Expanding the circle
Creating community for mortals in 2025 and beyond
When I launched Mortals last year, it was seeded from a deeply personal place. A traumatising experience of death forced me to confront my mortality far too young. That early encounter with death cast a long shadow and honestly hindered my ability to find deep joy or lasting positive meaning. It’s something I’ve struggled with, and is something that I’ve only recently made peace with.
But for its long tail effect, it did move me to purpose. I committed to over 8 years of working in end-of-life care research at Imperial College London, working with the NHS and hospice partners to improve the way we live and die. It was during those later years at Imperial, I really grokked something important: accepting our mortality can really help unlock a deeper appreciation for life. But this wasn’t a cold Stoic philosophical appreciation, it was a warm, active bright thing.
What started as my personal journey, then became a research focus, and then a a designed programme. It is now ready to become something bigger: a community where we can explore mortality together to live more fully.
The journey so far
Our first Mortals programme cohort in late-2023 was an experiment in possibility. Could we create a container strong enough to hold both the weight of death and the lightness of being alive? The answer came through in the participants' words:
I thought this would be heavy, but it was the opposite. Through exploring death, I found a surprising joy in being alive.
Fast forward almost a year, and the second cohort - that just finished last Wednesday - has reinforced what works while revealing new depths. As one participant reflected:
Connecting with strangers through these deep discussions gives you hope for life on another level.
Another shared how they discovered "more agency to live intentionally." The transformation from fear to acceptance, from isolation to connection, has been beautiful to witness. I feel validated that this group-based approach to mortality awareness can provide deep value to people.
A pivotal moment
This brings me to a significant announcement: I'm going all-in on Mortals.
After seeing the profound impact of our first two cohorts, I'm dedicating myself fully to building what our society desperately needs: social infrastructure to help us face existential challenges together.
This commitment means creating something of deep, tangible value - the kind that people are willing to invest in because it genuinely transforms their relationship with living and dying. That means more content here on Substack, more resources, and most importantly, building a space where this work can flourish..
Introducing the Mortals community
Today, I'm excited to announce the launch of our dedicated online community - a space where the conversations that begin in our programmes can continue and deepen, and where anyone interested in exploring mortality awareness can find support and connection.
For the next three months, I'm opening the doors completely free to you dear readers. As an early member, you'll get:
Early access to new resources and tools
Regular community calls and discussions
Access to a private discussion space
Input into the development of future programmes and resources
Special founding member pricing when we transition to paid memberships (after March 2025)
Looking ahead to 2025
This is just the beginning. Here's what's coming:
Regular programme cohorts throughout the year - you can sign up for the next one at the end
A new weekend-intensive mini Mortals programme for those who can't commit to five weeks
Launch of the Mortality Attitude Profile - a powerful tool to help understand your relationship with death
More writing here and episodes of the Mortals podcast
Regular community events and resources
Ways to join this journey
There are several ways to be part of this work.
You can join our January programme cohort - there are only 12 spots available for this intimate transformative experience
You can become an early founding member of our online community (free for the next 3 months) and join many of the others who went through the group programme
Subscribe to this Substack to support the development of more resources and content or share this work with others who might benefit from it
For myself and you
As a freshly-minted 40 year old who has experienced profound transformation through facing my own mortality, I'm ready to fully embrace this work. My commitment to you is simple: to develop Mortals with integrity, and build spaces where we can explore life's deepest questions together.
The insights and connections that emerge when people gather around these deep questions are extraordinary. As one programme participant recently shared:
Being surrounded by other amazing humans who were open to sharing created a really safe and nurturing space... going through this experience brought a wealth of perspectives that felt like a luxury.
The time to engage with mortality isn't when crisis forces us - it's now, while we can use this awareness to enrich our lives and relationships.
Ready to join us? The doors are open, and your perspective matters.