Today we're talking to Sieske Valk about the difficult, and often avoided part of pet ownership - the end of their life.

Sieske is an End of Life Doula and an advocate for ageing pets; She guides pet guardians through the autumn of their best friend's life.

Combining a background in veterinary medicine and the social sciences, she has set up Autumn Animals to support people in maintaining a good quality of life for both their pets and themselves and to hold space for celebrating the human-animal bond until the end and beyond.

In this episode we discuss:

• Why it is so hard for people to end the life of their pets
• What happens when we give attention to the end of a pet’s life?
• What can be done to support the guardian of the pet who is about to die?
• How do we know when it’s time? What signs should you look for?
• Sieske attitude towards death , being Dutch and coming from a Hindu background
• Beautiful stories about letting go of pets - how can a pet have a really good autumn?
• What the process is once people have made the decision to euthanise their pet, and how can it be done in a dignified way
• What are the different ways you can honour the pet after they’ve died?

Sieske and I also met 8 months after the recording with an update on Autumn Animals - I wanted to include this as it's a really interesting discussion about taking a pause from a business venture in order to recharge. This doesn't mean the project is over, it is actually the opposite!

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Sieske's IG: https://www.instagram.com/autumnanimalslondon/

Knowing When to Quit - Instagram - @knowingwhentoquit

Podcast homepage - www.sarahweiler.com/podcast/

Editor - Johnny Hall / Music - Sarah Weiler / Artwork - Tom Pauling

This was recorded in

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Welcome back writer, journalist and strategist Kim Willis to the show! You may remember Kim from series 2 when we talked about Knowing When To Quit the desire to have children (the pod's most downloaded episode to date).

Today we're back discussing Kim's decision to quit her creative project Heroine's Journey - an event series, which championed female storytelling. At the point of recording (November 2022) Kim had just closed the business and was facing the void. Now in April 2024 there are updates about what happened in the void, so stay tuned to the end!

On the episode we discuss:

• Why Kim started Heroine's Journey and what it means to be ending it
• How we are hard-wired to need stories, but how trauma storytelling is being weaponised
• Kim's attempts to re-inject the project with new energy and new direction
• What is the void and why do we struggle with it so much?
• Rituals and learnings from Sarah closing her comedy night
• What is Kim actually quitting by closing HJ
• A voicenote from future Kim with what happened next

Kim's website: https://www.wherewegrow.co.uk/

Kim's newsletter: https://wherewegrow.substack.com/

Kimstagram: @_kimwillis and @heroinesjourney_/

Knowing When to Quit - Instagram - @knowingwhentoquit

Podcast homepage - www.sarahweiler.com/podcast/

Editor - Johnny Hall / Music - Sarah Weiler / Artwork - Tom Pauling

This was recorded in November 2022 in person in Hackney

WANT TO SUPPORT THIS PODCAST? You can buy me a coffee here: https://ko-fi.com/sarahweiler

Always wanted to go freelance? Today I'm talking to Anna Codrea-Rado - a journalist, podcaster and campaigner, whose writing has appeared in the New York Times, The Guardian, BBC and many others. I brought Anna on as a specialist in working life and freelancing. She's the author of 'You're The Business' - a book which supports people to make it alone. She knows the questions to ask if you're thinking of making the switch, and is realistic about the struggles as well as celebrating the real highs that come with a more autonomous lifestyle.

In today's episode we discuss:

📆 Anna relationship to 'being busy'

📋 What made Anna go 'properly freelance' in 2017

✋ The difference between being pushed or pulled to freelancing

🧑🏻‍💻 The burnout that comes with being public-facing and why Anna has taken a break

🧠 Why Anna now charges for people to 'pick her brains'

🛑 Quitting and un-quitting her newsletter

⚓️ What an 'anchor client' is and why you need one as a freelancer

Anna on X and IG: @annacod

Anna's Book: 'You're the Business'

Anna's Podcast: 'Is This Working?'

Knowing When to Quit - Instagram - @knowingwhentoquit

Podcast homepage - www.sarahweiler.com/podcast/

Editor - Johnny Hall / Music - Sarah Weiler / Artwork - Tom Pauling

This was recorded in May 2023 over Zoom

WANT TO SUPPORT THIS PODCAST? You can buy me a coffee here: https://ko-fi.com/sarahweiler