The Direct Cremation Podcast

Boost your contract totals! Caroline Andree, Head of Merchandising at Parting Pro, reveals the most popular merchandise chosen by families based on exclusive data from thousands of online arrangements at Parting Pro. Learn what's selling and how to tailor your recommendations to maximize your contract totals and provide the most value for families.If you'd like the insert of the best selling merchandise, please email caroline@partingpro.com for a copy.Timestamps(00:00) Intro(00:40) Welcome to Direct Cremation Podcast(01:33) What Caroline will be sharing with us today(02:03) Where Caroline gets the data(03:14) Trends in funeral home merchandise(06:59) Ways to increase the number of families that choose to purchase memorials(09:20) Impact of conversations with families(10:51) Green and sustainable options in merchandise(14:28) Best-selling urns(18:47) One mistake that we found(20:30) Best-selling keepsakes(23:18) Best-selling jewelry(27:57) Anything else Caroline found interesting in the data(30:04) How much merchandise is being sold per arrangement(30:21) Caroline shares some tips(31:31) Optimizing merchandise displays(32:58) Warm-toned merchandise preference(34:55) Where to find CarolineFor Innovative Funeral Directors Blazing a Trail.A podcast for funeral home owners where we talk about trends & opportunities we see in the funeral home industry. We bring on death care professionals and cremation experts to share what they know.Click here to subscribe: https://bit.ly/3PxOqMOFind us at https://directcremation.comSpotify: http://bit.ly/3yDEwj7Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/3lj2soTWant to start a cremation brand yourself? Learn how the some of the biggest cremation brands do it at https://www.partingpro.com

At the helm of a successful funeral home, a new cemetery, and a growing online cremation service, Bryce Bunker exemplifies a family-focused, service-centric approach that has propelled him to success in competitive corners of death care. In this episode of the Direct Cremation Podcast, discover how Bryce's innovative methods have redefined service in the cemetery. Learn about his strategic insights into the fast-growing, highly competitive market of low-cost online cremations, and how his unique blend of compassion and entrepreneurship is setting new standards.Timestamps (00:00) Intro (01:07) Welcome to Direct Cremation Podcast (01:20) Welcome Bryce Bunker! (02:05) Exploring Other Paths (05:28) Bryce's Experience Working in a Startup (07:14) Innovation and Multi-Generational Owners (12:19) After.com - Online Cremation Platform (16:09) Differences and Longevity (21:09) Bryce Being an Angel Investor (24:32) Future Plans for Funeral Home and Cemetery (28:38) What's next for After.com? (30:44) Bryce's Next Business? (35:20) "Cemeteries Now Need a Lot of Creativity" (37:32) What does Bryce think Deathcare will look like in 10 years? (39:28) Polarization in the Market (44:12) Final ThoughtsFor Innovative Funeral Directors Blazing a Trail. Find us at https://directcremation.comListen on Spotify or Apple PodcastsWant to start a cremation brand yourself? Learn how the some of the biggest cremation brands do it at https://www.partingpro.com

Jimmy Altmeyer is as impressive as they come. As a fourth-generation funeral director, he started with 3 funeral homes and has grown his empire into 53 rooftops and serves over 12,000 families each year. While that accomplishment alone is impressive, when you hear how Jimmy talks about the profession and the level of service that he strives to provide to every family that his companies serve, that’s where he really shines. In this episode, Jimmy gives us a peek into how his funeral homes maintain such a high level of service at a scale larger than some corporately owned groups. You won’t be able to find many others more impressive in death care.Timestamps (00:00) Intro(01:51) Welcome Jimmy Altmeyer!(02:18) How Jimmy found Funeral Profession(05:34) Challenges, perspective, and business acumen(06:26) Building a funeral empire from three to many(09:05) Building, competing, and acquiring in the death care industry(13:27) A closer look at traditional, mid-tier, and online-only options(14:59) Strategic service offerings and and preventing self-cannibalization(20:03) Navigating the price-driven landscape and rediscovering the value of funeral services(27:00) Industry giants, legal dynamics, and potential transformations(28:52) A deep dive into funeral home management strategies(35:01) Fostering consistency and excellence: Funeral home management insights(39:41) The purpose of Treasured Memories brand(48:34) A day in the life of a funeral home entrepreneur(51:34) Continuing the legacy(52:33) The art of funeral home acquisitions and cultural alignment(55:03) Jimmy answers the question: What does funeral service looks like in 10 yearsFor Innovative Funeral Directors Blazing a Trail. Find us at https://directcremation.comListen on Spotify or Apple PodcastsWant to start a cremation brand yourself? Learn how the some of the biggest cremation brands do it at https://www.partingpro.com

