The Executor Help Podcast

When David started the Executor Help Podcast, he thought he'd be talking about executors, estates, and helping families avoid mistakes.

Two hundred episodes later, he's discovered the conversations have been about something much bigger.

In this special milestone episode, David revisits some of the stories and voices that have stayed with him.

A daughter whose father left her three voicemails before he died.

A wife who was still questioning a medical decision six months after losing her husband.

Friends who knew that sometimes the best way to help someone grieving is simply to sit beside them.

And a man who wanted to hear what people thought of him while he was still alive.

Through these stories, David reflects on what nearly 200 conversations have taught him about family, caregiving, grief, love, and the time we have.

And the biggest lesson of all?

**The more he's talked about death, the more he's thought about life.**

For David's book, other resources and more visit www.davidedey.com

Imagine someone you love is lying in a hospital bed, unable to speak for themselves.

The doctor turns to you and asks, "What would they want us to do?"

Would you know?

This week, David talks with Dr. Daren Heyland, an intensive care physician, researcher, and founder of Plan Well Guide, about what happens when families are suddenly asked to make life-and-death decisions for someone they love.

Daren shares the story of a woman who called him six months after her husband died, still wondering whether they'd made the right decision.

They discuss why having a will and power of attorney isn't always enough, the difference between preparing for death and preparing for serious illness, and how knowing someone's wishes can ease the burden on the person left making decisions.

Because sometimes the hardest part isn't making the decision.

It's living with the uncertainty afterward.

For David's book, other resources and more visit www.davidedey.com

There are stories in every family we've heard a hundred times.

Dad starts telling one, and before he finishes the first sentence, everyone already knows how it ends.

But what happens when the person who knows the story isn't there to tell it anymore?

In this episode, David reflects on the family stories we sometimes take for granted—and the questions he wishes he'd asked his own parents while he still had the chance.

Because legacy isn't only about what we leave people.

It's also about the stories they carry with them.

Maybe the next time someone you love starts telling that familiar story, instead of saying, "We know this one," ask another question.

You might be surprised where the story goes.

For David's book, other resources and more visit www.davidedey.com

Why are we so uncomfortable with grief when every one of us will experience it?

This week, David sits down with grief educator, social worker and author Lisa Keefauver for a candid conversation about what grief really looks like—and why so many of us get it wrong.

Lisa shares what she learned after the death of her husband, Eric, including the things people said that hurt, what actually helped, and why grief isn't something we simply "get over."

They talk about showing up without trying to fix someone, why saying nothing can sometimes cause more harm, and the simple gift of sitting beside someone when there are no words.

And yes, they also talk about some of the stupid things people say to someone who's grieving.

A warm, honest and sometimes funny conversation about something every one of us will face.

For David's book, other resources and more visit www.davidedey.com

What are you saving for later?

The good bottle of wine. The nice restaurant.

The trip you've been talking about.

The golf course you'd love to play.

In this short solo episode, David wonders whether we sometimes get a little too good at waiting.

Planning for tomorrow matters. Getting organized matters.

But that doesn't mean we should keep putting off the things that bring us joy today.

David leaves you with one simple question:

What is one thing you've been saving for later that you could enjoy now?

Because life isn't only something we're preparing for.

It's happening.

For David's book, other resources and more visit www.davidedey.com

What happens to your digital life when you die?

Your photos. Passwords. Email. Social media. Online accounts. Important documents. Even the information sitting on your phone.

In this episode, David talks with Niki Weiss, founder of Endevo and a digital thanatologist, about a part of estate and legacy planning many families rarely think about.

Niki explains why our digital lives can create an unexpected burden for the people we leave behind, what can happen when families can't find passwords or access accounts, and why shutting down someone's phone too quickly after death can create problems of its own.

They also explore the growing world of AI, digital twins and grief bots — and some of the difficult questions these technologies may create for families in the future.

Most importantly, this isn't really a conversation about technology.

It's about making things easier for the people we love.

For David's book, other resources and more visit www.davidedey.com

Nobody applies to become the Responsible One in a family.

It usually starts with something small. A ride to an appointment. A prescription to pick up. A form Mom doesn't understand.

Then, little by little, everyone starts calling you.

In this short solo episode, David talks about how responsibility quietly accumulates — and why the person everyone depends on can eventually find themselves wondering, How did all of this become mine?

David also explores an important distinction: being dependable doesn't mean you have to do everything yourself.

Sometimes the person who always shows up for everyone else needs someone to show up for them.

For David's book, other resources and more visit www.davidedey.com

When Davis Wilkinson was 14, his older brother Adam died from an overdose.

While grieving the loss of his brother, Davis watched his mother take on another burden few people talk about — the hours of paperwork, phone calls and frustration that begin after someone dies.

One memory stayed with him: listening as his mother struggled simply to cancel Adam's gym membership.

In this episode of The Executor Help Podcast, David talks with Davis about how that experience changed the direction of his life, why he later chose to work in a funeral home, and what he has learned from helping thousands of grieving families.

They also talk about why grief isn't something to fix, what grieving people really need from us, and why one of the greatest gifts people can give those they love may simply be their attention and time.

Davis is the founder of Heirloom, a U.S.-based company that helps families locate assets after someone dies.

For David's book, other resources and more visit www.davidedey.com

Most of life isn't made up of big moments.

It's coffee with Dad. A phone call from Mom. Nine holes of golf with a friend. Sitting around the kitchen table talking about nothing in particular.

In this short solo episode, David reflects on the ordinary moments that often become some of the memories people treasure most after someone is gone.

It isn't about living as though every moment could be the last.

It's about something much simpler:

Notice it.

David shares why preparing for tomorrow matters — but also why all that preparation should give people more freedom to enjoy the life happening around them today.

Because sometimes an ordinary day becomes a very special memory.

For David's book, other resources and more visit www.davidedey.com

What does it mean to love someone when you can't fix what they're going through?

Yvonne Heath knows that feeling personally.

Yvonne is a nurse, speaker, author and founder of Love Your Life to Death. In her book Addiction, Grief, and Joy: A Son's Struggle and a Mother's Love, she shares her family's experience of loving her eldest son through addiction.

In this deeply personal conversation, David and Yvonne talk about the impact addiction has on an entire family, why "tough love" can do more harm than good, and the helplessness of watching someone you love struggle.

Yvonne also shares the three simple words that have shaped much of her work:

Just show up.

Because sometimes there is nothing brilliant to say and nothing you can fix.

You can simply be there.

For David's book, other resources and more visit www.davidedey.com