On Saturday, February 16, the Grief Resource Center of New Mexico will hold a two-hour book fair starting at 10:00 a.m. The event features presentations by authors who have written books and poetry that help heal grief. via Tumblr Feb. 16: Grief Resource Center Book and Author Event
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Everyone is talking about the future of funerals. And whether or not we like it, it’s here. Things are changing, and they have been for over a decade. Families are looking for more options. And their needs are – for better or worse – shaping our future. So what’s changing this year? What trends are […] The post 5 Thought-Provoking Research Highlights on the Future of Funerals appeared first on funeralOne Blog. 5 Thought-Provoking Research Highlights on the Future of Funerals published first on YouTube via Tumblr 5 Thought-Provoking Research Highlights on the Future of Funerals Certified Thanatologist Gail Rubin is interviewed on the “Loss and Found” radio hour hosted by Cathy Cooper on Seattle station KKNW 1150 AM. via Tumblr Listen to Gail Rubin on Loss and Found Radio Show Today As a funeral professional, chances are you face plenty of misconceptions about who you are and what you do, everyday. You may even feel that you have to defend yourself from time to time. After all, there are the unfortunate few we see in the news that don’t have families’ best interest in mind, and […] The post Use Your Voice! The Best Ways to Stand Up for Yourself and The Funeral Profession appeared first on funeralOne Blog. Use Your Voice! The Best Ways to Stand Up for Yourself and The Funeral Profession published first on YouTube via Tumblr Use Your Voice! The Best Ways to Stand Up for Yourself and The Funeral Profession Community events, clubs, rotary and other organizations are great but have you thought about diversifying your reach… via Facebook? First off, yes, those clubs and meetings still hold some merit when you’ve already established a relationship but they don’t do a great job of making new relationships, at scale, in your community. Banking on word of mouth with a small select group could put you and your funeral business in trouble if they don’t deliver. What’s the guaranteed way of reaching new individuals?.. You guessed it, Facebook. Old marketing tactics and group relationships don’t drive results in this Digital age. Ryan Thogmartin is a death care entrepreneur and the CEO of DISRUPT Media and creator of ConnectingDirectors.com. | Follower of Christ | Husband | Father | Entrepreneur | Host of #DISRUPTu! and #FUNERALnationtv | About DISRUPT Media: Most deathcare companies struggle with Facebook marketing. We provide a process for creating personalized Facebook content that will drive community engagement and measurable leads ensuring growth and profitability. Learn more about DISRUPT Media: https://www.disruptmedia.co The post The Insane Value of Your Personal Brand | DISRUPTu! 059 appeared first on Connecting Directors. The Insane Value of Your Personal Brand | DISRUPTu! 059 published first on YouTube via Tumblr The Insane Value of Your Personal Brand | DISRUPTu! 059 Brookfield, Wis. – The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) asks members to unite to be the profession’s voice on Capitol Hill during the 2019 NFDA Advocacy Summit, April 3-5 in Washington, D.C. Federal priorities began to shift this month when the 116th Congress took office following the mid-term elections. NFDA needs members’ help to ensure funeral service issues stay top-of-mind with their elected senators and representatives. “With a so many new members of Congress, this year’s Summit promises to be a time of fresh voices and perspectives,” said NFDA Senior Vice President of Advocacy Lesley Witter, MPA, CAE. “Meeting with your Congressional representatives and sharing your stories during the Advocacy Summit enables you to put a face critical legislation that impacts you and your business.” With the start of a new session of Congress earlier this month, the legislative slate was wiped clean. NFDA is monitoring the legislation that is being introduced and urging members of Congress to introduce bills that will benefit the profession, grieving families and small business. In the weeks to come, NFDA will share more information about the specific bills on which members will advocate. The Advocacy Summit begins Wednesday, April 3 with a Welcome Reception at the Decatur House. Built in 1818 and named for its first owner and occupant, Decatur House now serves as the National Center for White House History and is managed by the White House Historical Association. On Thursday, April 4, attendees will start the day with an informative issues briefing during which attendees will learn about the issues they will be discussing with their Congressional representatives. After the briefing, attendees will gather on the steps of the Capitol building for a group photo. Then the real work of the Advocacy Summit begins. Delegations from states in attendance will meet with their senators and