We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-)

I’ve had many conversations about death, grief, and what it means to be prepared… but this one felt different.

Barry Du Bois is someone many Australians know from television. A builder, presenter, and now a powerful mental health advocate. But beyond the public image, Barry carries a deeply personal story shaped by cancer, loss, resilience, and a defining belief: “I won’t have anybody else narrate my story,” even when faced with a terminal diagnosis.

What struck me most in this conversation wasn’t just what Barry has been through… it was how he chooses to live because of it.

This episode explores what it means to face mortality head-on, draw strength from connection, and learn to live fully, one small, intentional step at a time, even in life’s hardest moments.

A little extra support for our listeners
If this conversation resonated with you, Barry has generously shared a range of free resources to help you feel more prepared, less overwhelmed, and supported through life’s more complex moments.

His work through The Art of Untangling Lives focuses on preparation, legacy, and easing the burden on loved ones.

Barry also offers a short, practical online program, 5 Days to a Calmer, Stronger You, designed as a gentle starting point for people who may appear to be coping on the outside, but don’t always feel that way underneath.

You can explore his resources at: barrydub

The Don’t Be Caught Dead Pub Quiz is back — now in its third year, and it’s a sellout event for a reason.

Join us on May 12 at 7pm at Hotel Lona in Frankston, as part of the South Side Festival.

Come solo and join a team, or bring your own crew — and compete for great prizes.

 Go to criticalinfo.com.au/events 

Every Tuesday at 7pm, I host Critical Chat Tuesdays —
free, online conversations where you can ask questions or just listen.

No pressure.
 No expectation.

Because this isn’t about planning for “someday” —
 it’s about being ready for whatever life throws your way.

Join anytime at criticalinfo.com.au/events

MY LOVED ONE HAS DIED, WHAT DO I DO NOW?

Our guide, ‘My Loved One Has Died, What Do I Do Now?’ provides practical steps for the hours and days after a loved one's death. Download it here.

SUPPORT SERVICES
If you're feeling overwhelmed by grief, find support through our resources and bereavement services here.

Support the show

Support the 'Don’t Be Caught Dead' podcast with a one-off or regular donation to help Critical Info, a certified social enterprise, keep creating free, high-impact conversations about death, grief and planning—every contribution fuels our mission to reduce the burden on families and build a more death-literate, compassionate community. Donate here now.

Learn more: https://criticalinfo.com.au/

Connect with Don't Be Caught Dead podcast host Catherine Ashton & Critical info on socials:
https://linktr.ee/catherine_critical_info?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=c1879300-84db-4c70-9270-18d17d3ec22a

Music composer: Ania Reynolds - https://www.aniareynolds.com/

We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-)

There are moments in life that divide everything into before and after… this conversation with Emily Mir holds one of those stories.

Emily is a mother, storyteller, and advocate whose life was forever shaped by the stillbirth of her son, Gilbert, at full term. What she shares is not just the heartbreak of that day, but the reality of what comes after… the quiet, evolving, and deeply human experience of grief.

In this episode, we talk about what it means to carry love for a child who is no longer physically here, how grief softens but never disappears, and the complexity of holding joy and loss at the same time. Emily also shares the inspiration behind her children’s book Gilbert’s Cake — a gentle but honest way to help families speak about grief with children, without hiding the truth.

This is a conversation about love, loss, and the ways we continue to live, connect, and remember.

Remember; You may not be ready to die, but at least you can be prepared.

Take care,
Catherine

The Don’t Be Caught Dead Pub Quiz is back — now in its third year, and it’s a sellout event for a reason.

Join us on May 12 at 7pm at Hotel Lona in Frankston, as part of the South Side Festival.

Come solo and join a team, or bring your own crew — and compete for great prizes.

 Go to criticalinfo.com.au/events 

Every Tuesday at 7pm, I host Critical Chat Tuesdays —
free, online conversations where you can ask questions or just listen.

No pressure.
 No expectation.

Because this isn’t about planning for “someday” —
 it’s about being ready for whatever life throws your way.

