Today we’d like to introduce you to Melanie Wilson.
Hi Melanie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Life and Soul began with loss. My dad, Tony Wilson, was truly the life and soul of the party, and losing him, along with my grandparents, my Uncle Tommy, my friend and colleague Aimee, and even a beloved stranger, showed me how much grief shapes a life. After the COVID lockdown, while trying to make friends in NYC, I realized I had become the “death of the party.” There was nowhere for grievers, especially LGBTQIA+ grievers, to bring their whole selves and talk openly about death. In 2023 I started the Death of the Party event series, and it grew into Life and Soul.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest challenge has been getting the word out. Death is still taboo, and most people don’t look for end-of-life planning until they’re in the middle of a crisis, even though it’s one of the most caring things we can do for the people we love. I’ve had to find creative ways to make the topic approachable, and that’s what led to Date with Death™, a workshop that makes planning feel accessible and even enjoyable instead of overwhelming.
As you know, we’re big fans of Life and Soul LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I’m Melanie Wilson, the founder of Life and Soul™, a queer-owned death education and grief guidance practice based in Jersey City. I’m a project manager by trade and a griever by experience, shaped by the loss of my dad, a dear friend, and other family members who continue to guide me. That combination of professional structure and personal loss is what shaped Life and Soul into what it is.
I’m a Certified Funeral Life Cycle® Celebrant, I hold a certificate in Integrative Thanatology, and I’m a trained After Loss Professional. I run community events and also work one-on-one with people and their loved ones to help them navigate end-of-life planning and grief with more autonomy. At the core of everything I do is helping people learn the things they don’t know they don’t know when it comes to death.
As a celebrant, I create personalized memorial ceremonies with grieving families, so the service reflects who someone really was.
My signature offering is Date with Death™, holistic end-of-life planning that makes an important but often-avoided task feel accessible, and even enjoyable. I help people name their decision-makers, plan a memorial that honors them, decide if they want to work with additional professionals, and create documents that protect their wishes. I also help people understand the protections that exist beyond the default “next of kin,” which matters for anyone whose family doesn’t fit the default, including many in the LGBTQIA+ community.
I’m proudest that Date with Death™ turns something people avoid into something they actually want to show up for. People leave with real documents and decisions, and often with a little more ease about death.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
I want other folks starting out on their entrepreneurial journeys to know that they don’t have to always feel like they are the biggest expert in something. Your own experience is a credential. I started all of this with a feeling that I’d become the “death of the party” by being an active griever and a desire to create something I wanted that didn’t exist yet.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thelifeandsoul.co/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelifeandsoul.co
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-mw/
