2020 Is Here, What Does That Mean For The Funeral Profession?

2019 was a big year for the funeral profession. And 2020? Well, so far, we think it might even be bigger!

The future of funerals is well on its way, and 2019 helped us prepare for that.

And the smartest people of our time always tell us that we can learn future lessons by remembering the past.

Speaking of the past, let’s take a look at our top 10 blogs in 2019, and how they can prepare us for the coming year ahead:

#10: 5 [More] Industry Leaders Predict The Future of The Funeral Profession

“People don’t want to go to a funeral anymore. They want to engage in an experience. [With] society becoming more secular, people want something unique. Funerals that are disconnected, inauthentic, and impersonal leave us with a negative perspective on end of life services.”

— Linda Stuart, Life Cycle Celebrant

How it can prepare us for 2020:  It’s pretty obvious that the funeral profession has been transforming for the last couple decades. But did you feel the increase in transformation in 2019? It’s like things are speeding up more and more… and the more we can keep our fingers on the pulse of our client families’ needs, the more ready for change we can be. 

 

#9: 7 Funeral Industry Thought Leaders You Should Be Following On Social Media

How it can prepare us for 2020:  It’s great to see so many people receiving the guidance of those who are paving the way for the profession. These 7 remarkable individuals share one thing in common: they turned a need into an innovation. Something to ponder on for your new year!

 

#8: 9 Habits Every Funeral Professional Needs To Ditch Right Now

“It’s hard to exercise self-care while constantly on call. Without separation between your personal and professional lives, both your health and the quality of service you deliver to client families will suffer.”

LendingUSA.com

How it can prepare us for 2020:  One of two blogs focused on habits this year, this one taught us about self care. Behind every truly successful funeral business is a very solid self care practice. Boundaries, mental health and personal responsibility are at the top of the list of these practices. 

Without these practices, it’s like running a business on an empty tank. It just won’t work moving into the future… especially with the evolution we’re going through as a profession now. So take care, funeral professional, and watch how things happen more effortlessly for you in 2020!

 

#7: 9 Habits of a Highly Successful Funeral Director

“Habits are the things we do when we’re not paying attention. And these habits require some awareness to cultivate. While some of these traits are pretty natural to you, the others that don’t come so naturally are worth incorporating into your physical, mental and emotional routines, too.”

How it can prepare us for 2020:  Ah yes, another piece on habits! What habits are you cultivating to fuel your business? Could you make a list of 3 habits you want to get rid of (based on the last blog) and 3 you want to cultivate (based on this blog)? Try it out, and see how this form of self awareness works for you. It has worked wonders with our team over here at f1. Try it for 2020!

 

#6: 8 Lessons From Brene Brown On Healing Through Grief

“There’s been so many conversations about the difference between sympathy and empathy, but Brene truly sums it up so beautifully and with a new perspective – it’s really not about what you say. It’s about being present and reminding each other that we are not alone. Instead of offering silver linings (“at least…”) we say, “I know what it’s like to experience pain and I’m here with you.””

How it can prepare us for 2020: Grief was a big topic in the funeral profession in 2019. Especially around the words “sympathy vs. “empathy”. It seems the way we address grief, and hold our client families in their grief, is shifting. There is a movement away from avoiding grief, and a leaning into embracing it. For 2020, we recommend practicing ways you can cultivate this embracing with your client families (this blog should help inspire you).

 

#5: 6 Words Every Funeral Director Should Remove From Their Vocabulary Today

How it can prepare us for 2020: As a funeral professional, helping families in a very vulnerable time, your words have immense power. By being conscious of your languaging, you can really empower, or disempower not only your families, but your co-workers, community and other businesses working with you. Choose your words wisely in 2020, and watch how they create your reality and relationships.

 

#4: 17 Photos of Epic Celebrations of Life To Inspire Your Next Funeral Service

How it can prepare us for 2020: It’s no secret that funeral personalization is becoming a standard for families. At the very least, they want to feel like you’re preparing a service for them that is unique to their loved one. And as we continue to embrace personalization and let go of cookie cutter traditions, it’s really up to you to decide if you want to follow this movement or deny it. Chances are, 2020 will  be very successful for you if you start to truly move into personalization.

Pro Tip: Want to make your funeral personalization effortless? Try a 30-day free trial of Life Tributes All-In-One Personalization Software by clicking here!

 

#3: 6 Grief Poems That Transform Pain Into Beauty

“(These) poems (have) held me personally in some of my deepest grief moments – reminding me that it is our pain that is our strength. That it is losing things that teaches us how valuable life truly is. And that the things we lose are actually a huge gain for our spiritual and emotional growth.”

How it can prepare us for 2020: Another grief blog! We love this blog because it’s another invitation to look at grief in a new way in 2020. Instead of letting us drown us, we can let it transform us. And we can invite our families to do the same, too.

 

#2: The Ultimate List of Personalized Funeral Ideas To Try Today

“Today’s families see funerals as a “crowning performance”, and having a stage set for them, complete with props, makes all the difference.”

How it can prepare us for 2020: When it comes to funeral personalization in 2020, the possibilities are truly endless. This blog will help open your mind to all these possibilities, so that when your families make a request for a unique celebration of life, you’re right there, ready to deliver.

 

#1: 25 Of The Most Amazing Funeral Songs Of All Time To Add To Your Playlist

How it can prepare us for 2020: The grand finale, shall we say, is our beloved #1 on this list. What this blog can teach us for 2020 is that families not only appreciate music at their celebrations of life… but they want a CHOICE in it! They want to play an active part of the planning of their life celebrations, and music is a beautiful way to put them in the driver’s seat.

 

Notice any trends emerging?

It seems 2019 was a year of learning more about practicing self care, being mindful of how we show up with our families, changing the way we deal with grief, and embracing personalization industry-wide for once and for all. We’re proud of all the funeral professionals, leaders and entrepreneurs out there who are fueling the #futureoffunerals. And, we can’t wait to see how this all continues to evolve in 2020!

 

What trends do you see spreading in the funeral industry in 2020? Tell us in the comments below!

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  1. Catherine Jones

    Hey Rochelle! Very well written and clearly informative article.
    We all know that a funeral is a very painful period and we wish everyone’s family is doing well. We are a personable group of women from various backgrounds with a passion for helping people at the time of death. We have a focus on offering an ecological and alternative approach to funerals.
    So please do check us out.

  2. Krystal Penrose

    Hi Catherine, your offering sounds awesome! We would love to hear more about what you do. Do you have a blog?