"You don't build courage by avoiding what you're afraid of. You build courage by moving through it." -Diane Gansauer

Our hosts, Stephanie McCullough and Kevin Gaines, explore an extraordinary midlife reinvention with Diane Gansauer, who traded a high-profile government position for one of the few full-time funeral celebrant roles in the United States.

Her transformation proves that stepping away from prestige can lead to real personal fulfillment!

"I became more effective and a happier person," Diane reflects on leaving her role as deputy director of a Colorado state agency overseeing multimillion-dollar conservation grants. The political pressures and visibility of managing programs for Great Outdoors Colorado had worn thin.

"What I liked best was really the work one-on-one with families," she says.

Her journey to funeral celebrancy began serendipitously when a wealthy philanthropist, whose ranch had received conservation grants, learned about her occasional memorial officiating. This connection led to a position with North America's largest funeral services provider, where she ultimately celebrated over 400 lives.

The role required mastering the art of storytelling. Working with grieving families, she learned to capture the essence of lives lived. That's a skill that demands deep listening and authentic connection. This was intimate work that stood in stark contrast to her previous bureaucratic responsibilities.

But Diane's reinvention didn't stop there. Upon retirement, she embarked on the Continental Divide Trail, completing 3,100 miles from the Mexico border to Canada.

"It doesn't matter what other people are doing, it's between you and the mountain."

Her experiences culminated in her book "The Waypoints," in which she weaves together insights from honoring 400 lives and conquering thousands of miles of trail.

Midlife transitions aren't about climbing higher on conventional ladders. Sometimes they're about finding entirely different mountains to climb, ones that align with who we're becoming rather than who we thought we should be!

Key Topics

● Career Transition from State Government (3:45)

● Becoming a Funeral Celebrant (6:00)

● Learning the Art of Life Stories (9:53)

● Diane's Process of Working with Clients (17:57)

● Why Diane Wrote Her Book (23:24)

● Continental Divide Trail Challenge (28:15)

● Kevin and Stephanie's Wrap Up (46:58)

Resources:

• The Waypoints: From 400 Farewells and 3,000 Miles (book) • Diane Gansauer on Substack

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You can find the transcript and more information about this episode at www.takebackretirement.com.

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