the johnny renaissance files

I had a conversation recently with one of the leading website providers in death care.He told me they’re doing four months worth of platform development in two weeks. Directly because of AI.Let that sink in.Four months. Two weeks.That’s a signal. And if you’re a funeral home owner and you’re not picking up on it yet, this post is for you.Your website was never just a website.When I first got to Frasier Consultants, I called it what it actually was — online real estate. Not a brochure. Not a digital business card. Real estate. Something you own, something you build equity in, something that works for you when you’re not in the room.That framing was true then. It’s more true now. Because everything that platform touches — your marketing, your lead generation, your preneed program, your ability to connect with families before a death call ever comes in — all of it runs through that digital foundation. And the ground beneath it is shifting fast.The fear narrative is a distraction.The media has one gear when it comes to AI: fear. AI is taking jobs. AI is replacing people. AI is the end of everything.Some of that will prove true in some corners. I won’t pretend otherwise.But the fuller story…the one the reports are actually telling, is that AI is going to create more opportunity than it destroys. More jobs. More leverage. More ways to build something that actually scales and produced more growth. In your business. Inside your career. And in the economy itself. I mean that’s already happening.The funeral homes paying attention right now are going to have an enormous advantage over the ones who waited for permission to act.The danger isn’t the technology. It’s the wrong partner.Here’s where I want to slow down, because this is important.There are a lot of people selling AI solutions right now. Some of them know what they’re doing. Many of them don’t. The space is full of noise, and making the wrong call here doesn’t just cost you money, it costs you time, it costs you momentum, and it can genuinely set your operation backwards.You need someone who understands the death care profession. Who understands preneed. Who understands what it actually takes to drive growth inside a funeral home and build the kind of systems that produce consistent results.Not a generalist with a deck. A partner with context and a track record.What I’m seeing in the field.Some of the accounts I’ve taken on over the last year and a half, two years — their growth has been real. The work has been real. And a big part of that growth has come from building the right technology foundation underneath everything else.Lead generation systems. Marketing infrastructure. Appointment setting. Preneed program development. All of it connected. All of it working together.That’s what’s available to you right now. That’s what’s possible.But you have to start somewhere.The move.If you’re sitting on this and thinking about it, knowing you need to do something, just not sure what the next step looks like, that’s exactly the conversation I want to have with you.Send me a DM over on LinkedIn. And I’ll keep dropping content here on the ash flash as it develops.More podcasts are coming on this subject soon. This one was just the opening shot.Don’t wait on this.-Johnny Renaissancetheashflash.com#PreNeed #FuneralHome #DeathCare #FuneralIndustry #CommandPreneedOps This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

You don’t have a time problem.You have a space problem. And until you understand the difference, no productivity app, no morning routine, no motivational quote pinned above your desk is going to save you.Here’s what I mean.Most people…funeral home owners, preneed agents, directors wearing seventeen hats, spend their days convinced that more time is the answer. If I just had one more hour. One more day. One less fire to put out. But time really isn’t the constraint. Space is. The mental and operational space to actually pursue what matters. Most people don’t have a shortage of hours. They have a shortage of intention about what those hours are for.We all get the same 24. That’s not a motivational slogan. That’s math. What separates the people who build something remarkable from the ones who stay perpetually busy and perpetually stuck isn’t access to more hours. It’s what they do with the ones they already have.And in this business especially, where death calls don’t ask for your digital calendar link, where families show up in crisis without warning, where the at-need world can flip your day upside down before your coffee gets cold, the temptation to just react is overwhelming. Most days it wins.But here’s the shift I want you to make. Stop jumping into your day as a responder. Start entering it as a builder.That’s the foundation of what I like call the Time Integrity Code.It starts with two questions. They sound almost embarrassingly simple. But simple isn’t the same as easy, and the gap between knowing something and actually doing it is where most ambitions go to die.Point A: Where am I right now? Point B: Where do I want to go?If you can’t answer both of those clearly, you’re not managing time. You’re just spending it. And like any currency you spend without a budget, it disappears faster than you think and you have very little to show for it at the end of the day.“If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.” That quote has been attributed to everyone from Lewis Carroll to Yogi Berra. Doesn’t matter who said it. It’s true. And in the context of building a preneed program, growing a funeral home, or trying to actually lead an operation instead of just survive one, it’s critical.Busy does not equal productive. Write that somewhere. Say it out loud if you have to. Busy is easy. Productive is hard. And in this industry, we have an almost pathological attachment to being busy, as if the busyness itself is proof of value. It’s not. It’s often just proof of poor systems and an inability to protect your time from people who haven’t learned to protect their own.So where do you start? The same place every good system starts. With data.Spend one week — just one — tracking where your time actually goes. Every hour. Every task. Every interruption. You will be uncomfortable with what you find. I promise you that. The emails, the scrolling, the meetings that didn’t need to happen, the “got a minute” ambushes that somehow ate forty-five minutes of your morning before you even had a chance to think.Chet Holmes wrote about this. The “got a minute” meeting is one of the most destructive forces in any business. Your staff, your colleagues, your well-meaning acquaintances…they are happy to spend your time. They don’t mean harm by it. But harm is what it does.My answer to “Got a minute, John?” is no. Get your thoughts organized. Put something on my calendar when there’s an opening. Come ready to work. Gary V put it more bluntly, “I don’t want to eat bagels for fifteen minutes before we get to the point. Let’s just get to the point.”That sounds harsh. It isn’t. It’s respect for your time, for their time, and for the work that actually needs to get done.Once you’ve tracked a week honestly, plan with intention. Every hour. Yes, even your relaxation time. This isn’t rigidity. It’s awareness. When you assign a purpose to a block of time, you change your relationship to it. You stop drifting into it and you start showing up for it. Work time, rest, family, business development, spiritual practice, and learning — all of it earns a block. All of it matters. And when you can see it mapped out, you can also see where you’ve been lying to yourself about priorities.Then build in flex. Murphy was right. Things go sideways. In funeral service, they go sideways more than in most industries. Think of flex time like the shoulder of a highway. It’s there when you need it, but it doesn’t slow down the main flow of traffic. You can use it strategically when you need to. Block ten to twenty percent of your day for the unexpected. On some days, especially in this business, it’ll eat more than that. When it does, get back on track as fast as you can. Follow the money. Follow your Point B.There’s a trap that catches most people right around the time they start to get things under control. It’s the productivity trap, and it’s seductive because it feels like progress.You can answer every email. Attend every meeting. Check every box on your to-do list. And still end the day having moved nothing meaningful forward. That’s not productivity. That’s performance. You performed busy. You didn’t build anything.The question worth asking every single morning is this: what is the one thing I can do today that will have the biggest impact on where I’m trying to go? Not the five things. Not the ten. The one. Do that first. Everything else lines up behind it.Most of us can genuinely focus on three to five real priorities in a day. Beyond that, everything else is noise. It competes for attention and it usually wins, because distractions are engineered to be compelling and our goals require something distractions don’t. That’s called discipline.That sixth thing will always feel justified. It might be a long-standing client who needs something. A colleague with a request. An opportunity that feels urgent. It could be anything. But it’s the thing you have to learn to ignore. Not because it doesn’t matter, but because you’ve already committed to what matters more.When you protect that space, you get the time back. When you don’t, it’s gone and you feel the weight of it at the end of every week, wondering where everything went.Warren Buffett doesn’t spend time on his second tier. He’s famous for this. Twenty-five goals, circle your top five, avoid everything else like the plague. Ruthless? Absolutely. But Buffett didn’t build what he built by being agreeable with distractions.Technology belongs in this conversation, and I want to be direct about it.It can be your greatest asset or your biggest enemy. Your phone is the most powerful distraction delivery system ever created. If it buzzes every five minutes, you are not in control of your day, your notifications are. Turn off what doesn’t need your immediate attention. Treat your calendar like appointments with your most important client, because that’s what they are. Automate what’s repetitive so your brain isn’t burning energy on tasks that don’t require it. And find a system to organize what you’re building.I use Notion. I couldn’t run what I run without it. The more preneed partners I take on, the more I need a single place where everything lives and nothing gets lost. If you’re a smaller funeral home sitting on the fence about a full case management platform, before you make that leap, try Notion. You might find it’s all you need to get organized and start moving.So let me bring this back to where we started.You don’t have a time problem. You have a space problem. And space isn’t created by working harder or finding extra hours. It’s created by getting ruthlessly honest about Point A, crystal clear on Point B, and building the structure between them with real intention.A good plan today beats a perfect plan tomorrow. I know how that sounds. A little cheesy, maybe. But the truth embedded in it is real. Perfect is always the enemy of done. And done…actually moving, actually building, actually getting somewhere…is what creates the compounding results that change a business.What’s your Point B?If you’re still figuring that out, or you know where you want to go but the system isn’t there yet, that’s exactly what I built Think Different for. The digital copy drops at the end of this week. Everything I’ve put into the CommandPreneed Ops framework, the preneed infrastructure, the marketing and sales systems…it’s all in there.Subscribe to theashflash.com; and I’ll send you an email with the link where you can download it. Get on the list. Be there when it lands.— Johnny Renaissance This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

