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I was talking recently with a funeral home owner who had just lost a great employee.“She was only with us nine months,” he said. “I thought she’d be here for years.” When I asked what happened, he paused.“She said she loved the families, loved the team, but the culture just wasn’t what she expected.” That moment stayed with me because I’ve heard that story too many times. In funeral service, and across many small businesses, we are quick to study a résumé. We look for gaps, s

New Book Launches November 28, 2025:  Lead by Legendary Example  — A Powerful Training Manual for Leadership That Lasts ANKENY, IOWA — November 28, 2025.  Author, entrepreneur, and funeral director  Jay Jacobson  announces the release of his highly anticipated book,  Lead by Legendary Example , a transformative guide that redefines what it means to lead with integrity, presence, and purpose in a rapidly changing world. Drawing from decades of hands-on experience in funeral se

By Jay Jacobson Families remember how you made them feel long after they forget what you said. That truth defines every great service professional. It also explains why calm confidence matters more than charisma. Charisma captures attention for a moment. Calm confidence earns trust that lasts. One shines; the other steadies. When emotions rise and moments become fragile, people are not looking for someone to impress them. They are looking for someone who can steady them. The

What the NFDA’s Latest Study Reveals About How We Talk and How Families Hear Us The young funeral director paused mid-sentence. Across the table, a grieving daughter furrowed her brow. The director had just said the words “memorial service,” assuming everyone knew what that meant. But the daughter quietly asked, “Is that the same thing as a funeral? Or more like a celebration of life?” That small moment, an honest question born from confusion, captures a truth now backed by n

A recent Sky News report explored which professions are most at risk from Artificial Intelligence and which remain safely human. Funeral service sits squarely in the middle of that conversation. As technology transforms the world of work, our profession faces both opportunity and challenge. Administrative and communication tasks can now be handled faster by machines, but the heart of funeral service, the part rooted in presence, compassion, and trust, remains beyond the reach

A Follow-Up to “When Strength Becomes Silence” By Jay Jacobson, CFSPJacobson Professional Staffing | Ankeny, Iowa It was a Tuesday afternoon in a mortuary science classroom. The kind of day when the air feels still and the hum of the lights sounds louder than the students. The instructor asked everyone to share why they chose funeral service. A young woman near the front spoke first. “I want to help people heal,” she said with quiet confidence. Heads nodded around the room. T

Why Fewer Men Are Entering Funeral Service — And How Connection Can Bring Them Back By Jay Jacobson, CFSP Jacobson Professional Staffing | Ankeny, Iowa A Profession Built on Presence Funeral service is sacred work. It calls us to meet families in their darkest hours and remain steady in the presence of grief. The best directors know how to listen deeply, carry calm, and hold emotion without fear. Yet across the country, fewer men are answering that call. Mortuary schools now

Walk into almost any funeral home today and you will find new technology sitting quietly on a desk or glowing on a screen. Scheduling...

An obituary has always been sacred ground. It is where a name becomes a story, where a life lived finds its voice one final time. For...

By Jay Jacobson Leadership is always teaching. The question is not if people are learning from you, but what. I remember standing in the...

In funeral service, some of the most meaningful work often happens outside the public eye. Before a visitation is held, before flowers...

by Jay Jacobson, LUTCF, CFP, CFSP The grind is seductive. As founders, we convince ourselves that long hours equal progress. We wear...

One of the marks of a true professional is the commitment to never stop learning. Continuing education, professional development, and...

Why Choosing a Traditional Funeral Home Matters: The Psychology Behind Rituals, Grief, and Healing - by Jay Jacobson, LUTCF, CPC, CFSP A...

By Jay Jacobson, LUTCF, CPC, CFSP "I don't know. What do you think? Years ago, I sat in a room with a leader I admired. He had just been...

By Jay Jacobson, LUTCF, CPC, CFSP " Hiring licensed professionals through a staffing partner prevents costly disruptions in service" In...

By Jay Jacobson, LUTCF, CPC, CFSP During an arrangement conference, a daughter leaned forward and asked softly, “What if we cannot afford...

By Jay Jacobson, LUTCF, CPC, CFSP The air was still heavy with dust and grief when the remains of the first victims were carefully...

By Jay Jacobson, LUTCF, CPC, CFSP It started with a leak. One of my coworkers grabbed a roll of duct tape and wrapped it tightly around...

In the early 1980s, IBM faced a turning point. Personal computers were on the rise, and the very skills that built the company’s legacy...