Podcast

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.

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.

The Federal Trade Commission has started the process of updating the Funeral Rule, which regulates how our profession operates and provides specific rights to consumers seeking burial and cremation services. In this episode, host, Gabe Schauf, is joined by NFDA's General Counsel, Chris Farmer, to share what is being discussed, why it matters, and the importance of funeral professionals getting involved in the process.

Dean Lambert, Vice President-Corporate Communications with Homesteaders Life Company, joins Gabe to discuss "The Love Always Project". Its purpose is to encourage people to change their mindset and take a more positive and proactive approach to pre-planning and end-of-life discussions.

Host, Gabe Schauf, is joined by Dr. Jason Troyer to discuss the stresses that come from the seasonal combination of grief, serving families, and the holiday hustle. Finding effective ways to meet the needs of the families being served while minimizing burnout should be on every funeral director's holiday wishlist.

Embalmer, Karl Wenzel, joins Gabe Schauf to discuss his approach to the embalming process and how he honed his craft. If you are an embalmer or are interested in being one, this episode is for you.

Host, Gabe Schauf is joined by three of the workshop presenters you will hear at the International Convention and Expo. Vanessa Misoon, Dana Goodell, and Jeff Zealley share about themselves and what to expect from their presentations in Baltimore.

Host, Gabe Schauf, is joined by Jolena Grande, funeral director and board president of the American Board of Funeral Service Education. Jolena and Gabe talk about how mortuary school curriculum is developed, the National Board Exams, how funeral homes can help support funeral education and more!