The Director's Playbook

In this episode of The Director's Playbook, I explore the unexpected role of therapy dogs in funeral services with Brian Hicks, the general manager at Elmwood Funeral Home. We delve into the journey of introducing Holly, a Goldendoodle, as a comforting presence in a traditionally somber setting. Brian shares his experiences and insights on the benefits therapy dogs bring to grieving families, high...

Consumer preferences are shifting. Operational costs are rising. And funeral professionals face a dual challenge: increasing call volume while growing the average funeral value. One of the most effective solutions is a proactive preneed program. In this episode, host Paul Lovelace is joined by Tyler Anderson, Senior Vice President of Business Development at Precoa. They explore how the focus of pr...

According to the National Funeral Directors Association, more than 4,000 funeral home owners are expected to sell their businesses by 2026. This trend is partly why succession planning has become a popular topic among funeral professionals, with many funeral home owners wondering how to get started and what their first step should be. Join us as host Paul Lovelace discusses the importance of succe...

When was the last time you put yourself first? It might sound strange to put yourself first, especially when there are so many people who need you. However, in order to best care for grieving families, your staff, and your business, you have to first care for yourself. Host Rob Davidson welcomes back Madison Miller, former Miss Ohio winner and daughter of a funeral home owner. Madison shares takea...

Did you know that according to a survey by the Department of Veterans Affairs, only 29% of veterans understand the burial benefits available to them? Your funeral home can play a key role in educating and building relationships with local veterans. In this episode, host Rob Davidson and Madison Miller, former Miss Ohio winner and daughter of a funeral home owner, discuss how funeral homes can conn...

Funeral directors do a lot for their businesses and families. But sometimes, all their responsibilities pile up and lead to workplace stress, which can cause lasting burnout.  Fortunately, emotional intelligence can help you lower workplace stress and improve your service to families. Host Rob Davidson sits down with Dr. Melanie Carr, author of Emotional Intelligence for Funeral Directors: The Sec...

As a funeral professional, you are responsible for leading families during their greatest times of need. That’s why you must be a leader worth following.  Host Rob Davidson welcomes Kris Seale, President and Chief Executive Officer of Funeral Directors Life, back to FD Talks. Kris shares advice he's learned after nearly 40 years of leading people and what helped him grow his leadership skills...

What would happen if you gave your funeral home’s staff a 30-day sabbatical? Your staff needs to be rested and focused to best serve families, which can be challenging after long seasons of stress and burnout. But if your funeral home operates with a small staff, you may not think your funeral professionals can be gone for weeks at a time. In this episode of FD Talks, host Rob Davidson and Kris Se...

Can a custom website help you increase your preneed leads? Will it rank you higher on Google and improve your ability to reach new families? What’s at risk if you don’t prioritize your website? The latest FD Talks podcast covers all this and more as host Rob Davidson continues the conversation on funeral home websites. Drew Seale, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Funeral Dir...

As more consumers turn to the internet with questions about funerals, your website should easily offer answers. But it's not enough for your website to educate and connect with families – it should turn curious visitors into consistent leads for your funeral home. The newest FD Talks dives into the importance of funeral home websites and their role in improving your service and growing your busine...

There were so many great guests featured on FD Talks this year, and each one had helpful tips on how to best serve families and manage your funeral home. In the final episode of 2023, we recap the seven most important lessons we learned on the podcast this year. Hear from funeral experts on how to prepare for another year of caring for families by meeting your community’s needs, using a digital ma...

Do you know how quickly most families think a funeral should occur after the death? What about if most families think a funeral is necessary with cremation? The answers may surprise you. The latest FD Talks podcast continues the conversation about common disconnects between funeral homes and families revealed in a recent consumer study. Host Rob Davidson welcomes back Todd Carlson, Executive Vice...

