End-of-Life Planning Made Simple: Insights from Funeral & Financial Expert

In a recent conversation on The Digital Legacy Podcast, Niki Weiss, founder of ENDevo, sat down with Greg Barnsdale, funeral director, financial planner, and author of Do Not Ignore Your Mortality, to talk about what it means to plan for the end of life with clarity and compassion. It all starts with one truth: planning for death is not giving up. It’s showing up for the people who will one day have to carry on.

About This Blog

Most of us don’t want to talk about death.

We don’t want to think about it, plan for it, or make space for conversations that feel heavy or uncertain. And yet, if you’re reading this, chances are you’ve felt that quiet pull. Maybe after a diagnosis, a loss, or simply a growing awareness that someday, this will matter. Because it always does.

In a recent conversation on The Digital Legacy Podcast, Niki Weiss, founder of ENDevo, sat down with Greg Barnsdale, funeral director, financial planner, and author of Do Not Ignore Your Mortality, to talk about what it means to plan for the end of life with clarity and compassion.

It all starts with one truth: planning for death is not giving up. It’s showing up for the people who will one day have to carry on.


Avoidance is Normal. But It’s Not Helpful.

Greg has worked on both sides of the “mortality coin,” as it were. First as a funeral director, then as a financial advisor. In both roles, he’s seen a pattern: families caught off-guard, overwhelmed, and unsure what to do because no one had “the talk.”

He calls it deathbed estate planning: those panicked moments in the hospital hallway, when loved ones whisper, “Did anyone ask what they wanted?”

This isn't rare. It's common. And it's preventable.

It’s not always fear that keeps us from planning. Sometimes it’s superstition, believing that talking about death might invite it closer. Other times, it’s cultural conditioning. Topics like money, death, and even serious illness are often treated as taboo in Western societies.

But the truth is, death will happen, and it will happen on its own schedule. Waiting to address it doesn’t prevent it. It just makes it harder for the people we love.


Planning Is an Act of Care

Greg shares his own story openly. Two months after publishing his book, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. It turned out to be benign, but he underwent radiation and faced real uncertainty. What gave him peace? Knowing his affairs were in order.

He had a will, powers of attorney, medical directives, and because of that, his energy could go toward healing; instead of scrambling to put pieces in place under pressure.

End-of-life planning doesn’t just ease legal or financial burdens. It offers emotional relief—for both you and those who love you.


Your Legacy Is More Than Money

One of the most powerful points Greg makes is that end-of-life planning isn’t just about who gets what. It’s about protecting relationships, creating clarity, and reducing conflict.

A thoughtful estate plan:

  • Minimizes family disputes

  • Keeps the courts out of your business

  • Protects your values and wishes

  • Allows for charitable giving and tax benefits

  • Strengthens the economy by reducing unclaimed assets

Think of it as relational wealth, not just financial wealth.


Where Digital Meets Deathcare

In today’s world, planning for death includes managing your digital estate: your passwords, online accounts, and personal data. Greg uses a simple binder and pencil to stay organized, but the key is this: make sure someone you trust knows where everything is.

That means:

  • Keeping login info updated

  • Assigning a digital executor

  • Making a list of key assets (bank accounts, subscriptions, social media)

  • Stating what you want done with your online presence

As more of our lives move online, organizing this aspect of your legacy is becoming just as important as drafting a will.


Not Sure Where to Start? Start Small.

Greg’s book offers practical tools to begin. On his website, you’ll find:

  • A short Living Legacy Quiz to assess your preparedness

  • 30 curated questions—15 for starters, 15 more advanced—to spark conversation with loved ones

These tools are designed to be approachable. You don’t need to know all the answers. You just need to begin the conversation. They can be found on DoNotIgnoreYourMortality.com.


Death Positivity Isn’t Morbid. It’s Empowering.

The death positive movement, which Greg and Niki both champion, isn’t about celebrating death. It’s about embracing life more fully by removing the fear and shame around its inevitable end.

It’s about saying:

  • “This is hard, and I’m doing it anyway.”

  • “I want to make this easier for the people I love.”

  • “I want to have a say in how I leave this world.”

And sometimes, it’s just about being curious: What would a good death look like—for me?


Let Planning Be a Gift, Not a Burden

You don’t have to do it all at once. You don’t even need to do it perfectly. But every step you take—writing down a password, having a conversation, drafting a will—is a powerful act of love.

And here’s the thing: these aren’t just end-of-life decisions. They’re life decisions.

They help us live more fully, love more clearly, and rest a little easier knowing that when the time comes, we won’t leave chaos behind.


If You’re Ready to Take the First Step:
Take Greg’s quiz or talk to a loved one about just one question from his list. Perhaps check in on your will—do you have one? Is it up to date?


