The Currency of Grief

EP27: Cassidie Bates: How Becoming an Executor at 25 as an Only Child Sparked a Mission for Bereavement and Executorship Advocacy

Losing a parent is devastating. Being named an executor at 25 meant grief and responsibility arrived at the same time, with no warning.
 
After the sudden death of her father, Cassidie Bates faced loss and grief as an only child while also carrying full legal responsibility for his estate. With divorced parents and no siblings to share decisions with, she shouldered the weight all alone, making important choices while still in shock.
 
The conversation reflected on what happens when grief and obligation overlap. It touched on how family dynamics can shift after loss, how heavy executorship can feel for someone so young, and how little support exists for people navigating both emotional and practical demands at once. At its heart, it was about honoring a parent and finding steadiness when responsibility arrived before there was space to grieve.
 
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 When Grief And Money Collide
03:19 Becoming An Executor At 25 After A Sudden Parent Death As An Only Child
07:33 The Shock Of Sudden Cardiac Death
15:13 Grief With Divorced Parents And Family Dynamics
22:24 Compartmentalizing Grief To Survive Executorship
34:47 Funeral And Cremation Decisions In Early Grief
40:41 Estate Planning That Helped Avoid Probate
46:20 Bereavement Leave In America And Why Time Matters
48:57 Turning Personal Loss Into Executorship Advocacy
01:06:55 Honoring A Parent’s Legacy And Living With Grief
Connect with Cassidie Bates:
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EP26: Angie Ingraham: It Only Hurts Because You Love Him: A Daughter’s Journey Through Care and Advocacy

When a parent’s “we have time” suddenly becomes five months, what actually deserves your attention first? The paperwork. The passwords. Or the care conversations that shape every decision that follows?
 
Angie Ingraham joins Justin Weidenfeld to talk through what it looks like when grief collides with healthcare in real time. An independent patient advocate and trauma surgeon, Angie brings both professional insight and personal experience to the conversation. After Angie’s father was diagnosed with glioblastoma in the fall of 2020 and died just months later, her family was forced to navigate complex care decisions during the pandemic while trying to stay present with the person they were about to lose. Even with her background as a trauma surgeon, Angie finds herself overwhelmed by how fragmented and demanding the system feels from the patient side.
This episode centers on patient advocacy and the conversations families often postpone until choices narrow. Angie shares how a brief window before surgery allowed her family to clarify what mattered most to her father and how that clarity became a guide when he could no longer speak for himself. The discussion also pulls back the curtain on how families are expected to navigate healthcare systems while emotionally depleted. Who is responsible for communication when patients cannot advocate for themselves? How do you reduce chaos without trying to control outcomes? And what changes when care conversations happen early rather than under pressure? This episode offers a clear examination of how preparation, advocacy, and direct dialogue shape both the care experience and what families carry with them afterward.
 
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Death, Money, And Why Care Conversations Matter
02:28 A Glioblastoma Diagnosis And Five Months Of Rapid Loss
09:49 Healthcare Planning Under Pressure: Power Of Attorney And Access
14:12 Care Conversations That Guide Medical Decisions
20:32 Healthcare System Barriers: Communication And Prior Authorization
33:43 Building A Care Team: Long-Term Care And Family Support
40:46 Patient Advocacy Explained: Navigating Healthcare Systems
49:10 Grief And Humor: Finding Meaning In Small Moments
53:18 A Grief Mantra About Love, Loss, And Living Fully
Connect with Angie Ingraham:
Visit the True North Patient Advocates website
Connect with Angie on LinkedIn
Visit the Dollars for Scholars website
Dead People Suck Survivors Departed Book
 
Connect with Justin Weidenfeld:
Connect with Justin on LinkedIn
Follow The Currency of Grief on LinkedIn 
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Visit Justin’s website bio
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

EP25: Rebecca Feinglos: How Money Complicates Grief and Grief Complicates Money

When grief enters your life, money often follows close behind, and without financial agency, inheritance and responsibility can quickly become part of the loss.
 
