"Focus must shift from transactional to relationships."
Jason Fuller is a Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer who helps families navigate through the most difficult times in their lives with compassion and trust. In 2008 Jason began his death care journey in a family owned funeral home and knew it was something he loved doing, so he attended mortuary college in hopes of opening his own funeral home.
Jason’s biggest accomplishments are bonding with the families he serves and the larger community through his participation with nonprofits and mentorship programs. Jason lives in South Florida with his wife and daughter. He has a M.A in Information Services and a B.A in marketing. To find out more, visit his website at BrowardFuneralChoices.com.
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We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
Jason Fuller: My name is Jason Fuller, and I am a Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer who helps families navigate through the most difficult times in their lives with compassion and trust. I started my death care journey in 2008 working for a family owned funeral home and knew it was something I loved doing, so I attended Mortuary College in hopes of opening my own funeral home. Before this, I served as I.T. Director for a Marketing firm.
Our Funeral Home provides families with Funeral Services, Memorials, Burials, and Cremations. We are based in Lauderdale Lakes, Florida. Our business is Service-Based, so we provide Embalming Services, which is the preservation of human remains through the arterial injection of preservative fluids. We also provide Burial and Entombment Services which are forms of disposition.
2020 and 2021 threw a lot of curve balls into business on a global scale. Based on the experience gleaned in the past couple years, how can businesses thrive in 2022? What lessons have you learned?
Jason Fuller: Focus must shift from transactional to relationships. Instead of just trying to make a one-time deal or sale, I feel that we must now focus on having that personal relationship with our customers so that they become a lifetime customer.
The pandemic seems to keep on disrupting the economy, what should businesses focus on in 2022? What advice would you share?
Jason Fuller: Keep your employees happy…I believe we as business must avoid all unnecessary costs and become as lean as possible so that we are able to absorb the rising costs of goods and service, while still taking care of and treating our staff exceptional well. With the new cancel culture and workforce employee empowerment, employees are willing to jump ship to be treated and paid well.
How has the pandemic changed your industry and how have you adapted?
Jason Fuller: The pandemic has caused a rise in all of our goods and services. Casket prices are up by 200% in some cases. Delivery and transport charges for supplies are up 100-400%. We’ve adapted by purchasing in bulk where possible, and again only purchasing what is necessary for now.
What advice do you wish you received when the pandemic started and what do you intend on improving in 2022?
Jason Fuller: I wish we had more brand awareness before the pandemic started. In our industry, it’s all about brand name when a person passes away. Families call the funeral home that first comes to mind. And often times, our business was overlooked because people just did not know who we were. In 2022, we are working on that. Getting our brand out so that people know we care and know that we exist.
Online business surged higher than ever, B2B, B2C, online shopping, virtual meetings, remote work, Zoom medical consultations, what are your expectations for 2022?
Jason Fuller: I believe that online business has surged overall. However, it is a bit different in the funeral home. Though there are zoom and virtual viewings still, most people have resumed in-person funerals and burials. So I’m not sure how long the zoom and virtual services will stick around. But they are definitely an asset to funeral homes that use them.
How many hours a day do you spend in front of a screen?
Jason Fuller: I spend at least 8-10 hours per day in front of a screen. Phone, computer, iPad, etc.
The majority of executives use stories to persuade and communicate in the workplace. Can you share with our readers examples of how you implement that in your business to communicate effectively with your team?
Jason Fuller: We are a small family-owned firm, so we have very personal relationships with our employees. We have weekly meetings where we cater lunch and have open discussions on everything. All employees have our cell phone numbers and we encourage them to reach out to us whether personal or business related. Trying to foster effective communication.
Business is all about overcoming obstacles and creating opportunities for growth. What do you see as the real challenge right now?
Jason Fuller: I believe the real challenge for overcoming obstacles and creating growth opportunities is the cost of doing business. Lease rates are at an all-time high making it super costly to expand into new locations; Purchasing Property is nearly impossible as well. It’s tough to save capital also, which is a large part of expanding.
In 2022, what are you most interested in learning about? Crypto, NFTs, online marketing, or any other skill sets? Please share your motivations.
Jason Fuller: Crypto, NFTs, online marketing, or any other skill sets? Please share your motivations. 📌 I’ve heard a lot about crypto in the news lately, but I just don’t understand it. That would definitely be something interesting to learn and navigate.
A record 4.4 million Americans left their jobs in September in 2021, accelerating a trend that has become known as the Great Resignation. 47% of people plan to leave their job during 2022. Most are leaving because of their boss or their company culture. 82% of people feel unheard, undervalued and misunderstood in the workplace. Do you think leaders see the data and think “that’s not me – I’m not that boss they don’t want to work for? What changes do you think need to happen?
Jason Fuller: I believe all employers must value workers and let them know they’re appreciated. I learned years ago that “thank you” means a lot to employees: bonuses at Christmas time, gift cards at thanksgiving, or a random lunch outing; all things that show your appreciation for the workforce.
We should all build bonds in the workplace that allow workers to feel wanted and needed. Sometimes pay isn’t enough; it may be time off to spend with family or just a mental day off…workers that feel empowered will communicate this and could avoid the great resignation.
On a lighter note, if you had the ability to pick any business superpower, what would it be and how would you put it into practice?
Jason Fuller: Honestly, that’s a tough one given the business we are in. However, I would love to network. Not just relative to death care, but just small family owned businesses.
What does “success” in 2022 mean to you? It could be on a personal or business level, please share your vision.
Jason Fuller: It could be on a personal or business level, please share your vision. Success to me is the ability to serve our customers and provide a great living for my family. The pandemic has taught me to appreciate the small things. Our business still exists while many others have failed; that makes me grateful.
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Jason Fuller for taking the time to do this interview and share his knowledge and experience with our readers.
Disclaimer: The ValiantCEO Community welcomes voices from many spheres on our open platform. We publish pieces as written by outside contributors with a wide range of opinions, which don’t necessarily reflect our own. Community stories are not commissioned by our editorial team and must meet our guidelines prior to being published.