I was driving down to Chicago Saturday. West Loop. Going to see my kids. Seventy degrees, which in Wisconsin in the spring feels like somebody handed you a gift you didn’t ask for and couldn’t be more grateful to receive.And as I’m cruising through Illinois, what am I thinking about?Sales. Obviously. 🤓Because over the last month I have run into an almost comical parade of bad salespeople. And before you hit me with the AI is going to replace everyone speech, let me stop you right there. You would not say that if you had spent time in the field lately. You would not say that if you’d watched a real salesperson walk into a room, read it in about 30 seconds, and walk out with a signed deal and a customer who is already planning to refer their friends.AI is not doing that. Not today. Not ever, if we’re being honest about what sales actually is.The Real JobHere’s what I believe about sales, and I’ve believed this for a long time.Every single day, as a salesperson, you have the opportunity to create the best interaction another person has had all day. That’s the job. That’s the whole job. Not the close, not the commission, not the quota. The connection.People are terrible listeners. That is not a cynical observation, that is just the truth. Most people in any conversation are waiting to talk, not actually hearing what’s in front of them. As a salesperson, that is your competitive advantage. Shut up. Listen. Actually hear what the person across from you is telling you. Pick your moments. Let them talk. Most of the time, the sale is sitting right there in what they just said, if you were paying attention.My late friend Eric used to say, John, you could sell anything. He was right. And the reason isn’t some magic trick or a silver tongue. It’s because I genuinely want to know what’s going on with you. What do you need? What are you worried about? What would make your life better right now? If you can get to that, you can sell anything to anyone.The Commission-Only CrucibleI spent about 25 years in health and fitness. Clinical exercise physiologist, master’s degree, the whole thing. I was good at it. I was also burning out, and I knew I wasn’t doing it until I was 80. I’m going to work until I’m 80, but it was not going to be that.So when we bought a Toyota Highlander from Smart Toyota here in Madison, and the experience was genuinely excellent, I thought to myself, I want to be inside that system. I want to learn how this works. So I went and sold cars. And then I moved to Lexus of Madison, where I spent three years learning things about people, about selling, and about myself that I could not have learned any other way.The other day I was talking to a young guy who was thinking about getting into car sales. I told him something that stopped him cold. I said: every single person, you included, should have to go work 100% commission for at least a year or two.He looked at me like I’d told him to jump off a bridge.I meant every word of it.Because here’s what 100% commission does to you. It removes the safety net. When you have to sell in order to eat, you get serious about selling. You stop overthinking the approach and start actually engaging. You get your nose bloodied. You feel like you got beat up on the drive home. You come back the next morning anyway.Picture this. It’s the last day of the month. You need 10 cars to hit the bonus. You’re sitting at 9. You’ve got 8 to 12 hours, no prospects on the books, and the whole thing rides on what happens today. That is pressure that will either crack you or forge you. There is no in-between.I came out the other side of four years in car sales saying it was the best part of my career. Not in spite of how hard it was. Because of it.You’re Already SellingHere’s what I want you to take away from all of this.You are already a salesperson. All of us are. You sell your way into jobs. You sell your way into relationships. You sell ideas to your team, your partners, your kids. The question isn’t whether you’re selling. The question is whether you’re any good at it.And if you’re not working on it, you’re not getting better at it. It’s a skill. It sharpens with practice and attention. Most people treat it like a personality trait you either have or you don’t. That’s wrong. I’ve watched people transform themselves into genuinely great salespeople because they decided to take it seriously and actually do the work.You don’t have to be as obsessed as I am. Most people aren’t, and that’s fine. But you cannot ignore it and expect to advance. You cannot sidestep it and expect to build the career or the life you actually want.AI is not coming for the great salespeople. If anything, it’s going to make them more valuable, because when everything is automated and commoditized and delivered through a screen, the person who can sit across from someone, actually listen, and build a real connection is going to stand out like a searchlight.That person can be you.Go sell something today.johnny renaissance This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

Most funeral homes are trying to fix their marketing at the top of the stack.Campaigns. Postcards. Facebook ads.All surface level stuff.And I get it, because that’s where the visible problems are. Leads aren’t coming in. Pre-need contracts aren’t getting signed. So you go looking for the next campaign, the next vendor promise, the next silver bullet.But the real opportunity isn’t up there.It’s in the foundation underneath it.Why Pre-Need Keeps Feeling UnfulfillingHere’s the pattern I see over and over again.You bring in a pre-need vendor. They make big promises. Things start okay. And then slowly, quietly, the results fall short. Again.And you’re left wondering why.It’s not always the vendor’s fault. The real problem is that nobody, not the vendor, not you, not your team ever built the infrastructure that needs to exist underneath the program.Without that foundation, every campaign you run is just noise. Expensive, exhausting noise. Sure, you’ll produce some sales, but you’ll never have the system you need to crush it.The Information Is Already There. It’s Just Stuck.Here’s what’s wild about most funeral homes I work with.The foundation already exists.It’s just locked inside the heads of the owner, the funeral director who’s been there 25 years, the office manager who knows every family by name. It lives in Excel spreadsheets, in filing cabinets, in someone’s memory.And when that person walks out the door? So does everything they know.That’s the real crisis. Not your Facebook ad performance.The Questions Your System Should Be Able to AnswerWhen you build the right infrastructure, something powerful starts to happen.You can suddenly answer questions like:* Who in this community has shown interest in funeral planning at our funeral home, and when?* Who attended a seminar three years ago, and why didn’t they fund their pre-need contract at that time?* Who downloaded a planning guide, and when?* Who should hear from us this month, and how?* Who is connected to which families?When you can answer those questions, marketing stops feeling like promotion.It starts feeling like stewardship.That’s not a small shift. That’s everything.This Is Where AI Actually Makes Sense for Your Funeral HomeEveryone’s using the obituary writing tools. A lot of you are using ChatGPT or Claude for your own writing and thinking.But the question I keep getting is: What should I actually be working on, John? What’s going to make the biggest difference for my funeral home?Here’s my answer.Build the database first.Not the website. Not the new case management platform. Not the pre-need automation tool you saw at the convention.The database. The vault. The library of everything you know about your community, your families, your history, your relationships.Because once that infrastructure is in place? AI becomes a multiplier. Without it, AI is just another shiny object.The Problem With Outsourcing Your Pre-Need ProgramThere are companies that will take control of your pre-need program and run it for you. And honestly? They can be effective.But ask yourself this: how does that secure the future of your funeral home?You get the contracts. You get the future business.But you miss the larger opportunity of building an infrastructure that gives you leverage and independence as the industry changes. And it is going to change. Drastically. Faster than most people are ready for.The funeral homes that are going to win aren’t the ones that outsourced everything and hoped for the best.They’re the ones who took the time to build the foundation.Start HereYour database matters right now.Not someday. Not after you figure out the tech stack. Not once you’re less busy.Right now.Start getting what’s in people’s heads into organized systems. Excel spreadsheets, a simple CRM, Notion — I don’t care what you use to start. Just start.Because the first step in taking advantage of AI for your funeral home isn’t buying a new tool.It’s building something worth connecting a tool to.If you’re not working on this yet, reach out. And make sure you’re subscribed here on The Ash Flash. The book is coming, the frameworks are going in it, and subscribers get first access.John Ashworth — Johnny Renaissance — Pre-Need Growth Expert This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

A Sunday morning riff sparked by a Barron’s piece: AI is not just a “tech story.” It is a civilization-scale infrastructure buildout already underway. Data centers under construction are projected to consume electricity on the scale of an entire country, and the long-term winners may be the quiet regional utilities signing decade-plus contracts with the largest tech companies. Meanwhile, consumers are already feeling the pinch as electricity bills climb, and politics is heating up. For funeral home owners, the message is simple: the AI infrastructure is being built right now, leverage is real, and small, practical AI use can give a small team the output of a much larger one. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

No More ExcuseI was talking with Welton Hong recently — CEO of Ring Ring Marketing and one of the sharpest digital minds in death care. He said something I want you to sit with.“There’s no more excuse for not knowing how to write great content. You’ve got AI to write it for you.”He’s right. And it stings a little because the excuse was always a good one. Writing is hard. Good copy is harder. And funeral home owners are already stretched thin.But that excuse is gone now.You can open an AI tool today, paste in what’s on your homepage, tell it how you’re different, and ask it to rewrite the whole thing. Takes 10 minutes. Costs nothing.The question now isn’t can you do it.It’s whether you will.And before you go objecting to this idea on merit because you believe that’s cheating or AI writing for you is wrong, or more likely, AI writing doesn’t sound like me, please understand that’s not what I’m saying.What I’m saying is that AI is your go to 24/7 copy editor and the more time you put into it, the stronger it’s work becomes.The more time you put in, the more it sounds like you.And the more time you put in, the more you will begin to understand the reality of something I just read yesterday in the Wall Street Journal, in an article titled, How Staying Small Became AI Startups’ Top Flex. Yes, there is a growing list of Silicon Valley startups that detailes how these companies are taking people like you who are extremely productive already, who then become insanely productive with the help of AI.-JohnPS. For all you salespeople out there like me, one of the other important points made in this article was the fact that while these startups are hiring less people in every department, the only department they are still constantlyh working to buil-up is…you guessed it, sales. Why? Because they understand that you need actual people to build those realtionships, execute those deals, and stay on top of the close…I’ve got more coming on this idea in the next few posts. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

