Happy Veterans Day to all of our military personnel. We are deeply grateful for your service and sacrifice, and we will forever be thankful for your role in keeping our country free.

In this episode, host Gabe Schauf is joined by Jennifer Heiselman, Navy Chief Mortician (Retired), who served our country as a Navy Embalmer and Funeral Director. Jennifer spent 24 years both at home and abroad, caring for soldiers killed while on active duty and in combat, and managing the logistics and processes to ensure these fallen heroes were returned home to their families. In this episode, she shares some of her experiences and insights, reflecting on her remarkable career.

This episode is sponsored by Core Scientific

Have you ever heard something go bump in the night while working at the funeral home? Did you ever have an eerie experience you just couldn’t explain? Do you sometimes wonder if you “not alone”? Regardless of how you may feel about the paranormal, everyone loves a good ghost story.

In this episode, host, Gabe Schauf sits down with Duane Hills, Todd Harra, Ben Schmidt, and Jason Engler to hear a couple of spooky mortuary tales.

The International Convention and Expo is taking place in New Orleans October 20th to the 23rd. To get ready for the event we have 3 convention preview episodes for you to check out.

In this final episode before convention, host, Gabe Schauf, is joined by the 2024 International Convention and Expo keynote speakers, Amy Herman and Jason Arday. Amy and Jason will share a little about themselves and their experiences and give an idea of what to expect from their keynote addresses. This episode is sponsored by NGL and Carriage.

Learn more about the 2024 International Convention and Expo

Learn more about our Keynote Speakers

The International Convention and Expo is taking place in New Orleans October 20th to the 23rd. To get ready for the event we have 3 convention preview episodes for you to check out. In those episodes, host, Gabe Schauf, is joined by the Innovation Award Finalists, some of the Workshop Presenters, and of course, the Keynote speakers. In this second episode we will hear from 3 of our workshop presenters, Cate Collins, Cort Bluford, and Mandy Stafford.

Cate Collins’ presentation, “Ignite the Powerhouse in You”, will take place on Monday and Wednesday from 8am to 9am.

Cort Bluford’s presentation, “Embracing the Digital Frontier”, will take place on Sunday from 1:15pm to 2:15pm

Mandy Stafford’s presentation, “Nurture our Nature”, will take place on Monday from 8am to 9am.

To learn more and register for the convention – Click Here

The International Convention and Expo is taking place in New Orleans October 20th to the 23rd. To get ready for the event we have 3 convention preview episodes for you to check out. In those episodes, host, Gabe Schauf, is joined by the Innovation Award Finalists, some of the Workshop Presenters, and of course, the Keynote speakers.

In this first episode we will hear from the innovation award finalists. The NFDA Innovation Award is sponsored this year by ASD and gives companies and organizations the opportunity to showcase their new product and service ideas designed to enhance the funeral profession its function.

The finalists this year are Nemu, Clear View Caskets, and 1Director.

To learn more about Nemu – Click Here

To learn more about Clear View Caskets – Click Here

To learn more about 1Director – Click Here

To learn more and register for the convention – Click Here

This episode is sponsored by ASD

In September of 2022, the world watched as Queen Elizabeth was given a final farewell. The world watched as every news station and social media outlet broadcast footage and provided updates on the events of her passing and services as they happened. Meanwhile, funeral director, Tim Purves, and his staff worked on location to provide services and care fit for a monarch. In this episode, host, Gabe Schauf, speaks with Tim about those services and how the funeral profession operates on his "side of the pond".

Tim Purves is the 5th generation owner of William Purves Funeral Directors, the largest, independent funeral business in Scotland, with a team of more than 100 staff across 25 branches in Scotland and northeast England.

Sponsored by Johnson Consulting Group

In 2023, the NFDA sent film crews to various cities to talk with consumers about their impressions of funeral directors. There were mixed reactions and a combination of positive and negative comments that gave an eye-opening perspective on the public’s views of the funeral profession.

In this episode, host, Gabe Schauf sits down with funeral directors, Lori Sheeler, Anna Zvirman-Nesbit, and Naomi Bradbury-Marchand to discuss those impressions and what we can do to develop the public’s positive perception of funeral service.

To view the consumer video CLICK HERE

Sponsored by Johnson Consulting Group

In May of 2023, the NFDA hosted its latest Future’s Forum, a highly focused, forward-looking session held on an as-needed basis to tackle serious challenges impacting funeral service providers. The goal of Future’s Forum 2023 was to develop new growth and innovation strategies funeral providers could use to overcome current revenue challenges, increasing costs and staffing shortages.

In the spirit of that theme, host, Gabe Schauf is sitting down with Brie Smith, Erica Hill, and David Hernandez Jr to learn how they are looking to the future and modifying and innovating at their funeral homes for the better.

Sponsored by Johnson Consulting Group