Welcome to Shameless Leadership! This show is for women, transgender people, non-binary folks, and allies who are committed to advancing their leadership and the leadership of those around them. In this space, we believe everyone deserves to feel seen, heard, valued, and supported. Our mission is to help you foster these feelings within your own circles of influence to build trust, psychological safety, and a culture of belonging.
In each episode, we dive into essential topics impacting women in leadership - everything from shutting down your inner critic and imposter syndrome to overcoming perfectionism to using your voice in new ways to advocate for yourself, your ideas, and other folks carrying marginalized identities. You'll hear practical tips, effective strategies, and inspiring stories that will not only enhance your leadership skills but also broaden your perspective to become a more confident, thoughtful, and empathetic leader.
Our stories come from people carrying identities who are often underrepresented, underestimated, and excluded. By sharing their experiences, we aim to provide you with invaluable lessons that will transform your leadership journey. We are thrilled to have you join this community of Shameless Leaders who are actively creating a world where everyone, regardless of gender, can intentionally lead through a more curious, compassionate, and inclusive lens.
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Welcome to Shameless Leadership! This show is for women, transgender people, non-binary folks, and allies who are committed to advancing their leadership and the leadership of those around them. In this space, we believe everyone deserves to feel seen, heard, valued, and supported. Our mission is to help you foster these feelings within your own circles of influence to build trust, psychological safety, and a culture of belonging.
In each episode, we dive into essential topics impacting women in leadership - everything from shutting down your inner critic and imposter syndrome to overcoming perfectionism to using your voice in new ways to advocate for yourself, your ideas, and other folks carrying marginalized identities. You'll hear practical tips, effective strategies, and inspiring stories that will not only enhance your leadership skills but also broaden your perspective to become a more confident, thoughtful, and empathetic leader.
Our stories come from people carrying identities who are often underrepresented, underestimated, and excluded. By sharing their experiences, we aim to provide you with invaluable lessons that will transform your leadership journey. We are thrilled to have you join this community of Shameless Leaders who are actively creating a world where everyone, regardless of gender, can intentionally lead through a more curious, compassionate, and inclusive lens.
959: Michelle Desmond: Why We Need to Talk About Death, Loss, and Grief at Work
Shameless Leadership
50 minutes
1 month ago
959: Michelle Desmond: Why We Need to Talk About Death, Loss, and Grief at Work
I met Michelle Desmond a few months ago at a birthday gathering for a mutual friend. As Michelle started talking about her work in dying, death, and grief, I had question after question. I realized quickly I had to get her on the pod. I was so excited and grateful when she said yes. This is such an important topic that impacts every single human, yet very few ever talk about it.
Michelle is a corporate executive turned thanatologist (expert in dying, death, and bereavement). After experiencing extensive personal losses, she chose to leave a career that included leadership roles in marketing, innovation, and line-of-business management at Verizon, T-Mobile, and Starbucks to pursue a Master of Science degree in the study of thanatology. She is passionate about bringing education, guidance, and innovation to the modern experiences of death and grief.
She founded On Grief and Death LLC, through which she offers workshops and classes, 1:1 grief guidance, and consulting to businesses. She has led group and individual programs at companies, as well as the world-renowned Miraval Resort in Tucson. Michelle is an adjunct professor at Marian University, teaching master’s degree students about the role of technology in how we die and grieve.
Listen in to hear Michelle share:
What thanatology is and why she left a successful corporate career to go into this field
The costs of living in a culture that leaves us utterly unprepared for experiencing loss, death, dying, and grief
The biggest myths (and corresponding truths) about grief
The costs of us not speaking more openly about grief - especially in professional spaces
What would be different if we were to normalize talking about grief and loss
How companies and individuals can support others through experiences of death and loss of all types
Links Mentioned:
Connect with Michelle: www.ongriefanddeath.com
Michelle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-desmond-811410/
Michelle on Substack: Death and Other Stories
Get Michelle’s Book: Death and Other Stories
Attend Sara’s October Retreat for Women Business Owners: saradean.com/retreat
Join Sara’s Next Business Coaching Cohort (Oct-May): https://saradean.com/influence-ignite-business-group-coaching/
Hire me to speak: saradean.com/speaking
Coach with me: https://saradean.com/executive-coaching-services
Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saradeanspeaks
Watch Shameless Leadership episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saradeanspeaks
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Shameless Leadership
Welcome to Shameless Leadership! This show is for women, transgender people, non-binary folks, and allies who are committed to advancing their leadership and the leadership of those around them. In this space, we believe everyone deserves to feel seen, heard, valued, and supported. Our mission is to help you foster these feelings within your own circles of influence to build trust, psychological safety, and a culture of belonging.
In each episode, we dive into essential topics impacting women in leadership - everything from shutting down your inner critic and imposter syndrome to overcoming perfectionism to using your voice in new ways to advocate for yourself, your ideas, and other folks carrying marginalized identities. You'll hear practical tips, effective strategies, and inspiring stories that will not only enhance your leadership skills but also broaden your perspective to become a more confident, thoughtful, and empathetic leader.
Our stories come from people carrying identities who are often underrepresented, underestimated, and excluded. By sharing their experiences, we aim to provide you with invaluable lessons that will transform your leadership journey. We are thrilled to have you join this community of Shameless Leaders who are actively creating a world where everyone, regardless of gender, can intentionally lead through a more curious, compassionate, and inclusive lens.
