Home of The Glam Reaper Podcast and blog looking at all aspects of life, love, loss, and funerals.
Ted Talk here - https://youtu.be/iNiCNz-7Sqg
Follow me on Twitter - @TheGlamReaper
Funeral preplanning is important because it guarantees that when your time comes, your family can have a fitting and personal farewell. This means giving yourself and your loved ones the best chance of moving forward in a healthy way from the loss of a loved one.
Join us in this episode as we have our guest, Suelin Chen, CEO of Cake, talk to us all about her company, a digital self-serve suite of tools spanning from
planning to bereavement support.
LITTLE NUGGETS OF GOLD:
How to create a plan for a meaningful ending so they can live their best life through Cake.
CAKE: A symbol of celebrating life moments
Why end-of-life planning is actually all about honoring life.
The importance of funeral planning. (... and how does it feel setting up your own?)
Part 1 of this podcast had these three fabulous hosts discussing the idea of a celebrant. If you missed the episode, catch it first before you tune into the more light-hearted part 2.
It does get serious a little in this episode where we discuss how funeral directors get alot of backlash from every side. Is it a business, is it an industry? Should people be expected to work for free? Do families feel robbed when at a funeral home? Does the media make us think that?
The conversation talks about preplanning and how we are all unique humans at the end of the day and everyone suffers loss, even your funeral directors.
A lighter tone was used at the end of the conversation, and it was a great way to conclude the episode. Enjoy!
LITTLE NUGGETS OF GOLD:
What is the value of giving a funeral service?
A thank you note received by Brian that disproves what people are thinking about Funeral Directors
Why is Jennifer not going back into being a wedding planner?
Jennifer's book, her 3rd book coming up and the podcast.
About the Undertaking Podcast where Funeral Directors, Ryan Ballard and Brian Waters discuss life, death and the stories of funeral service.
Jennifer posed a question to Brian and Allan - Who are your favorite and your worst guests?
Ryan and Brian being asked on what is the future of the funeral industry and what is their funeral song?
The guys from “Undertaking, The Podcast”, Brian Waters and Ryan Ballard joined The Glam Reaper, Jennifer Muldowney in this epic two-part (and maybe more!) episode talking all things funeral. As we are both natural hosts of our own podcasts, there was a reversal of roles throughout. I asked questions of the lads and Brian quizzed me back which I happily obliged!
Of course, we chatted and discussed and digressed so much that we had to edit this into two episodes and honestly, it could have been 3 but I figured not everyone wants to hear us just shooting the sh*t. In this episode, you will hear us focus mostly on the idea of the celebrant and what it can do for both families and funeral homes. Happy listening!
LITTLE NUGGETS OF GOLD:
What goes into the thought process in creating a memorial and being a celebrant?
How does a celebrant help a funeral home?
What happened when Brian, a Funeral Director, was asked to offer eulogies for the departed?
Why is it okay to get emotional during the funeral service?
What about the clergy? Will they be replaced by celebrants?
Notice how many people are into renewable energy, into protecting the environment, opting for hybrid or electric cars, and so on? It is not surprising that people can also embrace the green lifestyle in handling the end-of-life phase with natural burial or what is popularly called these days ‘green burial’.
This is the episode where the Glam Reaper meets the Green Reaper, Elizabeth Fournier. Elizabeth is the author of “The Green Burial Guidebook: Everything You Need to Plan an Affordable, Environmentally Friendly Burial” and she helps families with how they want to celebrate the lives of their dearly departed. There are many options, of course, but being a member of the Advisory Board for the Green Burial Council, she is certainly an authority on the subject and why she is known as the “Green Reaper”.
Enjoy listening!
LITTLE NUGGETS OF GOLD:
About Elizabeth Fournier's journey in the funeral industry and her initiation on the green burial option.
What is the story of Elizabeth's first natural burial experience?
How many states allow natural burial and what sorts of legal restrictions are there in every state?
What are some problems that we can anticipate with natural burial and what precautions should be taken beforehand?
How was the ambiance of that first natural burial and how did Elizabeth's green journey progress from that?
Does Elizabeth's funeral home only do green burials? (... What are the other options and guidance she can provide to people?)
They say that you can't always get what we want in life but what’s worse is, we can’t get what we want after life, as well. How many funerals have you been at where you have questioned the lack of ‘personality of the deceased’ in the service? It is a serious thing. And a serious problem in the funeral business.
So should you be spending time planning your funeral now, even at an early age?
Jennifer, the Glam Reaper had an enlightening conversation with Erica Hill about how she created Sparrow, a contemporary funeral home in Brooklyn. Erica feels that people are looking for something different in their final story, funeral/memorial and is trying to make sure it is a story being told from the heart.
LITTLE NUGGETS OF GOLD:
What makes Erica think that Sparrow’s service is different in comparison with the rest?
