Dan and Emma Ford join Danielle Burmeister in our funeral home owner series where they share about family legacy, evolving expectations and modern challenges in funeral service. Dan is the president of Buckmiller Ford Mengacci Funeral Home and his daughter Emma serves as the administrative assistant and social media lead. In their chat, Dan and Emma cover what it was like growing up in a funeral home, navigating changing consumer needs, balancing affordability with rising overhead and finding meaningful ways to serve every family. They also talk about working together as father and daughter, adapting to digital communication and staying deeply rooted in service and giving back to the community and the profession. Learn more about their unique experiences and perspectives in this thoughtful, down-to-earth conversation.

Kim Hunter joins Danielle Burmeister on Calling Hours in the first part in our new Funeral Home Owner series featuring real conversations with funeral home owners on the podcast.

In this discussion, Kim and Danielle talk about leadership, legacy and his outlook on funeral services. Kim is the owner of Humphrey Funeral Home in Toronto, Canada, where he has served as president and owner since 2018 after many years with the firm. In their chat, Kim covers his journey into funeral service, the transition to ownership and the importance of succession planning. They also discuss maintaining work-life balance, the growing role of personalization in services and the value of professional development and association involvement. Learn more about Kim’s thoughtful approach to leadership and the evolving future of funeral service in this insightful and inspiring conversation.

Chris Johnson joins Danielle Burmeister in this discussion about career paths, innovation and how their infamous socks became so popular among funeral professionals! Chris is Founder and CEO of Sepio Guard. In their chat, Chris covers what drew him to the funeral space, the catalyst for launching Sepio Guard and how his company is helping funeral professionals provide valuable (and oftentimes assumed) coverage for the families they serve. They also discuss the importance of workplace culture, the value of thinking outside the box and the agent experience. Learn more about Chris and Sepio Guard in this fun, inspiring conversation about purpose-driven innovation.