Reimagining Deathcare Community Outreach with Beth King

In this episode, Tony Russo sits down with Beth King, general manager of her family’s multi-generational funeral firm.Beth talks about her firm’s partnership with local public libraries and their partnership on the Saving Family Stories project. Saving Family Stories provides free public access to media digitization equipment. She also talks about a book sponsorship program that helps people, particularly children, find ways of understanding death. Finally, Beth discusses some of the structural differences between American and Australian deathcare, including the complete absence of funeral director licensing down under.Get the weekly industry insights you won’t find anywhere else. Subscribe today for deep-dive analysis on the changing world of deathcare.Key Takeaways & Timestamps* [00:33] The Arts-to-Deathcare Pipeline Beth discusses stepping into her family’s 70-year-old firm after a decade-long career managing arts and culture festivals across Australia and the UK.* [03:13] “Saving Family Stories” at the Library How a simple conversation with a library CEO blossomed into a four-year community partnership. Beth explains how the program empowers families to preserve historical photos, slides, and old home videos for free.* [08:23] Massive Community Buy-In The jaw-dropping numbers behind the digitization program, including thousands of community hours logged, mobile scanner loans, and why this slow-burn tech is a natural fit for pre-planning memories.* [15:10] Beyond Euphemisms: The “Talking About Death” Initiative A look at how Beth’s firm curated a 50-book library donation specifically targeting death rather than just grief. Discover why children’s books topped the checkout charts and how they successfully hosted public panel discussions on the “admin of death.”* [19:40] Cultivating Earned Media & Authentic Tone Why the firm bypasses traditional gimmicky advertising in favor of monthly radio features, transparent education, and public mortuary tours during Australia’s “Dying to Know Day.”* [23:37] Deathcare Regulation in Australia Tony and Beth discuss the pros and cons of this flexibility versus the strict licensing choke points found in North America.Links & Resources Mentioned* Learn more about Beth’s local library system: Geelong Regional Library* Explore Australia’s national movement: Dying to Know Day* Featured Children’s Books: Why Do Things Die? and That DayA Note from Tony: If you enjoyed this conversation about how deathcare is shifting globally, make sure to subscribe to the podcast for weekly reporting and analysis on the business and culture of end-of-life care. Get full access to On Deathcare at ondeathcare.substack.com/subscribe