In this episode of the Direct Cremation Podcast, reveal the unexpected challenges behind creating the ideal online cremation service. While it seems straightforward with its streamlined offerings and minimal overhead, there's much more beneath the surface. Uncover the five crucial elements that are essential for success in this unique business. Watch to learn what really makes an online cremation company thrive beyond the basics.Timestamps (00:00) Intro(01:05) Welcome to Direct Cremation Podcast(02:24) Where to start when creating a cremation society(11:41) Expectations vs. Reality(15:45) Tips for Funeral Homeowners or Directors: Navigating online arrangement processes(18:19) The power of a justifiable attractive price(23:12) Balancing competitiveness and justifiable pricing(33:18) Essential steps for business excellence(44:17) Transitioning to efficiency(50:34) Impact and importance of being proactive(56:21) Mindset mastery(01:00:44) Striking the balance between expansion and refinement(01:05:37) Fun factsFor Innovative Funeral Directors Blazing a Trail. Find us at https://directcremation.comListen on Spotify or Apple PodcastsWant to start a cremation brand yourself? Learn how the some of the biggest cremation brands do it at https://www.partingpro.com

From answering the phone wrong to nickel and diming your families all the way to the bank, in this episodes of the Direct Cremation Podcast, we discuss some of the biggest mistakes that will absolutely kill your cremation brand. After managing one of the largest cremation brands in the world (5,000+ cremations/year) to now training and consulting for hundreds of cremation companies across the country, Ashley Jones has seen a lot of different approaches to building a cremation company. In this episode, we discuss some of the biggest mistakes that owners make that have destroyed promising cremation brands. Timestamps (00:00) Intro (00:37) Welcome to Direct Cremation Podcast(00:46) Who is Ashley Jones? (01:20) Welcome Ashley Jones! (01:51) Goal of a low-cost or online cremation brand (03:03) Discussion on the successful brand Ashley worked for(04:36) Importance of building relationships with hospice (06:17) Ashley's role at Parting Pro as a client consultant (07:22) Red flag: Wrong demographic for online arrangements (08:25) Red flag: Small population or lack of email usage(09:48) Red flag: High cost of direct cremation(11:08) Red flag: Offering online option with a high price(11:59) Competitors offering lower prices and more value (13:30) Building a website alone doesn't guarantee success (16:51) Online presence is crucial for success(23:42) Online cremation brands are not like funeral director kiosks. (28:20) Mistake: Assuming a $1,000 customer will become a $4,000 customer. (34:56) Online brands need to be clear about what they offer. (36:30) Funeral homes should be happy to serve families at their price. (37:55) Customers can feel when they are wanted or not. (39:28) Get honest feedback by having someone call your funeral home.For Innovative Funeral Directors Blazing a Trail. Find us at https://directcremation.comListen on Spotify or Apple PodcastsWant to start a cremation brand yourself? Learn how the some of the biggest cremation brands do it at https://www.partingpro.com 

