Most people dread the process of writing a eulogy, as it typically signifies the death of a close relative or friend. 

However, for Brittany Davidson eulogy writing has become an integral part of her income. 

The 28-year-old former pastry chef says she was scrolling through the online marketplace Airtasker, when she saw a call out for someone to write a eulogy. 

“I always was strong at communication and writing,” says Brittany. 

“I had written my own dad’s eulogy, and the first eulogy I wrote was for a parent so I could really empathise with the position that the person was in at the time.”

Brittany says that while writing eulogies for people can be an emotional task, she has found a way to be pragmatic about it. 

“I always try to communicate with whoever’s delivering the eulogy and to just find out as much as I possibly can about the person they are speaking about,” she says.

“I think it’s really, really important to encapsulate that person, so it just starts with a really down-to-earth chat and pretty much firing a hundred questions about the person and seeing what it is their family values… it’s always really special to be able to put that forward.”

Eventually, Brittany says the process became a bit like writing an essay. 

“I’ve got a bit of an algorithm of what goes where and it usually falls into place pretty nicely once I’ve got that information,” she says.

Brittany says the most common reason people look to outsource eulogy writing comes from language barriers, and wanting to ensure nothing is mixed up in translation at the services.

Another common reason is that people have never had to write one before and are unsure of what they are meant to include, she says.  

“Like I said, I’d written my own dad’s eulogy before anybody else’s so I think having been in those shoes, it really does help,” she says.

Brittany has been able to earn up to $4000 a month from her work writing eulogies and other short-term “gig” jobs, but she says it is far from a get-rich-quick scheme. 

“My income really varies depending on how much I’m applying myself,” she says.

Brittany was the ACT Top Tasker for 2024.