"You can still dunk in the dark..." Remember that super bow ad? this is the $10 Million Lesson Funeral Homes Keep Missing...Super Bowl 47. 2013. Third quarter. The lights go out in the Superdome. Total blackout. 34 minutes.Nobody planned for this. Not the NFL. Not the teams. Not the brands who spent millions on commercials.But one brand was ready.Oreo sent out a tweet: "You can still dunk in the dark."Simple image. Black background. One Oreo. Seven words.That tweet got more attention than most of the $4 million commercials that aired that night.Why?Because they understood something most brands miss: Attention doesn't always come when you plan for it. But you better be ready to act when it does. They didn't have a "blackout strategy." They had a SYSTEM. A team ready to move. A culture that could respond in real-time.And when the moment came? They entered the conversation happening in everyone's mind. Right now.Your Oreo MomentEvery death call is your Oreo moment.Unplanned attention. Guaranteed attention. You have a family's complete focus for 3 to 7 days. They trust you with everything. You're there at the worst moment. And then? Nothing. You send a thank you card. Maybe. And you never call again. That's a $10 million Super Bowl ad with no follow-up. That's an Oreo blackout moment with no tweet. You're great at the moment. You're terrible at the momentum. The System You're Missing TodayBrands will spend $10 million for 30 seconds of attention. The smart ones already have the follow-up built. The website. The campaign. The system that starts Monday morning. The dumb ones? Celebrity cameo. Big spend. Then nothing. Here's the truth: The game ends, but the ads don't. People rewatch them. Share them. Rank them. The second life of attention is where the real value lives. Your Super Bowl happens every time the phone rings with a death call. But do you have a system? 90-day check-in? Anniversary card with a real note? Pre-need conversation six months later? Or are you just hoping they'll think of you when the next death happens? The Real Lesson The families most likely to buy pre-need from you aren't strangers. They're the ones who already trust you. The at-need families you served last year. Five years ago. But you never called them back. That's the opportunity you're missing. Not in getting more death calls. In leveraging the ones you already have. Every at-need family is a pre-need lead. Every service is an opportunity to build a relationship that lasts. But you need a system. Not just good intentions. What's your plan for the second life of attention? When that family walks out the door after the service, what happens next? Because the game doesn't end when the service does. That's when it starts. Full episode drops today. Link in comments.by the way...here's that Claude ad that's coming this evening 🤓https://lnkd.in/gDHh5V3W This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

In 2025, I spent some time with a firm in Northern Illinois that represents the true challenge for your family funeral business. It reminded me of a battle in the civil war and inspired me to create this piece…The Hornet’s NestThat’s what Confederate soldiers called the position at Shiloh. A sunken road where Union troops under General Benjamin Prentiss held their ground for six hours against wave after wave of assault. Surrounded. Outnumbered. Taking fire from all sides.The Confederates needed that position to punch through the Union line. Prentiss and his men didn’t know it at the time, but by holding that ground, they bought the Union army time to regroup and ultimately hold the field.By the time Prentiss surrendered what was left of his force, over 2,000 of his men were dead, wounded, or captured. The position earned its name from the sound of musket fire so constant and fierce it sounded like a swarm of angry hornets.The northern Illinois funeral home doesn’t know it’s surrounded.For three generations, they’ve held their ground. Same corner lot. Same families. Same reputation for doing right by people when life falls apart.But the landscape has changed.A corporate consolidator has quietly purchased the funeral home two towns over. Then the one across the county line. Then the historic downtown location everyone thought was untouchable. Each acquisition comes with press releases about “preserving legacy” and “honoring tradition.” Each location keeps its old name. The families who sold stay on for a year, maybe two, then quietly disappear.The encirclement is complete before anyone notices.The family firm keeps running the same plays. Obit in the local paper. Handshakes at Rotary. Good work, fair price, familiar faces. The formula that has worked for 60 years.What they don’t see: the corporate operators aren’t competing on service. They’re competing on position. Every surrounding firm now has venture capital behind it, call center infrastructure, CRM systems tracking every family contact, and regional pricing models that can undercut local rates on some services while jacking up margins on others.The independent firm is taking fire from all sides.Families start shopping price because the corporate locations have trained them to. “The place across town quoted us $3,200 less for the same casket.” Preneed leads dry up because the corporate firms have agents in every church, country club, and senior center with commission splits the independent can’t match. Staff get recruited away with benefit packages and PTO policies the family business can’t afford.Every week brings another assault.And like Prentiss at the Hornet’s Nest, they hold their ground. Not because they have a plan. Because retreat isn’t in their vocabulary. This is the family business. Their name on the sign. Their grandfather’s reputation to protect.What they don’t see: they aren’t just fighting to hold the business. They’re fighting to pass something to the next generation.The son is already working there. Learning the routes. Meeting families. Sitting in on arrangements. Being groomed to take over.Except he isn’t inheriting a business. He’s inheriting a job.A job that requires him to be as skilled, as connected, and as dedicated as his father—but without the forty years of relationship building that made his father successful. A job that only works because families trust Dad, not because systems create value independent of who shows up.He’s inheriting a Rolodex of relationships he didn’t build. A reputation tied to his father’s name, not his own. An operational model that depends entirely on one person’s accumulated trust.He’s inheriting a dying tradition in a market where every competitor has built thriving businesses on systems, not personalities.They work longer hours. Cut their own salaries. Dip into savings to cover payroll. Keep saying yes to families even when the math doesn’t work. They’re holding the position.But no one is coming to relieve them.The Hornet’s Nest at Shiloh bought time for the Union army to establish a defensive line and ultimately hold the field. Prentiss and his men didn’t know they were serving that larger strategic purpose. They just knew they had orders to hold.The northern Illinois firm is fighting the same battle. Surrounded. Taking casualties. Holding their ground.The difference: they don’t know what they’re fighting for.There’s no larger defensive line forming behind them. No strategic purpose their sacrifice is serving. Just slow attrition wearing down good people who think grit and reputation will be enough.By the time they understand the position they’re in, the only question left is whether to surrender the ground or die on it.The tragedy isn’t that they’re fighting. It’s what they’re fighting to preserve.A business that requires the one asset that doesn’t transfer. A position that can only be held by someone with relationships they’ve spent forty years building.They think they’re protecting their legacy.They’re actually ensuring no one can inherit it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

Mark Zuckerberg says, “Move fast and break stuff.”Most people hear that and think it’s reckless. But here’s what I’ve learned after years in the funeral profession: It’s often easier to do the BIG things than the little things. To think BIG instead of small. To go for the double instead of the incremental 10% bump.And in 2026? Thinking BIG is my focus. It should be yours too.The Paradox of BIG ThinkingWhy is going big actually easier than playing it safe with small, incremental progress?Because BIG ideas are more inspiring. They’re more interesting. They’re more exciting. And they’re far more likely to capture the interest, excitement, and cooperation of others.Right now, I’ve got some massive ideas about completely reshaping how funeral homes and agents sell pre-need. And what I find fascinating is this: these big ideas are actually easier to sell than small tweaks to existing processes.Sure, there are a million reasons to tone them down. Make them smaller. Tighten the scope for “more effective management and control.” More reality.But that’s where most people get stuck—in the crevasse of this dichotomy. When really, what we should be doing is leaping over it entirely. Forget the danger. Forget the risk.Go big or go home.Why It’s Easier to Double Your Business Than Grow it by 10%Here’s the truth: It’s easier to double your pre-need sales than it is to increase them by 10-20%.You just don’t get creative mojo flowing with a small increase. You tend to stick with the same old people, processes, and procrastination that have kept you exactly where you are—no matter how hard you think you’re trying. If you’re trying at all.But when you think BIG? When you shoot for a doubling of your business instead of incremental progress?You stumble upon bigger and better ideas that pull people and processes forward. These ideas have their own gravity. Once you release them, you can’t ignore their force and effect on you.And here’s what most funeral professionals don’t realize: That business is out there. Almost every single time.Two Ways to Start Thinking BIG Right Now1. Ask the Doubling QuestionStart thinking about what would need to happen to double your pre-need program.Not 10% growth. Not 20%. Double.What would that require? Who would you need? What processes would have to change? What partnerships would you need to form?This forces you out of incremental thinking and into transformational thinking.2. Position Your Business Like You’re Selling ItEven if you never plan to sell, start thinking every day about how you would package and justify value inside your business and pre-need program.I know there’s a lot of consolidation happening in the funeral profession right now. Funeral homes often leave it up to hired experts to figure this out. That’s fine.But what I encourage you to do is start thinking about this yourself—because this mindset is useful for your business regardless of whether you ever decide to sell.What Makes a Business Valuable? (And Why You Should Care)Here’s what companies, corporations, and private equity look for when buying businesses. As you read through this list, think about how building these assets would help you and your business grow:* Specialized capability – What can you do that others can’t?* Brand identity & goodwill – This is the one everyone leans on in the funeral industry* Existing products that fit well with the buyer’s portfolio* Distribution channels that complement theirs* Cost savings & profit improvements via absorption* Excellent profit potential if increased capital investment & better management were available* Intellectual properties – I know an owner sitting on five different patents that make his business exponentially more valuable* Product or market exclusives – Do you have something no one else does?* Elimination of costly competition – Sometimes it’s about market consolidation* Management and expertise – Especially YOUR expertise combined with AI* Accelerated entry into a new area of opportunity* A lab rat to experiment with – Sometimes they just want to test new ideasThe Bottom LineMost people limit themselves with small thinking. They play it safe. They go for the 10% increase instead of the transformation.But in my experience? The big leap is actually less risky than you think. Because big ideas attract big momentum. They pull people forward. They create their own gravity.So here’s my challenge to you: What would it take to double your pre-need program in 2026?Stop thinking small. Start thinking BIG.What’s one BIG idea you’ve been sitting on that you’re afraid to pursue? Drop it in the comments. 👇#ThinkBIG #PreNeed #FuneralProfessionals #BusinessGrowth #Leadership #FuneralHomeOwners #Transformation #GoalSetting #2026Goals This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

