Check Out Ashley Blua’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Blua.

Hi Ashley, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
In 2021, my dad suffered a sudden heart attack. I was there when it happened, watching the person who had always been my anchor slip away in front of me. One moment he was here, and the next, I was trying to understand how to live in a world without him. In the days that followed, I found myself planning his funeral, drowning in paperwork I did not understand, and trying to grieve while holding everything together.

Eight months later, my mom passed away after years of personal challenges that deeply impacted her health. Losing her so soon after losing my dad compounded my grief in ways I could not have prepared for. At 35, as an only child, I was thrust into the overwhelming reality of managing her final days, planning two funerals in less than a year, and handling every detail of their affairs while trying to make sense of the emotional weight of it all.

Closing accounts, sorting through medical bills, tracking down life insurance policies, and figuring out what to do with 401(k)s, I realized something: no one teaches us how to do any of this.

I created Kin Closure to share the resources, tools, and lessons I wish I had during that time. It is a space to help others feel less alone and more prepared to face what comes next when the unimaginable happens. Kin Closure exists because I do not want anyone else to feel as lost as I did.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Launching Kin Closure grew out of a desire to turn hardship into advocacy, which is simply how I’m wired. The hardest part has been revisiting my own grief while building this space. It has become a necessary place for both healing and reflection, even though the topics themselves are ones most people avoid.

And I get it. It is uncomfortable. Death, wills, trusts, how to plan a funeral. These are not exactly things you bring up over dinner. But they are the things we all eventually face, and my hope is that Kin Closure makes that path a little less overwhelming.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I work as a Communications Director for a Fortune 50 company. That’s my day job. I oversee executive communications, speaking engagements, media, internal communications and so much more. I’m often the person behind the curtain, the one shaping messages, preparing leaders, and making sure others feel confident, informed, and supported.

That skill set became an unexpected lifeline when I lost both of my parents. Suddenly, I had to apply the same instincts I use at work to my own life: organizing information, understanding complex processes, asking the right questions, and translating overwhelming circumstances into something I could navigate. Even with all that professional experience, I still felt lost. That is what made the realization so clear. If I struggled with this, others must be struggling too.

Kin Closure grew out of that intersection of personal loss and professional strength. It is the same muscle I use every day, just applied to a different kind of audience: people facing the hardest moments of their lives, who need clarity, compassion and guidance. My career taught me how to communicate in a way that makes things feel manageable. My experience taught me why it matters.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
One of the most important lessons in creating Kin Closure has been realizing how relieved people feel simply knowing this resource exists. There are so many caregivers quietly struggling through the before, during and after of losing a parent or loved one. And along the way, you discover there are countless small “hacks” that can make a huge difference. For example, in certain situations, you can access a portion of a life insurance policy while the person is still alive to help cover care costs if they have a terminal illness.

The Kin Closure community has been incredibly generous in sharing their own tips and insights for navigating these difficult moments. It has shown me that there is no single right way to handle any of this. There are options, tools and alternatives people rarely talk about, and bringing them into the open can make the journey just a little easier.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kinclosure.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kinclosure/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kinclosure/

Image Credits
Jon Rose