representatives. During these critical meetings, NFDA members can take a proactive approach to advancing legislation that affects funeral service, small business and the bereaved. “The role of NFDA members in discussing legislation with members of Congress cannot be underestimated,” said Witter. “The stories you shared during last year’s Summit prompted a number of representatives to support the BRAVE Act, which would improve death benefits for veterans. Before the House version of the bill expired at the end of the last session of Congress, a total of 75 representatives from both sides of the aisle cosponsored the bill. The BRAVE Act in the Senate also gained support after the hard work of our members during the Advocacy Summit, and shortly after the Senate Veterans Committee included the BRAVE Act in a legislative hearing.” While NFDA members are advocating on Capitol Hill, they can visit the special NFDA Welcome Room in the Capitol Hill Club. There, attendees can relax and enjoy light refreshments. NFDA staff will be on hand to answer questions; attendees can share information with staff about what has transpired during their meetings with their Congressional representatives. The evening of April 4, Summit attendees can opt to attend a special fundraising reception and dinner benefitting the NFDA Political Action Committee (PAC). Taking place at Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the event will feature special guest speaker Robert J. O’Neill, one of the most highly-decorated combat veterans of our time and the author New York Times best-selling books The Operator: Firing the Shots That Killed Osama bin Laden and My Years as a SEAL Team Warrior. The NFDA PAC helps ensure that NFDA members are properly represented in Washington, D.C. Contributions strengthen the voice of funeral service in Washington by giving the NFDA Advocacy team the resources it needs to act. All contributions are pooled to make the most impact – 100 percent of PAC funds are used to support candidates for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives who support public policy initiatives that directly benefit funeral service and small business. On Friday, April 5, the final day of the Summit, attendees have the option of participating in Honoring Our National: Guided Monument Tour. Thisunique guided tour will give attendees an up-close look at the Lincoln, Korean War, Vietnam War and WWII memorials. The tour culminates with a visit to the nation’s most sacred site, Arlington National Cemetery. At Arlington, attendees can choose to take a tram for a self-guided experience, explore with a provide tour guide or join NFDA President Chuck Bowman for a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Attendees can kick-off their Advocacy Summit experience by attending a Cremation Certification Program on April 3. The NFDA Cremation Certification Program is the recognized certification standard for all funeral service professionals who offer cremation. The program covers best practices for safe, proper, and ethical crematory operations, excellence in service to cremation families, and much more. NFDA members attending Advocacy Summit can save $100 on the program registration fee. Advocacy Summit attendees can save up to $50 when they register on or before March 6.
The historic Mayflower Hotel will again serve as the headquarters for the 2019 NFDA Advocacy Summit. Attendees who plan to stay at the Mayflower Hotel must make their reservations by March 6 to lock in the exclusive Advocacy Summit rate of $305 per night plus tax. The Advocacy Summit room block will fill up quickly – those who are planning to attend the Summit should book their room as soon as possible. Funeral professionals should visit www.nfda.org/advocacysummit for the latest information about the Advocacy Summit, including details on how to register and make hotel reservations. NFDA is the world’s leading and largest funeral service association, serving more than 20,000 individual members who represent nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and 49 countries around the world. NFDA is the trusted leader, beacon for ethics and the strongest advocate for the profession. NFDA is the association of choice because it offers funeral professionals comprehensive educational resources, tools to manage successful businesses, guidance to become pillars in their communities and the expertise to foster future generations of funeral professionals. NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.nfda.org. The post 2019 NFDA Advocacy Summit: New Congress, New Opportunities appeared first on Connecting Directors. 