Rest Assured: The Funeral Profession Podcast

Rest Assured: Chris Grubbs

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 09:57:20 -0400

On the season finale of Rest Assured, Chris Grubbs from Chambers & Grubbs Funeral Homes in Independence, Kentucky, joins the show for a wide-ranging conversation about Succession Planning. As part of the discussion, Justin and Chris reflect on legacy, generational turnover, the value of independence, celebrating longevity, delegation, and much more. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

Rest Assured: Jake Johnson

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 10:01:55 -0500

On the latest episode of Rest Assured, Justin is joined by Jake Johnson, President & CEO of Johnson Consulting group. Justin and Jake have an in-depth discussion about funeral homes and recovering from a down year, including how to spot the early warning signs of a downturn, tips for recovery, and how to recognize the unique opportunities that can only come out of a down year. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

Rest Assured: Chris Miller Returns

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 10:13:47 -0500

On this episode, Chris Miller from Thomas Miller Mortuary & Crematory in Corona, California, returns to the show for a conversation about media depictions of funeral directors. From movies to TV and beyond, Justin and Chris explore what the media gets right about the profession, where depictions become misleading, and how funeral directors can shape the narrative around their work. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

Rest Assured: Kim Hunter

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 09:00:32 -0500

On the latest episode of Rest Assured, Justin is joined by OGR President Kim Hunter from Humphrey Funeral Home A.W. Miles-Newbigging Chapel in Toronto, Canada. Kim and Justin discuss a variety of topics related to independent funeral service, including cremation trends, networking, working with high-notoriety clientele, the value of independence, and much more. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

Rest Assured: Theresa Thielen

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 08:37:19 -0500

On another new episode of Rest Assured, Justin is joined by Theresa Thielen from Hoffmann Schneider & Kitchen Funeral Home & Crematory in Dubuque, Iowa for a conversation about community involvement, professional development, and how funeral directors can position themselves as leaders in their community. Theresa also talks about her career in the funeral profession, what funeral directors can learn from customer service experts, and more. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

Rest Assured: Adam Guthrie

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 05:02:00 -0500

In the 2026 season premiere of Rest Assured, Justin is joined by Adam Guthrie from Huff-Guthrie Funeral Home & Cremation Services in Franklin, Pennsylvania. Adam and Justin talk about how funeral homes can organize community events and how events have changed Adam's strategy as a funeral home owner. The conversation also covers the value of networking and much more. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

Rest Assured: Aiyanna Rivera

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 05:01:00 -0500

In the season finale episode of Rest Assured, Justin is joined by Aiyanna Rivera from Pollock-Randall Funeral Home in Port Huron, Michigan. In a wide-ranging conversation, Aiyanna discusses the humanization of funeral service, working in a funeral home as a young professional, her passion for organ/tissue donation, and much more! Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

Rest Assured: Chris Miller

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 05:31:00 -0500

In the latest episode of Rest Assured, OGR Past President Chris Miller from Thomas Miller Mortuary & Crematory in Corona, CA, joins Justin for a deep dive into funeral home marketing. Justin and Chris discuss how marketing for funeral homes has changed, how to make your funeral home stand out, and the importance of engaging with your community both inside and out of the funeral home. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts!

Rest Assured: Bettina Jose

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 05:27:00 -0500

On a special international episode of Rest Assured, Justin is joined by Bettina Jose, a licensed funeral director from Arlington Memorial Chapels & Crematory in Quezon City, Manila, Philippines. In a wide-ranging conversation, Bettina talks about the next generation of funeral directors, the funeral culture in the Philippines, mental health in the funeral profession, and much more! Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

Rest Assured: Peter Urban, Jr.

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 05:00:00 -0500

In this week's episode of Rest Assured, Peter Urban, Jr. from Urban Funeral Home in Ambler, PA joins the show. Peter is a licensed funeral director and embalmer, and his conversation with Justin covers his embalming experience, his passion for Future Leader development and much more! Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

Rest Assured: Evan J. Strong

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 05:00:00 -0500

In the latest episode of Rest Assured, OGR Past President Evan J. Strong from Evan J. Strong Funeral Services in Calgary, Alberta joins the show to talk about all things independent funeral service. Evan and Justin discuss the value of staying independent, the latest trends they are noticing in the profession, Evan's cremation services, and much more! Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

Rest Assured: Jamie Wieting Part 2

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In part 2 of our conversation with Jamie Wieting, Justin and Jamie discuss the question of whether "To Crematory or Not to Crematory?" They dive into Jamie's experience of offering cremations in her funeral home and share their opinions on the opportunities and costs associated with making that investment.

Rest Assured: Jamie Wieting Part 1

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 10:00:00 -0500

In the first episode of the 2025 season of Rest Assured, host Justin Zabor sits down with Jamie Wieting, President of the International Order of the Golden Rule and a licensed funeral director at Wieting Family Funeral Home in Chilton, WI. Jamie discusses her career, how she got her start in funeral service, the growing number of female funeral directors, and much more!