Want to hear more?
Watch the full conversation with Greg Barnsdale on The Digital Legacy Podcast on YouTube. It’s thoughtful, honest, and might just give you the encouragement you’ve been waiting for.

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Leaving A Music Legacy in the Digital Age

This week on Death and Dying in the Digital Age, we consider end-of-life care and the legacies we leave behind. Niki Weiss sat down with accomplished music therapists Brooke Carroll Lemchak, PhD and Karen Dennery Melita, MMT, MT-BC to explore how music therapy helps bridge the gap between life and death while creating lasting emotional connections that can be there for loved ones when you no longer are. Both Brooke and Karen bring extensive expertise to this conversation, having dedicated their careers to music therapy after completing rigorous academic and clinical training at Temple University. Their combined experience spans decades of working with hospice patients across all age groups, from young children to elderly adults. As board-certified music therapists, they've witnessed firsthand how music can transform end-of-life experiences and create meaningful legacies for those left behind. The Power of Musical Memory in End-of-Life Care Scientific research has shown that musical memories are stored in the prefrontal cortex, one of the last areas of the brain to deteriorate as we age. This explains why individuals with advanced dementia who struggle to recognize family members can still recall and sing along to songs from their youth with perfect clarity. For music therapists working in hospice settings, this connection becomes a powerful way to maintain meaningful relationships until the very end. Through carefully selected songs and musical interactions, patients can express emotions, share memories, and connect with loved ones even when traditional communication becomes difficult. The therapeutic value extends beyond the patient to family members, who often find comfort in seeing their loved ones engage with familiar music. You can create new positive memories that family members can cherish long after their loved one has passed, helping to balance the challenging emotions that come with loss. Creating Musical Time Capsules for Loved Ones In today's digital age, creating musical legacies has become more accessible than ever. Modern technology allows us to easily compile and preserve meaningful songs that represent our relationships with different people in our lives. Unlike physical recordings that can deteriorate over time, digital platforms ensure these musical memories remain intact for future generations and can be a preservation of your legacy. Music therapists encourage people to start building these musical time capsules while they're healthy, rather than waiting until they face a health crisis. This allows for thoughtful selection of songs that truly represent relationships and experiences, creating more meaningful collections for loved ones. The process of creating musical legacies can be therapeutic in itself, helping individuals process their emotions and reflect on important relationships in their lives. It becomes a way to express feelings that might be difficult to put into words, especially for those who struggle with verbal expression. The Impact of Original Songs Sometimes, existing songs aren't enough to express the complex emotions and messages we want to leave behind. Music therapists often work with patients to create original songs that address specific relationships or unresolved feelings. These personalized compositions become powerful tools for healing and closure as well as a personal record to share with future generations. One particularly moving example involved a patient with an estranged daughter. Through songwriting, he found a way to express his regrets and love in a way that traditional communication hadn't allowed. While the song's reception by his daughter remained uncertain, the process itself provided vital emotional release and closure for the patient. The creation of original music often serves multiple purposes: it helps patients process their own emotions, provides a creative outlet during difficult times, and leaves behind a unique, personal legacy for loved ones. These songs become time capsules of emotion, carrying messages of love and healing across generations. Technology's Role in Preserving Musical Legacies Here are several ways technology has revolutionized how we create and preserve musical legacies: 1. Digital Storage Platforms Cloud-based music libraries Dedicated playlist folders for different loved ones Backup systems to prevent loss 2. Recording Options Voice memo applications Professional-quality recording software Digital audio workstations 3. Sharing Capabilities Easy distribution to family members Ability to add personal notes to songs Options for future scheduled sharing Modern digital tools have transformed how music therapists work with patients and how individuals can create their own musical legacies. What once required extensive physical sheet music collections can now be accessed instantly through digital libraries. This accessibility allows for more spontaneous and responsive music therapy sessions while ensuring that created works remain preserved for future generations. Time to Start Your Legacy The time to start creating your musical legacy is now, not when facing end-of-life decisions. Begin by thinking about the special people in your life and the songs that remind you of them. Consider creating digital folders for each loved one, filling them with meaningful music that represents your relationship. Your musical legacy doesn't have to be complex or professionally produced. It can be as simple as a playlist of songs that tell your story or express your feelings. The key is to start the process while you have the clarity and time to make thoughtful choices about what you want to leave behind. Don't wait until tomorrow to begin creating these precious gifts for your loved ones. Whether through existing songs or original compositions, music provides a unique way to ensure your love and memories live on. In the end, these musical legacies become bridges across time, allowing your voice to continue speaking to future generations through the universal language of music. Don't leave any pieces of your legacy to chance. As a next step, you can start and develop your plan by downloading the app, My Final Playbook. Through this app, you'll be able to start and learn how to organize your legal, financial, physical, and digital assets today. In the digital age, planning your legacy is just a click away. Until then, keep your password safe and your playbook up to date.
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