2019 NFDA Advocacy Summit: New Congress, New Opportunities published first on YouTube via Tumblr 2019 NFDA Advocacy Summit: New Congress, New Opportunities Brookfield, Wis. – The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) is proud to announce the names of the 50 funeral professionals who will attend the association’s Meet the Mentors program, March 10-12 at the Emory Conference Center Hotel in Atlanta, Ga. Meet the Mentors has been wholly funded by the Funeral Service Foundation since the program’s 2011 inception. During Meet the Mentors, these 50 funeral professionals who are either age 40 or under or new to the profession (first licensed within the last five years) will have an opportunity to meet, learn from and talk with innovative and successful funeral professionals. It’s also an opportunity to network and form relationships with other new professionals. The names of the 50 participants were announced during the week of January 21 through a series of video drawings that were shared on the NFDA website and social media sites (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, etc.). About Meet the MentorsMeet the Mentors attendees will spend time with three of the profession’s most respected funeral professionals: Rosemarie Forsberg, CFSP, owner and operator of Heritage Funeral Home in Nipawin, SK, Canada, and Tisdale Funeral Home in Tisdale, SK, Canada; Mark Krause, president of Krause Funeral Homes and Cremation Services, which has several locations in the Milwaukee, Wis.-area; and Jeff Smith, owner of Smith Family Funeral Home, which has several locations in the Little Rock, Ark.-area. There is no cost to participate in the Meet the Mentors program itself. The Funeral Service Foundation’s grant provides exclusive, career-transforming access to three mentors and covers attendees’ registration fees, two nights’ lodging and select meals. The 50 individuals selected to attend only pay for their transportation to the program. Nearly 600 young professionals and emerging leaders have benefited from the Meet the Mentors program, which underscores the Foundation’s mission to support all of funeral service in building meaningful relationships with the families and communities it serves. The program is part of the Foundation ‘45 Awards, which are designed to transform the careers of funeral service professionals through scholarships, awards, resources and mission-focused outreach. Complete details about the NFDA Meet the Mentors program, including the videos announcing the 2019 Meet the Mentors participants, can be found on the association website, www.nfda.org/mentors. The 2019 NFDA Meet the Mentors attendees are:
About NFDA – www.nfda.org NFDA is the world’s leading and largest funeral service association, serving more than 20,000 individual members who represent nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and 49 countries around the world. NFDA is the trusted leader, beacon for ethics and the strongest advocate for the profession. NFDA is the association of choice because it offers funeral professionals comprehensive educational resources, tools to manage successful businesses, guidance to become pillars in their communities and the expertise to foster future generations of funeral professionals. NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.nfda.org. About the Funeral Service Foundation – www.FuneralServiceFoundation.org Since 1945, the Funeral Service Foundation has served as the profession’s philanthropic voice. As the charitable arm of the National Funeral Directors Association since 1997, the Foundation receives operational support from NFDA and donors across the profession to help advance its mission to support funeral service in building meaningful relationships with the families and the communities it serves. The post NFDA Introduces the 2019 Meet the Mentors Program Participants appeared first on Connecting Directors. NFDA Introduces the 2019 Meet the Mentors Program Participants published first on YouTube via Tumblr NFDA Introduces the 2019 Meet the Mentors Program Participants 2 FUNERAL INDUSTRY ICONS SHARE OPPORTUNITY FOR ENHANCED PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION | FUNERAL nation 1401/28/2019 The Funeral Commander offers a discount for early signees! Title sponsor: http://www.cjf.com/ Sponsors: The post 2 FUNERAL INDUSTRY ICONS SHARE OPPORTUNITY FOR ENHANCED PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION | FUNERAL nation 140 appeared first on Connecting Directors. 2 FUNERAL INDUSTRY ICONS SHARE OPPORTUNITY FOR ENHANCED PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION | FUNERAL nation 140 published first on YouTube via Tumblr 2 FUNERAL INDUSTRY ICONS SHARE OPPORTUNITY FOR ENHANCED PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION | FUNERAL nation 140 WHEELING, IL — Most of us pursued this vocation because we are passionate about helping people in their time of need. But day-to-day operational challenges and inefficient processes often keep us from serving families in the way we truly want. At CANA’s 2019 Cremation Symposium, set for February 5-7 in Las Vegas, industry experts will help you transform your office operations and enhance your personalization strategies. You’ll also have time with the presenters to ask specific questions on legal issues, online marketing and more. After attending the CANA symposium, you’ll be equipped to: 1) Become more operationally efficient With the emergence of so many low-cost cremation options, how can long-time businesses survive — and thrive? It’s all about efficiency. Every minute spent doing inefficient tasks is more money wasted and less time spent helping families. In “Operational Efficiency: Using Technology to Maximize Cremation Profits,” Tyler Yamasaki of Parting Pro will show technology can improve your processes without sacrificing the dignified and empathetic touch that our profession is known for. You’ll walk away knowing how you can replace traditional practices with modern, tech-enabled processes; use inexpensive or free software to save hours each day; enhance your digital marketing; and demonstrate value digitally. 