A Brush with Death

Veterans Day episode. Our guest is Danielle Wilk, a mortuary specialist at Dover Air Force Base. Danielle discusses her team, what they do on a daily basis, and what it's like providing funeral services as part of a military operation. She also provides insight into the process of caring for our fallen heroes from the battlefield to the final committal.

Get ready to be inspired! Convention keynote speakers Micah Solomon and Brett Culp join host Gabe Schauf to give you a peek behind the curtain of the NFDA 2020 Virtual International Convention & Expo! These highly rated presenters are igniting audiences through their books, films and speeches, and this is your opportunity to hear them for yourself. Both will be keynote speakers at this year's convention delivering presentations on customer service and leadership – two of today's most pressing topics in business! Keynote addresses are sponsored by Homesteaders and Batesville.

Micah Solomon Author & Keynote Speaker

Micah Solomon is one of the world's leading authorities on customer service, company culture, and the customer experience.

Brett Culp Documentary film maker

Brett Culp is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and founder of The Rising Heroes Project, a not-for-profit that inspires people to overcome personal adversity.

Top-rated speakers Rich Kizer and Georganne Bender join host Gabe Schauf to discuss how to improve your business by seeing it through the eyes of the families you serve. They'll also provide a preview of the topic they'll present at the NFDA 2020 Virtual International Convention & Expo: Move Over Millennials – What it Takes to Connect with Generation Z. Join them at the Virtual International Convention & Expo on Wednesday, October 21 for this don't-miss session!

Kizer and Bender are consumer anthropologists, speakers, authors and consultants whose client list reads like a "Who's Who" in business. Companies internationally depend upon them for timely advice on consumers and the changing retail marketplace. They are contributors to MSNBC's television program Your Business, and they made Meetings & Conventions Magazine's list of Meeting Planners Favorite Keynote Speakers!

As we approach the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania, host Gabe Schauf visits with New York funeral director Dominic Carella. Dominic was the first funeral director called on 9/11 – he and his team provided care for 79 families that lost loved ones that day.

With cremation rates hitting 55% nationwide, NFDA recognized the need to offer a Cremation Certification Program developed by funeral directors for funeral directors. Mike Nicodemus, Vice President of Cremation Services, joins Gabe Schauf to discuss how this program provides attendees with the framework to run an impeccable, successful operation. While this certification program has been a staple of NFDA's outstanding education options, it is now offered virtually giving attendees access to critical information without the need to travel. Past attendees Francheskia Fenderson and Brandon Rogers-Plott join in to talk about their experience and the value it has brought to their firms.

Talking to a child about death and loss can be challenging and parents are often looking for resources to help. In this episode, Gabe Schauf sits down with Lacie Bruckner and Katherine Pendergast, co-authors of the "In Loving Memory" books, which teach children about funerals, cremation and the grief journey. Lacie and Kat share their inspiration for the books; provide ideas for talking to children about death; and suggest ways parents and funeral directors can involve children in the funeral.

In this episode of "A Brush with Death", Gabe Schauf is joined by five members of the Class of 2020 who share their experiences in mortuary science school and the funeral service profession. If you are curious about what the life of a mortuary student is like, this is a great place to start.

A special congratulations to the class of 2020 Mortuary Science School graduates! We are proud of you and looking forward to working with you in this great profession.

In this episode of "A Brush With Death", we pick up where we left off in the discussion featured in our last podcast. Host Gabe Schauf teams up once again with Sara Murphy, Ph.D., certified thanatologist and expert on death, dying and bereavement, to answer your questions regarding grief during these unprecedented times. Topics include self-care, managing the phenomenon of "COVID fatigue", and reinforcing the importance of the funeral director in times of mass fatalities. If you haven't listened to Part 1 of this series, we highly recommend Episode #10 where Dr. Murphy discusses the impact Coronavirus is having on grief and loss.

She also introduces the new booklet entitled Grieving Alone & Together: Responding to the Loss of Your Loved One During the COVID-19 Pandemic, a free resource being offered by the Funeral Service Foundation and NFDA.

This episode of “A Brush With Death” discusses the impact Coronavirus is having on grief and loss. Host Gabe Schauf talks with Sara Murphy, Ph.D., certified thanatologist and expert on death, dying and bereavement, about the impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on both individual and cultural grieving. Sara also introduces a new booklet she authored called “Grieving Alone & Together: Responding to the Loss of Your Loved One During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” a free resource being offered by the Funeral Service Foundation and NFDA. The first in a two-part series, listeners will be able to send questions regarding grief during these unprecedented times to [email protected].

Our guest on this episode of "A Brush With Death" is Justin Baxley, a licensed funeral director and Vice President of Business Development for Foundation Partners. A private funeral company based in Florida, Foundation Partners operates 140 funeral home locations across the country. Justin describes how their firm is embracing new ideas and new technologies to serve families and communities during these trying times.