In this powerful and unexpectedly uplifting episode of The Good Grief Podcast, Mike O’Connell and host Pete Waggoner sit down with Minneapolis tattoo artist Carlen Gil to explore one of the most personalized memorial options available today: incorporating cremated remains into tattoo ink.

From the history of tattooing to the science behind cremation ink refinement, this episode blends artistry, trust, grief, and legacy.

Carlen shares the emotional responsibility of tattooing something that will live on someone’s body forever, while Mike explains how families can transform cremated remains into a meaningful, lasting tribute.

The result is a conversation that challenges stereotypes about both funeral care and tattoo artistry, and highlights the deep humanity shared between them.

Episode Timestamps

00:00:36 – Introduction to tattoo artist Carlen Gil

00:01:47 – Why people choose tattoos: decorative vs sentimental

00:03:54 – Breaking stereotypes: funeral directors and tattoo artists

00:09:34 – Introducing cremated remains in tattoo ink

00:10:00 – The four-step cremation ink refinement process

00:12:26 – Most common memorial tattoo requests

00:13:54 – The history and symbolism of skull imagery

00:16:00 – Do tattoos hurt? Placement and pain explained

00:20:41 – Cover-ups, name tattoos, and tattoo regret

00:24:00 – How tattoos age over time

00:27:30 – Why cremation tattoos are growing in popularity

00:29:00 – The long history of tattooing across cultures

00:30:36 – Why licensing and consultation matter

00:33:00 – Tattoo “flash” and choosing the right design

00:34:53 – How O’Connell Family Funeral Homes facilitates the process

Resources Mentioned

• Engrave Ink (cremation ink processing partner)

• The Remover (tattoo removal service referenced)

• Carlen Gil – [email protected]

• Instagram: @carlentatooine

Takeaways

• Memorial tattoos using cremated remains are becoming more common and deeply personal.

• Tattooing is a collaborative process built on trust between client and artist.

• Cremation ink undergoes a rigorous refinement and sterilization process before use.

• Black ink works best because carbon is more stable and recognizable to the body.

• Tattoos age and evolve with the body — thoughtful design ensures longevity.

• Licensed, trained artists and proper consultation are essential for safety.

• Personal memorialization is evolving beyond traditional urns and headstones.

  
  

  
  

In this episode of The Good Grief Podcast, hosts Pete Waggoner and Michael O’Connell sit down with St. Croix County Sheriff Scott Knutson to talk about a growing threat facing older adults: scams that prey on kindness, trust, and fear.

From grandparent scams and fake tech support calls to government impersonators and gift card fraud, Sheriff Knutson shares real-world examples from his thirty years in law enforcement. The conversation explores why these crimes are so hard to track, why many victims never report them, and how families can take practical steps to protect their loved ones.

This episode is about awareness, education, and breaking the silence around scams so fewer families are harmed.

In this episode, Mike O’Connell joins Pete Waggoner for a deeply insightful conversation about monuments. 

They explore why headstones matter, how design choices tell a story, and what most families don’t know about the planning process. From costs to colors, Mike shares decades of wisdom to help you approach monument decisions with care and creativity.

Whether you’re preplanning or honoring a loved one, this episode will help you understand the value behind these lasting tributes—and how to avoid common mistakes.

Episode Highlights (Timestamps):

• [00:01:00] Why cemeteries are peaceful places for reflection

• [00:02:00] Partnering with Melgard Monument for creative, affordable designs

• [00:04:00] Understanding size limitations, layouts, and regulations

• [00:06:00] Granite types, color families, and weather durability

• [00:08:00] Rules about markers vs. upright monuments

• [00:10:00] One cost includes installation, engraving, delivery, and more

• [00:11:00] Companion vs. single monuments and modern trends

• [00:13:00] Clip art, symbols, etchings, and personalizing a monument

• [00:16:00] The permanence of engraving—and how to avoid errors

• [00:22:00] Polished finishes, contracts, and sign-offs

• [00:26:00] Flower vases, solar lights, and weather risks

• [00:28:00] Cleaning and caring for your monument (toilet bowl cleaner, really!)

• [00:30:00] Resetting and cemetery liability

Takeaways:

• Monument design is an extension of storytelling—your legacy in stone.
  

• One size doesn’t fit all. Style, size, and cemetery rules matter.
  

• Mistakes in engraving are permanent—always double-check before signing.
  

• Trust funds and prepaying can simplify everything for your family.
  

• Adding personal artwork, quotes, or symbols captures who someone really was.
  

Memorable Quotes from Mike O’Connell:

• “If it can be drawn, it can be blasted.”

• “You bought it. It’s yours. The care and cleaning of the monument belongs to the family.”

• “We’re not just marking a grave, we’re honoring a life.”

