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The Graveyard Shift
Funeral professionals are constantly searching for two things – new ideas to better serve families and a good laugh. Join Todd Carlson, EVP of Sales and Chief Sales Officer at Directors Investment Group, on a wild ride as he engages in genuine and off-the-cuff conversations with 3 accomplished funeral professionals – Matt Bailey, President and Funeral Director at Bailey Family Funeral Homes, Gary Freytag, President and CEO of Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum, and Jimmy Lucas, Owner and Funeral Director at Lucas Funeral Home. Together, they share their takes and valuable insights into the evolving profession with plenty of laughs...Show more
All Episodes
Shift #9: Study groups and lifelines
Whoever said new ideas are hard to come by hasn't watched this week's episode of The Graveyard Shift! Join the crew as they swap stories about study groups and how they’ve benefited from them. Matt and Jimmy share how having support, learning from others, and building deep friendships have made a big difference for them and their businesses. Gary talks about how study groups have served as a lifeline during challenging times, such as COVID. Tune in to discover the value of joining a study group, along with the typical banter that will keep you laughing the whole time.
Shift #8: Roofing, roundabouts, and Ron Clyde
Ron Clyde, Director of Special Projects at Directors Investment Group, joins the crew to talk about conflict management and how it affects the day-to-day. The group shares the everyday conflicts they run into, why dodging tough conversations can backfire, and how personality differences shape the way they handle conflict. You’ll also hear the crew open up about their struggles…and as a bonus, discover who said he got kicked out of community college. 😅
Shift #7: Training, culture, and Martha Thayer
On this week’s shift, Martha Thayer, founder and president of Mortuary Training LLC, joins the crew to share her knowledge about the current state of funeral home training, the mad dash to keep up with new regulations, and more. Matt spills the beans on celebrant training, Gary talks about "borrowing" ideas, and Jimmy discusses the importance of personalized training for staff. Plus, find out which crew member has firsthand experience working with Martha (and how it’s going). 👀 Learn more about Martha Thayer’s training programs at www.mortuarytraining.com.
Shift #6: Stress, smoked meat, and Dr. Carr
In this episode, the guys welcome Dr. Melanie Carr, Director of Sales Development at Funeral Directors Life and published author of Emotional Intelligence for Funeral Directors. Dr. Carr shares stress management strategies, which encourages the crew to share what they’ve tried to relieve stress. Who smokes meat? Who has slept at the funeral home? Who has absolutely no stress whatsoever? Find out in this honest and raw discussion.