Podcast

The Inspiration Award is sponsored by: 

ABOUT THE EPISODE: Katey Houston is not your traditional funeral director, and that is a big part of why she was named the 2025 Inspiration Award Winner.

In this episode, host Gabe Schauf sits down with the Director of Family Care at Return Home to hear her journey into the funeral profession, discuss her work in Natural Organic Reduction (Terramation), and explore why authenticity matters.

Katey explains how her unique background shaped her approach to serving families and why she believes the future of the profession belongs to the bold. This is an essential listen for anyone looking for advice on mentorship, legacy, and how to succeed as a woman in a non-traditional funeral service role.

ABOUT KATEY:  Katey Houston is the Director of Family Care at Return Home. Her responsibilities include meeting with families at their time of need to create an experience as unique as the loved one lost. She physically cares for the decedents in our care ensuring their terramation journey is completed with love and care. She also leads Return Home’s educational outreach within the funeral industry. 

Katey is a licensed funeral director and embalmer in the state of Washington and also her home country of England. She is a certified celebrant and serves on the board of the Washington state funeral directors association. After 10 years in traditional funeral service Katey desired to align her personal life with her career and Return Home offered her the opportunity to be a good steward of the earth while serving families in a new and unique way.  Being able to simply offer a service and space for families to create rituals that are meaningful to them allows Katey to guide families through the toughest times without the pressures of sales or outside schedules. Over the 60 day process the true relationships Katey is able to build with her families give her the love and light to continue to meet people at their darkest points. Since joining the Return Home team Katey has found confidence in reconnecting people with their death experience and encouraging family participation. The company culture at Return Home has allowed her to be comfortable with the skills she brings to the table as exactly the person she is and encouraged her to explore talents previously undiscovered. 

Outside of work Katey can be found with her doggy sidekick Dixie Barbara tending to their vegetable garden, participating in local advocacy groups close to her heart, exploring the PNW with her two adorable nephews and reading as many books as she can. “I am passionate about equal and easy access for everyone in every walk of life to quality, approachable deathcare and death education. Knowing you can make you last act on earth one that heals is empowering”

   About the Episode: 40 years ago this month, Christine Pepper walked through the doors of the National Funeral Directors Association for the first time. The profession she entered then looked vastly different from the one we know today.

In this episode, Gabe Schauf sits down with the NFDA CEO to mark this significant milestone and look beyond the resume. Christine reflects on her four-decade journey, discussing how she navigated the shift from a male-dominated industry to a workforce increasingly led by women. She shares her perspective on the evolving relationship between funeral directors and the media, the weight of leading through complex times, and her vision for what lies ahead. It is a candid look at the past, present, and future of death care from the person who has had a front-row seat to it all.

About Christine: Christine Reichelt Pepper became the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) chief executive officer on December 21, 2001. She began her career with NFDA in January 1986 as the director of finance & operations and then held the position of controller. After nine successful years in those positions, she was promoted to assistant executive director in August 1995. She assumed the role of acting executive director in 2001. She is the first woman to hold the position of NFDA CEO.

She authors a monthly column in The Director magazine, the association’s preeminent publication for funeral service. NFDA is the leading and largest funeral director association in the world. She leads a team of more than 40 professionals that create and deliver innovative education, information and advocacy for more than 20,000 funeral directors globally. Christine is dedicated to supporting members in their mission to provide families with meaningful end-of-life services at the highest levels of excellence and integrity. She speaks on a variety of issues in funeral service all over the world.

Christine is a member of several professional societies, including the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), the Wisconsin Society of Association Executives (WSAE), and Association Forum. She is past president of WSAE. She has served on several bank boards and other association boards.

She received her Bachelors degree in accounting and real estate in 1985 and Masters degree in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Christine immigrated with her mother and siblings from Germany on April 27, 1964, and became a U.S. citizen in 1983.

Christine resides in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, and has two children, Zachary and Delaney.

About the Episode:  In this episode, host Gabe Schauf is joined by Derrick Husmann and Jake Johnson of Johnson Consulting Group, for part two of the "Funeral Rescue" series.  

Together, they walk through the Four Pillars of Funeral Home Success — the framework Jake and Derrick use when helping firms regain stability and rebuild momentum. The discussion looks at each pillar through a practical lens, examining how leadership, culture, finances, and operations influence one another and shape long-term performance.  

