Funeral industry updates include Texas legal rulings, a new Before I Die Festival, and growing collaboration in end-of-life care. Click here for complete show notes.
From Tesla lawsuits to alkaline hydrolysis, this week’s episode explores legal, financial, and educational shifts in the funeral service industry. Click here for complete show notes.
Jess Wakefield shares her journey from working night shifts in a nursing home to becoming a funeral director, corporate leader, and innovator at Better Place Forests and EverIs. In this candid conversation, she reflects on the pros and cons of corporate vs. family-owned funeral homes, the shift toward digital cremation planning, and her vision for a more seamless end-of-life experience that bridges hospice, doulas, funeral care, and grief support. With insights from her manifesto on reimagining funeral service, Wakefield brings fresh perspective to an industry facing profound cultural and technological change. Click here for complete show notes.
South Carolina blocks a fraudster's funeral home sale. Industry debates: community cemeteries, service fees, and Amarillo's transport contract. Click here for complete show notes.
Green burials blocked, Texas scandal deepens, Carriage expands, NJ legalizes terramation, Vegas mishandling case, and social media tips for funeral pros. Click here for complete show notes.
A new innovation from Federal Eagle aims to help funeral homes grow revenue and better serve grieving families in the evolving cremation market. Click here for complete show notes.
Starmark plans a major national expansion under new CCO Michael Jewart, boosting service centers and hands-on support to transform funeral industry operations. Click here for complete show notes.
A week of shake-ups: canceled deals, new programs, shuttered services, legal battles, and scandal shaking the funeral service world. Click here for show notes.
Matt Van Drimmelen will present “Getting ROI Out of Aftercare at Your Funeral Home: Turning Compassion into Long-Term Value” at the Kates-Boylston Advances in Funeral Innovations Conference Nov. 12 in Detroit. Visit www.events.kates-boylston.com for more details. Click here for complete show notes.
Scott Jensen breaks down how funeral homes can harness AI and SEO shifts to boost visibility, streamline marketing, and better serve families. Click here for complete show notes.
Alanna Navin details her experience at ICCFA University, from cemetery management courses to lessons she applies in her role at Restland Funeral Home. Click here for complete show notes.
Click here for complete show notes.
In this week’s episode, we have Tukios’ acquisition of Batesville’s website business, Tribute Tech’s partnership with Chptr, a new mobile and desktop software platform from Inman, Matthews International announces a succession, and Illinois’ passes a cemetery bill. Meanwhile, controversy continues in Texas, a strange, unfortunate lawsuit is filed in Vermont, and Tony Russo unboxes a care package from Life Forest.
Vice President of Sales Optimization Homesteaders Life Company, Cole Waybright discusses the importance of a strategic approach to tech adoption. Discover his insights on avoiding common pitfalls, improving productivity by up to 25%, and reducing errors by 50% with an integrated system. Learn how to ask the right questions before your next technology purchase to ensure a seamless and efficient workflow. Click here for more information and to register.
Michaelene Dowers is a licensed funeral director working remotely across more than a dozen states. She earned her license in California in 2014 but left shortly after due to low wages and a high cost of living. After moving across the Midwest and working in multiple states, she began contracting with online cremation providers and built a career around flexible, remote work. Click here for complete show notes.
This week’s episode covers Carriage’s evolving strategy under CEO Carlos Quesada, the sale of Shepherd Memorial Park is on hold, and a funeral home loses its license over storage concerns. Plus, the Texas Funeral Service Commission sues and unsues its lawyers, Tribute Technologies reports strong financial performance and more. Click here for complete show notes.
Arron Butler of Domani Preneed discusses how funeral professionals can use authentic online engagement and AI-powered strategies to build trust, grow personal brands, and connect with modern families. Click here for complete show notes. Aaron will be a speaker at the Kates-Boylston 2025 Marketing Summit. Click here to register.
In this episode, we look at SCI's new building strategy, Matthews International's memorialization beat, and Carriage's big acquisition plans. Also covered are the "secret" sale of Foundation Partners, a Reddit post about transgender funeral directors, and a political attack ad against a Texas Funeral Commission member. Click here for show notes.
In this episode, Scott Ginsberg and Josh Siegel share the origin story of Titan’s direct-to-consumer model, and how a few listings on Amazon evolved into a national brand. From partnering with celebrities for the “Grave Conversations” web series to launching a casket mascot Ginsberg and Siegel explain how creativity and empathy go hand in hand when modernizing a historically change-resistant industry.