Poppy Mardall x John Hopkins 'What It's Like Working In The Death Sector'
A chat about working with death in a society that does everything it can to avoid it.
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In this conversation, I sit down with Poppy Mardall, founder of Poppy’s Funerals, an award-winning, London-based funeral service reimagining how we care for both the living and the dead.
We explore what it’s really like to work in the death space. The subtle judgments. The discomfort it can stir in others. And the way people often don’t know how to respond when you choose to step toward something most spend their lives avoiding.
But what becomes clear through Poppy’s work is this: when death is approached with openness, care, and humanity, it doesn’t close life down… it deepens it.
“I never could have imagined I would become an undertaker” (Poppy Mardall)
Her approach prioritises choice, transparency, and environmental responsibility, creating space for more honest, meaningful experiences around loss.
This conversation isn’t just about funerals. It’s about how reconnecting with death changes how we relate to life, how we love, how we grieve, and how we show up for what really matters.
Because when we stop pushing death away, something unexpected happens.
Life begins to feel more real.
If this newsletter resonated, please comment, like, re-stack, and share. My vision is to establish mortality awareness as a recognised wellness practise. By supporting this work, and being part of this community, you are helping this vision come true. Thank you.
Live happy,
Hoppy
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Go deeper: I Finally Did The Backflip / How Death Denial Influences The News / The Amazing Way Mortality Transforms Your Love Life
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