Exploring Life & Business with Janet Figueroa of Myles Beyond Celebration Services

Today we’d like to introduce you to Janet Figueroa.

Hi Janet, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story for Myles Beyond Celebration Services started almost 2 decades ago, before I even knew it. From the day I started clinicals to become a nurse, I have held each person who has passed in my care in the back of my heart. I have held many hands and made many, “you should come now” calls throughout the years. Each one, it’s own story and it’s own ending. I remember one patient in particular. Her final day had come, and when I called the family to be by her side, their response broke my heart. “We can’t see her that way, just call us when she’s gone”. So it was me who sat by her side that night. I finished all my rounds and brought my computer into her room and sat with her while I charted. I wish she could have told me her story and all the memories she cherished. Instead, she would wake up in a panic, and I would tell her I was there and she could rest. She had lived a full life and she had permission to transition. She would look at me, relax and rest her eyes again. She was alone. Scared. She couldn’t tell her story. Fast forward to November of 2021. The child that I had waited my entire life for, was placed on my chest sleeping. His story cut short to a life only in my womb. The days that followed, I was asked so many questions I couldn’t process. Did I want to bury him? Did I want a funeral? Did I want an urn? What would it look like for an unborn child? I had walked so many through this process, and here I was, speechless and dumbstruck. We didn’t have a funeral. I thought it was “extra” for a child who never took a breath. The internet said, “use their favorite colors”. He hadn’t gotten that far. So after months of going back and forth, in January of 2022, I set my mind to having a service for Greyson. Because he was my son and I was going to tell his story, no matter what others thought. My years of experience as a nurse and as a grieved mother led me to this thought; there has to be a better way to send our loved ones off to the next realm, whatever that means to you. And so one day, I came home from work, and I told my husband, “I think I want to start my own business…” and he said, “ok babe, go for it!”. I’ll admit, his reaction to a pre-death celebration of life event planning business was as quizzical as anyone else’s that I tell this to, but he could tell that this meant more to me than trying to make some money. This would be our legacy. Greyson Myles and his momma. So, I named this endeavor after my son (his middle name). Because every story should get to be told. Every person should leave this earth feeling loved and cherished and fulfilled. To make the next transition, that we all have to go through, one of peace and love and healing. So, I started this business in a quest to provide that space for anyone who wants to say goodbye with no regrets and no words left unsaid.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I don’t know if starting any business has a smooth road, but for sure, mine has not been. Turns out that changing the way an entire culture views death and dying, is a lot harder than you would think. Our culture, as is, is very death avoidant. We don’t talk about this “taboo” topic and we spend a LOT of money and energy trying to prolong our lives and delay the inevitable. The inevitable, is that we all take a last breath. And we often talk about it too late. So when you bring this topic up at a business mixer, you can imagine how quickly they make their way to the next caterer to get a sample of something more digestible.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Myles Beyond Celebration Services is an event planning service for living funerals. If you have ever had the thought that you would like to be at your own funeral, or if you have ever been to a funeral and thought, “they would have loved this”, then you have come to the right place! We specialize in crafting heartfelt and personalized living funerals to embrace life’s final chapter and find healing in goodbye. Our mission goes beyond the traditional scope of mere farewells. We exist to help our clients bridge the gap between unexpressed feelings and the lasting tribute that each life deserves. Through our dedicated services, we endeavor to create an event where healing and remembrance intertwine, where every cherished memory finds its rightful place, and where the pain of goodbye finds solace in the beauty of honoring a life well lived. We offer a variety of pre-death celebration of life event planning packages to fit any need and budget. From full-service planning to day-of coordination, we work with our clients every step of the way to ensure a seamless life transition event. I think the thing I like to impress upon clients the most, is that we want this to be completely personalized. We pride ourselves in finding unique and creative ways to make this a special day for our clients and their guests.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I think life is full of risk. Getting out of bed, getting in a car, saying I love you. All these things come with risk. But, we do them, because what is life worth if we didn’t? Risk is relative. Something I think is a huge risk, may not be that big to you, and vice versa. The biggest risk I ever took? Probably jumping out of an airplane at 30,000 feet over the oceans of North Shore, Hawaii. Or maybe it was spending 5 years as a travel nurse and moving to a new town every 3 months. Or maybe it was starting a business with an idea that no one has ever heard of. I think the only thing worse than a poor outcome of a risk taken, is living with the “what if’s” of not taking that risk. In the end, no matter the outcome, with every risk we take, a lesson is born in return. Those lessons have made me who I am today. The good and the bad. And I wouldn’t change any of it. It’s brought me the people in my life and the memories I have to take with me. Risk is just another word for being brave.

Pricing:

• Starting as low as $3,000
• Tailored to fit your event

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mylesbeyondcelebrations.com
• Instagram: @mylesbeyondcelebrations
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MylesBeyondCelebrations/

Image Credits
Alicia Fraser
Return to Eden Photography
returntoedenphotography.com
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