Joy sits at the center of everything Ladan Madresehee creates, especially when sorrow befalls. Through her company, Leave it to ME, the event planner has built a career helping people celebrate the milestones of their lives. However, the work that defines her today resides in the quiet, woeful spaces, guiding people through the emotional chapters that many often struggle to discuss, such as divorce or the end of life.
Ladan desires to be known as the “Joy in Death Lady,” a title that symbolizes the spirit she carries into every project. Whether it’s the death of a marriage or the death of a loved one, she leads with the belief that endings deserve acknowledgement, meaning, and even celebration. “Regardless of what someone is going through, the goal is to remember the joy that existed and honor it,” she explains.
For her, that mindset finds even more relevance on International Women’s Day, a date deeply woven into her story. Eight years ago, she officially launched Leave it to ME, which marked not only the start of her entrepreneurial journey but also changed her life in more ways than she expected.
“It was the beginning of the end of my marriage to someone who wasn’t supportive of my dreams,” she recalls. “That’s why March 8th has always been symbolic to me as a woman business owner. It’s the day that we, women, celebrate the strength and resilience we embody every day, where we accept who we are.”
Event planning had been a dormant part of her life for decades before it became a full-time pursuit. She recalls organizing her junior prom as the class president, surpassing expectations by securing an ice sculpture for the small-town dance. Later, she joined the activities board for her college, coordinated alumni gatherings, and eventually built a 20-year career in telecommunications.
The turning point arrived after encouragement from a life coach who suggested she start a business. “The idea felt risky at first. No one in my family had taken the entrepreneurial route,” she says. Still, Ladan trusted the instinct that this path was meant for her. “Once I started, I realized that entrepreneurial spirit had been there all along,” she adds.
As the early years of building Leave it to ME were interwoven with the unraveling of her marriage and the pandemic, she spent it navigating divorce while grieving the loss of a future she once imagined. “You’re grieving the life you thought you would have, and you’re grieving the person you expected to grow old with,” she reflects.
But after those moments of lamenting, Ladan had a change in perspective. “I realized that I don’t have any regrets. If I had not picked him, I wouldn’t have my amazing kids. I wouldn’t have the joy they bring me,” she says. Through that mindset shift, she reshaped the purpose behind her work and inspired a new type of event entirely.
The Divorce Expo grew from that realization. “I held a virtual panel, which welcomed numerous stories. People shared what they overcame: the good, the bad, and the ugly,” she says. The second expo, occurring on May 31st, 2026, in Annapolis, Maryland, gathers speakers, wellness professionals, and community members, allowing them to explore the healing process after separation while encouraging people to mark the transition in meaningful ways.
“I want people to understand that it’s okay to grieve. But it’s also possible to move forward and create something beautiful from that chapter,” she says. “A lot of people who come are the ones who took their struggle and turned it into a drive to help others. I found my healing through them.”
Another upcoming event, the Celebration of Life Expo, reflects a parallel mission. This gathering, she notes, invites people to rethink how they honor loved ones and plan their own celebration of life. From innovative end-of-life services to conversations about legacy and remembrance, the expo encourages vulnerability around a topic many may prefer to avoid. Ladan approaches it with the belief that every life deserves a meaningful sendoff.
“A celebration of life should feel personal,” she explains. “Music, stories, memories, those things deserve space in how we say goodbye.”
Her mission to change the way people think about the difficult conversations surrounding life’s moments also inspired “Taboo Talks and Thoughts,” a podcast that she, too, launched on International Women’s Day. The show invites candid conversations about subjects society often treats as uncomfortable, from grief and reinvention to personal transformation.
Meanwhile, her ambitions continue to grow beyond individual events. Ladan is launching a global funeral pre-planning program called “A Final Gift.” The concept encourages people to plan both the practical and emotional elements of their farewell. “I want people to think about the celebration as much as the logistics. Planning your final chapter can actually be empowering,” she explains.
Future hybrid expos may travel to other cities as her ideas gain momentum, with Florida already on her radar as a potential next stop. Every initiative reflects the same principles that shaped Leave it to ME from the beginning: that life deserves celebration at every stage, even the ones that feel difficult.
“Every ending carries a story worth honoring,” she says. “Joy still exists within those moments. Sometimes, it just needs someone willing to create the space for it.”
