Episode Details

In this special episode, we step away from legal mechanics and into something deeply personal: the power of capturing family stories. Jill and her daughter April share an episode from their private family podcast, featuring Carmen Mastroianni—Jill’s father and April’s grandfather.

Carmen reflects on his childhood in Schenectady, New York, his unexpected path to college, and his unforgettable experience serving in the Vietnam War. Nicknamed “Macaroni” during basic training, Carmen’s stories are full of humor, heartbreak, and history. Along the way, Jill offers listeners a behind-the-scenes look at how you can create a podcast to preserve your own family legacy.

What We Discussed

• The inspiration behind starting a family podcast
• Carmen’s early years: riding horses, working in his dad’s bakery, and life at a private Catholic high school
• How a last-minute college application changed his life
• His friendship with Donnie Brewer and the profound loss that followed
• Getting drafted into the Vietnam War and earning the nickname “Macaroni”
• His unexpected transfer from infantry to finance—and how it saved his life
• The emotional return home from an unpopular war
• Life lessons he hopes future generations will remember
• April’s choice to honor her grandfather as an “unknown hero” in a school project
• Tips, tools, and encouragement for starting your own family podcast

Resources & Links

Podcasting Tools Mentioned:

• Microphone:ATR-2100X (~$50)
• Foam Windscreen (~$5)
• Recording Software: Riverside.fm (~$30/month)
• Podcast Hosting: Simplecast (~$15/month)
• In-Person Recording: Zoom PodTrak P4 (~$170)
• Cover Art Creation: Canva (free and paid options)
• Family Podcast Starter Checklist
• Family Podcast - Questions to Start Real Stories

Podcast Editing Support:

Jon Gay – JAG in Detroit Podcasts

Connect with Jill:

• Website: DeathReadiness.com
• Email: jill@deathreadiness.com
• Subscribe to receive news and updates

This podcast provides estate planning guidance for women and discusses real, practical issues, from caregiving, pre-planning a funeral, how to avoid probate using beneficiary designations, planning for individuals with special needs (and special needs trusts), whether you need a professional fiduciary (trustee or executor), how the estate tax works and how to preserve your legacy.

Tuesday Triage episodes answer questions from listeners like you, from powers of attorney, healthcare advance directives (and whether they work when you’re pregnant), what a Last Will and Testament really is, whether you need a trust, how Medicaid works and how to have senior and elder care conversatio