Rather than offering quick fixes, the conversation highlights realistic steps funeral homes can take to strengthen their foundation, support their staff, and better serve their communities.  

This episode continues the thoughtful, candid look at what modern funeral home leadership requires, and how meaningful change often starts with clarity, consistency, and intentional action.

Connect with Derrick and Jake or learn more here: Johnson Consulting Group

About Jake:  Jake Johnson is the President & CEO at Johnson Consulting. 

Jake began his career as one of the first employees at the startup funeral business acquisition firm Keystone Group Holdings (now Dignity Memorial Network) as Associate Director, Corporate Development. This job included financial analysis, bank and equity partner presentations, along with accounting and system setup with acquired funeral homes. Jake then went on to work at Palm Mortuaries and Cemeteries in Las Vegas, NV which at the time handled 6,500 families and over 2,200 cemetery cases out of 6 locations. There Jake did funeral directing, funeral arranging, funeral home management, cemetery operations management, and sat on the executive board. 

Jake’s is a current owner of a funeral home and cremation center in Sun City, Arizona along with a small-town funeral home in Batesville, IN. Jake’s education includes a BSBA degree in Management with an emphasis in Accounting and Financial Analysis from Xavier University. His foundation in accounting and EBITDA forecasting is complemented by technology and management qualifications in business development and operations. He is also a licensed REALTOR in Arizona and a Registered Investment Advisor Representative.  He is currently a member of the Entrepreneur Organization (EO) Arizona Chapter and a member-emeritus of the Funeral Service Foundation Board.

About Derrick:  Derrick Husmann is a Senior Business Consultant with Johnson Consulting Group.  Derrick graduated from Southern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science in Mortuary Management. He began his career as a funeral director serving family-owned funeral homes throughout Southern Illinois.

In 2008, Derrick joined Batesville as a sales representative covering Illinois and Missouri, where he earned numerous honors, including the President’s Circle, the Council of Excellence for Merchandising, and recognition as the 2010 Regional Sales Representative of the Year.

In 2016, Derrick joined Remembrance Group as Director of Corporate Development and was promoted to Vice President of Operations in 2018. In April 2023, he joined Johnson Consulting Group as a Senior Business Consultant. Throughout his career, Derrick has been responsible for operational leadership, sales growth, merchandising, profitability improvement, mergers and acquisitions, and compliance support.

For more than 20 years, Derrick has also served as a Mortuary Officer for the Federal Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team (DMORT), Region V. In addition, he is the Assistant Fire Chief for the Germantown Volunteer Fire Department.

About the Episode:  In this episode of A Brush with Death, host Gabe Schauf sits down with Derrick Husmann, Senior Business Consultant with Johnson Consulting Group, to talk about struggling funeral homes — and what it takes to turn them around.

From poor financial management and outdated facilities to toxic workplace cultures and weak leadership, Derrick and Gabe explore the common challenges that can cause funeral homes to fail — and the practical steps firms can take to rebuild. With the right strategy, mindset, and willingness to adapt, even the most challenged funeral homes can find renewed success.

Whether your funeral home is thriving or fighting to stay afloat, this episode offers real-world lessons in funeral home management, leadership, and growth that every funeral professional can use.

About Derrick: Derrick Husmann is a Senior Business Consultant with Johnson Consulting Group.

Derrick graduated from Southern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science in Mortuary Management. He began his career as a funeral director serving family-owned funeral homes throughout Southern Illinois.

In 2008, Derrick joined Batesville as a sales representative covering Illinois and Missouri, where he earned numerous honors, including the President’s Circle, the Council of Excellence for Merchandising, and recognition as the 2010 Regional Sales Representative of the Year.

In 2016, Derrick joined Remembrance Group as Director of Corporate Development and was promoted to Vice President of Operations in 2018. In April 2023, he joined Johnson Consulting Group as a Senior Business Consultant. Throughout his career, Derrick has been responsible for operational leadership, sales growth, merchandising, profitability improvement, mergers and acquisitions, and compliance support.

For more than 20 years, Derrick has also served as a Mortuary Officer for the Federal Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team (DMORT), Region V. In addition, he is the Assistant Fire Chief for the Germantown Volunteer Fire Department

About the Episode:  The lights are dim, the air’s a little colder, and A Brush with Death is back with Spooky Mortuary Stories: Part 2. Host Gabe Schauf sits down with Amanda King, Faith Haug, Jennifer Heiselman, and Kari Northey to share real stories of strange encounters and things that can’t quite be explained. From ghostly figures and children who see what others can’t, to laughter and other sounds coming from empty rooms, and unexplained touches in the middle of the night—these tales might just have you turning on an extra light before bed. Tune in and enjoy another edition of Spooky Mortuary Stories.

