For most of us, being face-to-face with a Funeral Director means one of two very, very unfortunate things. Either someone you love has died…or you have. Either way a Funeral Director's services are enlisted at a time when you'd probably do anything to turn turn back the clock and avoid whatever transpired to lead to that moment. Picture a Funeral Director in your mind. Who are you picturing? It's probably some cross between Lurch from the Addams family and Bella Lugosi. Well, at least for the subject of today's episode, that is not the case.

Ben Schmidt is a Funeral Director, yes. But he's also a personable, talkative, enthusiastic, lively Chicagoan who has a love affair with the Cubs and a deep passion for life, even though he spends his days dealing with death and all the logistics that swirl around it. He joins us to speak to how you balance the profession, from the backroom where the dirty work is done, to the front room where you have to empathize and help those left living through some of the hardest moments they will ever endure.

Produced, Written & Hosted by: Dan Lauer Produced, Recorded & Mixed by: Jonathan Giffin Recorded at: CCB Studios in Orlando, FL Episode Artwork: Kaylan Stedman   http://wetworkpodcast.com/   Wetwork's music is provided courtesy of Kevin Mcleod at Incompetech.com. Visit Incompetech.com to find the perfect music for your video or audio project. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/   Songs Used: "Deep Haze", "Halls Of The Undead", "Funeral March For Brass", "Gymnopedie No. 3", "Ossuary 5 - Rest"