Join anytime at criticalinfo.com.au/events

MY LOVED ONE HAS DIED, WHAT DO I DO NOW?

Our guide, ‘My Loved One Has Died, What Do I Do Now?’ provides practical steps for the hours and days after a loved one's death. Download it here.

SUPPORT SERVICES
If you're feeling overwhelmed by grief, find support through our resources and bereavement services here.

Support the show

Support the 'Don’t Be Caught Dead' podcast with a one-off or regular donation to help Critical Info, a certified social enterprise, keep creating free, high-impact conversations about death, grief and planning—every contribution fuels our mission to reduce the burden on families and build a more death-literate, compassionate community. Donate here now.

Learn more: https://criticalinfo.com.au/

Connect with Don't Be Caught Dead podcast host Catherine Ashton & Critical info on socials:
https://linktr.ee/catherine_critical_info?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=c1879300-84db-4c70-9270-18d17d3ec22a

Music composer: Ania Reynolds - https://www.aniareynolds.com/

We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-)

If I had my time again, I wouldn’t leave her there… I would have brought her home.

In this episode, I sit down with Annie Caulfield, a Brisbane-based death care practitioner and founder of Grassroots Death Care. Annie’s work is centred around helping families reconnect with death in a way that feels more personal, supported, and deeply human.

This conversation is shaped by Annie’s own lived experience of losing her mum suddenly. What she shares isn’t just reflection… it’s clarity that came after the moment had already passed. The realisation that there were choices she didn’t know she had.

We talk about how death has quietly been handed over to systems over time, and what that has taken away from families and communities. Annie walks us through what it can actually look like to bring someone home, to care for them in their final days, and to be more involved in the process rather than stepping back from it.

This episode isn’t about getting it “right.” It’s about understanding that there are options… and that even in the hardest moments, there can still be space for connection, presence, and meaning.

Remember; You may not be ready to die, but at least you can be prepared.

Take care,
 Catherine

The Don’t Be Caught Dead Pub Quiz is back — now in its third year, and it’s a sellout event for a reason.

Join us on May 12 at 7pm at Hotel Lona in Frankston, as part of the South Side Festival.

Come solo and join a team, or bring your own crew — and compete for great prizes.

 Go to criticalinfo.com.au/events 

Every Tuesday at 7pm, I host Critical Chat Tuesdays —
free, online conversations where you can ask questions or just listen.

No pressure.
 No expectation.

Because this isn’t about planning for “someday” —
 it’s about being ready for whatever life throws your way.

Join anytime at criticalinfo.com.au/events

MY LOVED ONE HAS DIED, WHAT DO I DO NOW?

Our guide, ‘My Loved One Has Died, What Do I Do Now?’ provides practical steps for the hours and days after a loved one's death. Download it here.

SUPPORT SERVICES
If you're feeling overwhelmed by grief, find support through our resources and bereavement services here.

Support the show

Support the 'Don’t Be Caught Dead' podcast with a one-off or regular donation to help Critical Info, a certified social enterprise, keep creating free, high-impact conversations about death, grief and planning—every contribution fuels our mission to reduce the burden on families and build a more death-literate, compassionate community. Donate here now.

Learn more: https://criticalinfo.com.au/

Connect with Don't Be Caught Dead podcast host Catherine Ashton & Critical info on socials:
https://linktr.ee/catherine_critical_info?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=c1879300-84db-4c70-9270-18d17d3ec22a

Music composer: Ania Reynolds - https://www.aniareynolds.com/

We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-)

Trigger Warning: This episode includes conversations around suicide, trauma, and grief. Please listen with care.

—

I’ve sat in many conversations around death… but this one stayed with me in a different way.

Today, I’m speaking with Todd Maguire, a former undercover police officer who spent decades on the frontline of humanity’s darkest moments. From violent crime to suicide, from delivering devastating news to living with the aftermath of trauma, Todd has seen more than most of us ever will. But what struck me most wasn’t just what he witnessed… it was what he carried.

Todd shares the story of losing his partner to suicide, the years of pain, recklessness, and self-destruction that followed, and how he slowly found his way back. Not perfectly. Not cleanly. But honestly. And in that honesty, there is something incredibly powerful.

