James W. Weldy, Owner & Funeral Director
Jamie Weldy-Beckwith, Strategic Planning Manager & Funeral Director
Johnson-Danielson Funeral Home
Plymouth, IN
Average call volume: 200 calls/year
Running an independent funeral home means wearing a lot of hats: managing preneed, keeping up with marketing, adopting new technology, and, above all, serving families.
Finding one partner who can help across all those areas can feel impossible. But trying to piece it together with multiple vendors often means paying more while getting less.
Jamie Weldy-Beckwith knows that challenge well.
Her funeral home’s preneed provider wasn’t delivering the best value to families. Plus, their marketing was expensive and underperforming.
She knew it was time for a change. So, she turned to Funeral Directors Life (FDL).
With FDL, Jamie found better products, more personal support, and a partner that helps her funeral home do more with less.
“FDL is truly a comprehensive partner,” Jamie said. “They can help in almost every aspect of the funeral home.”
Keep reading to learn about Jamie’s experience working with FDL.
How did you first learn about FDL?
We were already using Passare for our funeral home software, which is how we found FDL. We started writing preneed with FDL in 2021, and we’ve had a great experience. FDL’s preneed product and technology work better for both our funeral home and the families we serve.
What made you decide to make the switch to FDL?
One of the biggest things for us was the value of the products we could offer families. With FDL, we can do more for our funeral home and families, too.
How has working with FDL impacted your funeral home?
The biggest difference is the connection and support we get from FDL. It’s much more personal. When we call someone, they already know us and our funeral home, which makes us feel connected and supported rather than just another funeral home calling in.
Can you tell us about your experience using FDL's preneed technology?
I appreciate how easy the technology is to use. We can access policy information, start claims, and stay connected without always having to be physically in the funeral home. It feels collaborative, personal, and much more efficient.
You also work with FDL for your digital marketing needs. How has that been?
Before working with FDL, we were paying a lot more. When we switched, we cut our bill almost in half for the same services. With FDL, our money goes further.
FDL helps keep us memorable in the community and saves us a lot of time and money. Plus, having Google, Facebook, and our website all working together in one stream takes a lot of stress off of us.
What was your experience like working with FDL's AV team?
The experience was great. The AV team came in and spent a full day interviewing our staff and families, and the videos were really well received by our community.
What stood out to you about visiting FDL's Home Office?
It was one of those experiences that just restores your soul. Being at FDL’s Home Office reminded me that there truly are people in funeral service who care and want to help us. In a world where funeral homes are selling to big corporate firms left and right, it feels great knowing that there’s a partner for the small guys out there.
I think it all comes down to the people. Everyone was genuine and showed an interest in our funeral home. And I imagine there is a daily effort at FDL to create that culture, because it's not just one of those things that happens. It's very intentional and caring.
You're also part of an FDL Study Group. How has that impacted you?
The study group has helped create a network of people who understand each other and are on each other’s side. And having a group of people to share ideas with, ask questions, and learn from has been priceless.
If someone asked you about FDL, what would you say?
FDL is truly a comprehensive partner. They can help in almost every aspect of the funeral home. For independent funeral homes, that matters. We don’t have the marketing budgets and dollars that some of the bigger firms have. FDL helps our dollar go further and gives us support that helps us serve families and grow our business.
Looking for a partner that understands independent funeral homes?
Fill out the form below to get in contact with our team or click here to learn more about FDL.