Episode OverviewIn this episode, John challenges one of the funeral profession’s most damaging beliefs: that being “too professional” for proactive marketing is noble. Recorded on a cold January morning in Wisconsin while working on his upcoming book, John connects the dots between time integrity, space creation, and systematic service delivery—revealing why waiting for families to be in crisis mode isn’t professional at all.Key Timestamps[00:00] - Cold morning intro from Wisconsin + book update[01:15] - The space problem funeral professionals don’t know they have[01:45] - “When did being too professional become an excuse for not educating people before they need you?”[02:16] - Death + Emotion + Tradition = The Sales Aversion Bubble[03:15] - The book chapter reveal: Service as Sales[04:00] - Connecting to Time Integrity: Point A vs Point B[04:35] - The challenge: What if sales done systematically IS the highest form of service?[05:30] - CTA: Create space, build systems, serve families at the highest levelEpisode HighlightsThe Core Problem“You wait until families are in the funeral home in the worst moments of their lives, emotionally devastated, making decisions worth thousands of dollars. And that’s when you decide to explain why your approach matters so much... Does that really sound like service to you?”The Sales Aversion Bubble“Death plus emotion plus tradition has created this weird bubble where sales aversion feels righteous. It’s so easy to convince yourself that selling death care is different. That the sacred nature of your work somehow exempts you from basic business fundamentals.”The Mindset Shift“What if sales done systematically, not accidentally, is actually the highest form of service in our profession?”Point A vs Point B* Point A: Waiting for families to come to you in crisis* Point B: Building systematic ways to reach people before crisis hits, educating them, building relationships, creating trust* The Space Between: Where your business development time and intentional planning should happenKey Takeaways✅ Being “too professional” for proactive marketing often masks fear and prevents you from serving at the highest level✅ Systems that educate people when they’re calm and rational are more respectful than crisis-mode information dumps✅ Pre-need isn’t just about securing revenue—it’s about giving families space to make thoughtful decisions✅ Education-based marketing (Facebook content, workshops, seminars) should be part of your pipeline foundation✅ Most funeral professionals are too busy being “professional” to be proactive✅ Creating space in your business allows you to build these systematic service delivery systemsAction Items* Ask yourself: Are you waiting for families to need you, or building systems to serve them before crisis hits?* Evaluate your current approach: Where are you creating space for pre-crisis education and relationship building?* Start a conversation: If you’re working with a pre-need partner, ask them about systematic education-based marketing. If not, reach out to John.* Shift your mindset: From “sales aversion feels righteous” to “systematic sales equals systematic service”Book UpdateJohn is currently writing a book with an entire chapter dedicated to “Service as Sales” and why this represents the biggest mindset shift the funeral profession needs to make.Connect with JohnHave thoughts on this episode? Where are you on the spectrum—waiting for crisis or building proactive systems?Drop John a message and let’s talk about it.🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/john-ashworth 🎙️ Subscribe to the Johnny Renaissance PodcastRelated Episodes* Previous Episode: The Time Integrity Code: How Top Performers Hit Their Goals FasterQuote of the Episode“To sell is to serve. Create space, build systems, serve families at the highest level.”#FuneralProfessionals #PreNeed #DeathCare #SalesAsService #JohnnyRenaissancePodcast #FuneralHomeOwners #BusinessDevelopment #ServiceMindset This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

Show notes below created by Riverside.fm AIKeywordsAI, technology, cybersecurity, job security, personal branding, training, safety, advertising, innovation, 2026SummaryIn this episode of the Johnny Renaissance Podcast, John and Carl Ashworth discuss the evolving landscape of AI, its implications for businesses, and the importance of personal expertise in navigating this new terrain. They explore various AI models, the significance of training and safety, and the potential job displacement due to AI advancements. The conversation also touches on cybersecurity concerns, the need for businesses to adapt, and the role of personal branding in an AI-driven world. Throughout the discussion, they emphasize the importance of critical thinking and awareness in the face of sensational media narratives about AI.AI is rapidly evolving, and businesses must adapt to stay relevant.Training your own AI with proprietary data is crucial for leveraging its capabilities.Different AI models offer unique advantages; exploring them is essential.Safety and ethical considerations in AI development are paramount.Cybersecurity measures must be prioritized as AI becomes more integrated into business operations.Personal expertise combined with AI can create significant competitive advantages.Job displacement is a real concern, but new opportunities will also arise.Building a personal brand is vital in the changing job landscape due to AI.Critical thinking is necessary to navigate sensational media narratives about AI.Awareness and education in cybersecurity are essential for protecting businesses.Sound bites“Question everything.”“AI can do amazing things.”“Stop only using ChatGPT.”Chapters00:00 Introduction and AI Exploration03:29 AI Safety and Training Concerns08:21 The Impact of AI on Advertising and Business13:55 Practical Applications of AI in Hiring22:17 The Value of Data and Personal Branding28:54 Navigating Media Sensationalism This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

Does the math inside your pre-need program actually work?Not “could it work if...”Not “it’ll work when...”Does it work RIGHT NOW, today, as currently structured?I just wrapped a year where we grew a single-owner funeral home’s pre-need program by 41%. Over $300,000 in production. Just him. No massive team. No magic bullet.Just fixing the math first, then building everything else on top of that foundation.Listen - take Christmas off. Enjoy New Year’s. Rest. Reboot. Spend time with family. You’ve earned it for sure.But while you’re thinking about 2026, keep this question in the back of your mind:Is my pre-need program actually working? Or is it just... sittign there and idling?Because you can’t charm your way past broken math. You can’t ignore your way past systems that are limping along. And you definitely can’t “hope” your way to a secure future for your funeral home.Watch the video. If it hits home, let’s talk in January.I’ve got limited partnership slots opening up in 2026, and we’re moving fast.Happy holidays from all of us at Golden Considerations and The Ash Flash.Now go eat some cookies (but not too many :) and stop thinking about work for five minutes.(…But seriously, does the math work?)-Johnny Renaissance This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

This is a marketing and business story from the road.If you live in Wisconsin, you know Kwik Trip. It’s a gas station and convenience store. Nothing revolutionary about that.But here’s what sets them apart: I’ll go out of my way to stop at Kwik Trip.Why? Because they hit all the touchpoints. And they seem little, but in aggregate, they’re gigantic. Massive. Like a called strike three in the bottom of the ninth.A Tale of Two StopsI just stopped at a non-Kwik Trip because I needed something on the spot and there was no Kwik Trip around.Here’s what I noticed immediately:Way too much salt all over the sidewalks. Like they threw it down without even a care in the world about it. It looked like the bag might have even broken apart and no one bothered to clean it up.I go to check out. The woman said hello to me on the way in, which was nice. But at the counter? She’s in a conversation with another staff member behind the counter and can’t even stop that conversation to actually engage me. No “thank you for your business, sir.” No “we appreciate you coming.” No “we hope to see you again, soon.” That’s what they always say at Kwik Trip. Every single time. They always leave me wanting more…The Kwik Trip DifferenceNo matter when you go in. No matter how busy it is. No matter what’s going on in the world.The people are extremely friendly and they make you feel welcome and appreciated as a customer. Like you’re the only one there.That seems like a simple thing. But it’s so interesting how often it’s missing.Clean sidewalks. Genuine engagement. A real thank you.Little things. But they add up.The Question for Your BusinessThere’s no doubt there are places in your business where you’re guilty of not honing in on all of those little touchpoints. We all are.It seems small, right? Who cares? I just stopped into this place to get something real quick and I’m on my way.But the next time I’m down the road and I see Kwik Trip versus Road Ranger?You know which one I’m gonna choose.Where are the touchpoints in your business that you’re overlooking? The small details that, in aggregate, become the reason people choose you over everyone else?Find them. Fix them. Make them unforgettable.Watch your business grow…-johnny renaissance This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

