In this episode of Funeral Service Insider, we talk with Calvin Amato about his path into the funeral profession. Starting out in hospitality management, Calvin shares how growing up in a small town and spending time living in a funeral home during college sparked his interest in the field. Now certified as a cremation operator, death doula, and funeral celebrant, Calvin brings a fresh and compassionate approach to funeral service as he looks to complete his schooling.

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These are the stories we mention in this episode:

Pet Cremation Experience

LinkedIn Industry Listing

Wake Forest Law Review

NOR as a Service

Cemetery Software Webinar

Memorial Day Preparations

Mother's Day and Pregnancy Loss Memorialization

Kate-Boylston Resources and Events

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Stephanie Castagnier Dunn chief SBA revenue officer for Phoenix SBA a Community Bankshare Company talks about the state of the American small business economy, business loans for refinancing, real estate, and buy-outs, and strategies for structuring deals that benefit all parties while preserving business legacies.

Here are the stories we mention in this episode:

Unclaimed Remains

Catholic Church on Alkaline Hydrolysis

Georgia NOR

COVID Story

Shepherd Memorial Auction

Stephanie Peterson: Painful personal experience shaped ability to help with grief journey

After a bad funeral, this Iowa woman became a funeral director to do better for others

Covid quadrupled the number of bodies coming into my funeral home

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Mitch Smith explores the future of preneed funeral planning through the lens of shifting consumer expectations and digital transformation.

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Tanya Marsh talks about the findings in a recent academic survey into the transformation of funerary and disposition practices in the U.S. Discover insights from Marsh’s survey on consumer interest in alternative burial methods and the implications of these trends for the future of funeral service.

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In this episode of Funeral Service Insider, we discuss the Succession Planning Roundtable, a preview of the next column from Steve Lang, and get updates on the continued push to legalize alkaline hydrolysis in Indiana. Mishandled remains in Illinois, and unclaimed remains sorted. A creative columbarium initiative in Nebraska and a Liberty Bell lost and found. 

88% of executives say consumers are changing faster than their businesses can keep up, making it more important than ever for funeral homes to stay relevant. In this session, you’ll discover why reimagining the preneed journey will help you address two of the biggest challenges facing the profession today.

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 A.J. Orlikoff, Interim President of Historic Congressional Cemetery, discusses his role in promting cemeteries beyond burial spaces into community gathering and even leadning centers.

Greg Grabowski of Hospice Insights joins us to discuss new ways to engage with hospice and to work toward having funeral directors move further up the continuum of care chain. 

Building a Comprehensive Hospice CRM: "We do lots of engagements throughout the course of the day. We download every little single idea that we have that have worked.” 

The Role of Social Workers in Hospice Care: "One of the elements of a social worker is that you listen to what patients and families need, and you never put your own personal viewpoint on it." 

Bridging the Gap in End-of-Life Care: "There's no reason why eventually funeral directors can't say, now that I've proved value, when you talk to families ... you might want to say, "This is a really great funeral home. They partner with us. They do great care."

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