Episode #22 - Funeral Advocacy

The National Board Exam is a hot topic of discussion amongst funeral directors.  As workforce needs grow across the country and the education system works to teach the future of the profession, many questions about the exam and it purpose continue to be asked.

To understand more about the National Board Exam, host, Gabe Schauf, sits down with Dalene Paull and Leili McMurrough.  Dalene and Leili share a behind the scenes explanation as to how the exam is developed, its importance, and how funeral directors can play vital roles in supporting the process and the students who are working to become licensed.

Click here for more information about the National Board Exam, including guides and statistics.

On "A Brush With Death: 5 Minutes On...," we spend 5 minutes providing listeners with quick insights into various funeral trends, products, events, organizations, and goings-on.

In this episode we are talking about Chptr, a new mobile-first memorialization platform.  Joining host, Gabe Schauf, is Rehan Choudhry, Founder and CEO of Chptr. 

Learn more about Chptr and try it for free at https://www.chptr.com/.

On "A Brush With Death: 5 Minutes On...," we spend 5 minutes providing listeners with quick insights into various funeral trends, events, organizations, and goings-on.

In this episode we are talking about NGL and the 2024 Inspiration Award with Jessica Grann, NGL's Chief Culture and Communications Officer.

If you have someone you'd like to nominate for the 2024 Inspiration Award, you can do so at https://nfda.org/inspiration. 

In May of 2023, the NFDA hosted “Future’s Forum” where 70 attendees representing the death care space met to analyze, discuss, and strategize the future of our profession.  This event was facilitated by Jim Austin and Paul Schoemaker, two gentlemen whose careers focus on strategic decision-making for businesses of all kinds.

In this episode, host, Gabe Schauf, is joined by Jim and Paul to discuss the Future’s Forum event and what the future of the funeral profession could look like.  Is your firm only operating in the present or is it looking ahead?  Do you know what you can do to innovate, where there are opportunities to grow, and how to begin moving forward?  This episode is a good place to get started.

Funding in part for this event was provided by a grant from the Funeral Service Foundation.

While women working in the funeral profession is nothing new, the incredible job done by many of them to serve families to the highest standards is something that cannot be overstated.  The tasks performed, the detail with which they are done, and the empathetic care behind them have provided us all with examples of what we should strive for in our own work.

In episode 66, host, Gabe Schauf, sits down with Ellen Wynn McBrayer, licensed funeral director and embalmer and President and CFO of Jones-Wynn Funeral Homes and Crematory in Georgia, to learn more about her experiences in the funeral profession.  The 2023 Inspiration Award Winner discusses the leadership and mentorship roles she has found herself in throughout her career and shares the importance and results of leading by example.  The NFDA Inspiration Award is generously sponsored by NGL.

What happens when you put 3 mortuary school instructors in a podcast booth?  Find out in episode 65.  Faith Haug and Joe Finocchiaro join host, Gabe Schauf, in a candid discussion about how funeral education is evolving.  Both share some of their experiences and provide opinions on where it might be headed and what we can all do to help make it better for everyone.  Whether you have been in the profession for some time or are just starting out - If you're curious about the state of funeral education, this episode is for you.

“The times they are a-changin’.”  As the new generation of funeral directors finds its way into the profession, a lot can be said about the challenges that can exist as far as workplace relations go.  Debates about “the new way” vs “the old way” arise.  Both the definition and style of communication take new meaning to different individuals - which can give way to miscommunication and misinterpretation.  Struggles with technology, new ideas, and even levels of respect can also contribute to conflict and frustration. 

So how do we bring harmony to the multigenerational workforce at our funeral home?  In this episode, host, Gabe Schauf, sits down with funeral director and author, Antonio Green to discuss just that.  Antonio shares some of what he has learned from personal experience, presenting on and writing about professional collaboration, specifically with the millennial generation.

15 years ago, Janet McGee left the funeral profession due to burnout.  In 2016, a very unexpected loss reignited Janet's passion to not only return but to take on the role of funeral educator.  In this episode, Janet shares her story with host, Gabe Schauf, and brings attention to a cause that she has been a big part of since that loss.

Is staffing an issue for your funeral home?  How are we as a profession addressing the needs and demands of our employees and ensuring that the workforce challenges of the funeral home are taken care of?  Jzyk Ennis joins host, Gabe Schauf, to talk about his article, "My Manifesto", published in the October 2022 issue of NFDA's The Director.

Do you have tasks in your life that are very necessary for success but not always at the top of the list in terms of things you really want to do?  In this episode, host, Gabe Schauf sits down with Tyler Anderson, Vice President of Business Development at Precoa, to talk about the importance of creating a preneed strategy for your funeral home.  Why don’t we embrace it as much as we should?  How do we approach it and help those we serve understand its value?  Learn all of this and more in episode 61.