This conversation isn’t just about death. It’s about what happens after. It’s about grief, identity, healing… and the quiet, often messy work of choosing to live again.

Remember; You may not be ready to die, but at least you can be prepared.

Take care,
Catherine

The Don’t Be Caught Dead Pub Quiz is back — now in its third year, and it’s a sellout event for a reason.

Join us on May 12 at 7pm at Hotel Lona in Frankston, as part of the South Side Festival.

Come solo and join a team, or bring your own crew — and compete for great prizes.

 Go to criticalinfo.com.au/events 

Every Tuesday at 7pm, I host Critical Chat Tuesdays —
free, online conversations where you can ask questions or just listen.

No pressure.
 No expectation.

Because this isn’t about planning for “someday” —
 it’s about being ready for whatever life throws your way.

Join anytime at criticalinfo.com.au/events

MY LOVED ONE HAS DIED, WHAT DO I DO NOW?

Our guide, ‘My Loved One Has Died, What Do I Do Now?’ provides practical steps for the hours and days after a loved one's death. Download it here.

SUPPORT SERVICES
If you're feeling overwhelmed by grief, find support through our resources and bereavement services here.

Support the show

Support the 'Don’t Be Caught Dead' podcast with a one-off or regular donation to help Critical Info, a certified social enterprise, keep creating free, high-impact conversations about death, grief and planning—every contribution fuels our mission to reduce the burden on families and build a more death-literate, compassionate community. Donate here now.

Learn more: https://criticalinfo.com.au/

Connect with Don't Be Caught Dead podcast host Catherine Ashton & Critical info on socials:
https://linktr.ee/catherine_critical_info?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=c1879300-84db-4c70-9270-18d17d3ec22a

Music composer: Ania Reynolds - https://www.aniareynolds.com/

We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-)

Have you ever thought about what it really means to live well… and how often we’re told that “more” is the answer?

More things. More experiences. More consumption.

But what if that’s not it at all?

In this episode, I’m joined by Annie Raser-Rowland, writer, horticulturalist, and co-author of The Art of Frugal Hedonism. Together, we explore a different way of living… one that isn’t built around constant consumption, but around presence, connection, and truly experiencing life as it is.

What struck me most is how this way of living naturally shifts how we see death. When you understand yourself as part of a wider system… where everything cycles, returns, and continues… death starts to feel less like something “wrong” and more like something that simply belongs.

This is a conversation about life, death, grief, and the quiet ways we can feel more alive… without needing more.

Remember; You may not be ready to die, but at least you can be prepared.

Take care,
Catherine

The Don’t Be Caught Dead Pub Quiz is back — now in its third year, and it’s a sellout event for a reason.

Join us on May 12 at 7pm at Hotel Lona in Frankston, as part of the South Side Festival.

Come solo and join a team, or bring your own crew — and compete for great prizes.

 Go to criticalinfo.com.au/events 

Every Tuesday at 7pm, I host Critical Chat Tuesdays —
free, online conversations where you can ask questions or just listen.

No pressure.
 No expectation.

Because this isn’t about planning for “someday” —
 it’s about being ready for whatever life throws your way.

Join anytime at criticalinfo.com.au/events

MY LOVED ONE HAS DIED, WHAT DO I DO NOW?

Our guide, ‘My Loved One Has Died, What Do I Do Now?’ provides practical steps for the hours and days after a loved one's death. Download it here.

SUPPORT SERVICES
If you're feeling overwhelmed by grief, find support through our resources and bereavement services here.

Support the show

Support the 'Don’t Be Caught Dead' podcast with a one-off or regular donation to help Critical Info, a certified social enterprise, keep creating free, high-impact conversations about death, grief and planning—every contribution fuels our mission to reduce the burden on families and build a more death-literate, compassionate community. Donate here now.