Why did Erica venture into the founding of Sparrow Funeral Home?
What was wrong with most funeral services in failing to properly represent the deceased?
Why is pre-planning of your funeral important? (...Erica using the funeral of her friend as a positive example for pre-planning.)
What is the plan for the future for Sparrow?
Erica shared one of her unforgettable recollections for a funeral service Sparrow did for families.
Sometimes your grief is aggravated by people who in spite of coming from a sincere place of wanting to support are not really helping. They say things that are not supposed to be told to a grieving person, but really they are just trying to help in their wrong awkward way. When we are supporting someone who is grieving, we just need to understand that they are clouded with emotions and can sometimes act irrationally.
Sharing Solace was officially launched May 19, 2018, on the 8th birthday of Crystal Webster’s daughter Madelyn Elizabeth who died in her arms after 8 beautiful hours of giving birth to her. In this episode, Crystal said that the idea of Sharing Solace was from Madelyn and she felt that she was ready to begin to heal and help others do the same. It's OK to feel lost and it is OK to want extra support.
LITTLE NUGGETS OF GOLD:
Crystal’s painful journey started in 2010.
How did Crystal come out of the dark place and started the business of helping people who are grieving to heal?
The flagship locket set from Sharing Solace and their mission for people in grief.
How is Crystal able to work with people who share their stories of grief? (...Is she taking people’s grief home and absorbing them, as well?)
The problem for funeral homes with children's funeral, how unprepared funeral homes are (...What did Crystal choose to do for Madelyn?)
How important is pre-planning of your own funeral?
Jennifer’s experience every time she attends the Professional Women's Conference by NFDA (National Funeral Directors Association).
Have you ever struggled on what to say to people who are grieving the death of a loved one? Sometimes what you will say can trigger more emotional stress instead of alleviating the hurt, and you can cause some harm unintentionally. Grieving is hard but if you have family and friends who can support you, it dramatically alters everything for the grieving person. Getting good support does not have to be hard.
This week's guest, Emma Payne, will talk about how she used her expertise and passion for technology to give people the confidence and tools they need to cope with grief. Providing support during a time of loss can be a profound experience. Support is just a text away!
LITTLE NUGGETS OF GOLD:
What is ‘Grief Coach’ and what prompted Emma to launch it?
How can people obtain a subscription to ‘Grief Coach?
Emma’s thoughts on the fear of saying or doing something.
How does the subscription work?
Was there a situation where the subscription went wrong? (...What are some feedbacks?)
What are some ways that the industry still lacks expertise in several areas and is not updated with the current trends?
Is ‘Grief Coach’ just local in Ireland or globally available?
What are Emma’s thoughts on the future of the funeral business?
Resources:
A special gift for TGRP listeners - $10 Off a full-year subscription to Grief Coach
Talking about death, memorials and urns shouldn’t be that somber. A touch of color and beautiful design can bring a sense of comfort and a feeling of light and warmth at a time when you are grieving and hurting. In this episode of the Glam Reaper Podcast, Jennifer had the opportunity to converse with Max and Miles of Oaktree Memorials. Through their wonderful work, this duo always brings incredible support to the family of the deceased from start to end.
Max Lemper-Tabatsky and Miles Adams co-founded Oaktree Memorials and Trust Loyal after experiencing firsthand how difficult it can be to find modern memorials made from exceptional and sustainable materials. People reached out to them to find contemporary, handmade urns and handcrafted jewelry for their loved one’s and their loyal pet’s ashes.
LITTLE NUGGETS OF GOLD:
Introduction and how Max and Miles co-founded Oaktree Memorials.
How do Oaktree Memorials and Trust Loyal brands contrast?
What is involved in the production of modern, contemporary memorial urns?
Are they into memorial jewelry as well?
For memorials, which is doing better, the human side or the pet side?
What is in store for Max and Miles for the rest of 2022?
During the final disposition of the deceased, there are a variety of legal considerations that arise from some interesting, outrageous or even very intimate stories that you won’t believe actually happen for families and relations. For this reason, to avoid any disputes among the family members, it is critical to have some instructions written clearly on how to handle the remains.
Jennifer sits down with Chris Farmer in this episode of The Glam Reaper to get some legal insights about the funeral industry and the people they serve. Chris has 15 years of experience in providing legal advice to funeral homes, cemeteries, crematoriums and industry suppliers throughout North America.
LITTLE NUGGETS OF GOLD:
Jennifer's introduction of the guest Chris Farmer and how they have known each other for quite some time.
About Chris Farmer's background as a lawyer and eventual role as the funeral industry's legal advisor.
Chris' thoughts on why there is a stigma around lawyers and funeral directors.
Some very interesting, outrageous and intimate cases that Chris Farmer has handled for the funeral industry. (...Some of them you may not believe actually happens.)