About Amanda: Amanda Marie Eilis King, CFSP, MBIT, & MSP, is an Embalmer and Funeral Director holding licensure in multiple states in the US. She is also an educator who specializes in and teaches reconstructive work and cosmetic application. Her contributions in the field outside of the funeral home include articles, illustrations, and photography for trade journals. Currently she is a Funeral Director and Embalmer for B.C. Bailey Funeral Home, and also does freelance work as AMEK Graphics, as well as being an embalming specialist with Frigid Fluid Company and content expert & course designer for Mortuary Training LLC.

About Faith:  Faith Haug is the Program Chair of Mortuary Science at Arapahoe Community College.  Faith has been in funeral service for over 20 years and has worked in both corporate and independently owned firms. She is a Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer in several states. She is a graduate of NFDA’s National Emerging Leaders Program and is involved with multiple industry organizations speaking nationally on a variety of funeral service topics. Faith and her wife own Good Judy Garage in Denver, CO. She has a special affinity for standard poodles, New Mexico, and musical theatre.

About Jennifer:  Jennifer Heiselman served in the United States Navy for 24 years as an embalmer and funeral director.  Throughout her career, she worked at mortuary affairs centers in locations including Guam, Spain, and Dover Air Force Base, where she acted as the Navy and Marine Corps liaison during periods of high fatality rates.  Following her retirement from the Navy, she served as director of the West Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery in Memphis, and is now a part of the Everly-Wheatley Funeral Home team in Alexandria, VA.

About Kari:  Kari Northey, a.k.a. Kari the Mortician has almost three decades of experience in the funeral business.  She is a licensed funeral director, business consultant, embalmer, influencer, and educator.  Kari has a passion to help others maneuver through the funeral process and help families find the comfort, peace, and transparency they are seeking.

About the Episode: In this episode, host Gabe Schauf sits down with four funeral home owners from across the country to explore how they recruit and retain the right people. Each guest shares their unique approach to finding employees who fit their culture, developing them into long-term team members, and building a workplace where people want to stay. Whether you’re looking for new hiring ideas or ways to strengthen your team, this conversation offers real-world strategies and insights from those who’ve made it work.

Guests in this episode include:

• Chris Christian - Owner of Christian-Sells Funeral Home in Rogersville, Tennessee (1:38)
• Jeff Smith - Owner of Smith Family Funeral Homes in Little Rock, Arkansas (13:59)
• Dr. Camelia Clarke - Owner of Paradise Memorial Funeral Home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (26:07) 
• Randy Anderson - Retired owner of Radney Funeral Home in Alexander City, Alabama (39:42)

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.

About the Segment:  Host, Gabe Schauf, is joined by Kevin Czachor, Vice President of ASD.  Kevin reflects on his own brush with death, the value of life and the importance of what we do in the funeral profession.  Then, Gabe and Kevin discuss the upcoming convention in Chicago and the NFDA Innovation award, which ASD sponsors.  The importance of new ideas in this and any profession cannot be overstated.  ASD celebrates the creation and fostering of new innovations within the funeral profession that continue to help it grow, improve and serve the public to the highest standards.

About Kevin:  Kevin Czachor is Vice President of ASD – Answering Service for Directors, a family-run business dedicated exclusively to serving funeral homes nationwide. Since officially joining ASD in 1991 after earning his degree in marketing and sales from Widener University, Kevin has played a key role in shaping the company’s sales, marketing, and innovative solutions that support funeral directors. Under his leadership, ASD has earned multiple NFDA Innovation Awards and developed groundbreaking technologies that enhance communication and care within the funeral profession.

Guided by the values instilled by his parents—loyalty, respect, and putting family first—Kevin views himself as a family man with a business, not the other way around. He is passionate about supporting funeral service education, community initiatives, and staff wellness, while also leading ASD’s adaptation to modern challenges such as remote work. Outside of work, Kevin enjoys outdoor adventures with his wife and four children, staying active through athletic events, and tending to his family’s garden and fish pond.