The stressful environment of the death care professional can be non-stop. Burnout rates are high, and turnover seems to be an ever-present issue withing the funeral profession. In this episode, Will de Michaelis shares his insightful journey into the world of breathwork and meditation. While you might think that these are non-sense things for hippies, Will would respectfully disagree. See how breathwork can create lower anxiety, less stress, and the ability to be more connected to people and relationship, the most important facets of death care. "Don't judge a book by it's cover" definitely holds true for this one. Timestamps (00:00) Intro(00:23) Welcome to Direct Cremation Podcast(00:46) My impression of breathwork and meditation(02:02) What I found when I started practicing breathwork(03:04) I might have overlooked what breathwork really is(03:33) How has breathwork and meditation helped me over the last year(05:03) My recommendation Links Wim Hof | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tybOi4hjZFQTake a Deep Breath | https://www.youtube.com/@TAKEADEEPBREATHJoe Dispenza | https://www.youtube.com/@drjoedispenza For Innovative Funeral Directors Blazing a Trail. Find us at https://directcremation.comListen on Spotify or Apple PodcastsWant to start a cremation brand yourself? Learn how the some of the biggest cremation brands do it at https://www.partingpro.com

With over 80% of new graduates of mortuary school being female, the need for a death care group centered around empowering women is becoming increasingly vital. Founded by some of the more influential women in death care, the Death Care Collective is just getting started. Whether you're an owner, a manager, or even just a new graduate, understanding the challenges and support needed for the new majority of death care is important. In this episode, we talk to Erin Creger, founding member, as we talk about how this group started out of COVID, grew with some of the most influential women in death care, and what is in store next year.Timestamps (00:00) Intro (01:19) Welcome Erin! (02:17) How the Death Care Collective started (08:57) The core values of the Death Care Collective (11:48) Virtual events (14:54) What kind of problems does Death Care Collective solve? (19:15) What is the Death Care collective actively doing right now? (28:40) Erin's first job (31:38) Changes Erin have seen over the past 10 years in death care (37:05) Any new challenges? (42:28) Anything else we can look forward to from the Death Care Collective? (43:42) Where does Erin see death care is going in the next 10 years? (45:30) Where to find Erin or the Death Care CollectiveFor Innovative Funeral Directors Blazing a Trail. Find us at https://directcremation.comListen on Spotify or Apple PodcastsWant to start a cremation brand yourself? Learn how the some of the biggest cremation brands do it at https://www.partingpro.com

In this exclusive webinar, co-hosts Tyler Yamasaki and Will de Michaelis sit down with Poul Lemasters, a renowned death care lawyer and key advisor to the FTC’s changes, to speak about the upcoming changes.In this talk, we discussed:Why the FTC is amending the Funeral Rule now.Which amendments are likely to change.What impacts this will have on your funeral home.When these changes will take affect.Described as "the most informative webinar I've attended in regards to this topic", this is not one you want to miss.For Innovative Funeral Directors Blazing a Trail.A podcast for funeral home owners where we talk about trends & opportunities we see in the funeral home industry. We bring on death care professionals and cremation experts to share what they know.Click here to subscribe: https://bit.ly/3PxOqMOFind us at https://directcremation.comWant to start a cremation brand yourself? Learn how the some of the biggest cremation brands do it at https://www.partingpro.com

Sandra Walker boasts an impressive career in the death care industry. She currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer of Fairmount Memorial Association, overseeing seven memorial parks and a few cremation brands. Additionally, she holds a position on the board of the Cremation Association of North America and is a founding member of the Death Care Collective. This remarkable journey follows nearly two decades of dedication at SCI.Despite her accomplishments, Sandra humbly attributes her success to great mentors and a support system in death care. However, her path has been marked by unwavering perseverance, hard work, and an unrelenting passion for achieving her goals.In this episode, you will have the opportunity to hear Sandra's remarkable story, from her aspirations of becoming a lawyer to her initial experiences with a temp agency, ultimately leading to her role as COO. It is an inspiring journey that you won't want to miss.Timestamps(00:00) Intro(00:49) Welcome to Direct Cremation Podcast(03:51) Sandra's unconventional journey into death care(10:18) Sandra's transition from wanting to be an attorney to death care(10:48) Sandra's experience with losing her work visa and finding support(13:45) Learning at SCI prepared Sandra for success at smaller companies.(17:31) Sandra's ethnic background(20:07) The mission of The Death Care Collective(24:34) There is a shortage of women graduates in the death care industry.(25:20) Recruiting outside the industry and mentoring can help fill positions.(27:11) Work-life integration is important for retention and avoiding burnout.(27:55) The impact of burnout on business and the future of management(28:57) Balancing recruitment and healthy work culture(31:15) Future plans for the Death Care Collective(36:03) Role of a CANA board member(37:38) What can we look forward to in CANA?(40:58) Discussion about the FTC panel and proposed changes in death care(50:31) Challenges and rewards of being a COO of Fairmount(56:12) What Sandra thinks deathcare will look like in 10 years(58:13) Where to find Sandra, The Deathcare Collective, and CANAFor Innovative Funeral Directors Blazing a Trail. Find us at https://directcremation.comListen on Spotify or Apple PodcastsWant to start a cremation brand yourself? Learn how the some of the biggest cremation brands do it at https://www.partingpro.comLearn the playbook responsible for growing my family business to over 4500 calls a year without digital marketing: https://wdgroupconsulting.com

