Why Grief Deserves A Seat At The Table with Carla Fernandez
- Author
- Michael Silverman
- Published
- Tue 16 Jun 2020
- Episode Link
- https://shows.acast.com/what-didnt-kill-you-with-michael-silverman/episodes/why-grief-deserves-a-seat-at-the-table-with-carla-fernandez
Today I’m joined by a long time friend of mine and Co-Founder of ‘The Dinner Party’, Carla Fernandez! Carla set out to start this organization shortly after her father’s passing from brain cancer when she was 21 years old.
Experiencing loss at such a young age made her realize how out of place she felt in the support groups and therapy sessions she’d attended previously. Wanting to create a sense of community and comfort in times of hardship was something she craved and with the help of many other young entrepreneurs such as herself, ‘The Dinner Party’ was born.
The company’s aim is to address ‘the crisis of isolation’ and help build a community through welcoming and safe dinner parties, surrounded by people going through similar situations. Grief can often feel like something we have to go through alone, but that can’t be further from the truth. Through the work Carla and her team have done over the years, they have shown that finding your people even in the hardest of times is possible and something that should be embraced.
If you’re interested to learn more or are someone in need of these resources yourself, then tune in to Episode 4 of What Didn’t Kill You!
Some Questions I Ask:
- What is ‘The Dinner Party’? (1:11)
- How long after your father passed away, did you found ‘The Dinner Party’? (11:33)
- How can we, as a society, embrace the ideals of loss and make it less taboo? (14:28)
- How has this painful event in your life dovetailed with your entrepreneurial career? (16:48)
- When my sister passed, I experienced a sense of invulnerability towards pain. Did you have that same feeling after your father’s passing? (29:06)
- Are you able to stay objective with the work that you do? (33:56)
- Do you employ any specific practices to help you stay balanced? (38:19)
In This Episode You Will Learn:
- The isolation behind experiencing loss at a young age (5:26)
- Why the language we use surrounding grief matters (7:49)
- The spectrum of emotions we feel during difficult times (10:01)
- How Carla and her team operate & The structure behind each dinner party (19:48)
- Why connecting through shared experiences creates more meaningful relationships (25:16)
- The profound impact that loss has on our lives & How my life changed after the passing of my sister Samantha (26:46)
- The dualities behind Carla’s business & The challenges behind balancing work and personal responsibilities (36:09)
Connect With Michael Silverman:
Connect With Carla Fernandez:
Resources:
- Book - “Man’s Search for Meaning” Author, Viktor E. Frankl
- Book - “The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership” Author, Jim Dethmer
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