4 Women and a Funeral

What does it take to build a successful career in funeral service? Erin Wilson, Senior Director of Education + Program Strategy at Funeral Women Lead, joins the hosts to discuss mentorship, leadership, confidence, and why supporting the next generation of women is critical to the future of the profession. Plus, get a look inside the vision behind Funeral Women Lead's Women's Leadership A...

What does it take to find your voice, earn your seat at the table, and help create opportunities for the women coming behind you? In this episode, Barbara Risher Welch shares her remarkable journey from growing up above her family's funeral home to becoming the 2026 President of Selected Independent Funeral Homes. Along the way, she opens up about navigating leadership in male-dominated space...

Motherhood and funeral service both demand everything, and in this episode, we’re getting real about what it takes to balance both. From mom guilt and missed moments to humor, heart, and hard-earned lessons, the hosts share honest stories of raising families while serving others. They also explore the challenges women face in today’s workforce and the importance of support, flexibility, and self-a...

They’re entering the profession but not always staying. So what’s missing? Hosts Lisa Baue, Melissa Posey Loose, Alicia Carr, and Ellen Winn McBrayer sit down with Leili McMurrough, President of Worsham College of Mortuary Science, to talk about the realities facing today’s workforce. From her unexpected path into funeral service to the challenges of retention, mentorship, and leadership, this con...

In this Women’s History Month episode of 4 Women and a Funeral, the hosts sit down with Christine Pepper, CEO of the National Funeral Directors Association, to reflect on an extraordinary 40-year career in funeral service leadership. Christine shares what it was like stepping into the profession when women’s leadership was nearly invisible, how she navigated early challenges, and why confidence, m...

February is Heart Month, and this new episode of 4 Women and a Funeral takes an honest look at the stress we have normalized in funeral service and what it is doing to our hearts, our health, and our lives. Lisa Baue is joined by Alicia Carr, Ellen Wynn McBrayer, and Melissa Posey Loose for a real conversation about long hours, emotional labor, and the pressure to do it all. Together, they explore...

Welcome back to 4 Women and a Funeral . In this episode, we sit down for an honest conversation about leadership, boundaries, and what it means to lead with intention in a profession that never truly slows down. Joining Lisa Baue, Alicia Carr, Ellen Wynn McBrayer, and Melissa Posey Loose is Dr. Jennifer Lares , founder of Mulling Mortician . Jennifer brings perspective shaped by service, education...

Leadership in funeral service begins within. In this episode of 4 Women and a Funeral , the hosts Lisa Baue, Alicia Carr, Ellen Wynn McBrayer, and Melissa Posey Loose were joined by special guest Kristen Ernst, MA, LPC , grief counselor and Dean of the Funeral Women Lead Women’s Leadership Academy . Kristen shares the personal loss that shaped her life’s work and her belief that sometimes the most...

What happens when women who carry everyone else finally learn to carry themselves too? In this episode, we sit down with Cate Collins, leadership speaker, author, and CEO of Powerful Journey Consulting, and one of the powerhouse keynote speakers from our first ever Women’s Wellness Summit. Cate opens up about her personal burnout journey, why women overcommit, and how her Four Rooms Framework help...

In this heartfelt episode, Lisa Baue, Alicia Carr, Melissa Posey Loose, and Ellen Wynn McBrayer trade the highlight reel for real talk about how vulnerability builds leadership, why every woman needs a trusted safe person, and what it takes to stay steady when life’s waves crash. Alicia shares what it was like to step into ownership after losing both parents at a young age. Melissa opens up about...

In this episode of 4 Women and a Funeral , hosts Lisa Baue, CEO and Founder of Funeral Women Lead and Amazon Best Seller author of Wake-Up Calls , Melissa Posey Loose and Alicia Carr, founding board members of Funeral Women Lead and highly respected leaders in the profession, and Ellen Wynn McBrayer, a history maker as the first woman to serve as Secretary of NFDA, welcome their very first guest....

In this candid and refreshing episode, the women dive deep into the realities of mental, emotional, and physical wellness in the funeral profession. From burnout and compassion fatigue to hormone health and the power of sleep, nothing is off the table. Real stories, shared struggles, and practical strategies offer insight into what it takes to care for yourself while caring for others. The group a...

In this episode, we celebrate Ellen McBrayer’s groundbreaking election as the first woman to rise through the officer chairs of the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA). The conversation explores the journey to leadership in funeral service, the power of volunteering, and the value of mentorship at every stage of your career. The group also highlights two upcoming events from Funeral Wome...

In this debut episode, host Lisa Baue of Funeral Women Lead is joined by Alicia Carr, Melissa Posey Loose, and Ellen Wynn McBrayer. Together, these 4 powerhouse women in funeral service open up in a candid and inspiring conversation about leadership, legacy, and the lived experience of being a woman in deathcare today. They share personal wins, reflect on the realities of work-life balance, and of...

Lisa introduces 4 Women and a Funeral.  Have a topic or question for the show? Email us at info@funeralwomenlead.org!