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Sponsored by Funeral Women Lead - 4 Women and a Funeral is a bold new podcast exploring the real experiences, challenges, and triumphs of women in the funeral and deathcare profession. Each episode invites listeners into candid conversations about leadership, purpose, gender dynamics, grief, and the evolving future of the profession. Hosted by four trailblazing women with deep roots in funeral service Lisa Baue, Ellen Wynn McBrayer, Melissa Posey Loose, and Alicia Carr, this podcast brings a powerful mix of experience, insight, and heart to the table. Together, they have led businesses, trained professionals, challenged industry norms, and mentored the next generation, all while staying grounded in their shared commitment to serve families and support each other. This is not another industry podcast focused on business as usual. It is a space for truth telling, connection, and empowerment. From navigating bias and burnout to building legacy and leading with compassion, 4 Women and a Funeral offers honest insights and a fresh perspective for professionals who care deeply about the work they do. If you are ready to hear what others are not saying, this podcast is for you. Follow and subscribe on your favorite platform so you never miss a new episode. Have a question, topic idea, or something you'd like to hear us talk about? Email us at [email protected]

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Check latest episodes from 4 Women and a Funeral podcast

Know Your Worth, Own Your Purpose with Dr. Camelia Clarke

2026/10/08

What does it really take to build a successful career without losing yourself along the way? In this episode of 4 Women and a Funeral, Funeral Women Lead board member Dr. Camelia Clarke, President of Paradise Memorial Funerary Corp, shares lessons from more than 30 years in deathcare. From entrepreneurship and burnout to mentorship, failure, and knowing your worth, Dr. Clarke gets candid about the challenges behind her success and why purpose, boundaries, and community matter in leadership. It's an inspiring conversation about making space for yourself while creating opportunities for the women coming behind you. Have a topic or question for the show? Email us at [email protected]!

Who’s Talking About You When You’re Not in the Room? with Kelly Kohut

2026/09/14

In this episode of 4 Women and a Funeral, the hosts sit down with Kelly Kohut, Regional Vice President of Partnership Development at Precoa, for a candid conversation about what it takes for women to grow, lead and advocate for themselves. Drawing from her experience in the Johns Hopkins Women’s Leadership Program, Kelly breaks down the difference between mentorship, networking and sponsorship, and why having someone who recognizes your value and advocates for you can change the trajectory of your career. From negotiating with confidence and navigating difficult conversations to over-apologizing, self-sponsorship and learning from leadership mistakes, this episode is an honest and relatable conversation about becoming the leader you want to be while helping other women rise with you. Have a topic or question for the show? Email us at [email protected]!

A New Generation Takes the Lead with Lindsey Ballard

2026/08/12

What does leadership really look like when business ownership, family, a changing team, and a national leadership role all collide? Lindsey Ballard, owner and funeral director of Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremations and President of the Cremation Association of North America (CANA), joins 4 Women and a Funeral hosts Lisa Baue, Alicia Carr, and Melissa Posey Loose for a candid conversation about stepping into leadership, asking for help, building a strong team, and navigating a season of major change. Have a topic or question for the show? Email us at [email protected]!

The Leadership Skills No One Teaches You with Erin Wilson

2026/07/09

What does it take to build a successful career in funeral service? Erin Wilson, Senior Director of Education + Program Strategy at Funeral Women Lead, joins the hosts to discuss mentorship, leadership, confidence, and why supporting the next generation of women is critical to the future of the profession. Plus, get a look inside the vision behind Funeral Women Lead's Women's Leadership Academy and growing leadership community. Interested in taking the next step in your leadership journey? Registration is now open for Funeral Women Lead's 2026-2027 Women's Leadership Academy cohort. Learn more at www.funeralwomenlead.org/leadership-academy Have a topic or question for the show? Email us at [email protected]!

Finding Your Voice in Funeral Service with Barbara Risher Welch

2026/06/09

What does it take to find your voice, earn your seat at the table, and help create opportunities for the women coming behind you? In this episode, Barbara Risher Welch shares her remarkable journey from growing up above her family's funeral home to becoming the 2026 President of Selected Independent Funeral Homes. Along the way, she opens up about navigating leadership in male-dominated spaces, building confidence, balancing family and business, mentoring future professionals, and advocating for more women in leadership roles. Filled with heartfelt stories, practical wisdom, and plenty of laughs, this conversation is a powerful reminder that leadership isn't about having all the answers. It's about showing up, speaking up, and making space for others to succeed. If you've ever questioned whether your voice belongs at the table, this episode is for you. Barbara's journey is a powerful reminder that leadership begins when we choose to step forward. Whether you're an emerging leader, a seasoned professional, or simply passionate about the future of deathcare, you'll walk away inspired to find your voice and help others find theirs. Have a topic or question for the show? Email us at [email protected]!

Grace Over Guilt: Motherhood in Funeral Service

2026/05/11

Motherhood and funeral service both demand everything, and in this episode, we’re getting real about what it takes to balance both. From mom guilt and missed moments to humor, heart, and hard-earned lessons, the hosts share honest stories of raising families while serving others. They also explore the challenges women face in today’s workforce and the importance of support, flexibility, and self-advocacy. A meaningful conversation filled with honesty, connection, and a reminder that you don’t have to do it all perfectly. You just have to keep showing up. Have a topic or question for the show? Email us at [email protected]!

The Next Generation Is Here. Are We Ready? with Leili McMurrough

2026/04/13

They’re entering the profession but not always staying. So what’s missing? Hosts Lisa Baue, Melissa Posey Loose, Alicia Carr, and Ellen Winn McBrayer sit down with Leili McMurrough, President of Worsham College of Mortuary Science, to talk about the realities facing today’s workforce. From her unexpected path into funeral service to the challenges of retention, mentorship, and leadership, this conversation explores what it will take to truly support the next generation. Have a topic or question for the show? Email us at [email protected]!

A Legacy of Leadership with Christine Pepper

2026/03/09

In this Women’s History Month episode of 4 Women and a Funeral, the hosts sit down with Christine Pepper, CEO of the National Funeral Directors Association, to reflect on an extraordinary 40-year career in funeral service leadership. Christine shares what it was like stepping into the profession when women’s leadership was nearly invisible, how she navigated early challenges, and why confidence, mentorship, and resilience still matter so much for the next generation of women entering funeral service today. The conversation explores how the profession has changed, where progress still needs to happen, and why women must stop waiting until they feel “ready” to step into leadership. It is an honest and insightful discussion about growth, legacy, and the responsibility all funeral professionals carry in shaping the future of this profession. Have a topic or question for the show? Email us at [email protected]!

The Stress We’ve Normalized + What It’s Doing to Our Hearts

2026/02/09

February is Heart Month, and this new episode of 4 Women and a Funeral takes an honest look at the stress we have normalized in funeral service and what it is doing to our hearts, our health, and our lives. Lisa Baue is joined by Alicia Carr, Ellen Wynn McBrayer, and Melissa Posey Loose for a real conversation about long hours, emotional labor, and the pressure to do it all. Together, they explore how burnout is often treated as a personal issue when it is really a leadership, staffing, or systems challenge. You will also hear practical tools and language you can use right away, including ways to set healthier expectations, simple stress check ins, and reminders that rest, boundaries, and support are not optional. This episode is a powerful reminder that caring for others should never mean sacrificing your own wellbeing. Listen or watch wherever you get your podcasts. Have a topic or question for the show? Email us at [email protected]!

Leading with Intention in Deathcare with Dr. Jennifer Lares

2026/01/21

Welcome back to 4 Women and a Funeral. In this episode, we sit down for an honest conversation about leadership, boundaries, and what it means to lead with intention in a profession that never truly slows down. Joining Lisa Baue, Alicia Carr, Ellen Wynn McBrayer, and Melissa Posey Loose is Dr. Jennifer Lares, founder of Mulling Mortician. Jennifer brings perspective shaped by service, education, and hands on experience in funeral care. Together, the group reflects on fatigue, responsibility, and leadership in modern deathcare. Jennifer also shares a glimpse into what she is building next for funeral service, pointing toward what funeral service needs next. Have a topic or question for the show? Email us at [email protected]!

No Is a Full Sentence: Leading With Intention in Funeral Service with Kristen Ernst MA, LPC

2025/12/20

Leadership in funeral service begins within. In this episode of 4 Women and a Funeral, the hosts Lisa Baue, Alicia Carr, Ellen Wynn McBrayer, and Melissa Posey Loose were joined by special guest Kristen Ernst, MA, LPC, grief counselor and Dean of the Funeral Women Lead Women’s Leadership Academy. Kristen shares the personal loss that shaped her life’s work and her belief that sometimes the most powerful form of leadership is simply being present and “sitting in the dark” with them. Together, the group explores mindfulness, boundaries, and self-leadership, including a reminder many women in funeral service need to hear: no is a full sentence. This conversation invites listeners to slow down, lead with intention, and embrace small, meaningful shifts that support long term growth, confidence, and well being. Each host also shares one intentional commitment, offering a grounded starting point for the year ahead. Have a topic or question for the show? Email us at [email protected]!

The Self-Leadership Reset for Women Who Carry Too Much with Cate Collins

2025/11/26

What happens when women who carry everyone else finally learn to carry themselves too? In this episode, we sit down with Cate Collins, leadership speaker, author, and CEO of Powerful Journey Consulting, and one of the powerhouse keynote speakers from our first ever Women’s Wellness Summit. Cate opens up about her personal burnout journey, why women overcommit, and how her Four Rooms Framework helps you check in, reset, and rise. If you are overwhelmed, exhausted, or feeling the weight of trying to do it all, this conversation is your reset. Practical tools, real talk, and the reminder every funeral service woman needs right now. Have a topic or question for the show? Email us at [email protected]!

Safe Spaces, Strong Leaders: Grief, Grit and the Surfer Mindset

2025/10/27

In this heartfelt episode, Lisa Baue, Alicia Carr, Melissa Posey Loose, and Ellen Wynn McBrayer trade the highlight reel for real talk about how vulnerability builds leadership, why every woman needs a trusted safe person, and what it takes to stay steady when life’s waves crash. Alicia shares what it was like to step into ownership after losing both parents at a young age. Melissa opens up about her lifelong struggle with perfectionism. Ellen reflects on the grit behind her NFDA campaign and her “surfer mindset.” Lisa discusses the deeper meaning behind Wake-Up Calls and how proceeds are helping fund women’s education in funeral service. The conversation also celebrates new voices rising in the profession and how sharing our stories helps us see ourselves more clearly and lift one another higher. This episode is a reminder to find gratitude, name your wins, and keep supporting women who are leading with heart and courage. Have a topic or question for the show? Email us at [email protected]!

Breaking Barriers and Building Leaders with Patty Neuswanger

2025/09/23

In this episode of 4 Women and a Funeral, hosts Lisa Baue, CEO and Founder of Funeral Women Lead and Amazon Best Seller author of Wake-Up Calls, Melissa Posey Loose and Alicia Carr, founding board members of Funeral Women Lead and highly respected leaders in the profession, and Ellen Wynn McBrayer, a history maker as the first woman to serve as Secretary of NFDA, welcome their very first guest. Patty Neuswanger, newly named Senior Director of Operations at Funeral Women Lead and a familiar force from NFDA and Selected Independent Funeral Homes, joins the conversation to share the lessons she has learned from visiting hundreds of funeral firms, why fresh voices are vital in education, and how she uplifts women leaders across the profession. She also reveals one simple but powerful practice that instantly changes how teams feel supported. This conversation is inspiring, candid, and filled with fresh perspective on what it means to lead with impact in the funeral profession. Have a topic or question for the show? Email us at [email protected]!

Caring for the Caregivers

2025/08/18

In this candid and refreshing episode, the women dive deep into the realities of mental, emotional, and physical wellness in the funeral profession. From burnout and compassion fatigue to hormone health and the power of sleep, nothing is off the table. Real stories, shared struggles, and practical strategies offer insight into what it takes to care for yourself while caring for others. The group also highlights the upcoming Women’s Wellness Summit, happening November 17 to 19 in Scottsdale, Arizona. Designed as a restorative retreat for women in funeral service, this event blends expert-led sessions, holistic self-care, and space to reset just before the busy holiday season. Registration is now open at funeralwomenlead.org Have a topic or question for the show? Email us at [email protected]!

Podcast reviews

Read 4 Women and a Funeral podcast reviews

5 out of 5

7 reviews

★★★★★

Tmaxdun 2025/10/22

Crazy good!

What a great podcast!!! Informative, relatable, funny, and entertaining all at once!! Keep going ladies!!

★★★★★

Mulling Mortician 2025/06/17

J. Lares

Great energy and blend of exploring life as it intertwines with death care work. I could hear the smiles! These ladies are accomplished but also appro...

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