A Brush with Death

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.

Do you have plans for September?  They should include attending the NFDA International Convention and Expo the 10th through the 13th in Las Vegas. 

 -       Exciting keynote speakers
-       Thirty Workshops full of incredible content
-       A huge expo floor
-       5 preconvention seminars 
-       And so much more

In this episode, host, Gabe Schauf, is joined by 3 of the workshop speakers, Dr. Tashel Bordere, Chris Costello and John T. Hill, to share a little about what you have to look forward to in Vegas.

Do you have plans for September?  They should include attending the NFDA International Convention and Expo the 10th through the 13th in Las Vegas.

-       Four days of workshops 
-       Thirty plus sessions
-       A huge expo floor
-       5 preconvention seminars 

 And what about those keynote speakers?  In this episode, host, Gabe Schauf, sits down with two of them – musician, Mark Schulman and CEO, Dennis Yu to talk drumming, attitude, the future, and artificial intelligence.  Hear what they are all about now and get ready to learn from them during their incredible presentations in Las Vegas.

What does it mean to be an influencer in the funeral profession?  Should we as funeral directors add that responsibility to our day-to-day task list?  In this episode, host, Gabe Schauf, talks to funeral director and social media influencer, Kari the Mortician, about how she works to educate the public and the importance of transparency and communication with those who want to learn more about what we do and why we do it.

In this episode, host, Gabe Schauf, is joined by 3 members of the mortuary college class of 2023.  Kyle Dunn, from Arapahoe Community College, Suzanne Wyckoff, from Northeast Texas Community College, and Sunshine Smith, from Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service share their experiences of the past year and provide some great advice for new students just starting out.

In this episode, we say goodbye to Todd Van Beck, an individual who dedicated his life to this profession, and those who worked within it.  Host, Gabe Schauf, is joined by Kenneth Howe, Brian Waters, Anthony Kaniuk, Steve Spann, Sharon Gee-Mascarello, David Hicks, Lisa Baue, Duane Hills, and Jack Lechner to share their stories, memories, and lessons learned from Todd.  

Personalization has become a standard of funeral service.  Many funeral directors embrace the challenge of coming through for families and finding unique ways to honor and tell the story of their loved ones.  Often the casket or urn is the first place they look to go above and beyond.  In this episode, host, Gabe Schauf, is joined by Trey Ganem, owner of Soulshine Industries, who has taken custom urn and casket design to the next level.

How is your physical fitness?  While there is a lot to say about funeral directors caring for their mental and emotional health, not a lot has been discussed in terms of the physical.  In this episode, host, Gabe Schauf, talks with nutritionist and personal trainer, Jordan Syatt about the importance of maintaining physical health and some simple things that even the “on-the-go” funeral director can do to stay healthy and function at their best.

Looking for a glimpse into the history of funeral service?  Look no further than the National Museum of Funeral History in Huston, Texas.  Not able to travel anytime soon?  Just make it a virtual visit.  In this episode, host, Gabe Schauf, is joined by Genevieve Keeny-Vazquez, the museum’s President and CEO to talk about the origin of the museum, some of the unique displays, and what guests can look forward to in the near future.

In recognition of Women’s History Month and to kick off preparation for the NFDA’s 2023 Professional Women’s Conference, host, Gabe Schauf is joined by three of the many incredible women working in the funeral profession.  Bailey Wolf, Ginny Sanzo, and LaShonda Martin share about their journey to become funeral directors, as well as some of their experiences, challenges, and memorable moments. 

How engaged is your funeral home with your surrounding community?  It's no secret that getting involved can be beneficial both personally and professionally, but what are some best practices and how can you get started?  In this episode, host, Gabe Schauf, is joined by Traci Macz, Joe E Pray, and Russ Weeks, three funeral directors who work hard to serve those in their communities beyond the visitations and funerals.  Hear what they are participating in and how you, your staff, and your community can all benefit.