No Small Endeavor with Lee C. Camp

230: Anna Sale: Cultivating Courage to Talk About Hard Things, like Death, Sex, and Money

Oct 6, 2025
Anna Sale, a journalist and the voice behind the acclaimed podcast Death, Sex & Money, shares her journey of exploring difficult conversations after a personal crisis. She discusses how her Unitarian upbringing shaped her curiosity and the importance of listening in tough dialogues. The conversation touches on the barriers of shame, how to approach subjects like death and intimacy, and the need for vulnerability and honesty in relationships. Anna emphasizes that facing hard topics can lead to more meaningful lives.
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ANECDOTE

Reporting Taught Responsible Follow-Up

  • Anna describes learning to loop back to sources and check how stories landed after publication to preserve relationships.
  • A profile of a politician taught her that reporting truth can ice out sources, prompting more follow-up care.
ANECDOTE

Divorce Sparked Her Inquiry

  • Anna Sale recounts her divorce at age 30 and how it propelled her to explore how people rebuild after loss.
  • She launched Death, Sex & Money to use others' stories as guides while figuring out her life.
INSIGHT

Dignity Shapes Curiosity

  • Unitarian Universalism shaped Anna's core idea: the inherent worth and dignity of every person.
  • That principle guides her journalism, parenting, and curiosity toward others.
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