Funeral Women Lead is honored to share that founder Lisa Baue’s story and her advocacy for women in funeral service and deathcare have been featured in a sweeping Forbes profile by contributor Paula de la Cruz. The article, “Women Leading in the Death Business,” traces the full arc of the American funeral industry and places Baue’s three-decade career, and the structural challenges women in the profession face today, at the center of the national conversation.
The piece sheds light on the formative experiences that shaped her leadership and the insights that inspired her book Wake-Up Calls: A Journey of Learning to Lead and Succeed in the Funeral and Deathcare Profession. All proceeds from Wake-Up Calls are donated to organizations that support scholarships for women in the funeral profession.
Read the full feature here:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/pauladelacruz/2026/06/08/women-leading-in-the-death-business/
This national spotlight is a proud moment for Lisa and for Funeral Women Lead, the foundation she founded in 2024 with a mission to unleash the greatness in women of the funeral and deathcare profession. The Forbes feature puts a sharp lens on a striking workforce reality: over 75 percent of mortuary school graduates today are women, yet the majority of those leaving the profession are also women. Baue speaks directly to the structural causes—inadequate benefits such as maternity and family leave, inflexible scheduling in a 24/7 profession, low pay scales and workplace cultures that haven’t kept pace with the field’s changing demographics. Funeral Women Lead exists to change that. The organization has grown to close to 7,000 in its community of followers and is hosting its second Leadership & Wellness Summit for women in September. Funeral Women Lead is also continuing its Women’s Leadership Academy, expanding it from one year to an 18-month leadership program. Future plans include ongoing niche communities of support along with coaching and mentoring programs and educational resources to help women become business leaders, managers and owners.
“The profession hasn’t been supporting [women] and those who identify as women, as they need and deserve. We are on a mission to end that,” said Baue. “Our stories, our heartaches, and our need to be accepted and belong are at the center of the conversation about the future of this profession. Funeral Women Lead exists to make sure those voices are seen, heard, and equipped to lead.”
As Baue and Funeral Women Lead continue their work to elevate women’s voices in the deathcare profession. All are invited to learn more about Baue’s journey in Wake-Up Calls, an Amazon bestseller, First Place Book Fest winner, and Next Generation Indie Book Award finalist that documents her path from inheriting a single funeral home to building one of the Midwest’s leading funeral, cremation and cemetery service organizations.
About Funeral Women Lead
Funeral Women Lead is a foundation that believes women are the key to the survival of this profession. Its focus is the long-term advancement, development, and support of women in funeral and deathcare service. It pursues its mission to unleash greatness in the women of this profession through outreach, coaching and mentoring, a one-year leadership academy, annual wellness summit, a continuous community ,and scholarships for professional development. Bringing together leaders, sponsors, educators, researchers and supporters, Funeral Women Lead champions women of the profession as much-needed next-era women’s leadership.
To learn more about the organization visit www.funeralwomenlead.org. To learn more about Lisa Baue, visit lisabaue.com.
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