Justin Weidenfeld sits down with Rebecca Feinglos, founder of Grieve Leave, for a conversation about what happens when grief and money collide. Rebecca shares how losing her mother after a long illness, her father suddenly at the start of COVID, and later her marriage reshaped her relationship with responsibility, service, and financial decision-making. Her perspective challenges the pressure to turn grief into something productive and asks a quieter question instead: what if carrying it forward is enough?
 
Money, she explains, is never neutral after loss. Missed income, unpaid leave, medical bills, and inheritance decisions arrive fast, often before there is space to think clearly. The conversation explores how silence around money and death leaves families unprepared, especially women, and how limited financial education can undermine financial agency at the moment it matters most.
 
This episode is a call to service through honesty. Talking openly about inheritance, responsibility, and money does not remove grief, but it can reduce harm for those left behind. Through Grieve Leave and her podcast Grief’d Up, Rebecca works to change workplace culture and systems so people navigating loss are supported rather than left to figure it out alone.
 
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Grief and Money: Why Death and Finances Are So Intertwined
02:03 Bereavement Leave and Workplace Grief: The Hidden Financial Costs
04:47 Rebecca Feinglos’ Grief Story: Losing Parents and Navigating Divorce
06:29 Sudden Loss During COVID: Losing a Parent While at Work
16:12 Divorce After Loss: Making Major Life Decisions While Grieving
26:02 Inheritance and Financial Responsibility After Death
32:06 Financial Agency After Divorce: Learning Money Skills From Scratch
39:27 Grief Spending and Inheritance Guilt: Emotional Money Decisions
42:53 Service and Philanthropy: Using Inherited Wealth With Intention
52:07 Talking About Inheritance Before Crisis Hits
01:01:48 Grieve Leave: Changing Workplace Policies Around Grief
01:05:28 Final Takeaway: Why Talking About Grief and Money Matters
Connect with Rebecca Feinglos:
Visit the Grieve Leave website
Visit the Feinglos Fund website
Tune in to Rebecca's podcast: Grief'd Up
Follow Financial Feminist on Instagram
Connect with Justin Weidenfeld:
Visit Justin’s website bio
Connect with Justin on LinkedIn
Follow The Currency of Grief on LinkedIn 
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Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

EP24: Honoring Grandy B and the First Birthday Without You

Caregiving for anyone is an act of love, but that responsibility and unspoken end-of-life plans can linger in grief long after loss.
 
In this episode, Justin Weidenfeld reflects on caring for his grandmother, Grandy B, and marks the first grief anniversary and birthday following her death. He shares how caregiving gradually became part of his life and how stepping into medical and financial responsibility brought both closeness and strain. The episode explores how the absence of clear end-of-life planning conversations created confusion and emotional weight after her passing, especially as money and legacy became intertwined with grief. 
 
Through honest reflection, Justin offers a look at honoring a grandparent, the quiet demands of caregiving, and how the conversations we avoid can shape grief anniversaries for years to come.
 
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Death, Money, And The Purpose Of Currency Of Grief
01:05 Honoring My Grandmother And Marking A Grief Anniversary
04:50 Love, Identity, And Family Legacy
11:32 Dementia, Decline, And Stepping Into Caregiving
17:26 Becoming Medical And Financial Power Of Attorney
19:47 Hospice, Final Goodbyes, And Unanswered Questions
24:05 Estate Administration And Family Conflict After Death
38:31 When Money Becomes Tied To Love And Grief
52:23 Carrying Her Legacy And What I Learned
 
If you’d like to donate in honor of Grandy B’s legacy, you can donate to Experience Camps for Grieving Children, an organization she named as a beneficiary of her Estate (Mention The Currency of Grief Podcast in your donation): https://experiencecamps.org/?campaign=456056
Connect with Justin Weidenfeld:
Visit Justin’s website bio
Connect with Justin on LinkedIn
Follow The Currency of Grief on LinkedIn 
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Follow The Currency of Grief on TikTok 
Subscribe to The Currency of Grief on YouTube
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

EP23: Brian Helfman: Don’t Put Off The Conversations (Or The Life) You Want To Have

What happens to your relationship with work, money, and time when losing a parent at 23 forces you to confront death far earlier than expected?
 