Scaling a funeral home to serve more than 1,000 families annually demands competent execution and a well-devised business strategy. But to ramp that up to over 4,500 families in a single year requires phenomenal execution, a stellar team, and near-flawless operational efficiency. Drew de Michaelis was the operational maestro behind Omega Society during its pinnacle, when it was serving upwards of 4,500 families each year from just one Southern California location. This achievement was far from coincidental; it was the result of a meticulous, data-focused playbook designed for peak operational efficiency. In this enlightening episode, Drew unveils the essential metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that were the cornerstone of Omega Society's success. Listen in to discover how the right data analytics can ensure both outstanding value for families and optimal operational performance for your team.Timestamps(00:00) Intro(00:47) Welcome to Direct Cremation Podcast(01:45) Drew's background(03:27) Drew's role at Omega Society(06:54) Drew's first impressions of Omega Society(07:46) Observing the complexity and identifying opportunities for improvement(08:59) Differences in mindset and coworker interactions compared to Harry's(10:35) Contrasting communication styles and workplace experiences(12:54) Analyzing processes and optimizing operations in a funeral home(15:22) Measuring important metrics, such as days per cremation(17:35) Tracking new cases and days to cremate for maintaining health(19:15) Managing in and out flow on a daily and weekly basis(20:55) Monitoring customer experience through reviews and feedback(21:47) Tracking metrics for the arrangement process(24:30) Assigning responsibility and accountability for specific arrangers(27:56) Drew's personal goals for their funeral directors(30:54) Enacting change by understanding individual motivators(32:46) The potential for skilled professionals in the funeral industry(34:26) Trends in the industry Drew is excited about | What deathcare looks like in 10 years(40:48) What Drew is up to nowadaysFor Innovative Funeral Directors Blazing a Trail. Find us at https://directcremation.comListen on Spotify or Apple PodcastsWant to start a cremation brand yourself? Learn how the some of the biggest cremation brands do it at https://www.partingpro.comLearn the playbook responsible for growing my family business to over 4500 calls a year without digital marketing: https://wdgroupconsulting.com

Funeral home competition is becoming increasingly intense due to a combination of factors, such as the lack of future generations wanting to continue the family business and increased investment in the field. An experienced death care professional had four clients call her in the week before a conference, expressing their intention to file for bankruptcy. This is unprecedented and raises concerns about the state of the funeral profession. The clients that called her shared common themes: low sales, dwindling case numbers, being traditional smaller firms in rural areas, and not keeping up with the times. The clients felt worried, didn't know what to do, and felt they had no other options. They were behind in taking the right actions and felt overwhelmed and stressed. These struggling firms lacked an online presence and digital marketing strategies, and seemed to be operating on autopilot without actively growing their businesses. Are these struggling firms the canaries in the coal mine, indicating trends that other firms may face in the future?Timestamps(00:00) Intro(00:49) Welcome to Direct Cremation Podcast(01:25) A conversation I had with someone at the CANA convention about the state of the deathcare profession from the business side(02:09) Let's dive in on these bankruptcies(02:46) What are some of the common themes?(03:15) What were they feeling?(05:11) Are they the canary in the coal mine? If yes, who's next?(06:46) What I think is happening and what will continue to happen(07:44) What can we do about it?For Innovative Funeral Directors Blazing a Trail. Find us at https://directcremation.comListen on Spotify or Apple PodcastsWant to start a cremation brand yourself? Learn how the some of the biggest cremation brands do it at https://www.partingpro.comLearn the playbook responsible for growing my family business to over 4500 calls a year without digital marketing: https://wdgroupconsulting.com