We’re living through a moment that’s rewriting how people find you, judge you, trust you, and eventually choose you. And most funeral homes are still acting like it’s 2012. Or 1998. Or pick your favorite era before the world got swallowed by AI-driven everything.If you’re a funeral home owner reading this, here’s the uncomfortable truth: the future isn’t waiting for you to “get around to it.”The future is already here, already rewriting the rules of your business, and already moving faster than your committee meetings.And the homes that act now will own the next decade.Let’s walk through what’s really happening.1. Search Isn’t Search AnymoreI’ve been saying it everywhere I go: AI has already pulled more than a quarter of the search market away from traditional Google behavior. That shift isn’t slowing down. It’s exploding.People aren’t typing questions into search bars anymore.They’re speaking them into AI.They’re looking for direct answers.And they’re expecting clarity, empathy, accuracy, and completeness.If your website still feels like a brochure, if your copy was written by a web designer instead of someone who understands families, if your pages are thin, generic, or full of fluff… you’re already losing to the firms who decided to take content seriously.2. Credibility Is the Product NowOne of the things I said on the podcast is that funeral homes can no longer rely on reputation alone. Reputation gets you remembered in the community.But credibility gets you discovered online.Families want more than bullet points and a polite slogan. They’re hungry for real answers:What does preplanning actually do for them?Why does pricing vary?What happens behind the scenes?What should they watch out for?Educational content isn’t optional anymore. It’s oxygen for your marketing.3. The Missing Ingredient Most Homes IgnoreStory.Not the “About Us” page.Not the list of certifications.Not the building history.Real story.The story of how you show up for people.The story of families you’ve served and what their experience meant.The story of why your work is personal, not procedural.This is what families respond to now.This is what the algorithms elevate.This is what transforms a website from “just another funeral home” into a meaningful presence in the digital world.Most homes are sitting on gold and acting like it belongs in a filing cabinet.4. Your Website Is a Piece of Digital Real Estate, Not a FlyerThis is where tech meets truth.Your website is an asset.A living, breathing storefront.A place where your voice, your message, and your expertise compound over time.And right now, most of you are treating it like a placeholder.AI, AEO, SEO — they’re not buzzwords.They’re lifelines.Families can’t choose you if they can’t find you. And when I say ‘find you’ I don’t only mean find you and your website online. I’m sure they can do that - at least for now. I mean find you popping-up in places they frequent on line and in social media.And they can’t trust you if you don’t give them anything real to trust. So your content MUST be real and authentic and regularly produced.5. If Your Tech Stack Doesn’t Match the Times, Your Growth Won’t EitherIf you’re still running your business from your inbox and a stack of sticky notes, you’re already underwater.Modern funeral homes are finally waking up to the fact that they need a CRM.They need systems.They need automation.They need a pipeline they can actually see and measure and improve.I’m not talking about bells and whistles.I’m talking about survival.Because the homes that build real engines right now will be the ones still standing strong in 2026 and beyond.The Moment of DecisionYou can’t wait for someone else to fix this for you.You can’t keep telling yourself you’ll “get to it after the holidays.”You can’t keep watching the world change and pretending you have time to spare.You don’t.But here’s the good news:You also don’t need to overhaul your world in a single day.You just need to start.You need to take one decisive step toward relevance, visibility, and connection.And once you start, momentum takes over.That’s what this moment is asking of you.Courage.Ownership.Action.Families are looking for you.AI is rewriting how they find you.Your community is waiting to hear your story.It’s time to give them something worth discovering. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

Curious about what that photo and caption truly mean? I’m sure you’ve already conjured a few ideas of your own...while most people wake-up on a Sunday morning and read their feeds or their newspapers and drink coffee while thinking about anything other than work, I dive into the quiet time and build s**t...like this campaign idea for your next funeral planning workshop....and yes, I’ll explain the context of the photo and caption here shortly, so just keep reading... Yes! reading... 🤓Why am I working on a Sunday?Because I’m always working and I’m extremely passionate about marketing and sales and about I can help you and your business succeed. I really can’t get enough of this stuff. And with the help of AI, I’m now able to access and consume 30 plus years of study and experience on these topics and aggregate the wisdom in less time, and I’m now in the process of creating a whole new world for you and I. I’m glad you’re here. I have amazing ideas and resources to share with all of you, especially when you partner with me for your pre-need funeral business. We are writing our own rules about how to create growth inside your funeral home and pre-need programs. If your mind is open, I encourage you to come along...This is the future of not just pre-need, but the funeral busiess as a whole. A new world where you take full control over your business and your future. Especially when it comes to pre-needWhat did I create today?I created an entirely new campaign centered around my advanced funeral planning workshop system. Something that goes beyond the traditional and that could easily add a 20% increase response to your next campaign and event.Want access?Keep reading....All of this was also a great lesson in how to leverage the all-encompassing third eye of AI, but without relying on it too much. Something that’s easy to do and that you must remain vigilant about. Carl Ashworth thanks for the recent feedback and reminder about this...Gen Z folks have a keen and important eye for what works and what doesn’t - you have tham on your staff now likely and you should be taking advantage of their prespectives.OK, I’m running out of room here on linkedin, so I hope you’ll keep reading on the ash flash. I guarantee it will be worth itThe photo and caption were added as an example of how great headlines and imagery on your website, will compell people to pay attention and actually read the copy you’ve offered them. That is, if you’re not over relying on templates and taking care to engage with your story and messaging and then work to fascinate your visitors on the page.You are doing that, aren’t you? Actaully, I know most of the funeral home owners I work with are not and that’s what this is all about. The good news is that there are a lot of cool ways I can help. Just shoot me a DM and we can discuss...or become a subscriber and keep engaging here.The full story about the photo and caption and the campaign I’ve created for you are inside the podcast I’ve shared above. I just ran out of time to keep writing this morning. Actaully, we’re headed toward the afternoon now, and there are still chores to do, rooms to clean, and more coffee to be made. Watch the video and if you’re interested in starting a conversation, click here.Watch the video above for the full story about the wagon, the 22 sticker, and how this idea could help you boost your pre-need lead generation by at least 22%...Peace,-John This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

Shout-out to Sepio Guard. And a lesson in how to think different on LinkedIn.First off—thank you Kevin Butler for the new SepioGuard hat. I’ve been working for months in their comments about how sharp these flat-bill lids look, and sure enough Kevin hit me up for my address so one could land on my doorstep.That’s not just a cool gesture. It’s a lesson in marketing.Here’s what’s happening underneath the hat:1️⃣ Show your brandSepioGuard doesn’t just sell—they show up. Hats, videos, personality. It’s authentic and it works because it’s them, not a corporate robot voice.2️⃣ Show up consistentlyYou see their content everywhere because they make the choice to keep showing up. Daily. Weekly. Not just when it’s convenient. That’s why you feel like you know them.3️⃣ Take care of peopleWhen you create genuine connections, your biggest fans will tell your story for you. Case in point: I rarely plug other companies here, but when the story’s this good, I can’t resist.SepioGuard didn’t just earn a customer. They earned an evangelist. That’s the difference.👉 Question for you:Are you showing up with enough consistency and personality that people want to talk about you when you’re not in the room? Need help or inspiration? Shoot me a DM and let’s start that conversation.get the full podcast on https://theashflash.com#BrandBuilding #MarketingLessons #JohnnyRenaissance #ContentStrategy #ThinkDifferent #AuthenticityWins #CustomerExperience #LinkedInGrowth #BusinessGrowth #ShowUp This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

The Most Overlooked Weapon in Pre-Need MarketingWhen I first came into Frazer Consultants, now part of Tribute Technology, my job was to transition FuneralNet customers onto the Frazer website platform.Here’s what I discovered…There was one tool that every FuneralNet customer loved. In fact, many resisted switching platforms because Frazer didn’t have this same piece of technology. It was a rare mix: old-school sales savvy built into a modern web tool. Not flashy. Not complicated. Just effective. And the top 20% of FuneralNet clients used it to quietly dominate their markets, capturing leads, engaging families, and driving pre-need conversations every single month.Think about it: one funeral home client used this tool to triple the number of pre-need inquiries they got from their website in less than a year. Another leaned into it and grew their average monthly pre-need sales by 40% without spending a dime more on advertising. It wasn’t luck. It was a process. And this tool gave them leverage.To this day, I believe this is still the most lethal weapon in deathcare marketing. Especially for pre-need. Yet even Tribute Technology never fully rebuilt or deployed it in a way that captured its true potential. They tried, but failed. Instead, offering you a watered-down and automated version that is forgettable and mostly ineffective. Why? Because very few people in funeral tech truly understand how to build, nurture, and scale a pre-need sales pipeline. They focus on at-need. They talk about websites, case management, flowers, and livestreams. Meanwhile, the engine that could actually drive long-term revenue for your funeral home sits buried and ignored.Here’s the reality: pre-need growth isn’t about one-off campaigns or gimmicks; or an endless stream of same old seminars. It’s about systems that build lists of interested prospects, nurture those prospects over time, and usher them to the point where they’re ready to make their plan. That’s what this tool did—and why the smartest FuneralNet clients loved it. They didn’t just collect leads. They converted them.Most funeral homes today are starving for this kind of system. You can have the prettiest website in town, but if it doesn’t generate consistent, measurable engagement and pre-need leads and contracts, you’re missing a big opportunity.But here’s the truth: this tool isn't the only tool I’m talking about today. This tool, combined with the AI-driven system I’ve been developing over the last five years, can put any funeral home, big or small, at the front of the pack in their market. My system integrates customer service automation, content that converts, and pipeline management into a single strategy designed to double your pre-need sales volume.I won’t give away the full play here. Not yet. But if you’re serious about leading pre-need in your community, you’re going to want to see this.If you’re attending NFDA in Chicago next month, I can give you a private preview. Or, if you’d rather not wait, reach out today and we’ll schedule a 20-minute call to pull back the curtain.Curious? I hope so…Sincerely, John C Ashworth - book your 20-minute call here 🤓PS On our call, I’ll reveal this tool and show you exactly how it integrates with my entire sales and marketing system to immediately jump-start your pre-need program, and set you on a path to double sales next year. Call the VIP line any time at 608-845-2252. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