This heartfelt episode features a candid conversation between Mike and Emma O’Connell, father-daughter members of O’Connell Family Funeral Homes, as they reflect on legacy, loss, and growing up in a family funeral home.

From prom pranks to life-shaping grief experiences, they share the emotional realities and quiet joys that come with serving others in their most tender moments.

Episode Highlights (Timestamps):

• 00:01:00 – The rich family history behind OCFH

• 00:03:00 – How funeral homes evolved from furniture makers

• 00:06:30 – The threat of corporate consolidation in funeral care

• 00:08:00 – Emma’s winding journey to joining the family business

• 00:10:55 – Memories of growing up around the funeral home

• 00:14:30 – Mike’s pride in watching Emma comfort grieving families

• 00:16:30 – Childhood stories (yes, a scooter crash is involved)

• 00:27:00 – Honoring a Pearl Harbor veteran

• 00:32:00 – How grief changed Mike after his brother’s death

• 00:35:00 – Emma’s personal take on compassion and legacy

• 00:41:30 – The values Emma hopes to pass on to the next generation

Takeaways:

• Funeral service is not just a profession, it’s a calling.

• Legacy is built one story, one act of service, and one person at a time.

• Grief, when met with community and compassion, can shape a life of meaning.

• The little moments, like scooter crashes or meatball dinners, often leave the deepest marks.

• Family-run funeral homes offer a level of personal care that corporate chains cannot replicate.

Memorable Quotes

Emma O’Connell:

• You never know what someone’s going through. That’s why compassion matters.

• Grief doesn’t scare me, it unites people.

• My job is to offer comfort in the storm.

• Church basement dinners? A core memory!

A single sentence can haunt a family for years. “Just cremate me and throw me out back.”

It’s said casually, often meant with humility, but can create lasting pain and confusion for those left behind. 

In this heartfelt episode, funeral director Mike O’Connell opens up about why these words are his “kryptonite,” the emotional cost of skipping a ceremony, and how reframing our final wishes can become a lasting gift to our loved ones.

Episode Breakdown: What You’ll Hear

[00:00] The phrase that breaks Mike’s heart: “Just cremate me and throw me out back.”

[01:00] Why this statement—though humble—can create guilt, regret, and long-term pain for families.

[02:30] The emotional burden of “no service” requests and what it denies the living. [04:00] How the absence of a funeral can delay grief or deepen suffering.

[06:00] Cultural avoidance of death and how COVID intensified the trend of delaying or skipping ceremonies.

[08:00] The invisible toll of unresolved grief: isolation, anxiety, anger, and even substance abuse.

[10:00] When shame, regret, or feeling “unworthy” make us avoid being honored.

[12:00] How to reframe funerals as a gift—not a burden.

[14:00] Simple services can still be deeply meaningful—and allow loved ones to begin healing.

[16:00] The final act of love: granting your family permission to remember you in the way they need.

[18:00] “People don’t go because someone died. They go because someone lived.”

Quotes

“The funeral isn’t the burden - the death is.” —Mike O’Connell
“Give your family the gift of time to gather, to cry, to laugh, and to begin healing.”
“You don’t grieve a body. You grieve a life - shared moments, laughter, even the hard times.”

Resources

• Mike O’Connell’s Bio Page

What You'll Hear in This Episode

In this episode of The Good Grief Podcast, Christa Walz from Adoray joins us to talk about the power of home health care in helping families age with support, safety, and dignity.

Here's a quick look at what we covered:

[00:00] Christa reflects on 20 years with Adoray and how she got started in home health care.

[02:00] What home health care includes—and how it’s different from hospice.

[04:00] Who qualifies for services and how families can initiate care.

[06:00] Collaborating with physicians, families, and navigating referrals.

[08:00] The emotional dynamics of in-home care—and why it takes trust.

[10:00] What makes Adoray different: nonprofit, extra services, and patient-first care.

[14:00] Fall prevention, medication safety, and preparing the home.

[17:00] How Medicare and Advantage plans affect care and costs.

[20:00] Why Adoray launched thrift stores to sustain services. [22:00] Transitioning to hospice and launching a palliative care program.

[25:00] AI tools supporting documentation, not replacing human care.

[27:00] Why planning ahead helps families avoid crisis decisions.        

Christa Walz

• "A lot of times people don't hear of us until they need us."

• "The more you learn about it, the less scary it can be."

• "Better to know us and not need us, than need us and not know us."

• "Adoray is the only nonprofit hospice agency in western Wisconsin."

• "We meet patients where they are—in their homes, on their terms."

Mike O’Connell

• "You have the patient, and then you have the family whispering from the hallway."

• "Every year, your job gets tougher and tougher."

• "Memorials and legacy gifts really do help.”

