The Graveyard Shift

By PassareBusiness Entrepreneurship

The Graveyard Shift episodes

August 14, 2025 Shift #13: BBQ, event centers, and Jayme Toeppich
Jayme Toeppich, CEO at Broussard’s, knows a thing or two about serving families' hearts, souls, and appetites. After all, her family does run a funeral home and one of Texas’s top BBQ joints, 1701 Barbecue.
Between the two businesses, Jayme has seen how powerful it is when people come together, especially during times of grief. That’s why her funeral home added an events center.
And the impact? Pretty incredible.
If you’ve ever thought about adding an event space where families can gather (and eat!) after a service, this one’s for you!
39 min
July 31, 2025 Shift #12: Control freaks, perspective, and Paul Beaty
What’s the real difference between working in your funeral home and working on it?
This week, the crew is joined by Paul Beaty, Vice President of Beaty Funeral Home, with more than 30 years of experience. The group unpacks the daily tug-of-war funeral professionals face, the guilt of stepping back, why delegating is so hard, and the power of fresh eyes.
If you’ve ever rearranged the flowers just because, this one’s for you.
33 min
July 17, 2025 Shift #11: Succession planning, airplanes, and John Horan
What happens when a funeral home owner realizes it’s time to step away?
In this episode, John Horan, founder of The Funeral Excellence Group, joins The Graveyard Shift to talk about building a business, knowing when it’s time to sell, and tips to guarantee a smooth transition.
From emotional decisions to practical tips (and some laughs along the way), this one’s packed with insight.
40 min
July 03, 2025 Shift #10: Bad apples, leadership, and Kris Seale
Kris Seale, President & CEO of Directors Investment Group, drops in on The Graveyard Shift for a no-fluff, eye-opening conversation about what really makes or breaks workplace culture.
The group covers topics like how to build a culture people want to join, why keeping bad apples is risky, and how generational gaps are shaping the workplace.
Plus, get the inside scoop on Kris’s life-changing epiphany that might change how you think about leadership.
46 min
June 19, 2025 Shift #9: Study groups and lifelines
Whoever said new ideas are hard to come by hasn't watched this week's episode of The Graveyard Shift! Join the crew as they swap stories about study groups and how they’ve benefited from them.
Matt and Jimmy share how having support, learning from others, and building deep friendships have made a big difference for them and their businesses. Gary talks about how study groups have served as a lifeline during challenging times, such as COVID.
Tune in to discover the value of joining a study group, along with the typical banter that will keep you laughing the whole time.
39 min
June 05, 2025 Shift #8: Roofing, roundabouts, and Ron Clyde
Ron Clyde, Director of Special Projects at Directors Investment Group, joins the crew to talk about conflict management and how it affects the day-to-day.
The group shares the everyday conflicts they run into, why dodging tough conversations can backfire, and how personality differences shape the way they handle conflict. You’ll also hear the crew open up about their struggles…and as a bonus, discover who said he got kicked out of community college. 😅
38 min
May 22, 2025 Shift #7: Training, culture, and Martha Thayer
On this week’s shift, Martha Thayer, founder and president of Mortuary Training LLC, joins the crew to share her knowledge about the current state of funeral home training, the mad dash to keep up with new regulations, and more.
Matt spills the beans on celebrant training, Gary talks about "borrowing" ideas, and Jimmy discusses the importance of personalized training for staff. Plus, find out which crew member has firsthand experience working with Martha (and how it’s going). 👀
Learn more about Martha Thayer’s training programs at www.mortuarytraining.com.
46 min
May 09, 2025 Shift #6: Stress, smoked meat, and Dr. Carr
In this episode, the guys welcome Dr. Melanie Carr, Director of Sales Development at Funeral Directors Life and published author of Emotional Intelligence for Funeral Directors.
Dr. Carr shares stress management strategies, which encourages the crew to share what they’ve tried to relieve stress. Who smokes meat? Who has slept at the funeral home? Who has absolutely no stress whatsoever? Find out in this honest and raw discussion.
42 min
April 24, 2025 Shift #5: Dead Butterflies and AI
The conversation about AI continues as Gary, Jimmy, Matt, and Todd discuss how to adapt to and use technology as it evolves while still maintaining a personal touch.
Tune in to hear about each member's experiences with AI and the ways they've successfully encouraged their staff to embrace new ideas, even when there's a risk of mistakes—or dead butterflies. If you're looking to push the creative boundaries of your business, this episode is for you.
44 min
April 10, 2025 Shift #4: Technology, holograms, and Tom Antram
Join our normal cast of characters as they welcome their first-ever guest, Tom Antram, President and CEO of French Funerals & Cremations and the current president of Selected Independent Funeral Homes!
The crew discusses technology in the profession and how families are responding. They also share their thoughts about AI and how funeral directors should be using it. Get ready for a technological shift…
44 min

About The Graveyard Shift

From the publisher's feed

Funeral professionals are constantly searching for two things – new ideas to better serve families and a good laugh. Join Todd Carlson, EVP of Sales and Chief Sales Officer at Directors Investment…