Why Bother Posting?Back from Europe, still fighting off the jet lag, but right back into the groove—and I want to share something important.Funeral home owners and pre-need agents ask me all the time:👉 Why post on LinkedIn?👉 Why create video?👉 Why write a blog?It feels like a lot of effort. And often, you’re not reaching as many people as you’d like. So why bother?Here’s the truth:* It builds connection and trust.If you’re reading this, we’re already building a connection. The more content people see from you before they walk in your doors, the more trust you’ve earned. That makes every conversation easier.* It’s in you.If you’re like me, you can’t help but share your ideas, insights, and inspiration. And the more you do it, the more opportunities you create. Over time, it compounds—connections, conversations, and chances to grow.* It attracts the right people.Your content becomes a filter. It pulls in the families and partners who align with your message, your style, and your mission.Just last week in Europe, I sat at dinner with some of the top performers in our field. Every single conversation reinforced that creating and sharing is worth it. The insights, the strategies, the inspiration—they come from putting yourself out there.Here’s what I know for sure: I can help you write additional business—new pre-need contracts you’re not writing today. That’s what my sales systems, AI tools, and marketing platforms are built for.So if you’re a funeral home owner or an agent who’s curious, let’s talk. Start small. Write some additional business with me and Golden Considerations. See where it leads.Because if you’re not growing, you’re dying.—Johnny Renaissance This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

Marketing is not a perfect science.It never has been.But here’s the danger: most funeral homes use that excuse to sit still. They wait until they “feel ready,” until they “know for sure.”Meanwhile, the corporate giants aren’t waiting. The aggressive local competitor isn’t waiting. Someone else is stepping into the vacuum you’ve left wide open.That’s how you lose ground. Quietly. Month after month.The truth? You don’t need perfect. You need movement. Consistency. Systems that keep your name, your value, and your story in front of families—before someone else does it first.The funeral home I just told a story about nearly waited too long. Now? He’s on track to double his preneed sales. Why? Because he finally moved.👉 Imperfect action beats perfect hesitation. Every time.#FuneralService #Preneed #Marketing #Sales #JohnnyRenaissance This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

There’s a funeral director I’ve been talking about a lot lately.Three locations. 250 calls a year. A strong pre-need program that’s scaled to the next level.And here’s the kicker: he didn’t get there by luck, or by chasing unicorn agents, or by waiting for the “perfect” moment.He got there because his tech stack is dialed in.Paperless workflows. Case management online. Families starting their own arrangements without an agent in the room. AI and digital tools handling the busy work so his people can focus on the human work.That’s not the future.That’s now.The Hardest Part of ChangeWhen he started down this path five years ago, his longtime admin said:“You can’t do this. Or I’ll quit.”That’s not unusual. Resistance is part of the game. Sometimes it comes from your staff. More often, it comes from you.The pain of change feels too big. The comfort of “just doing it the way we’ve always done it” feels safer.But here’s the problem: that’s how you slowly die—one day at a time.You’re either growing or you’re dying.And this guy? He’s growing.The Power of Incremental ProgressMost funeral homes avoid these shifts because they look overwhelming. Too much work. Too much risk.But the truth is: you don’t need to overhaul everything in one giant leap.What you need is incremental progress.A little bit every week.Tiny steps that add up to massive change.That’s how you go from $350,000 in pre-need sales to $1 million in two years.Not by waiting. Not by making excuses. But by starting.“Just Start”This is the same message I give to families who are afraid of pre-planning their funeral:Don’t worry about finishing it today.Just start.Because if you never start, you never finish.And once you start, you’re already on your way.The same rule applies to your business.You don’t need to be 100% paperless by December. You don’t need to master AI overnight.But you do need to start moving. Because others already are. And they’re selling pre-need contracts online—with or without an agent—every single day.The Johnny Renaissance HotlineI know a lot of you have no idea where to begin. That’s why I’ve opened up the Johnny Renaissance Hotline.Yes, it’s a landline.Yes, it’s copper.Yes, the connection is crystal clear.📞 608-845-2252That’s my desk line. Call it. If I’m there, I’ll pick up.Because sometimes the best way to get unstuck is to have one real conversation with someone who’s been there before and can point you in the right direction.The Choice in Front of YouThe industry is shifting. The world is shifting.You can wait.Or you can start.One funeral director decided to start—and he multiplied his business.Your choice is the same.See you on the hotline.—Johnny Renaissance👉 Want the full podcast episode? Listen on The Ash Flash. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

Most funeral homes, consultants, and even tech companies are still stuck explaining themselves the hard way—through brochures, long phone calls, or clunky websites that nobody reads.That’s outdated.The truth? The fastest way to generate leads, close sales, and simplify your message is with a powerful Explainer Video.I’ve seen this work firsthand. From the funeral profession to the tech world, nothing cuts through confusion like a short, sharp video that:* Simplifies what you do in under 2 minutes* Builds instant trust and credibility* Drives people to take the next step—book an appointment, request info, or buy📊 The numbers don’t lie:* 80%+ of businesses use video on their website* 83% say explainer videos on their homepage work* 76% say it directly boosts salesThe only problem? Big agencies charge insane fees to produce them.That’s where I step in.👉 I’ve partnered with Peter Fogel, a master copywriter, scriptwriter, and voiceover artist, to bring you high-impact, affordable Explainer Videos tailored for funeral homes, service companies, and consultants.We handle the script, the voice, and the animation—all in one streamlined process.The end result? A tool that works for you 24/7… educating, persuading, and selling without you lifting a finger.Want proof? DM me and I’ll send you a sample.—Johnny RenaissanceP.S. If you’re tired of trying to “explain” your value over and over again, let me put one of these machines to work for you. DM me here or reach me at [email protected] / 608-845-2252. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

🚨 Funeral directors: this isn’t a trend.It’s a transformation.Just like websites replaced the Yellow Pages…Just like email replaced the fax machine…AI is about to replace every part of your business that refuses to adapt.But here’s the twist—this isn’t about replacing people.It’s about amplifying them.Taking the busy work off their plate so they can be sharper, faster, more human.In this new podcast clip, I break down exactly how funeral homes are already using AI to:→ Double their preneed leads in 90 days→ Boost average contract size by 22%→ Book appointments automatically—without relying on one “unicorn” agentThis isn’t theory. It’s happening now.🎧 Listen to the clip here.🎙️ Catch the full episode on theashflash.substack.com.#FuneralHomes #Preneed #AI #FuneralProfession #Marketing This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

Everywhere you look, there’s another big-dollar platform promising the world…But when you need them most?It’s 4:30 p.m., you’ve got grieving families calling, and the answer you get is:"We’ll get back to you in 24 hours."I’ve been in this game for nearly a decade.Not one of these companies is truly focused on your sales the way they should be.That’s why I’ve stopped waiting.I’m taking what’s out there—the tech stack, the AI tools, the “solutions”—…and layering in my own systems.Custom-built.Focused on sales.Built for funeral homes and pre-need programs that want to grow.No one else is going to do this for you.I’m bold enough to say maybe no one else can.So here’s my challenge:If you think I’m wrong—or you’re curious how much opportunity your website and online presence are leaving on the table—comment here or DM me.I’ll show you exactly how to fix it.And I’ll show you the system my partners are already using to own the future of pre-need.John AshworthAKA Johnny RenaissanceFuneral Directors VIP Desk#FuneralService #PreNeed #FuneralHomeMarketing #DeathCare #FuneralProfessionals #SalesSystems #AI This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

Too often, funeral home growth strategies feel like a game of chance—the right timing, the perfect marketing, hoping something sticks.But what if real growth isn’t about luck? It’s about purposeful action. Building trust. Engaging meaningfully. Leaders aren’t just content with surface-level efforts or chasing the next trend. They focus on what truly moves the needle: authentic relationships, strategic leverage, consistent effort in the right places. Growth isn’t a flash in the pan. It’s a system—one rooted in storytelling, automation, and trust-building—working quietly behind the scenes, day after day. The transformation happens when you commit to the basics—updating your CRM intentionally, sharing stories that resonate, following up with purpose. Because at the end of the day, it’s about legacy—what your funeral home stands for and how you serve families long before they call you. If you want more than just hope, if you’re ready to build a momentum that lasts, then it’s time to get strategic—because leverage and systems beat luck every time. Let’s craft your approach. Because growth starts with intention—not chance. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

Here’s a Substack-ready draft built from your podcast script, keeping your edge and expanding the ideas for a longer-form read.Stop Waiting. Start Marketing.Some advice in the funeral profession isn’t just wrong — it’s dangerous.It’s the kind of advice you get from someone who’s never had to make payroll with their own marketing plan.Recently, I heard it again: “Just stop marketing. Just wait for people to come to you.”This is the kind of thinking that keeps funeral homes stuck, shrinking, and wondering why they can’t get ahead.It would only come from someone who doesn’t understand the first thing about sales or marketing.The truth?You should always be marketing.Always be filling the air with your message.Always be telling your story, sharing your mission, and speaking directly to the specific families you want to serve.Always be sharpening the way you say it and the way you deliver it.Marketing isn’t something you do until the phone starts ringing — it’s what you do so the phone keeps ringing.Why waiting is a ridiculous ideaSitting in your funeral home hoping people show up is not a strategy. It’s business hospice.Here’s just one reason:On my recent trip, I met a funeral director frustrated over rising cremation rates.Here’s the blunt truth:If you’re not actively in the market shaping perception, educating families, and making the case for why you’re worth choosing — someone else will. And you won’t like their pitch.The families you want to reach are hearing from somebody every day. If that somebody isn’t you, you’ve already lost them.The reality you can’t ignoreThe market is noisy.The attention span of your audience is shrinking.And every day you delay, you give up space in people’s minds to competitors, discount cremation mills, and anyone else willing to put their message out there consistently.You don’t need to yell louder than everyone. You need to say the right thing, to the right people, at the right time — over and over again.That’s not hype. That’s the discipline of marketing done right.Your next moveStop listening to bad advice.Stop waiting for things to “go back to the way they were.”Start building a system that keeps your pipeline full — and never stop feeding it.Because in this business, invisibility is the fastest path to irrelevance.—🎙 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

Because if 2025 to 2027 is truly our generation’s Industrial Revolution moment—and I believe it is—then sitting on the sidelines isn’t cautious.It’s reckless.This kind of innovation doesn’t just cut costs or save time.It reshapes your business.It reshapes lives.It reshapes legacies.Take what we’re building right now with AI.Families can begin their funeral plans online—with intention.But instead of just checking boxes or filling out forms, they get to tell their story.They write it in their own words.They start shaping their own legacy—with the help of AI.It turns pre-need into a living, breathing experience.Not a transaction.A transformation.This is what the future looks like when you embrace the tools that are finally ready for this industry.This is how we change your business.Your life.And the lives of the families you serve—for good. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

No real pipeline.No consistent nurturing of leads.No ownership of their pre-need program.That’s where I come in.Over the last 9 years in the funeral profession, and the last 3 working inside the trenches of pre-need sales, I’ve seen the same story play out over and over:👉 Marketing works.👉 Interest is generated.👉 But there's no system to convert it into meaningful appointments, plans, or policies.I’m changing that.Laura and I have built something unique:A real follow-up system.For funeral homes.Managed by real people who care.Built from the ground up.Customized to your brand.Focused on real conversations, real relationships, and real results.We're not selling magic software.We're not handing it off to a call center.We are getting you more control over your pre-need pipeline than you’ve ever had before.It’s not for everyone. But if you’re ready to…✔ Build a system that actually converts✔ See the numbers, commissions, growth rates✔ Finally take full control of your pre-need program…then let’s talk.I’m not here to “consult.”I’m here to build—with you, in your market, under your brand.– John AshworthRegional Director, Golden ConsiderationsProud to be doing the real work.#preneedsales #funeralhomes #advancedplanning #salespipeline #johnnyrenaissance #funeralprofession #followup #aftercareLet me know if you'd like an image idea or carousel layout to go with this. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

Create the Vacuum That Pulls You Forward 🚀Ever feel like you’re grinding away but not actually moving forward? Here’s the game-changer: create a vacuum that pulls you forward.Mark Zuckerberg figured this out early—Facebook always had 10X the bandwidth they needed, ensuring they never hit a wall. Now, Meta is doubling down on AI infrastructure, making sure they have the space to grow before they need it.The same principle applies to your business and career. If you want to level up, make space for it.✅ Clear out the clutter (physically & mentally).✅ Stop doing tasks that don’t serve your long-term vision.✅ Delegate, automate, or eliminate.✅ Create capacity BEFORE you hit your limits.Where can you build that extra bandwidth in your business and life? What’s one thing you can stop doing today to make room for the next big move?Let’s talk—how are you making space for your next level?👇#BusinessGrowth #Mindset #Success #Leadership #CreateTheVacuum This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

the ash flash is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Hey everyone, Johnny Renaissance here with some rapid-fire, tactical ways to sharpen your writing, make your content more engaging, and ultimately expand your influence.### Stories, Stats, and Takeaways: The Three Pillars of Great WritingWhen crafting content online, these three elements make all the difference: **stories draw people in, stats add credibility, and takeaways provide value.** Keep them in mind as you implement these 10 magical ways to elevate your writing.### 1. TipsPeople love structure. **5 Steps to X. 3 Lessons on Y.** Organize your content into steps, stacks, or sequences that guide your audience from problem to solution.### 2. StatsNumbers add credibility. Whether it’s **“80% of success is just showing up”** or industry-specific data, weaving in stats strengthens your points and makes them more persuasive.### 3. StepsClear, actionable steps make it easy for your audience to follow through. **Step 1: Do this. Step 2: Do that.** Clarity beats complexity every time.### 4. LessonsWhat key lessons can you share? **Break down what you’ve learned** so your audience can apply those insights to their own lives or businesses.### 5. BenefitsWhat’s in it for them? **The more you publish, the more reach you get.** The more reach, the more opportunities. Show your audience the tangible benefits of taking action.### 6. Reasons“5 Reasons You Should Post Daily” or “3 Reasons Most Writers Fail.” Reasons provide logical motivation to take action. They also make content easier to digest.### 7. MistakesI’ve made plenty—including rambling too much in podcasts! Own your mistakes. People love authenticity. It makes you relatable, real, and trustworthy.### 8. ExamplesWhat I’m doing right now—breaking this into bite-sized tips—is an example of fast execution. **Examples bring concepts to life.** Use them often.### 9. Questions“How many pieces of content did you post last month? How can you improve that by just one?” Questions create engagement and spark introspection. They also drive conversations.### 10. Personal StoriesYour journey is your brand. Share your wins, struggles, and habits. On weekends, I review notes, read, and soak up insights to bring you better content. That process is a **story.**### Invite Interaction & ConnectionWould love to hear your thoughts—what’s one writing tip that’s helped you the most? Drop a comment and let’s build something great together.Thanks for being here. Thanks for paying attention. You showing up means the world to me.Take care and keep creating! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit theashflash.substack.comCheck One, Two: A Gym Story and Life LessonsJohn Ashworth here, a.k.a. Johnny Renaissance. Let me start with a story that hits home on so many levels.At the gym, there's a guy in his mid-80s—a regular. I’m at the gym five days a week on average, year-round, and I’d see him multiple times each week. But recently, I hadn’t seen him for months, and I thoug…

What’s up, everybody? Johnny Renaissance here, burning the midnight oil on the road in Wisconsin and in search of wisdom. Quick pit stop to drop some unfiltered truth: NEVER hand over control of your marketing. Ever.the ash flash is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Keep in mind—this isn’t a political post; it’s a sales and marketing masterclass ripped straight from the political playbook and in 2 minutes or less. Got it?You probably know the story: A major political party known as the democrats tried leveraging social media influencers to spread their message. Sounds genius, right? Well, it could have been, but…Influencers have one job, and they do it better than most. They engage audiences authentically. They build trust. They’re A-players who know how to show up and deliver. But instead of letting them shine in their lane, the party tried to cram them into their box—messaging controlled, voices muted, authenticity trashed.Spoiler: it flopped.This isn’t just a political misstep; it’s marketing malpractice that too many businesses repeat. When you find A-players—whether they’re your sales reps, content creators, or even your community champions—don’t micromanage them. Communicate your vision, give them the tools, then GET OUT OF THE WAY.Your brand is YOU. You can’t outsource your authenticity or surrender control of your message. You stay at the center. You stay in control. Collaborate, don’t abdicate. And most importantly, let authenticity and a clear vision keep you on course and a be a beacon for your tribe. Now, let’s go crush it like it’s 1984. Who’s with me?#SalesTips #MarketingLessons #AuthenticityWins #JohnnyRenaissancethe ash flash is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

record with RiversideResults Rule—No Matter What: Building Your Marketing Plan for 2025Hello, friends! It’s Johnny Renaissance here—ready to help you crush 2025 with a results-driven marketing mindset. As you sit down to map out your strategy for the new year, I want you to keep one simple truth in mind: results rule—no matter what.The Results-First MentalityMarketing legend David Ogilvy once grew frustrated with the advertising world back in the 1960s. Why? Because the industry became obsessed with awards for creativity and entertainment, often forgetting the core purpose of marketing—to deliver results.That frustration still resonates today. Too many businesses get caught up in chasing trends or going viral, but as a small business owner, you don’t have the luxury of wasting money on campaigns that don’t perform. Testing and experimentation are part of the process, yes—but at the end of the day, if your marketing doesn’t produce tangible results, it’s time to reevaluate.Be Entertaining—but Be an ExpertLet’s face it—attention spans are shorter than ever. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn demand entertaining content. If you’re boring, people will scroll right past you.But here’s the kicker: entertainment isn’t enough. You’ve also got to be an expert in your field. Your audience needs to see you as someone who delivers real value and insights. That combination of expertise and engagement is what builds trust—and trust leads to sales.As you step into 2025, think of your marketing as a balance between entertainment, education, and expertise. Deliver value in every post, every ad, and every conversation—and then track whether those efforts are driving the results you need.Your Customer is King (and Pays the Bills)Never lose sight of this: your customer is the one who puts real money into your bank account. Not your marketing team, not your creative agency—your customer.Every strategy, every post, every ad should focus on addressing their problems, answering their questions, and helping them make decisions. It’s not about you—it’s about them. When you make the customer the hero of your marketing story, they’ll reward you with loyalty and sales.Challenge Everything—Stay FlexibleHere’s another important point—never get stuck in one belief system. Marketing is an evolving game, and what worked yesterday might not work tomorrow.Challenge your assumptions. Test new strategies. Be willing to pivot when the data tells you to. Creativity and adaptability are just as important as consistency when it comes to long-term success.And most importantly—don’t get dogmatic. No single strategy, platform, or tool is the “one-size-fits-all” solution. Keep experimenting, keep learning, and keep focusing on results.A Message for Funeral Homes (and Any Business Owners)For those of you in the funeral business—or any small business—you might be looking ahead to 2025 and wondering how to keep up with the latest trends and technologies. If that’s you, let’s talk.There are so many ways to get your message out there today—from social media to video marketing to partnerships and collaborations. The possibilities are endless, but the key is figuring out what works for your business and your audience. That’s where I can help.If you’re ready to develop a strategy that delivers real results, reach out to me. Let’s start the conversation and make 2025 your most successful year yet.Final Thoughts—Make Results Your North StarAs we head into the New Year, keep this mantra at the core of everything you do: Results Rule—No Matter What.* Be entertaining.* Be an expert.* Focus on your customer.* Stay flexible and keep challenging your approach.And if you ever need help navigating this ever-changing marketing landscape, don’t hesitate to reach out.Here’s to a prosperous and results-driven 2025!Johnny Renaissance, signing off from the holiday season. Happy New Year, and I look forward to seeing more of you soon!record with RiversidePS. This is one of the BEST things I EVER did for my marketing education… This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

so, I just finished the exercise I’m about to share with you next. it could lead u to believe I’m crazy 🤓and that’s the first lesson in this story: be careful out there.why? because the world is full of “experts” handing out advice they don’t follow themselves. They’ll tell you how to run your small business, how to grow, how to thrive—all while doing the exact opposite in their own lives or having no real experience at all.so today, I’m not offering advice I haven’t lived. I’m sharing something that’s become a daily ritual for me, one that has been transformative.it all started with a LinkedIn post I read a few years back. The topic? Cold showers.At the time, it sounded miserable. The thought of voluntarily stepping into freezing water? Hard pass. Especially in the middle of winter here in WI. But the idea stuck with me. So, I decided to try it out—and now, years later, I’m here to tell you, it’s one of the most powerful habits I’ve ever adopted.Here’s how I do it:Every morning, I hit the gym, as I’ve done for years. Recently, my wife, Laura, suggested I add the sauna to my routine to boost energy in the mornings. I gave it a try, and after 10–15 minutes of heat, I end my session with a cold shower.Let me tell you, the cold shower is the game-changer.That first blast of freezing water hits like a shockwave. It wakes up every nerve, quiets any lingering aches, and completely shifts your mindset. Within seconds, your body stops thinking about the day ahead or the chill in the air and focuses on one thing: the now.On frigid Wisconsin mornings like today, that water is ice cold. I know those pipes are sitting underground, surrounded by snow. But over time, I’ve built up tolerance. Now, it’s something I genuinely look forward to. Who knows? Maybe one day I’ll take it to the next level with a polar plunge into a frozen lake.Why do I love it so much? It’s not just the immediate energy boost (though that’s incredible). It’s the mental reset. That cold forces you to control your breathing, calm your mind, and face discomfort head-on. It’s a reminder that you can choose to lean into challenges instead of running from them.If you’re curious, I encourage you to try it for yourself. Start small—finish your morning shower with 10 seconds of cold water. Work up to longer stretches as you can tolerate it.And no, it’s not just about building grit. It’s about setting the tone for your day. It’s about choosing to step into something uncomfortable first thing, which makes everything else you face feel just a little more manageable.I’m just outside the gym now, watching the snow fall, ready to dive into a busy workday. This little ritual, as small as it seems, has become a cornerstone of how I show up—not just for myself but for everyone around me.So on this cold winter day, I wanted to share a piece of what’s been working for me. Give it a try, and let me know what you think.Thanks for tuning in. Stay warm, stay bold, and take care! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

🌍 “This is going to change everything.”That’s what people said about the internet, smartphones, and electricity—and now, we’re saying it about AI. But here’s the thing I’ve been thinking a lot about recently: the everything we’re talking about might be closer than anyone thinks.In my latest podcast episode, Carl Ashworth and I dive deep into the rapid advancements in AI, the skepticism, and the bold possibilities. Some in the field say, “It’s still far away.” Others argue, “It’s here, and we’re on the brink of something extraordinary.”consider this…as Carl points out, a week before the Wright brothers’ first flight, an article declared humans wouldn’t fly for a million years. Seven days later, history proved them wrong.I’m seeing the same pattern in AI today. Whether it’s ChatGPT pushing boundaries or advanced AI models being developed behind the scenes, the pace of progress is impressive. Conscious, super intelligent AI might not be science fiction anymore—it could be a possibility.What does this mean for business? For society? For us as humans? For you in your business?We look at a all of this in the latest episode. Whether you’re skeptical or excited, I promise this conversation will challenge how you think about the future.🚀 What do you think? Are we closer to a paradigm shift than most people realize? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

I just recorded a new podcast diving deep into what I believe is the secret weapon for funeral homeowners and preneed agents: grassroots, personality-driven marketing.In this episode, I talk about:✅ The importance of preneed planning (and why families need YOU to start the conversation).✅ How funeral homes can compete with corporate giants by leaning into personalization and connection.✅ My trip to Philadelphia to bring back the Family Packet System—a proven tool for boosting appointments and closing more preneed sales.✅ Why grassroots marketing is the game-changer you didn’t know you needed—and how pairing it with cutting-edge tech can transform your business.Plus, I share how my wife, Laura, and I are building an innovative aftercare program to help families navigate the journey after loss—and how it’s already making a huge impact.Here’s the truth: You don’t need massive ad budgets or corporate muscle to succeed. What you need is you. Your personality. Your story. Your mission. And your willingness to connect with people in a way that no big business can.If you’re a funeral homeowner or preneed agent looking to grow your business, create deeper relationships with your community, and build a legacy that lasts, this one’s for you.🎙️ Listen now: Ready to learn more about the Family Packet System or other tools I mentioned? DM me here or email me directly—I’d love to help you grow your preneed program!#FuneralIndustry #Preneed #GrassrootsMarketing #SalesGrowth #IndependentFuneralHomes #Legacy This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

if you’re not working on this inside your funeral home, you’re falling behind.i can help you.-johnhttps://www.goldenconsiderations.com/john-c-ashworthclick here to learn more about my podcasting software - i love it!! ..and people ask me about it all the time.###🌟 What Is Life Asking From You? 🌟 ...on the journey to our inner light, we often ask, "What do I want from life?" but the real transformation begins when you can find the courage to ask, "What is life asking from me?"this question has reshaped my approach to work, life, and service.it’s what fuels my passion for helping funeral homes thrive—by aligning my personal intrinsic talents with the world’s pressing needs.i know... 'world' is a strong statement there but you have no idea how many people you're affecting - it's always more than you think and every single one of us has the opportunity to carefully place our own ripples in earth's pond.from modernizing pre-need programs to leveraging cutting-edge AI, I believe the future is about combining heartfelt service with innovative tools. if your data is in drawers or if technology feels overwhelming, I hear you—but now’s the time to change that.💡 2025 is right around the corner. Let’s start strong 💪. Whether it’s unlocking your pre-need sales potential, embracing AIand technology, or simply organizing data for a brighter future, it all begins today.the funeral industry is evolving rapidly. those who adapt will lead. let’s have a conversation about how to make that happen for your business.📣 let’s connect and grow together. drop me a DM or visit the archives at the ashflash.com-John Ashworthaka Johnny Renaissance (https://instagram.com/johnny_renaissanceclick here to learn more about my podcasting software This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

Hey everyone,if you’re not spending at least 30 minutes a day with AI, you’re leaving a powerful life-changing resource untapped…this week, I had an eye-opening moment with AI. by pulling together the content I’ve created over the years—my blogs, LinkedIn, YouTube—it gave me new clarity about my expertise and purpose. it’s like having a sharp assistant help you see the big picture inside the context of your busy life and schedule. and it’s so important right now.another nugget that stood out was the growing importance of corporate influencers. a concept I’ve championed for decades, and now it’s more relevant than ever.🚀 The Rise of Corporate InfluencersIn today’s world, people trust people. Real voices. Authentic stories. This trend is about empowering employees to represent their brand, creating trust and fostering deeper engagement that traditional marketing just can’t replicate.get the entire post below on theashflash.com💡 Why It Matters:* Authenticity First: People connect with people, not faceless corporations.* Social Reach: Platforms like LinkedIn amplify the personal touch, allowing employees to reach wider audiences.* Business Impact: A well-supported influencer within your company can enhance trust, build goodwill, and strengthen your brand’s presence. 🎤 Why It’s PersonalHaving helped funeral homes and other businesses modernize, I’ve seen firsthand how storytelling and personal branding can transform industries built on trust. Imagine a funeral director sharing heartfelt family stories or a young team member showcasing the work that happens behind the scenes. These authentic, human moments resonate deeply. There are already good examples of this out there. You can do it too…Even in traditional industries like death care, there’s room to grow and engage in new ways. By encouraging employees to share their experiences and insights, you not only build trust but also create opportunities to stand out.If this sparks your curiosity, or if you’d like help getting started, let’s connect. Together, we can craft strategies to fill the gaps in your marketplace and make your business stand out with authenticity and purpose. Whether you’re a funeral home or not.Cheers to exploring what’s possible!– Johnny Renaissance#AI #PersonalBranding #CorporateInfluencers #SalesLeadership #Storytelling #Innovation This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit theashflash.substack.comwhat TikTok is teaching us about the the most dangerous number in business...ONE!that's right. the most dangerous number in business is one of anything.in this case, it's one platform replied upon exclusively to generate all or most of your business. i heard a number of these stories yesterday and they remind me of back in the day when google first chan…

As each flake bids farewell, our hearts fill with the hope of spring's tender symphony. 🌱 Listen closely to the late February serenade. #SnowMeltsSpringWhispersStay with me for more heartwarming transitions. 🌤💦🌷 subscribe for the journey through the seasons here in Wisconsin & beyond…🌸 What budding dreams are whispering in your ear? Share your springtime inspiration below! ✨👇 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theashflash.substack.com/subscribe