I have been a licensed funeral director since 2009. I recently graduated from the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service with an Associates Degree in Mortuary Science. I hold a certification as a certified crematory operator and in the past have held a license as an insurance agent for pre-arranged and pre-funded funeral sales. I am currently employed by Smith Family Funeral Homes in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Aside from the location in North Little Rock we have locations in Little Rock, Benton, Sherwood, Beebe and Arkadelphia, Arkansas. It is my personal goal to help every family that is entrusted into my care to create a fitting and meaningful tribute to the life of their loved one. I believe every life tells and story, and that story deserves to be told. Funeral services are not one size fits all and should be as unique as the person they are celebrating. Funeral consumers tend to be some of the least educated about the services and merchandise they are about to purchase. Whether the family has selected traditional burial or cremation as their form of final disposition, they should be educated on all options available to them in an environment that is informative without sales pressure. I believe and have seen in daily practice that funeral consumers are just like any other consumer. They are not necessarily looking for the “cheapest” price but are looking for value. To the average American “cheap”, is a way of saying “Tell me what you have to offer and show me the value of that offering”. Families, especially in a time of grief and loss do not know what to ask, so they simply ask the price and “how much” is rarely the question they are trying to ask. Personally and professional my goals would be to grow into a distinguished and trusted professional in the funeral service community that is looked up to not only by the families I serve but also my colleagues and peers.