SEPTEMBER 24â27, 2026 ¡ VIRTUAL
The Death Worker
Summit Schedule
Youâre in. And we cannot wait for you to see what weâve put together!
The Death Worker Summit brings together death workers who are actually out there doing this work, in all kinds of different ways.
Theyâre building practices. Finding clients. Creating partnerships. Running workshops. Trying things. Changing things. Figuring out what works for them.
And theyâre sharing it with you.
Presentations will be released at 9:00 AM Pacific each day and will be available for 48 hours.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
Youâre More Ready
Than You Think
Reena Lazar + Debra White: Why Youâre More Ready Than You Think
Recognize the value of the skills, experience and perspective you already bring, and see what becomes possible when you stop preparing and begin.
Lauren Seeley: The Mosaic Practice: Pets, People, and Art
Explore the many ways you can build connections, grow your network and create opportunities to share your work in your community.
Johanna Munson: Your Calling Will Evolve. Let the Business Catch Up.
See how Johanna let her practice evolve alongside her, even when that meant reshaping the business she had built.
Rosalie Kuyvenhoven: How Funeral Celebrants Can Build A Multi-Stream Income
Explore practical ways to move beyond unpredictable referrals, price your work sustainably and build multiple income streams.
Jacqui Williams: Why the Business Stalls When the Training is Done
Explore why getting trained doesnât always lead to getting started, and what can help you begin moving your practice forward.
Mary McGreevy: Tips from Dead People
A motivational talk with snippets from real obituaries
Christa Ovenell: Beyond âKnow Your Worthâ: Pricing Death Work
Get practical about what it really costs to provide your services and what sustainable pricing can look like.
Catherine Schaarwächter: Caring & Charging - Money, Meaning & Self-Worth
Explore the relationship between money, worth and meaningful work, and what it can mean to build a practice that supports you too.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
Learn From Practitioners Whoâve Already Built It
See how other death workers have turned their ideas, skills and relationships into practices that work.
Tracy Chalmers: From Workshop to Client: Turning Teaching Into Visibility
See how Tracy used public workshops to build trust, grow her reach and turn visibility into clients.
Diane Button: Intake conversations and building a doula practice
Walk through the first client conversation, from intake form to initial call to first visit, and learn what to listen for along the way.
Kema Ward: From the Only Doula to the Known Doula
See the practical steps Kema used to build visibility, trust and paying clients in a community that didnât yet know what a death doula was.
Darnell Lamont Walker: Trust Before Referrals: Building Relationships with Funeral Homes & Hospices
Learn how to build genuine relationships with funeral homes and hospices that can grow into ongoing referrals and partnerships.
Karen âJokoâ Karnatz: Workshops as Your First âYesâ
See how educational workshops can build community relationships, create paid opportunities and become an early revenue stream for your practice.
Vanessa Johnston: Death Doula Collaboratives: A Rising Tide
Explore how collaboration with other death workers and community partners can expand your network, strengthen your practice and grow your reach.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
Make the Work Sustainable
Move from possibility into the practical decisions that help a practice keep working for you and the people you serve.
Speakers being finalized: How to Book Your First Sponsored Workshop
Practical session on approaching sponsors and community organizations for booking your first workshop.
Deanna Cochran: Build the Service That Sustains You Too
Learn how to shape a service around what you love, what youâre good at and the life and capacity you actually have.
Jacqui Williams, Johanna Munson, T.J./Teej Ford, Karen âJokoâ Karnatz, Kema Ward: Pricing EOL Services: What to Charge & How to Say It
[Descriptor to be added from source copy.]
Amy Firth: A Celebrantâs Guide to the Intake Conversation
[Description TBC.]
Shari Haber: Knitting Together a Network
Learn how to build authentic professional relationships that can lead to referrals, introductions, collaborations and new opportunities.
Rose Zealand, CFPÂŽ, CeFTÂŽ, EOLD: How Death Care Professionals Can Work With Financial Professionals
Learn to recognize when financial expertise could help a client and how your role can complement a financial professionalâs support.
Rebecca/Bec Lyons: Built, Not Bought: A Practitionerâs Guide to Swings and Roundabouts
Explore a long-game approach to building a sustainable practice around service, real life and people before profit.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
Live Sessions
Beyond the Job Title
Learn how to talk about what you do beyond the label or elevator pitch (even if you have one memorized), and discover how to open the door to conversations about your work.
When a Potential Client Comes Calling
Step into a potential client conversation and practise what you might say as it unfolds, from âIâm wondering if you can help usâ all the way to âWhat would something like that cost?â
Live Q&A + Hot Seats
Bring the question youâre still sitting with about building your practice, submit it ahead of time or ask it live, and explore it with Deb and Reena.
Now I See It
Take action on what youâve discovered throughout the Summit, share whatâs sticking with you, and turn those takeaways into next steps for your own practice.
Weâll wrap up by announcing the Vision to Venture Scholarship recipient.
Vision to Venture Keynote Masterclass
Learn Willowâs 4-part framework to design services you want to offer around what your clients actually need, and create a practice thatâs built to be sustainable.
Closing Call
Join us in the Facebook group to wrap up The Death Worker Summit and create your action plan for what comes next.
Watch sessions free for 48 hours
Want more time with the sessions?
The All-Access Pass gives you Lifetime Access to the entire Death Worker Summit, so you can watch, revisit and come back to the conversations whenever you want.
Plus, youâll get $1,000+ in speaker resources and bonuses to help you take what youâre learning beyond the Summit.
And because building a sustainable practice doesnât happen in four days, your All-Access Pass also includes free access to The Willow Grove throughout October, our online community of death workers building their businesses.
Youâll also receive 10% off Vision to Venture, WillowÂŽâs business-building program for creating a sustainable end-of-life practice.