Justin Weidenfeld speaks with Brian Helfman about how early loss reshaped his understanding of success, security, and purpose. Brian shares how his father’s death challenged the belief that life can be postponed and pushed him toward living with intention after loss. The conversation explores how grief can clarify priorities and expose the cost of waiting to enjoy your life.
 
Brian also opens up about inheritance guilt and the complicated emotions that come with receiving money tied to loss. He reflects on family financial dynamics, caregiving responsibilities, and the tension that arises when intentions were never clearly discussed. Grounded in the philosophy of memento mori, this episode invites listeners to consider what they are delaying, what truly matters, and how acknowledging mortality can lead to more honest choices now.
 
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Death, Money, and Why We Avoid the Conversation
05:24 Losing a Parent at 23 and the Shock of Early Grief
09:32 A Complicated Father and Lessons About Work and Worth
14:23 At-Home Hospice, Guilt, and the Reality of Final Moments
20:53 Returning to Life While Carrying New Responsibility
24:25 Rethinking Work, Time, and the “Back Nine” Mentality
29:34 Leaving Corporate Life and Finding Clarity in Nature
37:46 Inheritance Guilt and Family Financial Dynamics
46:12 Why Estate Planning Conversations Must Happen Earlier
01:06:50 Regret, Unsaid Words, and a Letter From His Father
01:12:22 Memento Mori: Don’t Put Off the Life You Want
Connect with Brian Helfman:
Visit the Third Nature website 
Connect with Brian on LinkedIn 
Check out Brian’s book recommendation, Memento Mori: The Art of Contemplating Death to Live a Better Life
Connect with Justin Weidenfeld:
Visit Justin’s website bio
Connect with Justin on LinkedIn
Follow The Currency of Grief on LinkedIn 
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Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
 

EP22: Ret Taylor: Finding Purpose Through Nature

What would you do if grief forced you to see exactly how little time you might have left?
 
Ret Taylor joins host Justin Weidenfeld to talk through his mother’s death, the last wishes he never got to ask about, and how that experience led him to take severance seriously as both a vision quest phase and a turning point in how he meets loss, legacy, and money. He shares how walking his mom’s laps under a harvest moon became a quiet practice of healing through nature, how her cancer journey shaped his work with Natural Remedies, and why he eventually shifted from selling products to guiding people in the wilderness. Through stories about vision quests, nights spent saying goodnight to the moon, and hard questions about how many years might remain, Ret invites listeners to uncover the buried treasures in their own lives and to start talking about what they want long before anyone loses their voice.
 
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Why Talk About Death And Money On Currency Of Grief
02:08 Meet Ret Taylor And His Work With Vision Quests
05:40 Wynn’s Cancer Journey And The Stroke That Changed Everything
14:36 Regretting Unspoken Last Wishes And Why Early Conversations Matter
21:56 Harvest Moon Grief Rituals And Healing Through Nature
37:03 Presence Twenty One Years Left And Permission To Stop Playing Small
45:02 Vision Quests Severance And Finding Buried Treasures In Nature
54:03 Using The Moon And The Natural World To Stay Connected After Loss
Links:Book: Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End
 
Connect with Ret Taylor:
Visit Ret’s Website
Connect with Ret on LinkedIn
Follow Ret on Instagram
Connect with Justin Weidenfeld:
Visit Justin’s website bio
Connect with Justin on LinkedIn
Follow The Currency of Grief on LinkedIn 
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Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

EP21: Ari Cohen: Grieving My Dad… and the Life I Thought I’d Have

Family financial secrets collide with grief in a story that exposes how losing a parent can unravel your sense of safety and force you to rebuild your future from the ground up.
 
