One of the goals of the Wake the F*ck Up podcast is to bring to light the often taboo topics around death and grief. Today’s guest, Carla Fernandez, literally wrote the book on challenging these societal norms, with her new bestseller "Renegade Grief”. Carla Fernandez’s work focuses on how circles come together to foster collective care and change culture when a new status quo is called for. She is the cofounder of The Dinner Party, a national network of peer-support circles for young adult grievers, featured in The New York Times, NPR, Oprah Daily, and cited in multiple books. In addition to her work in grief, Carla partners with a range of clients through her community design studio as an impact strategist and facilitator, particularly on initiatives related to climate change, democracy, and the arts.

In this interview, Carla shares her personal journey of losing her father to cancer at a young age, which inspired her to create The Dinner Party as a nonprofit that connects grievers aged 21 to 45 through informal gatherings. Alix and Carla delve into themes explored in Carla's new book, which challenges societal norms surrounding grief and highlights the importance of processing emotions like anger while navigating loss. 

Carla discusses the unique experiences and discussions that occur at Dinner Party gatherings, emphasizing that these meetings are not just about sadness but also fostering laughter and normalization of grief. Stick around the end of the interview as Carla shares her insights into The Dinner Party's guiding manifesto, which advocates for embracing the complexities of grief, what it means to thrive after loss, and invites listeners to engage with the community for support.

Resources: 

• Check out Carla’s new book - Renegade Grief - A Guide to the Wild Ride of Life after Loss

• Learn more about the Dinner Party grief support network

• Learn more about Carla on her website - https://www.carlafernandez.co/

• Follow Carla on Instagram @carlitafernandez 

• Follow Wake on Instagram: @thewakewellness

• Follow Alix Long on Instagram: @alixlongwinded

• Download the WAKE app on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.