I didn’t know what to expect when I showed up to my first Death Over Drinks event. The name alone was enough to stop me in my tracks—equal parts playful and provocative. But what I found that night was something I didn’t even realize I was looking for: real, meaningful connection. We laughed. We cried. We reflected. And we built something that’s in short supply these days—community.

In this episode, I sit down with Laura Cleminson, the visionary behind the Pre Dead Social Club, to talk about why she created this movement, how it’s grown, and why conversations about death are actually conversations about life.

• 0:00 - How the Pre Dead Social Club began
• 5:41 - Death cafés, mailing lists, and casting a wide net
• 8:49 - What talking about death really means
• 12:05 – How events are structured—and why that matters
• 15:00 - Attracting all ages and backgrounds
• 22:00 - Meeting people where they are
• 28:30 - How to get involved, wherever you are

If you're curious about your own relationship with mortality—or just want to meet new people in a surprisingly joyful setting—head to predeadsocialclub.com to sign up for the newsletter and get involved.

If this episode moved you, share it with someone you care about. Let’s keep these conversations going, because the more we talk about death, the more alive we all feel. Subscribe and leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts, visit seniorityauthority.org, or get in touch at info@seniorityauthority.org.

Are you completely burned out from caregiving? Do you feel like nobody quite understands what you’re going through?

In this heartfelt, wisdom-packed episode, caregiving advocate and author Carol Bradley Bursack joins Cathleen Toomey to talk candidly about the emotional tightrope that family caregivers walk every day. From navigating resistance to preserving dignity, Carol offers gentle, actionable strategies to help you support your loved one without losing yourself in the process.

You’ll learn how to:

• Start difficult conversations without triggering defensiveness
• Avoid the “parenting your parent” trap
• Create a caregiving plan that actually honors autonomy
• Flip the script when someone resists help
• Say “yes” when friends offer support and how to ask for what you really need

Plus, we explore how small self-care rituals can make a huge difference in managing stress and finding your footing as a caregiver.

🔗 Links

• Minding Our Elders by Carol Bradley Bursack
• Caregiver Action Network
• Alzheimer’s Association Support Groups
• Better Health While Aging – Dr. Leslie Kernisan
• When Your Aging Parent Needs Help by Dr. Leslie Kernisan

⏰ Timestamps

• 00:00 - Intro and caregiver statistics
• 01:11 - Meet Carol Bradley Bursack and her caregiving background
• 02:00 - Why caregiving for aging adults is uniquely challenging
• 03:01 - Opening respectful conversations with aging parents
• 05:26 - Understanding their wishes and planning ahead
• 09:00 - Why “parenting your parent” is the wrong approach
• 12:33 - The emotional toll of isolation for caregivers
• 14:50 - Online support groups and where to find them
• 17:37 - Reframing resistance to help from aging parents
• 20:45 - Daily self-care practices that actually work
• 24:53 - How to accept and direct help from friends
• 27:30 - Final reflections and caregiver encouragement

👉 What’s Next?

Feeling the caregiving crunch? Visit seniorityauthority.org for more episodes, expert advice, and resources to help you navigate aging with grace and confidence.

💌 Stay Connected

Have a question about aging you’d love us to tackle in a future episode? Email us at info@seniorityauthority.org.

What if retirement isn’t the finish line, but a new beginning you haven’t trained for?

In this powerful episode, host Cathleen Toomey sits down with Harvard Business School professor emerita Dr. Teresa Amabile to explore the surprising truths behind retirement. Based on a decade of research and 200+ interviews, Dr. Amabile challenges the myth that money and health are all you need for a satisfying life post-career. Make sure not to miss this one—we reframe retirement as a phase requiring intention and reflection (and yes… a little work!)

Dr. Teresa Amabile is the Edsel Bryant Ford Professor of Business Administration, Emerita, at Harvard Business School. With a Ph.D. in Psychology from Stanford and over 40 years of research into creativity, motivation, and inner work life, she brings a deep, evidence-based lens to one of life’s biggest transitions: retirement. Her latest book, Retiring: Creating a Life That Works for You, is the result of a decade-long collaborative study with colleagues from MIT, Bentley, and Boston University.

From redefining identity to rebuilding purpose, this conversation is filled with practical insights—and moving personal stories—that reframe retirement as a phase requiring intention and reflection (and yes… a little work!).

💬
 What's Next?

• Check out the book Retiring: Creating a Life That Works for You and start exploring what your next chapter could look like. Try journaling about what purpose and identity mean to you—without your current job title.
  

🤝
Stay Connected

• Subscribe to Seniority Authority wherever you get your podcasts: https://pod.link/1556496158
• Follow Cathleen Toomey on LinkedIn
  

Learn more at http://seniorityauthority.org