2) Offer the personalized options customers want There are so many ways to personalize and infuse ceremony into every interaction with the family. So where do you begin? In “Best Practices in Personalization and Ceremony,” Lindsey Ballard of Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation will facilitate an interactive session where attendees will share examples and pictures and talk about how they implement these practices within their business. Plus, all attendees will receive a handout with numerous ideas to inspire everyone back at the office, developed from peers across the profession. These specific activities can be implemented in your business to create the personalized and ceremonial experiences that today’s customers seek. And one lucky contributor will win a cash prize! 3) Solve specific problems you’re facing Have an urgent dilemma? Need an expert’s perspective on an ongoing business challenge? In the “Superheroes Unite!” session, small roundtables will give you the opportunity to talk one-on-one with a supercharged lineup of experts including Tyler Yamasaki, Glenda Stansbury, Millennial Directors Matt Morian and Zach Carnley, CANA’s legal counsel Lara Price and Ring Ring Marketing’s founder Welton Hong. And more! This is just a snapshot of a few of the interactive and engaging sessions at the Symposium. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn new approaches, get feedback on your challenges and collaborate with peers. To see the complete symposium program and register, go to www.cremationassociation.org/CANAheroes. See you in Vegas! About CANA Founded in 1913, the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) is an international organization of over 3,300 members, composed of funeral homes, cemeteries, crematories, industry suppliers, and consultants. CANA members believe that cremation is preparation for memorialization. The post Work Smarter So You Can Serve Better appeared first on Connecting Directors. Work Smarter So You Can Serve Better published first on YouTube via Tumblr Work Smarter So You Can Serve Better #1 at-need funeral financing solution announces partnerships with Illinois, Pennsylvania, and California funeral associations. LendingUSA, the leading provider of at-need financing to funeral directors, has officially partnered with three state organizations to promote its at-need services to members. The company has announced partnerships with the Illinois Funeral Directors Association, the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association, and the California Funeral Directors Association, effective immediately. The partnerships bring exclusive offers and discounts to IFDA, PFDA, and CFDA members, and cement LendingUSA’s reputation as the #1 source of at-need financing in the industry. In addition to its state association partnerships, LendingUSA also earned the endorsement of the National Funeral Directors Association in 2017. LendingUSA offers point-of-sale financing for families, offering a low monthly payment option for their loved one’s funeral expenses. Funeral homes are paid directly and in full using a simple process that takes just a few days. “Our outreach to state funeral associations is an important part of our growth,” says Camilo Concha, founder and CEO of LendingUSA. “We predict that financing continues to grow as a payment option in the funeral space. Funeral directors should offer it to every family, so that everyone has the option of a low monthly payment.” About LendingUSA LendingUSA is the #1 funeral financing solution in the country, with a mission to redefine how families pay for funerals. The company’s at-need solution offers pre-approval decisions in seconds and fast, direct funding to funeral homes. Designed to help funeral home owners grow their business, it helps to limit undercutting by competitors and the need for recourse or collections. To learn more about LendingUSA, funeral directors can sign up for a free demo at go.lendingusa.com/funeral/1 or call 866-498-0475. The post LendingUSA, leading at-need-financing provider, partners with IFDA, PFDA, and CFDA appeared first on Connecting Directors. LendingUSA, leading at-need-financing provider, partners with IFDA, PFDA, and CFDA published first on YouTube via Tumblr LendingUSA, leading at-need-financing provider, partners with IFDA, PFDA, and CFDA |
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