By Thomas A. Parmalee
If you enjoy a cold beer now and then – and even if you don’t – you are probably familiar with “The Most Interesting Man in the World” advertising campaign for Dos Equis beer, which featured a gentleman who enjoyed all sorts of adventures.
In the commercials, the protagonist frees an angry bear from trap, catches a marlin while serenading a beautiful young woman and wins an arm-wrestling match in South America. He even finds the Fountain of Youth – but he doesn’t drink from it because he isn’t thirsty.
It’s hard to compete with the Most Interesting Man in the World, but Tyler Fraser, the founder of numerous companies, CEO of UPD Urns, and a John Maxwell Certified Leadership Coach, might be able to give him a run for his money.
If you follow Fraser on Facebook, you’ll see him doing all manner of things:
- Bungee jumping in Canada: He just jumps out toward the water thousands of feet below as though he were dunking his head in the bathtub to rinse off some shampoo. No big deal.
- Wearing a cowboy hat at a Texas Rangers game or, even better, wearing the same hat while he rides a horse in a rodeo or hikes up a mountain in Colorado.
- Spending time on the golf course as he prepares for one of the profession’s supplier invitationals.
- Organizing the delivery of a 20-foot container of rice to Ethiopia to relieve food insecurity.
- Running … running everywhere … Forrest Gump has nothing on this guy.
- Traveling to India, Thailand and pretty much anywhere else you can think off – and if you’ve been paying any attention whatsoever, he’s been globetrotting the world with a particular young lady lately that he seems to adore.
So, who is this guy – and could he really be the most interesting man in funeral service?
We didn’t get the answer to that question, but we did find out some other things … edited excerpts follow.

You are the founder of numerous companies. Which one do you feel flies most under the radar that you would like funeral professionals to know more about?
Funeral Radio. This was something that some amazing people put so much energy into, and the value that is available on funeralradio.com is amazing. Raymond Aikens and Dan Isard are just a couple of the industry leaders that recorded discussions about working with hospice, how to merchandise your funeral home and financing an acquisition. I’m super excited for a new website and more interviews coming soon!
Of course, everyone knows about UPD Urns. Tell us a little bit more about your company. Do you serve funeral homes throughout the entire United States – and how is business going?
UPD Urns has been a wonderful experience. I have been so lucky to make lifelong friends and travel to hundreds of funeral homes. Now, as we enter the next phase of 2024 and beyond, we are prioritizing quality of product and customer experience. We do not sell to the public, and this has served us well, always having the funeral home’s success as our goal.
What about outside the United States? What percentage of your business comes from international customers, and is that a growing niche for you?
We are actively pursuing funeral homes outside of the USA, but there is so much to be done with the USA. Our Made in USA line has been a real focus with UPD Urns, because it’s a new division. There are costs involved, and we need to make it work. The team members have families and rely on these jobs. It’s extremely rewarding to see our team doing great with the wood shop. Our 3D line of wood urns, which depicts colorful scenery, is something I’m very excited about. Also, our economy oak urns, that come with the funeral home’s logo branded on the bottom. I know this will do amazing!
Tell us a little bit more about UPD Urns.
We warehouse about 99% of the items we sell. I think many funeral homes love the one stop shop, where they can find everything they need to serve their families. We found that vault urns were important to offer, these are really the only product we don’t import or make in Texas.
Can you share with us what some of your top selling items are?
Our top selling category is metal urns. But volume is our wood urns. Most of our orders include a metal urn with engraving and two keepsakes.
What are some of your NEWEST offerings that you are excited about?
UPD Fox is something I’m super excited about. It’s a membership program that will offer a ton of value adds to our cremation providers, such as faster shipping and more Urn Store theme options.
Tell us a little bit more about the UPD Urns store.
The Urn Store is a website that the funeral homes can use to offer cremation urns to families. It’s retail priced, and the family can check out at home. We have recently taken on some big partners, allowing us to reach more funeral homes. Maintaining inventory at a funeral home is difficult, and having this direct connection to the urn provider makes the family’s experience much better.
What did you think about the NFDA convention in Las Vegas? Did anything in particular stick out to you that you thought was innovative and different?
I didn’t walk the floor too much. At the NFDA, I aim to connect with funeral directors and learn how we can serve them better. All my energy was spent enjoying time with my team and connecting with funeral directors.
You are a proud American, and you have a line of urns made in America. Why is that so important to you? Are some of your other items made elsewhere?
We are proud of our Made in USA line because of jobs. These men and women are working in Texas because of our pivot to focus on this line of urns. But we also appreciate the value of globalization and specialization. Cremation providers need economy units and those are best sourced overseas, for now.
What challenges has the inflationary environment posed for you and your business?
Every year, we are informed of a new price increase; last week, United Healthcare informed us that our premium would be increasing by 20%. I’m not an economist, but we are comfortable with inflation. I am less comfortable with the growing debt of the public and government.
What is a recent book you have read that you would recommend funeral directors read – and why?
“Who Not How” by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy – this book tries to change your initial approach when faced with a new challenge from “How can I do this” to “Who can do this for me?” The biggest bottleneck in a business is typically the owner because they try to take on so much. This has been a helpful strategy to expand my thinking and growth.
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