Learn more: https://criticalinfo.com.au/

Connect with Don't Be Caught Dead podcast host Catherine Ashton & Critical info on socials:
https://linktr.ee/catherine_critical_info?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=c1879300-84db-4c70-9270-18d17d3ec22a

Music composer: Ania Reynolds - https://www.aniareynolds.com/

We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-)

In this episode, I’m speaking with Kathie Shearer, a funeral celebrant for over 20 years who has supported families through some of life’s most emotional moments.

We explore what truly matters at the end of life, and what people actually remember. Kathie shares that it’s not the achievements or milestones, but the memories, the relationships, and the way someone made others feel that stay with us.

She also reflects on her own experience of loss with the death of her husband, Australian golf legend PGA Champion Bob Shearer and how that shaped her perspective on the importance of being able to say goodbye.

We talk about end-of-life planning in a different way. Not as something heavy, but as something thoughtful and practical - like a love letter. A way to ease the burden on the people you love and give them something to hold onto when it matters most.

Because sometimes, the smallest preparations can make the biggest difference

Remember; You may not be ready to die, but at least you can be prepared.

Take care,
Catherine

The Don’t Be Caught Dead Pub Quiz is back — now in its third year, and it’s a sellout event for a reason.

Join us on May 12 at 7pm at Hotel Lona in Frankston, as part of the South Side Festival.

Come solo and join a team, or bring your own crew — and compete for great prizes.

 Go to criticalinfo.com.au/events 

Every Tuesday at 7pm, I host Critical Chat Tuesdays —
free, online conversations where you can ask questions or just listen.

No pressure.
 No expectation.

Because this isn’t about planning for “someday” —
 it’s about being ready for whatever life throws your way.

Join anytime at criticalinfo.com.au/events

MY LOVED ONE HAS DIED, WHAT DO I DO NOW?

Our guide, ‘My Loved One Has Died, What Do I Do Now?’ provides practical steps for the hours and days after a loved one's death. Download it here.

SUPPORT SERVICES
If you're feeling overwhelmed by grief, find support through our resources and bereavement services here.

Support the show

Support the 'Don’t Be Caught Dead' podcast with a one-off or regular donation to help Critical Info, a certified social enterprise, keep creating free, high-impact conversations about death, grief and planning—every contribution fuels our mission to reduce the burden on families and build a more death-literate, compassionate community. Donate here now.

Learn more: https://criticalinfo.com.au/

Connect with Don't Be Caught Dead podcast host Catherine Ashton & Critical info on socials:
https://linktr.ee/catherine_critical_info?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=c1879300-84db-4c70-9270-18d17d3ec22a

Music composer: Ania Reynolds - https://www.aniareynolds.com/

We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-)

In this episode, I’m speaking with John Malouff, psychologist and Associate Professor at the University of New England. John has spent much of his career researching procrastination, self-regulation, and the science of why people avoid the very tasks that could make their lives easier.

And that includes one of the most important tasks many of us put off for far too long: end-of-life planning.

We talk about why so many people delay writing a will, completing an advance care directive, or having conversations about their wishes. Often it isn’t about laziness or indifference. It’s fear, uncertainty, and the simple fact that we don’t see other people openly doing it.

John shares practical psychological insights into why procrastination happens, what motivates people to take action, and how even small prompts can help us move from avoidance to preparation.

Because while death itself may be confronting, the real impact often comes from what happens before and after it.

Remember; You may not be ready to die, but at least you can be prepared.

Take care,
Catherine

The Don’t Be Caught Dead Pub Quiz is back — now in its third year, and it’s a sellout event for a reason.

Join us on May 12 at 7pm at Hotel Lona in Frankston, as part of the South Side Festival.

Come solo and join a team, or bring your own crew — and compete for great prizes.

 Go to criticalinfo.com.au/events 

Every Tuesday at 7pm, I host Critical Chat Tuesdays —
free, online conversations where you can ask questions or just listen.

No pressure.
 No expectation.

Because this isn’t about planning for “someday” —
 it’s about being ready for whatever life throws your way.

Join anytime at criticalinfo.com.au/events

MY LOVED ONE HAS DIED, WHAT DO I DO NOW?

Our guide, ‘My Loved One Has Died, What Do I Do Now?’ provides practical steps for the hours and days after a loved one's death. Download it here.

SUPPORT SERVICES
If you're feeling overwhelmed by grief, find support through our resources and bereavement services here.

Support the show

Support the 'Don’t Be Caught Dead' podcast with a one-off or regular donation to help Critical Info, a certified social enterprise, keep creating free, high-impact conversations about death, grief and planning—every contribution fuels our mission to reduce the burden on families and build a more death-literate, compassionate community. Donate here now.

Learn more: https://criticalinfo.com.au/

Connect with Don't Be Caught Dead podcast host Catherine Ashton & Critical info on socials:
https://linktr.ee/catherine_critical_info?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=c1879300-84db-4c70-9270-18d17d3ec22a

Music composer: Ania Reynolds - https://www.aniareynolds.com/

We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-)

There are some losses we never officially acknowledge.

Not the kind that comes with a funeral, flowers, or a clear ending. But the kind that quietly reshapes a life. A diagnosis. A caregiving role. A sudden accident. A future that no longer looks the way we thought it would.

In this episode, I speak with Linda Rowley, a wellbeing consultant, coach and facilitator based in regional Victoria. Linda has spent more than 20 years supporting people through change, loss, and uncertainty. Her work focuses on something many people have experienced but rarely have words for: ambiguous loss.

Linda’s professional expertise is deeply informed by her own life experiences, including being diagnosed with stage three cancer in her thirties while raising a young daughter. That journey, alongside supporting her mother through cancer at the same time, reshaped the way she understands resilience, identity, and what it means to rebuild life when everything changes.

Together, we explore how loss doesn’t always come with clear endings, why many of the most difficult life changes go unrecognised by society, and how we can support both ourselves and others through these complex transitions.

Remember; You may not be ready to die, but at least you can be prepared.

Take care,
Catherine

The Don’t Be Caught Dead Pub Quiz is back — now in its third year, and it’s a sellout event for a reason.

Join us on May 12 at 7pm at Hotel Lona in Frankston, as part of the South Side Festival.

Come solo and join a team, or bring your own crew — and compete for great prizes.

 Go to criticalinfo.com.au/events 

Every Tuesday at 7pm, I host Critical Chat Tuesdays —
free, online conversations where you can ask questions or just listen.

No pressure.
 No expectation.

Because this isn’t about planning for “someday” —
 it’s about being ready for whatever life throws your way.

Join anytime at criticalinfo.com.au/events

MY LOVED ONE HAS DIED, WHAT DO I DO NOW?

Our guide, ‘My Loved One Has Died, What Do I Do Now?’ provides practical steps for the hours and days after a loved one's death. Download it here.

SUPPORT SERVICES
If you're feeling overwhelmed by grief, find support through our resources and bereavement services here.

Support the show

Support the 'Don’t Be Caught Dead' podcast with a one-off or regular donation to help Critical Info, a certified social enterprise, keep creating free, high-impact conversations about death, grief and planning—every contribution fuels our mission to reduce the burden on families and build a more death-literate, compassionate community. Donate here now.

Learn more: https://criticalinfo.com.au/

Connect with Don't Be Caught Dead podcast host Catherine Ashton & Critical info on socials:
https://linktr.ee/catherine_critical_info?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=c1879300-84db-4c70-9270-18d17d3ec22a

Music composer: Ania Reynolds - https://www.aniareynolds.com/

We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-)

What happens to your brain after you die?

In this episode, I speak with Professor Greg Sutherland, Director of the New South Wales Brain Tissue Resource Centre. Greg leads one of Australia’s postmortem brain banks and works at the forefront of research into Alzheimer’s Disease and Alcohol Use Disorder.

We talk about what a brain bank really is and why human brain tissue is still essential in understanding diseases that have no cure. Greg explains why Alzheimer’s is so complex, why symptoms mean irreversible damage has already occurred, and why prevention may be our most powerful tool.

We also explore Alcohol Use Disorder — the stigma, the genetics, and why addiction cannot be reduced to willpower alone.

This conversation is about research, reality, and the role brain donation plays in shaping what the future of prevention might look like.

Remember; You may not be ready to die, but at least you can be prepared.

Take care,
Catherine

The Don’t Be Caught Dead Pub Quiz is back — now in its third year, and it’s a sellout event for a reason.

Join us on May 12 at 7pm at Hotel Lona in Frankston, as part of the South Side Festival.

Come solo and join a team, or bring your own crew — and compete for great prizes.

 Go to criticalinfo.com.au/events 

Every Tuesday at 7pm, I host Critical Chat Tuesdays —
free, online conversations where you can ask questions or just listen.

No pressure.
 No expectation.

Because this isn’t about planning for “someday” —
 it’s about being ready for whatever life throws your way.

Join anytime at criticalinfo.com.au/events

MY LOVED ONE HAS DIED, WHAT DO I DO NOW?

Our guide, ‘My Loved One Has Died, What Do I Do Now?’ provides practical steps for the hours and days after a loved one's death. Download it here.

SUPPORT SERVICES
If you're feeling overwhelmed by grief, find support through our resources and bereavement services here.

Support the show

Support the 'Don’t Be Caught Dead' podcast with a one-off or regular donation to help Critical Info, a certified social enterprise, keep creating free, high-impact conversations about death, grief and planning—every contribution fuels our mission to reduce the burden on families and build a more death-literate, compassionate community. Donate here now.

Learn more: https://criticalinfo.com.au/

Connect with Don't Be Caught Dead podcast host Catherine Ashton & Critical info on socials:
https://linktr.ee/catherine_critical_info?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=c1879300-84db-4c70-9270-18d17d3ec22a

Music composer: Ania Reynolds - https://www.aniareynolds.com/

We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text :-)

Theresa Flavin was diagnosed with younger-onset Alzheimer’s Disease at 47. What followed was not just a medical journey, but a profound reckoning with how unprepared our systems are for people living with dementia.

In this deeply moving and confronting conversation, Theresa shares what it felt like to be dismissed, unheard and effectively “managed away” after diagnosis. From being told her diagnosis via dictaphone to discovering that dementia care systems are built around suppression rather than understanding, Theresa speaks with extraordinary clarity about what it truly feels like to live inside a brain that is changing.

We explore behaviour, consent, dignity, palliative care, human rights, and the urgent need for proper pathways after diagnosis. Theresa also shares her powerful moment addressing the United Nations, advocating for cognitive diversity and the rights of people living with dementia.

This episode is not about fear. It is about truth, agency and preparation.

Thank you for listening.

The Don’t Be Caught Dead Pub Quiz is back — now in its third year, and it’s a sellout event for a reason.

Join us on May 12 at 7pm at Hotel Lona in Frankston, as part of the South Side Festival.

Come solo and join a team, or bring your own crew — and compete for great prizes.

 Go to criticalinfo.com.au/events 

Every Tuesday at 7pm, I host Critical Chat Tuesdays —
free, online conversations where you can ask questions or just listen.

No pressure.
 No expectation.

Because this isn’t about planning for “someday” —
 it’s about being ready for whatever life throws your way.

Join anytime at criticalinfo.com.au/events

MY LOVED ONE HAS DIED, WHAT DO I DO NOW?

Our guide, ‘My Loved One Has Died, What Do I Do Now?’ provides practical steps for the hours and days after a loved one's death. Download it here.

SUPPORT SERVICES
If you're feeling overwhelmed by grief, find support through our resources and bereavement services here.

Support the show

Support the 'Don’t Be Caught Dead' podcast with a one-off or regular donation to help Critical Info, a certified social enterprise, keep creating free, high-impact conversations about death, grief and planning—every contribution fuels our mission to reduce the burden on families and build a more death-literate, compassionate community. Donate here now.

Learn more: https://criticalinfo.com.au/

Connect with Don't Be Caught Dead podcast host Catherine Ashton & Critical info on socials:
https://linktr.ee/catherine_critical_info?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=c1879300-84db-4c70-9270-18d17d3ec22a

Music composer: Ania Reynolds - https://www.aniareynolds.com/