By Alan Creedy George had done everything right. He was the second-generation owner of a respected funeral home, and like a lot of careful business owners, he had a plan. His will was current. His attorney had a copy. His wife knew where the insurance policies were and which banker…
Read MoreBy Thomas A. Parmalee At just 30 years old, Spencer Haik is attempting something that perhaps no one has accomplished: modernizing how funeral homes buy the products they need every day without disrupting the relationships that have long defined the profession. As co-founder and CEO of Vault Funeral Tech, Haik…
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By Mandie Hungarland, Chief Operating Officer, Dead Ringers Research shows that 78% of future funeral home customers plan to check you out online before making arrangements*. That means by the time someone picks up the phone to call you, they've already done their homework. They've looked at your website, read…
Read MoreBy Thomas A. Parmalee Artificial intelligence has moved from novelty to utility with remarkable speed. For cemetery operators and funeral directors — professionals whose work is rooted in tradition and trust — that shift can feel both intriguing and intimidating. During a recent webinar titled “AI for Cemeteries: A Simple,…
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By Thomas A. Parmalee When Eddie Steelman, the owner of Smart Technologies of Florida, started working with a large deathcare provider in 2023, it quickly became apparent to him that the profession had been neglected in terms of the technology surrounding the input and output of documents. At the same…
Read MoreBy Thomas A. Parmalee For years, deathcare professionals have watched consumer behavior shift decisively online. Families now research funeral homes, compare cremation options and even complete preneed arrangements digitally. Yet one major segment of the profession has remained largely offline: cemetery property sales. Guidant was created to change that. Founded…
Read MoreBy Thomas A. Parmalee After the funeral service is over, some families discover something unexpected about grief: They miss the voice of their loved one. The familiar cadence. The advice given without thinking. The way a spouse or parent would respond to everyday moments — small victories, hard days and…
Read MoreBy Thomas A. Parmalee When OneRoom hired Justin Whatley as its chief revenue officer several months ago, it landed a seasoned deathcare executive – someone who has worked at a number of companies in the space, including CemLS, Sepio Guard and Ring Ring Marketing. The opportunity to join the livestreaming…
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By Thomas A. Parmalee Move over ChatGPT … funeral homes looking to boost efficiency with artificial intelligence can turn to ClosureMD, which has introduced a solution aimed at solving a persistent problem. Getting doctors to sign off on death certificates. Founded by Jerry Hsiang and Gregory Kopyltsov, the company provides…
Read MoreBy Thomas A. Parmalee For Zack Moy, deciding who to start Afterword with was more like picking a wife than hiring an employee. “Choosing a co-founder is arguably the most important decision you’ll make when starting a company,” he said. “I mean, you're committing to navigate highs, lows and immense…
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By Thomas A. Parmalee The CEO of OneRoom, a video streaming platform that enables people from around the world to virtually be a part of a funeral service when distance or circumstance prevent in-person attendance, has been hard at work introducing innovations that could be a game changer for funeral…
Read MoreBy John Heald, Chief Growth Officer, Legacy.com When I talk to funeral directors across the country, one thing is clear: the profession is evolving faster than ever. Families are changing, marketing has gone digital, and competition is coming from every direction — from corporate consolidators to brand-new cremation startups. The…
Read MoreEazewell, an AI-enabled funeral planning and facilitation platform co-founded by Donnell Beverly Jr. (a former NCAA National Champion at UConn), former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook and former NBA All-Star Kemba Walker, recently announced its public launch. Their experiences with loss led the founders to create a company that aims to provide compassionate…
Read MoreBy Zack Moy, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Afterword Let's face it — technology runs a big part of your funeral home now. From tracking your cases and services, to handling the books, to getting the word out, software in some form or another is pretty much essential. This wave…
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