With 16 funeral homes and 110 employees under his belt, Jimmy’s insights provide valuable guidance for funeral professionals and business owners alike.
Podcast Notes
02:09 💼 Jimmy Lucas’s background in funeral service and his journey into the business.
- Started as a family business selling farm goods, dry goods, and caskets.
- Transitioned into modern-day funeral care.
- Jimmy’s father bought out his uncles and later sold the business to SCI.
- Jimmy worked as a social worker before joining his father in the pre-arrangement field.
- Started with one funeral home and grew to 16 funeral homes today.
05:07 📈 Focus on growth and managing change in the funeral service industry.
- Serving over 3,100 families per year and expanding pre-arrangements.
- Adapting to the changing landscape of funeral service due to consolidation.
- Recognizing the need to be a certain size to survive in the competitive market.
- Viewing other funeral homes as community servers rather than competitors.
- Embracing change as the only constant and managing it effectively.
07:37 👥 The influence of Jimmy’s background in social work on his leadership style and managing a large team.
- Applying principles of social work in connecting with families who have lost a loved one.
- Meeting families where they are and understanding their unique needs.
- Treating his team of over 100 co-workers as family members.
- Using social work skills to support team members with personal challenges.
- Valuing and prioritizing the well-being of his co-workers.
08:32 📊 The importance of leadership over management in the business.
- Viewing location leaders as team leaders rather than managers.
- The role of location leaders in managing the business and leading the team.
- Encouraging co-workers to show leadership and voice their ideas.
- Recognizing the need for purposeful leadership to drive success.
12:19 🛠️ Transitioning from working in the business to working on the business.
- Managing crisis and working on day-to-day operations.
- The importance of stepping back and working on long-term business strategies.
- Acknowledging the need to plan for the future and not just the present.
- Bringing in operations leaders to support business growth and decision-making.
13:47 👩💼 Advice for funeral directors struggling with transitioning to working on their business.
- Assessing the current state of the business and identifying areas for improvement.
- Bringing in leadership support and mentorship.
- Embracing constructive feedback and being open to criticism.
- Identifying the right person to help take the business to the next level.
15:26 👥 The importance of mentorship and having someone hold you accountable.
- Seeking mentorship from someone who can provide guidance and support.
- Office collaboration and close relationships with mentors.
- The value of constructive criticism in personal and professional growth.
- Being open to feedback and making ideas better through collaboration.
16:20 🚀 The level of success achieved through leadership and business skills.
- The ability to apply leadership skills across different industries.
- The potential for success outside of the funeral service industry.
- Emphasizing the importance of leadership and strategic thinking for business success.
16:34 🚀 The importance of surrounding yourself with people who excel in areas where you may have deficits.
- The value of having smart people on your team.
- How treating co-workers as equals creates a positive work culture.
- The aversion to the boss role and willingness to do any job on the team.
- Creating a complementary team that supports each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
17:56 📈 Starting an online cremation brand as a complement to traditional funeral service.
- Seeking advice from industry experts on starting an online cremation brand.
- Overcoming fears of cannibalizing traditional funeral service.
- Developing a comprehensive online platform for cremation services.
- Utilizing a care team and digital marketing for growth.
- Ensuring a positive customer experience across all services.
21:24 📣 The significance of marketing to hospices and understanding decision-makers in the industry.
- The benefits of having a social work background in funeral home operations.
- Leveraging connections with hospices for business growth.
- Recognizing the importance of after-care programs for families.
- The potential for expanding after-care programs in the future.
22:04 💼 Operating a successful simple cremation brand with a smaller team.
- Managing the care, custody, and control of decedents through technology.
- Building trust with families through efficient processes and infrastructure.
- Maintaining efficiency and growth with limited resources.
- Exploring the possibility of expanding the brand outside the current market.
- Balancing the scale of low-cost cremation with staffing and revenue challenges.
24:39 🏢 Managing a busy funeral home and cremation operation during COVID-19.
- Learning lessons and reflecting on improving operations during challenging times.
- Handling a high volume of calls and cremations.
- Taking on multiple responsibilities, supervising the team, and managing cremated remains.
- Supporting each other within the team and creating a positive work culture.
- Recognizing the importance of self-selecting the right team members.
26:28 🤝 Building a supportive culture within the funeral home network.
- Utilizing technology for communication and support within the team.
- Offering assistance when team members are busy or overwhelmed.
- Considering the need to expand the team as workload increases.
- Fostering a culture of support, love, and teamwork.
- Attracting the right people who align with the company’s values.
28:19 💼 The importance of authenticity and attracting the right people to your business.
- Embracing authenticity and trusting in who you are as a business.
- Allowing the right disposition to attract the right team members.
- Natural selection in perpetuating the company’s culture.
- Being involved in industry associations and boards for learning and networking opportunities.
- Highlighting the work of funeral service foundations, such as scholarships and giving back to the profession.
30:15 📚 The role of the Funeral Service Foundation and Cana.
- The Funeral Service Foundation’s focus on scholarships and educational programs.
- Investing in the next generation of funeral service professionals.
- Giving back to the profession and supporting those in need.
- The intimate and top-notch content of Cana conventions and summits.
- Cana’s development of cremation ranger training content for funeral home staff.
33:00 💼 Discussion on the FTC and general price lists.
- Sharing thoughts on the role of the FTC and consumer protection.
- Expressing concerns about the complexity of general price lists.
- Considering the potential confusion and cost of putting pricing on websites.
- Advocating for transparency and clear pricing packages.
- Highlighting the importance of explaining and demonstrating value to consumers.
37:10 💼 The challenge of comparing general price lists (GPLs) and the push for transparency.
- Discussing the difficulty of understanding and comparing GPLs.
- Considering the need for a standardized structure for GPLs.
- Highlighting the consumer’s mental state and the importance of transparent pricing.
- Exploring the idea of moving towards online transparent packages.
- Mentioning the impact of online reviews on the funeral industry.
39:15 💼 Dealing with negative reviews and managing customer expectations.
- Recognizing the impact of negative reviews on businesses.
- Discussing the challenge of addressing customer concerns in a digital age.
- Sharing experiences with families who remain neutral but give negative reviews.
- Emphasizing the importance of ongoing feedback and course correction.
- Acknowledging the presence of human error and the need to address it promptly.
40:39 💼 Strategies for managing negative reviews and maintaining customer satisfaction.
- Acknowledging the need to get ahead of negative reviews.
- Highlighting the importance of proactive communication and engagement.
- Expressing the desire to address customer expectations and correct course if needed.
- Recognizing the limitations of AI in the funeral industry.
- Discussing the challenges related to flowers and death certificates.
41:21 💼 Considerations for acquiring funeral businesses.
- Mentioning recent business acquisitions.
- Addressing the decision-making process behind acquisitions.
- Implying the calculations and factors involved in business acquisitions.
41:34 💼 Acquiring a funeral business through a collaborative process.
- Emphasizing the importance of having trusted relationships in business acquisitions.
- Describing the collaborative conversations and trust-building that led to the purchase.
- Highlighting the role of Mortuary management software in evaluating the business.
- Explaining the parameters and changes needed to make the deal work.
- Discussing the significance of trust and legacy in the acquisition process.
45:14 💼 The decision-making process and advice regarding consulting for business acquisitions.
- Discussing the role of consultants and internal resources in acquisitions.
- Highlighting the importance of conversations with consultants and experts in the field.
- Describing the in-house deal-making process for private transactions.
- Mentioning the presence of an internal controller and CPA in the acquisition process.
- Recognizing the need for financial expertise in business acquisitions.
46:22 💼 The growth plans for Lucas Family Funeral Homes and focus on improvement.
- Highlighting the goal of continuous improvement in the funeral business.
- Mentioning the need to update policies and procedures regularly.
- Describing the plan for growth in the metropolitan area, especially in Dallas.
- Expressing the desire to multiply and optimize current operations.
- Emphasizing the opportunities present in the growing metropolitan area.
47:34 💼 The collaborative and educational approach of Lucas Family Funeral Homes.
- Discussing the value of friendships and collaborations in the funeral industry.
- Sharing experiences of seeking help from others and being willing to offer assistance.
- Emphasizing the importance of honesty and sharing mistakes with others.
- Recognizing the role of failures in personal growth and learning.
- Highlighting the focus on finding and appreciating people doing things right.
48:48 💼 The importance of a light-hearted and open approach in the funeral industry.
- Acknowledging the light-hearted approach of Jimmy Lucas.
- Recognizing the value of admitting mistakes and seeking improvement.
- Discussing the challenge of accepting and learning from mistakes in the industry.
- Expressing a genuine desire to make things better for others.
- Highlighting the positive impact of focusing on people doing things right.
50:11 💼 The importance of trust and support in difficult conversations.
- Emphasizing the value of trust in having hard conversations.
- Highlighting the supportive nature of the team at Lucas Family Funeral Homes.
- Sharing personal experiences of dyslexia and the team’s understanding and support.
- Discussing the need to fix the little things and support each other.
- Expressing concern for individuals who can never admit they are wrong.
51:23 💼 Jimmy’s focus on personal and professional growth.
- Describing Jimmy’s approach of focusing on what he can do and contribute.
- Mentioning involvement in community and professional organizations.
- Expressing the desire to surround oneself with great people.
- Highlighting plans to continue giving back and contributing to the funeral profession.
- Mentioning the hope for another successful 163 years for Lucas Family Funeral Homes.
52:57 💼 Reflecting on the future of the deathcare industry.
- Discussing the expectation of significant changes in the funeral industry.
- Highlighting the role of laws, regulations, and cremation in driving change.
- Noting the shift towards more female leadership in the field.
- Emphasizing the importance of managing change for future success.
- Recognizing the impact of consolidation on family-owned funeral homes.
54:06 💼 Consequences of resisting change in the funeral business.
- Stating the importance of adapting and managing change in the industry.
- Noting the gradual but noticeable changes occurring in the industry.
- Discussing the impact of consolidation on the family-owned funeral home.
- Expressing mixed feelings about the decline of family-owned businesses.
- Recognizing the potential for strong family-owned funeral homes in the future.