Ariana Cohen joins Justin Weidenfeld to talk about the shock of financial betrayal and the moment she learned her dad had erased their savings while facing a terminal diagnosis. She explains how that discovery created lasting financial trauma, reshaped her plans, and forced her to take on adult responsibilities long before she felt ready. Ari reflects on the pressure of being the oldest child, the guilt that comes with losing everything you counted on, and the complicated blend of love and anger that follows when a parent’s choices leave deep financial and emotional fallout.
 
The conversation also explores how silence around money and hidden struggles can alter an entire family’s future. Ari shares how therapy, honest communication, and time with her mom and brother helped her rebuild stability and begin shaping a healthier family legacy. Her story shows the emotional resilience and the clarity that comes from trusting your instincts when something feels off.
 
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Introduction to Grief and Money
02:11 Ariana’s Family Story and Financial Struggles
08:43 The Impact of Financial Secrets on Family Dynamics
12:01 Childhood and Parental Roles
19:36 Grieving the Loss of a Parent and Financial Security
24:47 Understanding Financial Decisions and Mental Health
30:29 Navigating Life After Loss and Supporting Family
34:55 Navigating Grief and Family Dynamics
41:33 Transitioning into Adulthood After Loss
49:43 Lessons on Financial Planning and Legacy
56:01 Trusting Your Gut and Having Difficult Conversations
Connect with Ari Cohen:
Connect with Ari on LinkedIn
Visit the Experience Camps website
Connect with Justin Weidenfeld:
Connect with Justin on LinkedIn
Follow The Currency of Grief on LinkedIn 
Follow The Currency of Grief on Instagram 
Follow The Currency of Grief on TikTok 
Subscribe to The Currency of Grief on YouTube
Visit Justin’s website bio
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

EP20: Paul Deloughery: What Family Secrets Cause—and What a $28 Million Inheritance Couldn’t Solve

When family secrets, sudden wealth, and loss collide, the truth about inheritance and the myths surrounding it hit closer to home than most people realize.
 
Justin Weidenfeld talks with Paul Deloughery, the founder of Sudden Wealth Protection, whose story challenges what we think we know about money, grief, and family. After meeting his biological father for the first time just weeks before his death, Paul inherited a fortune, and with it, a flood of emotions he never expected. What happens when money arrives before you’ve had time to heal? Can estate plans really prevent conflict, or do unspoken feelings find their way to the surface no matter how many documents are signed?
 
Through his experience, Paul shows that inheritance can reveal more about identity and relationships than about wealth itself. He also reminds us that meaning comes from connection and clarity, not numbers on a statement. This conversation invites listeners to rethink what legacy truly means and why emotional preparation might be the most valuable inheritance of all.
 
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Introduction to Grief and Money
02:25 Paul’s Journey of Discovery
05:11 Navigating Family Secrets and Inheritance
16:54 The Impact of Loss on Relationships
22:49 Financial Decisions After Loss
26:04 Navigating Grief and Sudden Wealth
33:11 The Emotional Impact of Inheritance
39:31 Legacy vs. Money: Finding Meaning
45:07 Understanding Estate Taxes
48:29 Building a Legacy Through Communication
 
Connect with Justin Weidenfeld:
Connect with Justin on LinkedIn
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Subscribe to The Currency of Grief on YouTube
Visit Justin’s website bio
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

EP19: Wendy Wright: Talking about talking about it with a Financial Therapist

When grief and money collide, inheritance can stir up more than financial questions. It can surface old emotions, family patterns, and the deeper stories we carry about what wealth means.
 
