Building Community
“So you’re building a community?”
I paused. “I never thought about it that way, but I guess I am!”
I was being interviewed by Bella Englebach for her podcast “The Edges of Lean,” and, as a good podcast host does, Bella was actively listening. I was talking about how wonderful it has been to meet so many lovely people in the grief and end-of-life space, and how I wanted to bring them all together for an event. Bella brought to light something I was not even aware of: I am building community.
You see, when I started Compassionate Coaching in late 2020, I was a bit “out to sea.” In the past two and a half years, the company itself has been through several iterations, both in who we serve and how we serve them. But now that I am clear - we are helping bereavement and end-of-life professionals, and we specialize in communication skills coaching and team bonding - I started hosting events for that particular audience and in that particular way.
For instance, on March 3, 2023, Compassionate Coaching hosted the inaugural, in-person Evening of Connection and Transformation for Bereavement and End-of-Life Professionals in Arlington, Virginia. We welcomed professionals in the world of grief, death, and dying to experience Playback Theatre, a transformational event that incorporates storytelling, music, movement, and improvisational drama. The formal and informal connecting that occurred among those present was inspiring. People loved it.
One of my goals for the evening was to bring together these lovely people I have been meeting, and to pour love on them with the art form of Playback Theatre. I also wanted them to connect with each other on a deeper level. Sounds like community building, doesn’t it?
And if you met the people I have been meeting, you would want to gather them all together, too! For instance, here is just a small list of amazing people I have met recently in the grief and end-of-life space:
Maureen Desmond, a dear friend and Grief Concierge at Navigating Through Loss who offers one-to-one sessions, group sessions, and corporate programs
Ruth Pegeron, Founder and Owner of Lay to Rest Services (I had such a powerful experience meeting Ruth and seeing Lay to Rest that I wrote a blog about it!)
Jane Euler, a Death Doula who, when discovering that field of work in the second half of life, declared “I finally know what I want to be when I grow up!”
Emmalyne Head, who runs Southern Belle Cleaners and specializes in helping seniors who want to declutter their home, all with empathy and love
Maybe it’s this field that invites the most lovely and loving people into it. Or maybe it’s Divine intervention. All I know is that I am struck - and humbled - by the amazing, strong, empathetic, and heart-filled people I have met in the grief and death spaces. It’s an honor to be building community alongside them.
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Do you want to be a part of the Compassionate Coaching community? Email me!