About David

"I don't know what happens when we die. But I do know this: we're here right now. Right now, in the sweet spot of this precise moment that is eternally fleeting into the next. We get to love. We get to screw up. We get to forgive and be forgiven. We get to tell stories and listen and wonder and cry and laugh and look up at the sky and think, what the hell is all of this? And somehow, that wondering feels sacred enough."
— David Ferrugio
David Ferrugio, host of the acclaimed DEAD Talks Podcast with over 1 million followers, transforms his personal tragedy into a powerful exploration of life's most difficult moments. After losing his father in the World Trade Center on 9/11 when he was just twelve years old, Ferrugio has spent decades channeling his grief into meaningful conversations with celebrities, experts, and everyday people about death, spirituality, and the afterlife.
​
Ferrugio is a podcast host, speaker, and author exploring one of humanity’s most universal yet avoided experiences: death. His father’s loss propelled him into a lifelong pursuit to understand grief, identity, and meaning—work that has led to hundreds of deeply personal conversations through DEAD Talks. Known for asking the questions most people avoid, he brings together perspectives from philosophy, spirituality, psychology, and lived experience to help others navigate loss and uncertainty. His work is grounded in a simple belief: when we face death openly, we learn how to live more fully.
The Book

YOU'RE NOT DEAD YET
How Grief and Loss Can Teach You to Live ​
September 8, 2026 | Jossey-Bass
Grief isn't a problem to be solved—it's a teacher that shows up uninvited and refuses to leave until you've learned everything it has to offer.
Interview Topics
Featured In
Good Morning America
Fox News
Newsweek
USA Today
IBTimes UK
Additional Coverage
AOL
MSN
Interview Topics
-
Losing a parent to 9/11 at age 12
-
Why society struggles to talk openly about death and grief
-
How vulnerability breeds strength
-
How launching DEAD Talks helped him heal
-
Why you shouldn't let your loss define you
-
You'll never get the answers you want, and that's OK
-
It's okay to find moments of joy and laughter while mourning
-
Grief is messy, and that's fine — there's no "right" way to do it
-
Why relinquishing control puts you in more control
-
Why it's crucial for men to talk about emotional pain
Media Contacts
Joelle Speranza — Joelle.Speranza@smithpublicity.com
Jessica Sager — Jessica.Sager@smithpublicity.com
