People are surprised when I tell them: That I often have ashes [human remains] in my car as we make a point of personally delivering ashes back to their people. I talk to them and tell them I am taking them home.

Why I chose this career: When I was diagnosed with cancer in 2015 at age 45, I was dumbfounded. In fact, the loudest voice in my head shouted: “I have worked so hard to create my best life. How could this happen to me?”

After a year spent overcoming the disease I knew I had to find more meaningful work. I’d learned that I could do the hardest things, so I retrained as a celebrant. I can only describe my work as a calling. For six years I conducted many funeral services, however, one thing I found problematic was finding the right kind of funeral home to align with.

Sadly, I discovered that many of the traditional funeral homes seemed desensitised to death. Often, their approach was less than inspiring. I guess this is no surprise; as a culture trying very hard not to think about death we also don’t prepare for it, so many people don’t know what they need, or know what is possible.

Within a few weeks of meeting my business partner, Luke, we began building an entirely different kind of funeral business. We are both very proud of the quality of the care we’re able to offer and its ethical framework, but also of our unique take on celebrations of life held outside traditional funeral parlours.

What formal qualifications I needed: A Certificate IV in Celebrancy, and skills (or qualifications) in any of the following areas will greatly assist your success: creative writing, public speaking, grief work and personal communication. It’s definitely a career that either instantly pulls you, or not.

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