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Companioning Those in Grief IS NO SMALL FEAT

I have been a licensed psychotherapist for many years now and own a private practice in Missouri. At one time, my business was affiliated with Baue Funeral Homes that provid ed aftercare for famili...
By Kristen Ernst
In Articles
Wednesday, March 4, 2026

Getting to YES with Interested Candidates

There has been much discussion within the Funeral Service profession about the future of the business. In my 30 years in the profession, I don’t recall a more challenging time. The pace of technolo...
By Bob Heidlage
In Articles
Friday, February 6, 2026

Funeral Home Staffing and Training: A Human Resources Perspective

The funeral profession operates at the intersection of technical expertise, regulatory compliance, and compassionate care. Unlike many service industries, funeral homes must be staffed with individ...
By Bill Ford
In Articles
Friday, February 6, 2026

LISTENING DIFFERENTLY: WHAT TODAY'S FAMILIES ARE REALLY TELLING US

We hear it all the time: “Data is changing everything.” But in reality, it’s not the data itself that’s revolutionary— it’s access to it. Just think about how much information your smartwatch can...
By George Owens and Chance Parker
In Articles
Friday, February 6, 2026

The Importance of Mentorship in Funeral Service

Over my four decades in funeral service, one truth has never changed: none of us succeeds alone. Every step forward in my career was possible because someone believed in me, encouraged me, or opene...
By Lisa Baue
In Articles
Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Allaying the Fears of Future Funeral Directors

Before I transitioned from funeral directing to teaching, my dominant role at the funeral home was being a funeral director who met families and directed funerals rather than embalming, even though...
By Lauren M. Budrow
In Articles
Wednesday, January 14, 2026

SOFTWARE IN THE DEATHCARE INDUSTRY: Finding a Human-Centric Role for AI and Automation

Inevitably, automation and generative AI are finding their way into all businesses–including funeral homes. The  key is knowing where these tools help free up time for crucial human connection...
By Mae Kowalke
In Articles
Friday, November 21, 2025
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Previous Posts

How to Ensure the Best Price With the Smoothest Transition

When selling a funeral home business, owners are often in new and perhaps uncharted territory. There are legal factors, unknown tax implications due to the sale structure, negotiations, marketing, ...

Mergers & Acquisitions in Death Care

If you spend any time talking with funeral home owners today, one thing becomes clear quickly—this industry is changing, and it’s changing fast. At The Decain Group, we’re in conversations every da...

BEYOND THE PAW PRINT: The Evolving Landscape of Pet Aftercare

For many families today, a pet is not “just an animal.” A dog may have witnessed a child’s first steps. A cat may have offered steady companionship through seasons of loneliness. A horse, bird, or ...

The Work After Goodbye: What Running a Pet Loss Business Has Taught Me

My career began in veterinary medicine. For five years, I worked as a veterinary technician, assisting in surgery, monitoring anesthesia, walking families through end-of-life decisions, and holding...

MERCHANDISING IN PET LOSS: What Families are Choosing and How Professionals are Presenting It

Over the last several years, the way we approach pet loss memorialization has gradually shifted. Not overnight, and not in a way that made headlines, but steadily. What used to be a fairly straigh...

Building a More Flexible Preneed Program

If I could give funeral homes one advantage in today’s preneed market, it would not be a f lashy new pitch, a fancy brochure, or a script that sounds like it was written by someone who has never ac...

Companioning Those in Grief IS NO SMALL FEAT

I have been a licensed psychotherapist for many years now and own a private practice in Missouri. At one time, my business was affiliated with Baue Funeral Homes that provid ed aftercare for famili...