A Brush with Death

A Brush with Death

Artificial intelligence has quickly become a part of our day to day and can be found almost everywhere.  There are many who have been quick to embrace it and use it to enhance what they do.  There are also many who have concerns with the capabilities of AI and what a future with artificial intelligence may look like.  Is AI truly something to fear or are those negative misconceptions holding us back from a brighter future?  In this episode, host, Gabe Schauf, discusses that with Dennis Yu, the CEO of AreYouGoobleable.com.  Gabe and Dennis talk through some of the...

A Brush with Death

On "A Brush With Death: 5 Minutes On...," we spend 5 minutes providing listeners with quick insights into various funeral trends, products, events, organizations, and goings-on. In this episode, host, Gabe Schauf, is talking about Legacy.com, the world's largest commercial provider of online memorials and obituaries, with John Heald, Legacy.com's Funeral Home Channel General Manager. John is a fourth-generation funeral director and has been licensed in Massachusetts for 21 years. With his twin brother, Jim, he built a start-up funeral home in 2009 located in Shrewsbury, Mass and later sold it...

A Brush with Death

Succession planning preserves an organization’s legacy, ensures smooth leadership transitions, and nurtures internal talent.  It is vital to the long-term success of any and every funeral home.  In this episode, host, Gabe Schauf, sits down with Chris Cruger, CEO of Foresight, and Jake Johnson, president and CEO of Johnson Consulting Group to talk about the value of and steps to successful succession planning from the perspectives of both the owner and the seller.  Sponsored by

A Brush with Death

In this episode, host, Gabe Schauf is joined by his brother, the founder and CEO of Uncharted Supply Co., Christian Schauf.  Uncharted's mission is to provide high-quality, intuitive gear to help people navigate emergencies big and small.   Gabe and Chris talk about entrepreneurship, ownership, innovation, and how passion drives success in work and life. to learn more about Uncharted Supply Co.

A Brush with Death

On "A Brush With Death: 5 Minutes On...," we spend 5 minutes providing listeners with quick insights into various funeral trends, products, events, organizations, and goings-on. In this episode, host, Gabe Schauf, is talking about @Need Marketing, a full-service marketing agency helping funeral homes connect with their communities through creative and strategic methods.  Gabe is joined by Michael Anderson, President of @Need Marketing.  Michael uses his personal background in the funeral profession and extensive experience in sales to provide partners with effective marketing...

A Brush with Death

Host, Gabe Schauf is joined by Victor Sweeney, "The Wired Mortician".  Victor is a funeral director with DuBore Funeral Home in Warren, Minnesota who came into the national spotlight by just "doing the right thing" and has since been featured multiple times by Wired Magazine.  In this episode, Victor shares his story and some thoughts on being a funeral influencer and educating the public.  to see Victor's first Wired Feature to see Victor's most recent Wired Feature

A Brush with Death

The National Board Exam is a hot topic of discussion amongst funeral directors.  As workforce needs grow across the country and the education system works to teach the future of the profession, many questions about the exam and it purpose continue to be asked. To understand more about the National Board Exam, host, Gabe Schauf, sits down with Dalene Paull and Leili McMurrough.  Dalene and Leili share a behind the scenes explanation as to how the exam is developed, its importance, and how funeral directors can play vital roles in supporting the process and the students who are...

A Brush with Death

On "A Brush With Death: 5 Minutes On...," we spend 5 minutes providing listeners with quick insights into various funeral trends, products, events, organizations, and goings-on. In this episode we are talking about Chptr, a new mobile-first memorialization platform.  Joining host, Gabe Schauf, is Rehan Choudhry, Founder and CEO of Chptr.  Learn more about Chptr and try it for free at .

A Brush with Death

On "A Brush With Death: 5 Minutes On...," we spend 5 minutes providing listeners with quick insights into various funeral trends, events, organizations, and goings-on. In this episode we are talking about NGL and the 2024 Inspiration Award with Jessica Grann, NGL's Chief Culture and Communications Officer. If you have someone you'd like to nominate for the 2024 Inspiration Award, you can do so at . 

A Brush with Death

In May of 2023, the NFDA hosted “Future’s Forum” where 70 attendees representing the death care space met to analyze, discuss, and strategize the future of our profession.  This event was facilitated by Jim Austin and Paul Schoemaker, two gentlemen whose careers focus on strategic decision-making for businesses of all kinds. In this episode, host, Gabe Schauf, is joined by Jim and Paul to discuss the Future’s Forum event and what the future of the funeral profession could look like.  Is your firm only operating in the present or is it looking ahead?  Do you know what...