Can Grief Influence Career Choices?

As we leave 2020 behind, we ask: can grief influence career choices? Meet New York Times best-selling author Hope Edelman. Through a series of books starting with Motherless Daughters, Hope helps people turn grief into a healing and meaningful experience. Now, her latest book, The AfterGrief, gets grieving people to a place a positivity and purpose: “There really are only two stages of grief that people care about: there’s the stage where you feel really bad and then there’s the stage where you feel better … [That’s what] the aftergrief is.” In a wide ranging podcast episode, Hope: Describes being a 17-year-old who lost her mom to cancer and the grief journey that led her to write Motherless Daughters. Starts at 2:23 Defines The AfterGrief. Starts at 7:09 Explains how the Covid pandemic changed bereavement. Starts at 14:32 Takes us through the “gendered” way we discuss grief at work. Starts at 20:08 Provides insight on how grief can influence career choices that lead to meaningful work. Starts at 27:41 On the recognition of grief at work, Hope says: “It’s really important for hiring managers to be grief-literate, to know what to expect and to support their employees who are going through a period of grief.” Above all else, grieving is tough. But it can influence career choices that lead people to meaningful work opportunities. About our guest: Hope Edelman is the world renowned thought-leader on grief and bereavement: the author of several books; a noted speaker, and; a certified life coach. She earned a Bachelor of Science from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and a Masters of Arts in Nonfiction Writing from the University of Iowa. Hope lives and works in Southern California. EPISODE DATE: February 12, 2021 Social media: – Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – HopeEdeman.com Website – Motherless Daughters – The AfterGrief – Coaching