Maggie McMillan quietly runs the #1 funeral company in Southern California, one largest and busiest regions in the country. Serving thousands of families a year. Her expansive funeral empire covers everything from prestigious full-service funeral homes, an eco-conscious natural burial cemetery, a handful of online cremation services, and an essential B2B mortuary services company. Just a few of her properties include: Wiefels & Son Mortuary, Wiefels Cremation and Funeral Services, All California Cremation, Simply Remembered, Joshua Tree Memorial Park. In this episode, Maggie pulls back the curtain on her recipe for success, showing commitment to excellence without resorting to shortcuts. Also, join us as we watch the first real conversation between Maggie and Will as they reflect on their journey as competitors in the fiercely competitive Southern California death care landscape.Timestamps(00:00) Intro(01:08) Welcome to Direct Cremation Podcast(02:36) Quick summary of Maggie's family businesses(04:36) Maggie's refreshing response to Tyler's invitation(05:32) Maggie: I've not found a great shortcut in deathcare(07:58) You don't have to have massive amounts of funeral homes or case counts to be successful(10:39) Raising the prices a little bit isn’t going to turn families away(16:37) How Maggie's journey to deathcare started(19:31) Did Maggie's 4-year university experience help shape how she works in her family business today?(23:01) Any unspoken pressure from the parents?(24:09) The biggest difference between the cremation society model and the funeral home(28:09) How Maggie successfully manages so many businesses and brands(30:00) "You really can't do it alone"(32:32) Work ON the business not IN the business(35:59) Trends in deathcare that Maggie is excited about(42:23) What Maggie thinks deathcare will look like 10 years(48:14) Maggie's thoughts on having to post prices onlineFor Innovative Funeral Directors Blazing a Trail. Find us at https://directcremation.comListen on Spotify or Apple PodcastsWant to start a cremation brand yourself? Learn how the some of the biggest cremation brands do it at https://www.partingpro.comLearn the playbook responsible for growing my family business to over 4500 calls a year without digital marketing: https://wdgroupconsulting.com

I want to show you how to let AI help you write email correspondence with your customers. It’s no shock that we write a lot of emails back and forth to our customers everyday. Let’s experiment with ChatGPT to see how it can help respond to a normal customer email.  For Innovative Funeral Directors Blazing a Trail. Find us at https://directcremation.comListen on Spotify or Apple PodcastsWant to start a cremation brand yourself? Learn how the some of the biggest cremation brands do it at https://www.partingpro.comLearn the playbook responsible for growing my family business to over 4500 calls a year without digital marketing: https://wdgroupconsulting.com

Now, while AI has some limitations, it also provides tremendous opportunities to save time and outsource things we’re not good at. In today’s video, we will share how to use ChatGPT to respond to google reviews.For Innovative Funeral Directors Blazing a Trail. Find us at https://directcremation.comListen on Spotify or Apple PodcastsWant to start a cremation brand yourself? Learn how the some of the biggest cremation brands do it at https://www.partingpro.comLearn the playbook responsible for growing my family business to over 4500 calls a year without digital marketing: https://wdgroupconsulting.com

