Meet Shari
Certified Conscious Dying Coach · Better Death Guide & Planner
Maybe because I'm a firstborn, I'm curious — not afraid to try new things or to go first.
Maybe because my first career was in communications, I enjoy sharing what I learn with others.
Maybe because I believe in manifesting and mental dress rehearsals, I'm a planner.
But it's because I experienced the trauma of my 51-years-young Mother's accidental death — and never knew her final wishes — that I'm keenly aware that we all should plan ahead for our "whenever" death and share our wishes with our loved ones while we can.
Credentials & Affiliations
Shari was certified as a Conscious Dying Coach by the Conscious Dying Institute.
She is a Trustee of the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Northern New Jersey, and a member of the NJ Health Care Quality Institute Conversations of Your Life (COYL) Task Force, the Association of Death Education and Counseling (ADEC), and the Alliance for Senior Services of New Jersey.
How I Got Here
Thirty years after loosing my Mother, I did a Google search for a script I was co-writing about Baby Boomer life, and what I found changed everything.
Thinking Boomers probably were doing death differently, I searched for Baby Boomer Death Practices. What I discovered was there was a LOT going on in the "death space" that most people didn't know about.
There were initiatives trying to reclaim death as a natural part of life, and people favoring secular celebrations of life, cremation and eco-friendly burials. Others were harkening back to families caring for their own dead. And some were embracing "death tech" for their legacy and even after-death communications.
But if most people didn't know about these new options, I thought, how could they make any of them part of their Goodbye Plan?
The Pivot
During my 25+ year career in public relations, I represented innovative consumer technology brands like Sony and online disruptors like Amazon and Priceline. The common thread between then and now was the need for market education to create awareness and interest in new possibilities...
I continued researching "modern" death and dying, end-of-life planning, religious death rituals, green and alternative burials, and home funerals. I followed the thought leaders, joined related professional organizations, developed my own network and holistic approach. I gave talks, appeared on podcasts, and participated in end-of-life panels.
I founded My Great Goodbye in 2019 to make people aware of the many ways they could personalize their goodbye, and in 2023 I became certified as a Conscious Dying Coach.
Today I'm committed to helping people plan for their inevitable death and make a Goodbye Plan that reflects their life, values, and priorities.
Credentials & Affiliations
Shari was certified as a Conscious Dying Coach by the Conscious Dying Institute.
She is a Trustee of the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Northern New Jersey, and a member of the NJ Health Care Quality Institute Conversations of Your Life (COYL) Task Force, the Association of Death Education and Counseling (ADEC), and The Alliance for Senior Services of New Jersey.