Succession planning preserves an organization’s legacy, ensures smooth leadership transitions, and nurtures internal talent.  It is vital to the long-term success of any and every funeral home. 

In this episode, host, Gabe Schauf, sits down with Chris Cruger, CEO of Foresight, and Jake Johnson, president and CEO of Johnson Consulting Group to talk about the value of and steps to successful succession planning from the perspectives of both the owner and the seller. 

Sponsored by Homesteaders Life Company.

In this episode, host, Gabe Schauf is joined by his brother, the founder and CEO of Uncharted Supply Co., Christian Schauf.  Uncharted's mission is to provide high-quality, intuitive gear to help people navigate emergencies big and small.  

Gabe and Chris talk about entrepreneurship, ownership, innovation, and how passion drives success in work and life.

CLICK HERE to learn more about Uncharted Supply Co.

On "A Brush With Death: 5 Minutes On...," we spend 5 minutes providing listeners with quick insights into various funeral trends, products, events, organizations, and goings-on.

In this episode, host, Gabe Schauf, is talking about @Need Marketing, a full-service marketing agency helping funeral homes connect with their communities through creative and strategic methods.  Gabe is joined by Michael Anderson, President of @Need Marketing.  Michael uses his personal background in the funeral profession and extensive experience in sales to provide partners with effective marketing strategies that are relevant for funeral homes. He can be reached at [email protected].

Click here to learn more about @Need Marketing

Host, Gabe Schauf is joined by Victor Sweeney, "The Wired Mortician".  Victor is a funeral director with DuBore Funeral Home in Warren, Minnesota who came into the national spotlight by just "doing the right thing" and has since been featured multiple times by Wired Magazine.  In this episode, Victor shares his story and some thoughts on being a funeral influencer and educating the public. 

Click Here to see Victor's first Wired Feature

Click Here to see Victor's most recent Wired Feature

The National Board Exam is a hot topic of discussion amongst funeral directors.  As workforce needs grow across the country and the education system works to teach the future of the profession, many questions about the exam and it purpose continue to be asked.

To understand more about the National Board Exam, host, Gabe Schauf, sits down with Dalene Paull and Leili McMurrough.  Dalene and Leili share a behind the scenes explanation as to how the exam is developed, its importance, and how funeral directors can play vital roles in supporting the process and the students who are working to become licensed. Click here for more information about the National Board Exam, including guides and statistics.

On "A Brush With Death: 5 Minutes On...," we spend 5 minutes providing listeners with quick insights into various funeral trends, products, events, organizations, and goings-on.

In this episode we are talking about Chptr, a new mobile-first memorialization platform.  Joining host, Gabe Schauf, is Rehan Choudhry, Founder and CEO of Chptr. 

Learn more about Chptr and try it for free at https://www.chptr.com/.

On "A Brush With Death: 5 Minutes On...," we spend 5 minutes providing listeners with quick insights into various funeral trends, events, organizations, and goings-on.

In this episode we are talking about NGL and the 2024 Inspiration Award with Jessica Grann, NGL's Chief Culture and Communications Officer.

If you have someone you'd like to nominate for the 2024 Inspiration Award, you can do so at https://nfda.org/inspiration. 

In May of 2023, the NFDA hosted “Future’s Forum” where 70 attendees representing the death care space met to analyze, discuss, and strategize the future of our profession.  This event was facilitated by Jim Austin and Paul Schoemaker, two gentlemen whose careers focus on strategic decision-making for businesses of all kinds.

In this episode, host, Gabe Schauf, is joined by Jim and Paul to discuss the Future’s Forum event and what the future of the funeral profession could look like.  Is your firm only operating in the present or is it looking ahead?  Do you know what you can do to innovate, where there are opportunities to grow, and how to begin moving forward?  This episode is a good place to get started.

Funding in part for this event was provided by a grant from the Funeral Service Foundation.

While women working in the funeral profession is nothing new, the incredible job done by many of them to serve families to the highest standards is something that cannot be overstated.  The tasks performed, the detail with which they are done, and the empathetic care behind them have provided us all with examples of what we should strive for in our own work.

In episode 66, host, Gabe Schauf, sits down with Ellen Wynn McBrayer, licensed funeral director and embalmer and President and CFO of Jones-Wynn Funeral Homes and Crematory in Georgia, to learn more about her experiences in the funeral profession.  The 2023 Inspiration Award Winner discusses the leadership and mentorship roles she has found herself in throughout her career and shares the importance and results of leading by example.  The NFDA Inspiration Award is generously sponsored by NGL.

What happens when you put 3 mortuary school instructors in a podcast booth?  Find out in episode 65.  Faith Haug and Joe Finocchiaro join host, Gabe Schauf, in a candid discussion about how funeral education is evolving.  Both share some of their experiences and provide opinions on where it might be headed and what we can all do to help make it better for everyone.  Whether you have been in the profession for some time or are just starting out - If you're curious about the state of funeral education, this episode is for you.