Today’s guest is Jimmy Lucas. Jimmy is a licensed funeral director, a certified crematory operator, a licensed advance funeral planner, licensed social worker, co-owner of a quaint funeral and cremation business which consists of over 15 funeral homes, 1 online cremation business, 2 crematories. He has over 110 employees and they serve over 3100 families per year. He’s also currently on the board of CANA, past president of the Texas Funeral Directors Association, and also serves on the advisory board of the Passare.Timestamps(00:00) Intro(00:53) Welcome to Direct Cremation Podcast(02:17) How Jimmy and his family got into the funeral service(07:14) How Jimmy's background as a social worker play into who he is as a Leader(13:39) Jimmy's advice for struggling funeral directors(17:51) How Jimmy thought about starting his online cremation brand(28:43) Jimmy's NFDA experience(31:41) Jimmy is on the board for CANA this year(33:42) General thoughts on FTC(41:15) How Jimmy identifies a good business as a multiple business owner(46:18) What's next for Lucas Family Funeral Homes?(51:29) What's next for Jimmy?(53:01) What does Jimmy think deathcare will look like in 10 years?(55:56) Where to find JimmyFor Innovative Funeral Directors Blazing a Trail. Find us at https://directcremation.comListen on Spotify or Apple PodcastsWant to start a cremation brand yourself? Learn how the some of the biggest cremation brands do it at https://www.partingpro.comLearn the playbook responsible for growing my family business to over 4500 calls a year without digital marketing: https://wdgroupconsulting.com

Today’s guest is Alexandra Jo. Alexandra is the host of the death positive Podcast, Death Curious, is a platform for death exploration and a community of like-minded, death positive people. They are also the Director of Outreach and Education of Parting Stone, the company responsible for creating solidified cremated remains — most famously known for their Shark Tank fame. Death Curious Podcast: https://deathcurious.com Parting Stone: https://partingstone.com Timestamps (00:00) Intro(00:45) Welcome to Direct Cremation Podcast(01:53) The Story of Parting Stone(05:07) What Parting Stone's customer journey look like(12:16) Some critiques about Parting Stone(14:12) Interesting things people have done with their stones(17:48) What's up next for Parting Stone?(18:59) What Death Curious Podcast is about(26:27) “There's no need to have a sense of competition”(27:44) Can death become widely talked about/accepted anytime soon?(32:14) Alkaline Hydrolysis and NOR(41:13) Memorial Reefs(43:01) Different expectations between deathcare today and consumers who are experiencing deathcare for the 1st time(49:45) What does Alexandra think deathcare will look like in 10 years?(51:24) Where to find AlexandraFor Innovative Funeral Directors Blazing a Trail. Find us at https://directcremation.comListen on Spotify or Apple PodcastsWant to start a cremation brand yourself? Learn how the some of the biggest cremation brands do it at https://www.partingpro.comLearn the playbook responsible for growing my family business to over 4500 calls a year without digital marketing: https://wdgroupconsulting.com

Hi and welcome to the Direct Cremation podcast. I’m your host, Will de Michaelis, death care consultant and former manager of the Omega Society, a large cremation brand that served over 4500 families per year. You’ll notice today, I’m by myself. I’m going to bring you a different kind of content than I usually do with Tyler. We'll be talking part 2 for self-care in the death care profession. My goal is to speak to death care professionals directly and acknowledge those difficulties of the profession and talk about ways to make our way through together.Timestamps (00:00) Intro(00:30) Welcome to Direct Cremation Podcast(01:54) Risk factors for burnout(02:46) Burnout risk factor #1 - Heavy workload or long/unpredictable work hours(04:28) Burnout risk factor #2 - If you work in a helping profession(06:29) Burnout risk factor #3 - You feel that you have little or no control over your work(08:06) Consequences of job burnout(09:13) Excessive stress, fatigue, and insomnia(11:53) Alcohol or substance misuse(14:15) Disease(15:29) Potential solutions for handling job burnout(15:49) Try to take action(17:04) Seek support(17:38) Get some exercise and proper sleep(19:01) MindfulnessFor Innovative Funeral Directors Blazing a Trail. Find us at https://directcremation.comListen on Spotify or Apple PodcastsWant to start a cremation brand yourself? Learn how the some of the biggest cremation brands do it at https://www.partingpro.com