The Changing Consumer: Wally Hooker

Thu, 23 Mar 2023 08:45:55 -0400

Wally Hooker, President of the Indiana Funeral Directors Association, discusses the roots of his passion for embalming, his greatest challenges when working with families and how he's overcome those challenges, his advice for other funeral directors and those young professionals just getting out of mortuary school, as well as his take on the changes we've recently seen in the profession and how we can best move forward post COVID-19. We enjoyed getting to know such an influential and accomplished funeral director who has enjoyed an illustrious career in numerous leadership roles.

The Changing Consumer: Larnique Mickens

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0400

Larnique will talk about as an Air Force Veteran how she moved to the funeral profession, and how she uses Tik Tok and Facebook (1500 followers) to promote her business and engage and educate the community about funerals.

The Changing Consumer: Lisel Mindregbo Mertes

Thu, 09 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0500

In the spirit of The Changing Consumer, Liesel focuses on discussing ways to combat both “compassion fatigue” and “change fatigue” in our profession. Entering the 2020s with all the change we’ve experienced globally, both big and small, how do we ensure our employees aren’t overwhelmed by it all? Liesel also discusses the nuances of working with families in grief and how we can practice a more empathetic approach to our interactions with them. Her encouragement in lifelong relationship building, highlighting her own philosophy and approach, is an inspiring message to all of us, particularly in the funeral profession.

The Changing Consumer: Justin Zabor

Thu, 02 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0500

As we continue our conversation about The Changing Consumer, we enjoy a discussion with Justin Zabor thinking “out of the box” regarding ways our profession can better serve families. Justin will talk about the modern cremation consumer, how he integrated catering into his business, and other exciting innovations. We learn about his softer approach when working with families to honor their loved ones, believing the little things make a big difference. As Zig Ziggler put it, “they don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” Justin highlights his approach to showing families how much he cares and moving the profession forward with that mindset.

The Changing Consumer: Barbara Kemmis

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 07:00:00 -0500

In this week’s OGR podcast, we’ll talk with Barbara Kemmis, Executive Director of the Cremation Association of North America. Barbara will delve into the latest insights and trends in the world of cremation. She’ll share the results of CANA’s recent survey that addresses both human and pet cremations and cremation merchandising. So, whether you're a funeral director, a crematory operator, or simply someone interested in learning more about cremation, tune in for an informative and engaging conversation.

The Changing Consumer: Wendy King

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 09:10:00 -0500

As consumer preferences and needs change, so do the demands placed on funeral homes. Add to that an increased challenge to hire and retain staff and you have a recipe for burnout. Wendy King, Executive Director of the Order of the Golden Rule, shares why it is more important than ever for funeral professionals to take time to learn, grow and connect with others in their field.

What‘s Your Edge: Jim Rudolph

Wed, 22 Sep 2021 21:01:28 -0400

Being raised in a home “that was Army-Army-Army everything” built a strong foundation of respect within Jim Rudolph for veterans and the service they give their country. He used that knowledge and calling to establish the nation’s first veteran-specific funeral home, Veterans Funeral Care in Clearwater, Florida. Later, he expanded their mission, launching the Veterans Funeral Care Provider Network, a group of more than 160 funeral homes across 34 states dedicated to putting in the work to properly serve those who served us.

What‘s Your Edge: Charles Castiglia

Wed, 15 Sep 2021 03:00:00 -0400

From a focus on veterans to storytelling and even discounts on credit card service charges, Charles has worked to develop his edge in a number of different areas. But he says no matter what yours is – you have to be passionate about it, and always remember why you’re in the funeral profession.

What‘s Your Edge: Kelley Romanowski

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Kelley works for LifeSource, the Donate Life affiliate serving the Upper Midwest of the United States in all aspects of organ, eye and tissue donation. She served as a funeral director for a decade before moving to LifeSource, bringing with her a unique perspective from her time in the funeral profession… but also a pair of personal stories that connect her to the important work of organ and tissue donation.

What‘s Your Edge: Joe E. Pray

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Joe E. Pray is one of four Joes you may find around Pray Funeral Home in Charlotte, Michigan. They may have strikingly similar names in this family operation, but they pride themselves on the unique, customized service they offer the families who come through their doors.

What‘s Your Edge: Mike Hepburn

Wed, 25 Aug 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Mike Hepburn started out working for his family's funeral home with his sister and brother-in-law, even renting out a room above the funeral home, but felt that marketing was more his calling.

What‘s Your Edge: Andrew Loos

Wed, 18 Aug 2021 03:00:00 -0400

Andrew Loos didn’t intend to become a funeral director, but when you marry a 4th generation funeral director, it may not be a shock when you slide into the profession. His degree is in public relations, plus he describes himself as being trained by birth to “be around people, be with people and be a good communicator.” So he put those skills to work with the living to honor the dead.