Justin Weidenfeld sits down with Wendy Wright, a financial therapist and wealth transfer communication specialist, to talk about why so many people experience inheritance as a burden and what it takes to shift that experience into something meaningful. What happens when we slow down long enough to understand our personal money story? How does clearer family communication change the way wealth is passed on?
 
Wendy shares how every wealth transfer tells two stories: the one written in numbers and the one written in values, beliefs, and love. Through open, intentional conversations, she shows how families can replace secrecy and stress with honesty and connection. This episode invites you to rethink inheritance as an act of emotional clarity, one that can strengthen relationships, honor legacy, and create genuine peace of mind.
 
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Money And Loss: Why Grief Shapes Financial Choices
02:20 Meet Wendy Wright: Financial Therapy And Wealth Transfer
07:36 How Grief Drives Money Decisions And Behavior
15:18 Why Pausing Major Decisions After Loss Matters
22:15 Expected vs Unexpected Inheritance And Family Communication
24:39 Who Owns This Money And What Story Should It Tell
32:45 The Hidden Burden Of Inheriting A House
38:06 How Families Talk About Money With Intention And Money Story
57:52 Estate Plan vs Inheritance Plan: Key Differences
01:04:07 Practical Advice For New Inheritors After A Parent’s Death
 
Connect with Wendy Wright:
Visit Wendy’s website
Follow Wendy on Instagram 
Connect with Wendy on LinkedIn
 
Connect with Justin Weidenfeld:
Connect with Justin on LinkedIn
Follow The Currency of Grief on LinkedIn 
Follow The Currency of Grief on Instagram 
Follow The Currency of Grief on TikTok 
Subscribe to The Currency of Grief on YouTube
Visit Justin’s website bio
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

EP18: Sarah Kagan: The Legacy of Motherhood: Losing a Mom While Becoming a Mom

When Sarah Kagan became a mother while losing her own, she stepped into a season defined by both beginnings and endings. Joining Justin Weidenfeld in this episode, she shares the small moments that still echo—crocheting beside her mom until treatment made it impossible, finishing a baby blanket alone, and moving between hospice updates and work calls. Which matters more in the end, the big milestones or the ordinary time we barely notice while we have it?
 
Back at work, her grief was met with silence. Five days off, then business as usual. She wonders how different it could feel if HR handled logistics for the bereaved, or if re-entry mirrored onboarding with gradual steps back into responsibility. What if managers offered camera-off norms, lighter schedules, or real human check-ins? Sarah argues that grief doesn’t disappear when leave ends, it just shifts into the workplace.
 
That realization pushed her to create Keriah Grief Coaching, named after a ritual that means both tearing and opening. She now works with women who feel unrecognizable after loss, helping them stop circling around grief and take the next step into a life reshaped by it. Legacy shows up in handmade keepsakes for her kids and donations to pancreatic cancer research, but also in the reminder she offers clients and companies alike: grief isn’t a weakness to cover up—it’s a fact of being alive.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Introduction to The Currency of Grief Podcast
02:13 Sarah Kagan’s Path Into Grief Coaching
05:24 Caregiving for a Parent With Pancreatic Cancer
13:39 Anticipatory Grief During Pregnancy
23:41 Grieving While Pregnant
35:33 The Turning Point: Quitting a Job After Loss
41:23 How HR Can Support Bereaved Employees
50:10 Immediate Steps After Death: Funeral Planning and Shiva
58:26 The Firsts Without Mom
01:05:54 Keriah Grief Coaching: Mission and Services
 
Links
Connect with Sarah Kagan:
Visit Keriah Grief Coaching
Sarah Kagan’s LinkedIn
Sarah Kagan’s Instagram
 
Connect with Justin Weidenfeld:
Connect with Justin on LinkedIn
Follow The Currency of Grief on LinkedIn 
Follow The Currency of Grief on Instagram 
Follow The Currency of Grief on TikTok 
Subscribe to The Currency of Grief on YouTube
Website
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm