the johnny renaissance files

Most funeral homes are trying to fix their marketing at the top of the stack.

Campaigns. Postcards. Facebook ads.

All surface level stuff.

And I get it, because that’s where the visible problems are. Leads aren’t coming in. Pre-need contracts aren’t getting signed. So you go looking for the next campaign, the next vendor promise, the next silver bullet.

But the real opportunity isn’t up there.

It’s in the foundation underneath it.

Why Pre-Need Keeps Feeling Unfulfilling

Here’s the pattern I see over and over again.

You bring in a pre-need vendor. They make big promises. Things start okay. And then slowly, quietly, the results fall short. Again.

And you’re left wondering why.

It’s not always the vendor’s fault. The real problem is that nobody, not the vendor, not you, not your team ever built the infrastructure that needs to exist underneath the program.

Without that foundation, every campaign you run is just noise. Expensive, exhausting noise. Sure, you’ll produce some sales, but you’ll never have the system you need to crush it.

The Information Is Already There. It’s Just Stuck.

Here’s what’s wild about most funeral homes I work with.

The foundation already exists.

It’s just locked inside the heads of the owner, the funeral director who’s been there 25 years, the office manager who knows every family by name. It lives in Excel spreadsheets, in filing cabinets, in someone’s memory.

And when that person walks out the door? So does everything they know.

That’s the real crisis. Not your Facebook ad performance.

The Questions Your System Should Be Able to Answer

When you build the right infrastructure, something powerful starts to happen.

You can suddenly answer questions like:

* Who in this community has shown interest in funeral planning at our funeral home, and when?

* Who attended a seminar three years ago, and why didn’t they fund their pre-need contract at that time?

* Who downloaded a planning guide, and when?

* Who should hear from us this month, and how?

* Who is connected to which families?

When you can answer those questions, marketing stops feeling like promotion.

It starts feeling like stewardship.

That’s not a small shift. That’s everything.

This Is Where AI Actually Makes Sense for Your Funeral Home

Everyone’s using the obituary writing tools. A lot of you are using ChatGPT or Claude for your own writing and thinking.

But the question I keep getting is: What should I actually be working on, John? What’s going to make the biggest difference for my funeral home?

Here’s my answer.

Build the database first.

Not the website. Not the new case management platform. Not the pre-need automation tool you saw at the convention.

The database. The vault. The library of everything you know about your community, your families, your history, your relationships.

Because once that infrastructure is in place? AI becomes a multiplier. Without it, AI is just another shiny object.

The Problem With Outsourcing Your Pre-Need Program

There are companies that will take control of your pre-need program and run it for you. And honestly? They can be effective.

But ask yourself this: how does that secure the future of your funeral home?

You get the contracts. You get the future business.

But you miss the larger opportunity of building an infrastructure that gives you leverage and independence as the industry changes. And it is going to change. Drastically. Faster than most people are ready for.

The funeral homes that are going to win aren’t the ones that outsourced everything and hoped for the best.

They’re the ones who took the time to build the foundation.

Start Here

Your database matters right now.

Not someday. Not after you figure out the tech stack. Not once you’re less busy.

Right now.

Start getting what’s in people’s heads into organized systems. Excel spreadsheets, a simple CRM, Notion — I don’t care what you use to start. Just start.

Because the first step in taking advantage of AI for your funeral home isn’t buying a new tool.

It’s building something worth connecting a tool to.

If you’re not working on this yet, reach out. And make sure you’re subscribed here on The Ash Flash. The book is coming, the frameworks are going in it, and subscribers get first access.

John Ashworth — Johnny Renaissance — Pre-Need Growth Expert

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A Sunday morning riff sparked by a Barron’s piece: AI is not just a “tech story.” It is a civilization-scale infrastructure buildout already underway. Data centers under construction are projected to consume electricity on the scale of an entire country, and the long-term winners may be the quiet regional utilities signing decade-plus contracts with the largest tech companies. Meanwhile, consumers are already feeling the pinch as electricity bills climb, and politics is heating up. For funeral home owners, the message is simple: the AI infrastructure is being built right now, leverage is real, and small, practical AI use can give a small team the output of a much larger one.

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No More Excuse

I was talking with Welton Hong recently — CEO of Ring Ring Marketing and one of the sharpest digital minds in death care. He said something I want you to sit with.

“There’s no more excuse for not knowing how to write great content. You’ve got AI to write it for you.”

He’s right. And it stings a little because the excuse was always a good one. Writing is hard. Good copy is harder. And funeral home owners are already stretched thin.

But that excuse is gone now.

You can open an AI tool today, paste in what’s on your homepage, tell it how you’re different, and ask it to rewrite the whole thing. Takes 10 minutes. Costs nothing.

The question now isn’t can you do it.

It’s whether you will.

And before you go objecting to this idea on merit because you believe that’s cheating or AI writing for you is wrong, or more likely, AI writing doesn’t sound like me, please understand that’s not what I’m saying.

What I’m saying is that AI is your go to 24/7 copy editor and the more time you put into it, the stronger it’s work becomes.

The more time you put in, the more it sounds like you.

And the more time you put in, the more you will begin to understand the reality of something I just read yesterday in the Wall Street Journal, in an article titled, How Staying Small Became AI Startups’ Top Flex. Yes, there is a growing list of Silicon Valley startups that detailes how these companies are taking people like you who are extremely productive already, who then become insanely productive with the help of AI.

-JohnPS. For all you salespeople out there like me, one of the other important points made in this article was the fact that while these startups are hiring less people in every department, the only department they are still constantlyh working to buil-up is…you guessed it, sales. Why? Because they understand that you need actual people to build those realtionships, execute those deals, and stay on top of the close…I’ve got more coming on this idea in the next few posts.

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"You can still dunk in the dark..." Remember that super bow ad? this is the $10 Million Lesson Funeral Homes Keep Missing...Super Bowl 47. 2013. Third quarter. The lights go out in the Superdome. Total blackout. 34 minutes.Nobody planned for this. Not the NFL. Not the teams. Not the brands who spent millions on commercials.But one brand was ready.Oreo sent out a tweet: "You can still dunk in the dark."Simple image. Black background. One Oreo. Seven words.That tweet got more attention than most of the $4 million commercials that aired that night.Why?Because they understood something most brands miss: Attention doesn't always come when you plan for it. But you better be ready to act when it does. They didn't have a "blackout strategy." They had a SYSTEM. A team ready to move. A culture that could respond in real-time.And when the moment came? They entered the conversation happening in everyone's mind. Right now.Your Oreo MomentEvery death call is your Oreo moment.Unplanned attention. Guaranteed attention. You have a family's complete focus for 3 to 7 days. They trust you with everything. You're there at the worst moment. And then? Nothing. You send a thank you card. Maybe. And you never call again. That's a $10 million Super Bowl ad with no follow-up. That's an Oreo blackout moment with no tweet. You're great at the moment. You're terrible at the momentum. The System You're Missing TodayBrands will spend $10 million for 30 seconds of attention. The smart ones already have the follow-up built. The website. The campaign. The system that starts Monday morning. The dumb ones? Celebrity cameo. Big spend. Then nothing. Here's the truth: The game ends, but the ads don't. People rewatch them. Share them. Rank them. The second life of attention is where the real value lives. Your Super Bowl happens every time the phone rings with a death call. But do you have a system? 90-day check-in? Anniversary card with a real note? Pre-need conversation six months later? Or are you just hoping they'll think of you when the next death happens? The Real Lesson The families most likely to buy pre-need from you aren't strangers. They're the ones who already trust you. The at-need families you served last year. Five years ago. But you never called them back. That's the opportunity you're missing. Not in getting more death calls. In leveraging the ones you already have. Every at-need family is a pre-need lead. Every service is an opportunity to build a relationship that lasts. But you need a system. Not just good intentions. What's your plan for the second life of attention? When that family walks out the door after the service, what happens next? Because the game doesn't end when the service does. That's when it starts. Full episode drops today. Link in comments.by the way...here's that Claude ad that's coming this evening 🤓https://lnkd.in/gDHh5V3W

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In 2025, I spent some time with a firm in Northern Illinois that represents the true challenge for your family funeral business. It reminded me of a battle in the civil war and inspired me to create this piece…

The Hornet’s Nest

That’s what Confederate soldiers called the position at Shiloh. A sunken road where Union troops under General Benjamin Prentiss held their ground for six hours against wave after wave of assault. Surrounded. Outnumbered. Taking fire from all sides.

The Confederates needed that position to punch through the Union line. Prentiss and his men didn’t know it at the time, but by holding that ground, they bought the Union army time to regroup and ultimately hold the field.

By the time Prentiss surrendered what was left of his force, over 2,000 of his men were dead, wounded, or captured. The position earned its name from the sound of musket fire so constant and fierce it sounded like a swarm of angry hornets.

The northern Illinois funeral home doesn’t know it’s surrounded.

For three generations, they’ve held their ground. Same corner lot. Same families. Same reputation for doing right by people when life falls apart.

But the landscape has changed.

A corporate consolidator has quietly purchased the funeral home two towns over. Then the one across the county line. Then the historic downtown location everyone thought was untouchable. Each acquisition comes with press releases about “preserving legacy” and “honoring tradition.” Each location keeps its old name. The families who sold stay on for a year, maybe two, then quietly disappear.

The encirclement is complete before anyone notices.

The family firm keeps running the same plays. Obit in the local paper. Handshakes at Rotary. Good work, fair price, familiar faces. The formula that has worked for 60 years.

What they don’t see: the corporate operators aren’t competing on service. They’re competing on position. Every surrounding firm now has venture capital behind it, call center infrastructure, CRM systems tracking every family contact, and regional pricing models that can undercut local rates on some services while jacking up margins on others.

The independent firm is taking fire from all sides.

Families start shopping price because the corporate locations have trained them to. “The place across town quoted us $3,200 less for the same casket.” Preneed leads dry up because the corporate firms have agents in every church, country club, and senior center with commission splits the independent can’t match. Staff get recruited away with benefit packages and PTO policies the family business can’t afford.

Every week brings another assault.

And like Prentiss at the Hornet’s Nest, they hold their ground. Not because they have a plan. Because retreat isn’t in their vocabulary. This is the family business. Their name on the sign. Their grandfather’s reputation to protect.

What they don’t see: they aren’t just fighting to hold the business. They’re fighting to pass something to the next generation.

The son is already working there. Learning the routes. Meeting families. Sitting in on arrangements. Being groomed to take over.

Except he isn’t inheriting a business. He’s inheriting a job.

A job that requires him to be as skilled, as connected, and as dedicated as his father—but without the forty years of relationship building that made his father successful. A job that only works because families trust Dad, not because systems create value independent of who shows up.

He’s inheriting a Rolodex of relationships he didn’t build. A reputation tied to his father’s name, not his own. An operational model that depends entirely on one person’s accumulated trust.

He’s inheriting a dying tradition in a market where every competitor has built thriving businesses on systems, not personalities.

They work longer hours. Cut their own salaries. Dip into savings to cover payroll. Keep saying yes to families even when the math doesn’t work. They’re holding the position.

But no one is coming to relieve them.

The Hornet’s Nest at Shiloh bought time for the Union army to establish a defensive line and ultimately hold the field. Prentiss and his men didn’t know they were serving that larger strategic purpose. They just knew they had orders to hold.

The northern Illinois firm is fighting the same battle. Surrounded. Taking casualties. Holding their ground.

The difference: they don’t know what they’re fighting for.

There’s no larger defensive line forming behind them. No strategic purpose their sacrifice is serving. Just slow attrition wearing down good people who think grit and reputation will be enough.

By the time they understand the position they’re in, the only question left is whether to surrender the ground or die on it.

The tragedy isn’t that they’re fighting. It’s what they’re fighting to preserve.

A business that requires the one asset that doesn’t transfer. A position that can only be held by someone with relationships they’ve spent forty years building.

They think they’re protecting their legacy.

They’re actually ensuring no one can inherit it.

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Mark Zuckerberg says, “Move fast and break stuff.”

Most people hear that and think it’s reckless. But here’s what I’ve learned after years in the funeral profession: It’s often easier to do the BIG things than the little things. To think BIG instead of small. To go for the double instead of the incremental 10% bump.

And in 2026? Thinking BIG is my focus. It should be yours too.

The Paradox of BIG Thinking

Why is going big actually easier than playing it safe with small, incremental progress?

Because BIG ideas are more inspiring. They’re more interesting. They’re more exciting. And they’re far more likely to capture the interest, excitement, and cooperation of others.

Right now, I’ve got some massive ideas about completely reshaping how funeral homes and agents sell pre-need. And what I find fascinating is this: these big ideas are actually easier to sell than small tweaks to existing processes.

Sure, there are a million reasons to tone them down. Make them smaller. Tighten the scope for “more effective management and control.” More reality.

But that’s where most people get stuck—in the crevasse of this dichotomy. When really, what we should be doing is leaping over it entirely. Forget the danger. Forget the risk.

Go big or go home.

Why It’s Easier to Double Your Business Than Grow it by 10%

Here’s the truth: It’s easier to double your pre-need sales than it is to increase them by 10-20%.

You just don’t get creative mojo flowing with a small increase. You tend to stick with the same old people, processes, and procrastination that have kept you exactly where you are—no matter how hard you think you’re trying. If you’re trying at all.

But when you think BIG? When you shoot for a doubling of your business instead of incremental progress?

You stumble upon bigger and better ideas that pull people and processes forward. These ideas have their own gravity. Once you release them, you can’t ignore their force and effect on you.

And here’s what most funeral professionals don’t realize: That business is out there. Almost every single time.

Two Ways to Start Thinking BIG Right Now

1. Ask the Doubling Question

Start thinking about what would need to happen to double your pre-need program.

Not 10% growth. Not 20%. Double.

What would that require? Who would you need? What processes would have to change? What partnerships would you need to form?

This forces you out of incremental thinking and into transformational thinking.

2. Position Your Business Like You’re Selling It

Even if you never plan to sell, start thinking every day about how you would package and justify value inside your business and pre-need program.

I know there’s a lot of consolidation happening in the funeral profession right now. Funeral homes often leave it up to hired experts to figure this out. That’s fine.

But what I encourage you to do is start thinking about this yourself—because this mindset is useful for your business regardless of whether you ever decide to sell.

What Makes a Business Valuable? (And Why You Should Care)

Here’s what companies, corporations, and private equity look for when buying businesses. As you read through this list, think about how building these assets would help you and your business grow:

* Specialized capability – What can you do that others can’t?

* Brand identity & goodwill – This is the one everyone leans on in the funeral industry

* Existing products that fit well with the buyer’s portfolio

* Distribution channels that complement theirs

* Cost savings & profit improvements via absorption

* Excellent profit potential if increased capital investment & better management were available

* Intellectual properties – I know an owner sitting on five different patents that make his business exponentially more valuable

* Product or market exclusives – Do you have something no one else does?

* Elimination of costly competition – Sometimes it’s about market consolidation

* Management and expertise – Especially YOUR expertise combined with AI

* Accelerated entry into a new area of opportunity

* A lab rat to experiment with – Sometimes they just want to test new ideas

The Bottom Line

Most people limit themselves with small thinking. They play it safe. They go for the 10% increase instead of the transformation.

But in my experience? The big leap is actually less risky than you think. Because big ideas attract big momentum. They pull people forward. They create their own gravity.

So here’s my challenge to you: What would it take to double your pre-need program in 2026?

Stop thinking small. Start thinking BIG.

What’s one BIG idea you’ve been sitting on that you’re afraid to pursue? Drop it in the comments. 👇

#ThinkBIG #PreNeed #FuneralProfessionals #BusinessGrowth #Leadership #FuneralHomeOwners #Transformation #GoalSetting #2026Goals

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Episode Overview

In this episode, John challenges one of the funeral profession’s most damaging beliefs: that being “too professional” for proactive marketing is noble. Recorded on a cold January morning in Wisconsin while working on his upcoming book, John connects the dots between time integrity, space creation, and systematic service delivery—revealing why waiting for families to be in crisis mode isn’t professional at all.

Key Timestamps

[00:00] - Cold morning intro from Wisconsin + book update

[01:15] - The space problem funeral professionals don’t know they have

[01:45] - “When did being too professional become an excuse for not educating people before they need you?”

[02:16] - Death + Emotion + Tradition = The Sales Aversion Bubble

[03:15] - The book chapter reveal: Service as Sales

[04:00] - Connecting to Time Integrity: Point A vs Point B

[04:35] - The challenge: What if sales done systematically IS the highest form of service?

[05:30] - CTA: Create space, build systems, serve families at the highest level

Episode Highlights

The Core Problem

“You wait until families are in the funeral home in the worst moments of their lives, emotionally devastated, making decisions worth thousands of dollars. And that’s when you decide to explain why your approach matters so much... Does that really sound like service to you?”

The Sales Aversion Bubble

“Death plus emotion plus tradition has created this weird bubble where sales aversion feels righteous. It’s so easy to convince yourself that selling death care is different. That the sacred nature of your work somehow exempts you from basic business fundamentals.”

The Mindset Shift

“What if sales done systematically, not accidentally, is actually the highest form of service in our profession?”

Point A vs Point B

* Point A: Waiting for families to come to you in crisis

* Point B: Building systematic ways to reach people before crisis hits, educating them, building relationships, creating trust

* The Space Between: Where your business development time and intentional planning should happen

Key Takeaways

✅ Being “too professional” for proactive marketing often masks fear and prevents you from serving at the highest level

✅ Systems that educate people when they’re calm and rational are more respectful than crisis-mode information dumps

✅ Pre-need isn’t just about securing revenue—it’s about giving families space to make thoughtful decisions

✅ Education-based marketing (Facebook content, workshops, seminars) should be part of your pipeline foundation

✅ Most funeral professionals are too busy being “professional” to be proactive

✅ Creating space in your business allows you to build these systematic service delivery systems

Action Items

* Ask yourself: Are you waiting for families to need you, or building systems to serve them before crisis hits?

* Evaluate your current approach: Where are you creating space for pre-crisis education and relationship building?

* Start a conversation: If you’re working with a pre-need partner, ask them about systematic education-based marketing. If not, reach out to John.

* Shift your mindset: From “sales aversion feels righteous” to “systematic sales equals systematic service”

Book Update

John is currently writing a book with an entire chapter dedicated to “Service as Sales” and why this represents the biggest mindset shift the funeral profession needs to make.

Connect with John

Have thoughts on this episode? Where are you on the spectrum—waiting for crisis or building proactive systems?

Drop John a message and let’s talk about it.🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/john-ashworth 🎙️ Subscribe to the Johnny Renaissance Podcast

Related Episodes

* Previous Episode: The Time Integrity Code: How Top Performers Hit Their Goals Faster

Quote of the Episode

“To sell is to serve. Create space, build systems, serve families at the highest level.”

#FuneralProfessionals #PreNeed #DeathCare #SalesAsService #JohnnyRenaissancePodcast #FuneralHomeOwners #BusinessDevelopment #ServiceMindset

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Show notes below created by Riverside.fm AI

Keywords

AI, technology, cybersecurity, job security, personal branding, training, safety, advertising, innovation, 2026

Summary

In this episode of the Johnny Renaissance Podcast, John and Carl Ashworth discuss the evolving landscape of AI, its implications for businesses, and the importance of personal expertise in navigating this new terrain. They explore various AI models, the significance of training and safety, and the potential job displacement due to AI advancements. The conversation also touches on cybersecurity concerns, the need for businesses to adapt, and the role of personal branding in an AI-driven world. Throughout the discussion, they emphasize the importance of critical thinking and awareness in the face of sensational media narratives about AI.

AI is rapidly evolving, and businesses must adapt to stay relevant.

Training your own AI with proprietary data is crucial for leveraging its capabilities.

Different AI models offer unique advantages; exploring them is essential.

Safety and ethical considerations in AI development are paramount.

Cybersecurity measures must be prioritized as AI becomes more integrated into business operations.

Personal expertise combined with AI can create significant competitive advantages.

Job displacement is a real concern, but new opportunities will also arise.

Building a personal brand is vital in the changing job landscape due to AI.

Critical thinking is necessary to navigate sensational media narratives about AI.

Awareness and education in cybersecurity are essential for protecting businesses.

Sound bites

“Question everything.”

“AI can do amazing things.”

“Stop only using ChatGPT.”

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and AI Exploration

03:29 AI Safety and Training Concerns

08:21 The Impact of AI on Advertising and Business

13:55 Practical Applications of AI in Hiring

22:17 The Value of Data and Personal Branding

28:54 Navigating Media Sensationalism

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Does the math inside your pre-need program actually work?

Not “could it work if...”

Not “it’ll work when...”

Does it work RIGHT NOW, today, as currently structured?

I just wrapped a year where we grew a single-owner funeral home’s pre-need program by 41%. Over $300,000 in production. Just him. No massive team. No magic bullet.

Just fixing the math first, then building everything else on top of that foundation.

Listen - take Christmas off. Enjoy New Year’s. Rest. Reboot. Spend time with family. You’ve earned it for sure.

But while you’re thinking about 2026, keep this question in the back of your mind:

Is my pre-need program actually working? Or is it just... sittign there and idling?

Because you can’t charm your way past broken math. You can’t ignore your way past systems that are limping along. And you definitely can’t “hope” your way to a secure future for your funeral home.

Watch the video. If it hits home, let’s talk in January.

I’ve got limited partnership slots opening up in 2026, and we’re moving fast.

Happy holidays from all of us at Golden Considerations and The Ash Flash.

Now go eat some cookies (but not too many :) and stop thinking about work for five minutes.

(…But seriously, does the math work?)

-Johnny Renaissance

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This is a marketing and business story from the road.

If you live in Wisconsin, you know Kwik Trip. It’s a gas station and convenience store. Nothing revolutionary about that.

But here’s what sets them apart: I’ll go out of my way to stop at Kwik Trip.

Why? Because they hit all the touchpoints. And they seem little, but in aggregate, they’re gigantic. Massive. Like a called strike three in the bottom of the ninth.

A Tale of Two Stops

I just stopped at a non-Kwik Trip because I needed something on the spot and there was no Kwik Trip around.

Here’s what I noticed immediately:

Way too much salt all over the sidewalks. Like they threw it down without even a care in the world about it. It looked like the bag might have even broken apart and no one bothered to clean it up.

I go to check out. The woman said hello to me on the way in, which was nice. But at the counter? She’s in a conversation with another staff member behind the counter and can’t even stop that conversation to actually engage me. No “thank you for your business, sir.” No “we appreciate you coming.” No “we hope to see you again, soon.”

That’s what they always say at Kwik Trip. Every single time. They always leave me wanting more…

The Kwik Trip Difference

No matter when you go in. No matter how busy it is. No matter what’s going on in the world.

The people are extremely friendly and they make you feel welcome and appreciated as a customer. Like you’re the only one there.

That seems like a simple thing. But it’s so interesting how often it’s missing.

Clean sidewalks. Genuine engagement. A real thank you.

Little things. But they add up.

The Question for Your Business

There’s no doubt there are places in your business where you’re guilty of not honing in on all of those little touchpoints. We all are.

It seems small, right? Who cares? I just stopped into this place to get something real quick and I’m on my way.

But the next time I’m down the road and I see Kwik Trip versus Road Ranger?

You know which one I’m gonna choose.

Where are the touchpoints in your business that you’re overlooking? The small details that, in aggregate, become the reason people choose you over everyone else?

Find them. Fix them. Make them unforgettable.

Watch your business grow…

-johnny renaissance

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