The Evolution of a Profession: Glenn Gould’s 40-Year Journey

From MKJ Marketing to Chptr, a funeral industry veteran reflects on change.

Glenn Gould, the newly appointed president of funeral home services for digital broadcast memorial company Chptr, has witnessed a dramatic transformation in the funeral profession over his 40-year career.

When he and his wife, Marilyn, first established MKJ Marketing in the early 1980s, the landscape was remarkably different. To build their business foundation, the Goulds conducted 800 research studies for funeral homes across the country, which served as the basis for his success.

At that time, many funeral homes felt they didn’t need marketing because their businesses were built on long-standing traditions and stable community presence.

“There was nothing to market. [Funeral homes] sold on their traditions. They’d always been in the community. There were a few people moving in, almost nobody moved out. It was just a very stable business with very little dynamics,” Gould said. “As it got into the 80s and 90s, and there was more migration from the northern cities down there now, we had growth opportunities. There was acquisition, so now the locals would all compete with the acquired firm. That created a lot of opportunity for us. Then preneed came along and that created a lot of opportunity for a marketing company.”

From Custom Web Design to Tribute Technology

As technology began to dominate the industry, Gould adapted by moving into website development. However, by 2017, the business faced new challenges.

“We didn’t have a lot of websites, but we had a lot of obits because our firms were so large. I mean, our average firm was doing 1,000 cases. We were doing a lot of obits, we just didn’t have a lot of websites,” he said. “It was questionable as to whether or not we could profit doing our volume and at our expense: the cost of doing websites domestically.”

By 2021, the Goulds realized their strength was more in the marketing business than the tech procurement field and struck a deal to join Tribute Technology, during which Glenn spent much of his time traveling for speaking engagements and seminars.

While his primary responsibility involved giving presentations on digital issues for Tribute Technology’s core business, Gould became a vocal advocate for Chptr’s technology, often including several slides about their services in his seminars because he believed in the product’s value. The unintended consequence was increased interest in Chptr.

“Rehan [Choudhry, Chptr’s founder] told me every time I would speak, they’d know that I mentioned them because they would get four or five contacts,” he said. “I didn’t know people were actually contacting them.”

Eventually, Tribute Technology and Chptr began working together on larger projects, integrating Chptr into the Tribute Technology platform. This informal synergy created a natural path for Gould’s next career move.

Once he and Marilyn decided not to renew their contracts with Tribute Technology at the end of 2025, Chptr invited him to join their advisory board. Recognizing his experience and the success he had already brought them through his public speaking, the company soon offered him a formal leadership role.

In February, Chptr announced that Gould had accepted the position of president of funeral home services, transitioning from an unofficial supporter to a key executive for the brand.

Returning to the Speaking Circuit

With his new role at Chptr, Gould hopes to resume his rigorous traveling and speaking schedule. He has already begun submitting presentation proposals to various state conventions, particularly in the Eastern U.S. For Gould, this new phase is about staying occupied and continuing to contribute to the industry he has served for four decades. Throughout, maybe because of his effect on the industry, Gould’s personal attitude toward this new role remains characteristically grounded.

“I would like to continue speaking. I’d like to be successful at the sales effort, and I’d like to make a contribution to Chptr,” Gould said. “I did not expect such a great title, frankly, president of funeral home services. I saw it as a sales job. I appreciate their confidence in me.”