This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
A hospice nurse helps families prepare for final days. I really enjoyed working on this episode. Welcome to Seto Soul School. My name's Chris Guillebeau. I love hearing how people are doing something that is helpful and in service to others, but also in a way that is good for them also, in a way that is profitable.
Nothing wrong with that. Like we have to pay for services for all kinds of things in our lives. And so today we're gonna hear a story from a former hospice nurse, or maybe she's actually still a hospice nurse, I'm not sure. But she launches a unique side hustle as a death doula. Basically she has this compassionate approach to end-of-life care.
Just kind of helping people navigate final days with loved ones. So she's serving both a person who is dying as well as their family. As I said, it's something that is helpful and of service to people. And so we're gonna hear about how she's put this together, how she made her first $1,000. As I said, nothing wrong with making money from doing something that is of service.
So let's hear her story. How did she get started? What did she learn along the way? Maybe what's interesting or challenging? What's something we can take from the story?
Let's hand the microphone over to her. I'll come back at the end with a few words of wrap up. [Music]
After a decade as a hospice nurse, I recognized a crucial gap in end-of-life care. Families often felt overwhelmed and underprepared for those times. And I knew I could offer more support beyond my nursing role.
This realization led me to explore the emerging field of death doulas. Similar to birth doulas who assist with childbirth, we provide non-medical support to dying individuals and their families. Feeling inspired, I decided to turn this into a side hustle, launching peaceful passages online and in my hometown. To prepare, I invested $2,000 in specialized training through the International End-of-Life doula association. I also spent $500 on a website and a logo.
I wanted to present a professional image from day one. This isn't just a job after all. It's more like a calling. After researching similar services in other cities, I offer everything from one-time consultations for $250 to comprehensive packages, including multiple visits, 24/7 phone support, and assistance with funeral planning for $3,000. Finding clients initially required a delicate approach.
I reached out to my network of healthcare professionals explaining my new role. I also gave free talks at local community centers and libraries about end-of-life planning. These talks aren't about selling my services, I'd say. They're about educating people on their options. My first client came through a referral from a former colleague.
I'll call her Elizabeth. She was diagnosed with terminal cancer and hired me to help her prepare for her final months. I worked with Elizabeth to create a legacy project for our grandchildren, mediated two difficult conversations with family members, and was present in her final hours. Within six months, I was taking on two to three clients per month alongside my part-time nursing job. The emotional nature of the work presented unique challenges.
It's crucial to maintain professional boundaries while providing compassionate care. I implemented self-care practices and joined a support group to manage the emotional toll. I now offer workshops on end-of-life planning for healthy individuals and have partnered with a local funeral home to provide a continuum of care. These additions have boosted annual income from the business to around $45,000. It's not enough to live on, but I'm doing important work that I believe in.
The most unexpected aspect of my business has been the impact on my clients' families. Many tell me that our work together has transformed their grieving process. Knowing they fulfill their loved ones' wishes brings immense comfort. Looking ahead, I'm considering leaving my nursing job to focus on peaceful passages full-time. I'm also writing a book about my experiences, hoping to reach a wider audience at some point.
I'd like to encourage everyone to reflect on the fact that death is a part of life. My goal is to help people approach it with less fear and more meaning. Thanks so much for sharing that story, and thanks for doing this important work. I think more people need to think about what life is like in those situations, of how we can kind of navigate that process, both for ourselves and also for loved ones, if you're caring for parents or grandparents, or really just anyone. There are people who can make this process a little bit better, and a little bit better goes a long way sometimes.
I share these stories with you as a point of inspiration or motivation to get you thinking about your own service, product, or something you might wanna launch, or put out into the world in a way that is viable for you. If you have a question or some ideas or an update about your hustle, sidehustleschool.com. We've got notes for every episode. We've got a new episode every day, seven days a week. In fact, a new one's coming out tomorrow.
My name's Chris Guillebeau. This is "Side Hustle School." [Music]
From the Onward Project.
