'You need a big heart' to help people in pain
Q: Describe your business. What do you do?
A: We help people through a time of need that no one wants to face: the loss of someone you love. We are there to guide families and help them create a final, heartfelt experience that opens the door to healing.
Many people assume funerals would be depressing, but we find quite the opposite.
There is nothing more rewarding than when a family shakes your hand or gives you a hug as they tell you how grateful they were for your help through a difficult time.
Q: What made you start your business?
Daniel: I am a second-generation Army reservist and funeral director. He was literally born in and have lived my entire life in a funeral home, to this day. I had worked part-time as a funeral director and part-time as a news photographer for 15 years. When I met Joy, I decided that I needed a full-time job.
We found an Elgin funeral home listed for sale in a trade publication, and through the grace of God I was able to purchase it with money saved from my deployments overseas.
The minute I walked through the doors, I knew this was where I was meant to be.
Joy: I married into it! Now that I have lived the life of an entrepreneur, I don't think I could go back to a 9 to 5.
Q: What has been the most difficult obstacle in running or starting a small business?
A: Work-life-marriage-family "balance." We have had to learn how to live together as husband and wife, how to work together as husband and wife, and how to live where we work (our apartment is above the funeral home).
Then add two kids, a barking dog and the U.S. Army to the mix. We have had many discussions about boundaries, work time vs. family time, and how to be a strong team together, both in and out of the office. It is a daily and ongoing struggle.
Q: What's new in your business or industry?
A: We have launched a new website under our direct cremation brand, Fox Valley Cremation Services, which allows families to complete all the paperwork for a simple cremation, choose an urn, and make their payment online. This allows families looking for an affordable option to move ahead quickly and avoid having to make an appointment to meet us in person.
Q: What do you enjoy most about operating your business?
A: Collaborating with families to build a meaningful funeral.
We've arranged a horse-drawn hearse for a historic preservationist, set up chapels like art galleries to display amazing paintings, sculptures and drawings, and even hosted a Hawaiian-themed celebration of life complete with leis and Hawaiian shirts. We love embracing a family's creative vision to create something special. We want them to feel at home and comfortable in our home.
Q: Is this what you pictured yourself doing when you were young? When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Daniel: Yes. I knew I would join my family business, but I did not expect to do it full-time. I actually wanted to be a soldier.
Joy: (laughter) No! My passion was the news media, and as a child I wanted to be a meteorologist or TV news anchor.
• We're looking for suburban small business owners (fewer than 100 employees) to feature in our Business section. Contact Rich Klicki at rklicki@dailyherald.com for more information.