Hi and welcome to the Direct Cremation podcast. I’m your host, Will de Michaelis, death care consultant and former manager of the Omega Society, a large cremation brand that served over 4500 families per year. You’ll notice today, I’m by myself. I’m going to bring you a different kind of content than I usually do with Tyler. We'll be talking about self-care in the death care profession. My goal is to speak to death care professionals directly and acknowledge those difficulties of the profession and talk about ways to make our way through together.Timestamps (00:00) Intro(00:57) Welcome to Direct Cremation Podcast(02:45) Acknowledge that our work is emotionally demanding(04:21) Recognize the causes of burnout(06:15) Depersonalization(06:39) Decrease sense of accomplishment(07:45) Low mood(09:07) Exercise: Questions you can ask yourself(10:10) 1. Have you become cynical?(10:34) 2. Do you drag yourself to work?(11:45) 3. Have you become impatient with co-workers, patients, or clients?(12:17) 4. Do you lack the energy to be consistently productive?(12:55) 5. Do you lack satisfaction from your achievements?(14:21) 6. Do you feel disillusioned about your job?(16:04) 7. Are you using food, drugs, or alcohol to feel better?(16:43) 8. Have your sleep habits changed?(17:30) 9. Are you having unexplained headaches or other physical complaints?(18:43) Possible causes of job burnout(18:58) 1. Lack of control(19:52) 2. Unclear job expectations(22:03) 3. Dysfunctional workplace dynamics(22:36) 4. Extremes of activity(24:03) 5. Lack of social support(24:37) 6. Work-life imbalanceFor Innovative Funeral Directors Blazing a Trail. Find us at https://directcremation.comListen on Spotify or Apple PodcastsWant to start a cremation brand yourself? Learn how the some of the biggest cremation brands do it at https://www.partingpro.com

In this episode, we bring on Chris Boggs. Chris Boggs is the Chief Operating Officer of the Cremation Society of Maryland, McNabb Funeral Home, Metro Crematory, and Myers-Durboraw Funeral Home. Cremation Society of Maryland alone does 5,000 calls per year. Chris shares the insights in such a running a high volume and efficient deathcare operation.Timestamps (00:00) Intro (00:53) Welcome to Direct Cremation Podcast (03:35) The beginning of Chris' professional career (09:33) How is the cremation society of Maryland team structured? (12:49) The business model (14:32) The phone answering system (20:02) “We only have one shot” (22:13) Will: Compete! All we do is competing (23:43) How to maintain and drive case volume (25:53) Do they do any paid ads? (31:03) "It's not a job, it's a lifestyle" (33:01) "Burnout is a real thing" (34:38) A "weird flex" story (36:49) Change is inevitable (40:20) What's next for the Cremation Society of Maryland? (42:30) What Chris thinks deathcare looks like in 10 years? (43:58) Chris' magic bulletFor Innovative Funeral Directors Blazing a Trail. Find us at https://directcremation.comListen on Spotify or Apple PodcastsWant to start a cremation brand yourself? Learn how the some of the biggest cremation brands do it at https://www.partingpro.com

Will de Michaelis is the former manager of the Omega Society, a cremation brand that serves over 4,500 families per year. After spending over a decade growing the Omega Society, Will was able to identify some of the most important elements that made the Omega Society such a huge success. Today, Will is going to share that insight with us and let us know what he’s been working on. Will's Masterclass signup link: https://www.wdgroupconsulting.comTimestamps (00:00) Intro 01:54 Will's takeaways from Omega Society (04:09) The most important thing to Omega Society's success (05:00) What Will saw in deathcare in the past decade that makes relationship marketing so important? (06:49) What makes relationship marketing so much more important than the other stuff (13:08) What Will have been doing after Omega Society (14:02) What makes a good in-service? (20:43) Will's Relationship Marketing Masterclass (21:46) The relationship marketing masterclass freebies (22:36) Where to get the freebies (24:50) How much Omega Society spends on relationship marketingFor Innovative Funeral Directors Blazing a Trail. Find us at https://directcremation.comListen on Spotify or Apple PodcastsWant to start a cremation brand yourself? Learn how the some of the biggest cremation brands do it at https://www.partingpro.com