What precautions should funeral homes and crematoriums take to protect themselves from litigation?
How important is the chain of custody of documentation when a body is going to be cremated?
Chris' insights on the new methods of disposition and what can make people gravitate to any of those?
What is the one thing Chris Farmer would change in the funeral industry?
Jennifer asks Chris a daring question on what his funeral song would be.
Some last thoughts Chris wants to share to the listeners.
There is so much controversy over the options that are available for the
end-of-life processes due to differences in legislation, corporate greed and
inaccurate information being put out there to people.
Yes there are a variety of end-of-life options that people can choose from,
but ultimately it all comes down to what choice you and the family make
when planning for the final event. That choice will come as a result of education,
and from people who are willing to educate on the level of true information.
Our interview with Melissa Unfred, known in the funeral industry
as the Modern Mortician, is very informative because as an expert herself,
she gives an overview of what the future holds for the industry.
Melissa offers a whole new perspective on the new technology
that can save our planet from destruction by using green practices
such as natural burials or cremation instead of conventional burial methods.
I encourage everyone to listen and have an open mind in
the preparation for the final event in life.
Please enjoy!
LITTLE NUGGETS OF GOLD:
A quick introduction of self by the Modern Mortician, Melissa Unfred.
How Kermit came into the life of Melissa and became her partner in crime of sorts in Tiktok and Instagram?
A course that Melissa will teach about what processes and training dog owners needs to go through for their dogs.
How did Melissa shift to the green burial niche in the funeral industry?
Melissa's viewpoint on educating people on green burial technology and why embalming is not her forte?
What are Melissa’s thoughts on the inaccurate information circulated on embalming and being pushed by some influencers and sectors with their own agendas?
The premise of having a united educational course or degrees and licensing for the industry.
The current methods of disposition that Melissa is advocating for continuous learning.
Melissa’s personal preference of burial.
What is composting?
The variations in Alkaline Hydrolysis or commonly referred to as water cremation.
What does Melissa think about the future of burials potentially on cremation?
What can the funeral industry do in spite of being the tiny percent of the worldwide industry in saving the planet and its environment?
Melissa’s plans and the classes she is developing, that are coming up soon.
After years of working with Nike in Portland, OR as Creative Directors, Keith Crawford and David Odusanya co-founded Solace Cremation in 2019. The idea came about after their own personal experiences with the death of a loved one and this inspired them to integrate their design expertise and innovative consumer-driven approach to the funeral industry.
The concept of the service they provide to families is the acceptance that they cannot make the loss any easier and take away grief, but Solace can make this part of the loss a lot easier and less confusing. This is another great interview by the Glam Reaper, in which she aims to help people to make informed decisions on the methods of disposition available these days.
LITTLE NUGGETS OF GOLD:
A brief introduction of self by Keith Crawford.
How was Solace Cremation founded and what is the concept behind the startup company?
Taking out the funeral homes and bringing it online, how does it work?
The growth of Solace Cremation, where are they now?
Keith’s thoughts on the funeral industry shifting to new ideas and methods of disposition.
How does Solace Cremation choose their cremation partners and how does Keith feel about big corporations scooping up the business from local businesses?
The before, during and after service processes of Solace Cremation.
Some creative ways families have devised, after the passing of their loved ones to honor their legacy through events.
The fear that so many startups in the funeral industry will be gone after some years.
The impact on cancer in peoples’ lives is getting a lot more attention now than it has ever been before. The emotional toll that this takes for patients, survivors and those still battling it can be extremely draining to everyone around them, especially with their families. This conversation we had with David Richman was very insightful as he shared his firsthand experience of having someone in the family deal with the disease.
In this episode, I have David on the podcast to share his story about cancer, how he managed to turn around his life and the two books he has written. These books are bestsellers, one of which is "Cycle Of Lives: 15 People’s Stories, 5,000 Miles, and a Journey Through the Emotional Chaos of Cancer”. Fifteen stories to include those that are survivors, doctors, nurses, etc., giving people a 360 view on cancer.
At the heart of the conversation is about choices in life, our perspectives, on whether you are doing your absolute utmost or trying to measure up against other people. Listen to find out what matters most in life in under an hour. Enjoy!
LITTLE NUGGETS OF GOLD:
An introduction of self by David Richman, his life’s journey and the point in his life when he decided to start doing things for himself.
The compelling “Terry Story”, one of the 15 from his book Cycle of Lives, who in spite of her situation welcomes every morning to see if she got a 50% chance to be happy.
Interesting sets of ideas on “Perspective” from Jennifer and David.
How was David able to endure the marathons, the triathlons, the 87-mile rollerblade ride and the 47 hundred miles bike ride in 45 days?
Check out the books mentioned by Jennifer Muldowney:
