Meet Nicole Hoover of Death Doula Nicole

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Hoover.

Hi Nicole, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I worked in Corporate America as a high level HR leader for 15 years. In 2023, my mother was diagnosed with Stage 4 ovarian cancer. Shortly thereafter, my paternal aunt experienced a significant decline. So in addition to working, traveling for work, being a mom, a wife, a friend…”all of the things”, I was driving one to chemo and the other to dialysis. I lost my aunt at the end of 2023. As my mom was declining at the end of 2024, I was realizing quickly that the “human” side of HR was declining as well. After my mom died in January of 2025, I left Corporate America without any clue what I was going to do with my life besides clean out yet another estate. Six weeks later, I came across an article about a death doula and immediately felt this was where my heart needed to be. I completed a 12 week training course last year and haven’t looked back since.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Has the road been smooth? Absolutely not! We are a very death adverse culture – meaning the minute you start talking about end of life and planning, we clutch our pearls and act as if it will never happen to us. We wait until well beyond a terminal diagnosis in accepting our fate and more often than not, leave our family members (who then become our caregivers) to navigate care, paperwork, etc. in the midst of all of the chaos.

As you know, we’re big fans of Death Doula Nicole. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I am an end-of-life caregiver. I provide bedside vigil, respite care, education about documents (i.e., healthcare directives, POA’s), and work to ensure legacy work is completed before someone passes. What sets me apart is that the death doula space is relatively new and is still needing exposure and education, particularly in the midwest. I am most proud of being invited to various events to speak and educate. I’ve hosted death cafes, I’ve been interviewed by newspapers and radio, and I’ve helped to resolve conflict with family members at end-of-life.
This is an amazing space to be in!

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
Luck, fate, etc. is what you make of it. I’ve learned that it’s not so much luck, but more so getting myself outside of my comfort zone that has truly been important to me in this new world of being a solopreneur.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.deathdoulanicole.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/death_doula_nicole
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deathdoulanicole
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolehoover/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@deathdoulanicole