Mel Bennett, Creator and Co-Founder of Life Forest, to talk about equity in cemeteries and permanent placement options. We discuss various ways that burial has historically been inequitable, various situations that might warrant special care and consideration, and how to make sure that families choosing permanent placement receive the support that they need today and moving forward.

Produced and Hosted by and Alexandra Jo, Content Manager at Parting Stone, and Co-Hosted by Justin Crowe, Founder & CEO of Parting Stone.

To learn more about Parting Stone and solidified remains visit Parting Stone's website.

Apr 05, 202241:02
Episode 49: The Value of Death Care Conventions
Mar 29, 202219:41
Episode 48: Cemetery Law and the Value of Permanent Placement
Mar 14, 202232:26
Episode 47: Disenfranchised Grief
Mar 08, 202226:58
Episode 46: Life Forest- Permanent Placement for Cremated Remains

Episode 46: Life Forest- Permanent Placement for Cremated Remains

This week, I talk with Mel Bennett, Creator and Co-Founder of Life Forest, about building the first cemetery created specifically for cremation families seeking burial for their loved ones’ remains. Mel shares her personal journey into the deathcare space, walks listeners through the grounds at life forest, and explains the in’s and outs of choosing permanent placement for cremated remains with a tree as the memorial marker, which is precisely what Life Forest uniquely offers.


Produced and Hosted by and Alexandra Jo, Content Manager at Parting Stone, and Co-Hosted by Justin Crowe, Founder & CEO of Parting Stone.

To learn more about Parting Stone and solidified remains visit Parting Stone's website.

Mar 01, 202248:46
Episode 45: Reflecting on Covid-19 and the Future of the Funeral Profession
Feb 10, 202224:54
Episode 44: Intro to Thanatology with Dr. Sara Murphy
Feb 05, 202225:34
Episode 43: The Value of Marketing and Strong Aesthetics for Funeral Businesses
Jan 25, 202214:36
Episode 42: Eco-Consciousness and the Future of Funeral Services

Episode 42: Eco-Consciousness and the Future of Funeral Services

This week I return to my conversation with Brie Smith, Services Director at Return Home, to talk about the importance of eco-consciousness in the funeral profession. Studies show that consumers across industries are changing their purchasing behaviors to be more eco-friendly, and death planning is no exception. We talk about the low carbon footprint of Natural Organic Reduction, innovative ways that some crematories and funeral service companies are acting to reduce their environmental impact, and how this conversation will be important to the future of deathcare.

You can find return home on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and other social media platforms.

Produced and Hosted by and Alexandra Jo, Content Manager at Parting Stone, and Co-Hosted by Justin Crowe, Founder & CEO of Parting Stone.

To learn more about Parting Stone and solidified remains visit Parting Stone's website.

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