Learn More About ASD

About the Episode:  The International Convention and Expo is taking place in Chicago, October 26th to the 29th. To help you get ready for the big event, we have three convention preview episodes for you. In these episodes, host Gabe Schauf is joined by Innovation Award Finalists, Workshop Presenters, and, of course, the Keynote Speakers.

In this final preview episode, we hear from our keynote speakers. At every convention, attendees can expect to learn from some of the most respected and recognized voices in the world, and Chicago will be no exception. On Monday, Felipe Gomez will kick off the convention with his presentation, Virtuoso: Living the Virtuoso Life. On Wednesday, Crystal Washington will close the four-day event with her presentation, Futureproof Yourself: Innovate and Thrive in Times of Uncertainty. In this episode, host, Gabe Schauf, is joined by Felipe and Crystal to share more about themselves and give a preview of their keynotes.

Join us for the International Convention and Expo this October in Chicago and start planning your itinerary today.
Visit www.convention.nfda.org for more information.

About Felipe:  Felipe Gomez is an accomplished executive with over 25 years of global entrepreneurial and general management experience. Felipe’s narrative is based on two powerful and interrelated themes that are critical to attract and retain talent, create long term value and successfully navigate uncertainty: The quest for extraordinary Performance and Entrepreneurial Mindsets. 

He is a devout pianist and music has played a very important role is his life. He found a way to use music it in his keynotes and with the help of a grand piano on stage, he enhances his business and leadership ideas na provide a unique and entertaining learning experience.

Felipe frequently speaks at the world’s most prestigious management and leadership conferences – such as TED, WOBI Management Week, Nordic Business Forum, the global Peter Drucker Forum and the World Business Forum in New York, Sydney, Madrid, Milan, and Mexico City. He has delivered more than one thousand performances in twenty five countries. He is the author of Attitude-E, his bestselling book, hosts Pensando en Voz Alta, a weekly interview program and is currently writing his third book: Virtuoso. He has an MBA from the International Institute for Management Development in Switzerland where he also did a program on Leading Digital Business Transformation.

Felipe's presentation is sponsored by: 

About Crystal:  Futurist, author, and Hall of Fame Speaker Crystal Washington equips organizations with the knowledge they need to become “future-proof.” As a technology strategist and certified futurist, Crystal makes complex artificial intelligence and app technology easy to understand and accessible for everyday people.

Crystal’s clients include Fortune 100 companies, including Google, American Express, and Pfizer. As a sought-after keynote speaker, she has entertained and educated audiences around the globe.

As one of Forbes’ 50 Leading Female Futurists, she appears weekly on season two of the Emmy-nominated show Life 2.0. She’s also appeared in numerous publications, including Entrepreneur and Bloomberg Businessweek, and major television networks regularly call on her as a tech expert.

Crystal is the author of One Tech Action and The Social Media Why.

Crystal's presentation is sponsored by:  

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.

Description: In this episode, host, Gabe Schauf, sits down with Welton Hong, founder and CEO of Ring Ring Marketing.  Welton and Gabe discuss AI’s effect on search engines as well as a few things you can do to keep your website SEO working for you.

About Ring Ring Marketing: Ring Ring Marketing specializes in helping funeral homes grow by making their phones ring. With a focus on generating quality leads, improving online presence, and building stronger connections with families in need, Ring Ring Marketing provides proven strategies tailored to the funeral profession. Their goal is simple: bring more at-need and pre-need families to your funeral home so you can focus on what matters most—serving them with care and compassion.

About Welton:  Welton is a leading expert in helping funeral homes convert leads from online directly to the phone line. He’s the author of the book Making Your Phone Ring with Internet Marketing for Funeral Homes and a regular contributor to NFDA’s The Director magazine and several other publications.

Welton has a graduate degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Prior to starting Ring Ring Marketing, he was a senior technologist at R&D facilities for Intel, Sun Microsystems, and Oracle. He regularly speaks at conferences and other events for people in the death care industry.

Click here to learn more about Ring Ring Marketing.

Sponsored By: 

 About the Episode:  The International Convention and Expo is taking place in Chicago October 26th to the 29th. To get ready for the big event we have 3 convention preview episodes for you. In those episodes, host, Gabe Schauf, is joined by the Innovation Award Finalists, some of the Workshop Presenters, and of course, the Keynote speakers. 