Links & Resources

• Adoray Home Health & Hospice

• Treasures From the Heart Thrift Stores

• About Mike O’Connell

• Christa Walz on LinkedIn

When Grief Doesn’t Go Away—and That’s Okay

Grief isn’t something we get over—it’s something we learn to live with. In this episode of The Good Grief Podcast, therapist Jill Ann Anderson joins Mike O’Connell and Pete Waggoner for an honest, moving conversation about what it means to truly process grief. 

Jill shares her personal journey of loss, how it led her to become a grief therapist, and why so many people feel isolated in their pain.

Instead of avoiding uncomfortable emotions or rushing to “move on,” Jill explains the transformational power of simply feeling. 

Whether you're grieving the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or a version of life you expected to have, this episode reminds us that healing comes not from fixing grief—but from witnessing it with compassion.

Grief Isn’t a Straight Line

Episode Highlights & Key Takeaways

• Jill Ann Anderson shares how personal loss led her to specialize in grief therapy

• Why grief is not linear and doesn’t follow a specific timeline

• The analogy of the “rice beds” and how grief requires a guide

• How culture has “sanitized” death and made us uncomfortable with pain

• The deep connection between childhood wounds and adult grief

• Why witnessing, not fixing, is the core of healing

• How therapy can help you rebuild after loss and find new meaning

• Why some people resist healing and the importance of self-responsibility

• The difference between suffering and feeling

• How boundaries are meant for expansion, not exclusion

• Grief as a path toward growth, authenticity, and inner strength

What happens behind the scenes before a loved one’s viewing? In this eye-opening episode of The Good Grief Podcast, Michael O’Connell breaks down the details of what goes into preparing someone for a final goodbye.

From grooming and attire to the unexpected things most families never think about, this is a transparent and thoughtful look into the care and respect funeral directors provide.

Whether you're curious, apprehensive, or preparing for your own planning, this episode offers clarity, comfort, and even a few moments of levity.

Takeaways:

• Embalming is only one part of the preparation process.
  
• Every detail—from clean fingernails to clothing—is treated with dignity and care.
  
• Private viewings are possible even without embalming.
  
• Small touches (like trimming nails or fixing collars) matter deeply to families.
  

Episode Highlights:

• [1:00] Why people say “they look great” at viewings
  
• [2:00] Cleaning nails and grooming the body
  
• [4:45] Why every detail matters to families
  
• [7:10] Preparing someone who passed unexpectedly
  
• [10:20] Clothing, hair, and making someone “look like themselves”
  
• [14:30] What families need to provide (and what they don’t)
  
• [20:45] Why transparency matters in funeral prep
  

Memorable Quotes

Michael O’Connell:

• “We prepare people the way we’d want our own family cared for.”
  
• “Even if no one will see it, we still trim nails and clean behind them.”
  
• “Sometimes, it’s the smallest details that bring the most peace.”
  
• “We don’t take shortcuts—because families notice everything.”
  

Pete Waggoner (Host):

• “You never think about things like fingernails—but you notice them.”
  
• “There’s a lot of dignity in what happens behind the scenes.”
  
• “That’s why people say, ‘They look like themselves.’ It’s not by accident.”

In this powerful episode, Rev. Dr. Jules Erickson joins Michael O’Connell for a deep and relatable conversation about how grief moves through families—and how we often carry it without even knowing.

From childhood loss and moral injury to the messy middle of healing, Pastor Jules shares stories and tools from family systems theory and pastoral work. You'll learn why grief doesn't follow a straight line, how anxiety and shame often mask our deeper pain, and how sitting with discomfort is sometimes the most healing thing we can do.

This is a must-listen for anyone grieving or walking beside someone who is—and for those who want to better understand how grief shapes who we are within our families.

Episode Description:

In this heartfelt Memorial Day episode, Michael O’Connell and podcast host, Pete Waggoner,  reflect on what the holiday truly means.

They explore the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day, the importance of honoring fallen service members, and the meaningful traditions that surround military funerals.

You’ll also hear about local efforts to recognize veterans, how communities can support flag retirements, and why passing down remembrance traditions to younger generations matters now more than ever.

Whether you’ve served, know someone who has, or simply want to understand how to show respect, this episode is a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made and the freedoms we enjoy because of them.

Takeaways:

• Memorial Day honors those who died in wartime service

• Veterans Day celebrates all who served—living or deceased

• Military funeral honors must be requested in advance with discharge papers

• You can volunteer or donate to support your local American Legion or VFW

  
  

[23:00] Retiring flags with cremated veterans

Resources:

Flag Retirement Drop-Off Available at all Locations

Quote from Michael:

“We have freedom today because of those who sacrificed for us. Honoring them—on this day and every day—is the least we can do.” - Mike O'Connell

“Some veterans gave their lives. The rest gave their time, their health, their families. That deserves more than a passing thought.” - Mike O'Connell