“If you want to sell Mrs. Jones what Mrs. Jones buys, you need to see Mrs. Jones through Mrs. Jones's eyes.” When it comes to funerals, families' knowledge and preferences have changed. And in order to best serve your community, you need to understand how families view funerals and what they expect from you. In part one of this FD Talks two-part series, host Rob Davidson welcomes Todd Carlson, Exe...

When a family searches “funeral home near me,” they likely use Google and follow Google’s suggestions. That means if your business isn’t one of Google’s first results, you may miss out on serving them. Host Rob Davidson welcomes Haley Laurence, Digital Marketing Supervisor at Funeral Directors Life, to the FD Talks podcast to discuss the importance of promoting your business with Google Ads.

More and more families today are interested in starting the preplanning search online. Do you have a plan to reach them there? This FD Talks episode features Rob Davidson’s discussion with John Davenport, Vice President of Sales for Service Group of Oklahoma, and R.T. Delhomme, Vice President of Operations at Martin & Castille Funeral Home in Louisiana, about new marketing strategies that can help...

According to the World Bank, 92% of Americans use the internet. That means reaching consumers online is the best way to spread awareness about your funeral home’s services. But how should you do that? Rob sits down with Mitchell McLean, Vice President of Digital Marketing at Funeral Directors Life, to discuss the state of digital marketing for funeral homes today. L earn how an effective marketing...

The average funeral consumer falls into 1 of 7 categories. And each group has different expectations of how funerals shouldbe…and how they expect you to interact with them. Josh McQueen, Vice President of Marketing & Product at Directors Investment Group (DIG), returns to the FD Talks podcast to identify these 7 consumer segments, based on a recent study done by McKee Wallwork + Co. and DIG.

One of the biggest problems funeral directors face today is the evolving needs of families. In order to adapt to them, you need to grow in your craft. In this FD Talks episode, Rob Davidson sits down with Gary Freytag, President and CEO of Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum and the current ICCFA president, and Kevin Gaffney, Chairman of the Membership Committee Board at ICCFA, to discuss growth i...

You’ve likely heard that cremation rates are at an all-time high. But did you know that in the last decade, family preference for cremation has only risen 2.3%? Host Rob Davidson sits down with Josh McQueen, Vice President of Marketing & Product at Directors Investment Group (DIG), to uncover 5 crucial findings about funeral consumers and their preferences, based on a recent study done by McKee Wa...

Funeral livestreaming isn’t going away anytime soon. In fact, 42% of people feel comfortable attending a funeral online. That’s why you need to offer a livestreaming option now. Host Rob Davidson sits down with Tyler Ward, Digital Sales Manager with Encore Livestreaming, on the FD Talks podcast to discuss 10 dos and don’ts of funeral livestreaming.

The interest rate environment is on the rise (along with prices and inflation), but what does that mean for your funeral home? And what can you do about it? Host Rob Davidson invited Todd Carlson, Executive Vice President of Sales and Chief Sales Officer of Funeral Directors Life, to discuss a special announcement from Funeral Directors Life about our preneed funeral growth rates, how to choose th...

Funeral Directors Life recently finalized the acquisition of American Life Annuity Company (ALAC) in Hot Springs, Arkansas. President and CEO of FDLIC Kris Seale and ALAC President Claude Holloway join FD Talks host Rob Davidson for a conversation about the acquisition process, including how it came to be and what’s next for both companies.

According to a report by the National Funeral Directors Association, one of the most common funeral home needs is an increase in staff. Many funeral directors believe that finding the right people will be their greatest challenge over the next five years. As a result, the Journey to Serve campaign was created to help funeral homes recruit veterans and lead them from one selfless position of servic...

Livestreaming has been available to funeral homes for years, but few funeral professionals understood its importance. It wasn’t until the pandemic that many funeral homes saw the need to livestream funerals so that all families could virtually attend, despite a world of social distancing. In our first episode of 2022, FD Talks host Rob Davidson and Ron Clyde, Director of Special Projects at Funera...