In this second episode we will hear from some of our workshop speakers. There will be over 30 workshop presentations for attendees to choose from during the NFDA International Convention and Expo.  Topics covered will include embalming, customer service, grief, human resources, marketing and more.  In this episode, host, Gabe Schauf is joined by four of the workshop presenters, Anna Nesbit, Jeff Smith, Sherrie Dunlevy and Amanda King to learn more about them and get a sneak peak into what they will be discussing in their presentations

Join us for the International Convention and Expo this October in Chicago and start planning your itinerary today.  Check out www.convention.nfda.org for more information.

About Anna:  Anna F. Zvirman-Nesbit, CFSP, is a Funeral Director and Co-Owner of Soxman Funeral Home in Pittsburgh, PA.  In 2006, she graduated from Slippery Rock University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and from the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science in 2007.

Anna has earned her designation as a Certified Funeral Service Practitioner (CFSP) which is the highest professional designation you can achieve in funeral service.

She is a member of the National, Pennsylvania and Allegheny County Funeral Director Associations (NFDA, PFDA, ACFDA), ICCFA, as well as serving as the past Chairman of the Board for the Plum Chamber of Commerce. Anna was inducted into the 2024 class of the Plum High School Distinguished Alumni and recently received the Pittsburgh Magazine Women in Business Award, both sincere honors for the hometown girl.

Under her direction, Soxman Funeral Home has proudly achieved the highly prestigious NFDA Pursuit of Excellence Award. As a Certified Funeral Celebrant, she provides families without a church affiliation or those looking to create a personalized service or unique way to remember their loved one. Her designation as CPC from the NFDA has marked her as achieving the standard of excellence in funeral service for individuals who help families plan funerals, memorial services and other life tribute events in advance.

Her outside interests include gardening, reading, baking and cooking. Anna, her husband Jim, their children, Ethan and Evelyn reside in Plum. They are members of Holy Family Parish, Our Lady Joy Church.

About Jeff:  Jeff Smith is a third-generation owner. His grandfather founded their first funeral home in 1955, and his father then ran the single location funeral home.  Jeff has expanded upon their success, in 15 years growing it to nine funeral homes and a cremation society serving over 3000 families annually. 

Growing up Jeff worked in the funeral home, but after college and graduate school he started a mortgage company. In 2006 he returned to funeral service and quickly noticed the business had changed dramatically. The challenges of no service, tighter margins, and under-utilized capacity awaited. Jeff has focused on embracing these issues as opportunities and is moving his business ahead with optimism. 

Jeff is married to Leslie, and they have three children. He is a Chairman Elect of the Funeral Service Foundation, past president of AFDA, a member of Selected Independent Funeral Homes, and serves his community on various boards.

About Sherrie:  Former NBC News Anchor Sherrie Dunlevy served the Wheeling, WV area for nearly 40 years both on television and radio.  Today she is a best selling author, Inspirational speaker, and host of the Graduating Grief podcast and host of the TV series “For Mature Audiences”.  Her Number one best selling book, “How Can I Help?” was written to to help people know exactly what to say and do in an effort to support the people they love when they are hurting.

Sherrie has found a way to "graduate" from the pain of losing a child, and a high profile career and redesign a life she loves living.  She now shares with others, how they too can learn, grow, and expand their lives after tragedies, losses and disappointments.  She now trains professionals on how to better connect with people personally and professionally so that everyone they meet feels like they have been seen, heard and valued. 

As a self proclaimed Inspirationista, Sherrie's passion lies in inspiring and encouraging people to step beyond their awkwardness, discomfort and/or pain so they can step fully into living with purpose, passion and JOY.

About Amanda:  Amanda Marie Eilis King, CFSP, MBIT, & MSP, is an Embalmer and Funeral Director holding licensure in multiple states in the US. She completed her embalming apprenticeship under Vernie R. Fountain, as well as extensive training in postmortem reconstructive work. In addition to her AAS in Mortuary Science from ACC in Colorado, Amanda holds a B.S. from Skidmore College for Studio Art and Biology, and a Post-Baccalaureate degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art. She is also an educator who specializes in and teaches reconstructive work and cosmetic application. 

Her contributions in the field outside of the funeral home include articles, illustrations, and photography for trade journals. Currently she is a Funeral Director and Embalmer for B.C. Bailey Funeral Home, and also does freelance work as AMEK Graphics, as well as being an embalming specialist with Frigid Fluid Company and content expert & course designer for Mortuary Training LLC.