In this episode of The Rest, host Tony Russo breaks down major structural shifts among deathcare consolidators, a New Orleans funeral home eviction story, and updates on cemetery tech. Plus, a look ahead to an upcoming interview on personal vs. corporate branding and AI disaffection.
Key Topics Covered
The Changing Consolidator Pecking Order
Tony explores subtle shifts in company descriptions between Foundation Partners Group and Park Lawn, questioning whether Park Lawn has supplanted Foundation Partners as the second-largest funeral service provider.
Milestone Funeral Partners Restructures Integration
Following recent growth, Milestone brought on David Mahoney as Director of Integrations to lead a newly established onboarding division. Tony breaks down why splitting administrative and operational duties helps support their funeral director-forward model.
New Orleans Funeral Home Closed by State Eviction
A breaking story out of Louisiana: New Orleans Funeral and Cremation Service was closed down during an eviction action, leaving 16 bodies and 12 sets of cremated remains to be taken into custody by the parish coroner.
Upcoming Preview: Rebranding & Personal Social Media
Tony teases an upcoming conversation with Lindsay Granson, COO at Heritage Family, about rebrands, noncompetes, and what happens when a funeral director’s personal brand clashes with corporate ownership.
Cemetery Tech Update: Guidant Integrates with CEM Sites
Guidant has officially integrated with CEMSites cloud management software.
Why “Better” AI Still Misses the Point
Addressing the flood of AI-generated content in deathcare, Tony discusses why bad AI ruins customer perception and why relying on automated interactions can harm the customer experience when empathy matters most.
Links & Resources Mentioned
Guest Mention: Check out Tony’s episode of Tanya Marsh’s podcast, Death et seq.
