Poignant Stories. Applicable Take-Homes.

Since 2007, Sara has enjoyed engaging audiences of 15 - 1000+ people, speaking on topics both within and outside of the death care profession.  Drawing on her extensive experience as a Funeral Celebrant and Celebrant Trainer with InSight Institute, she offers enthusiastic, interactive seminars and webinars for the professional development of various funeral homes' staff and is a dynamic keynote speaker for conventions and events across Canada.

Past engagements include conferences with the Ontario Funeral Services Association (OFSA), Ontario Association of Cemetery and Funeral Professionals (OAFCP), World Vision Canada, Caregivers Luncheons, Women’s Retreats, Annual Memorial Services and more.

The two most popular topic requests are below and all can be adapted to fit a time frame of 45-90 minutes.

Game-Changing Ceremonies:  What Celebrants Can Do For You 

Funeral professionals know that cookie-cutter funerals are no longer serving the needs of the families in their communities and with direct cremation continuing to rise, we are in the midst of a pivotal season of change.  In this impactful and informative session, Sara highlights the healing that comes from personalized, storytelling services for families in grief and the immense value that they add to the firm.

In this keynote or interactive workshop, all funeral professional attendees will be able to:

• better understand the role of a Celebrant and how they can meet the needs of both the family and the funeral home,

• learn about the history of Celebrants,

• learn the Canadian (or American when applicable) trends with current stats from the latest PEW research on North America's changing religious landscape and CANA Statistics Reports,

• gain insight on how to identify the different types of families who would be served well by a Celebrant, and

• better understand how to how to articulate options and choices for families.

Ultimately, all will leave inspired and equipped with practical knowledge on how to better family experience, from first call until final meeting.

**Please note that this talk can be formatted so that it complements any “Pre-Planning Your Funeral” seminars that are hosted by funeral homes.

“By continuously training and upgrading the skills of our people, we know that we can serve our families better. So when we look for people and courses to be able to help our staff and funeral directors, hiring Sara was really a no-brainer. We've heard her speak at other conferences, and she's done funerals with us both for our client families and even for our own family. Sara is smart, she's articulate, she's passionate about what she does, and she's able to show a genuine sense of caring and empathy which is really important to us.”

Jimmy Cardinal, President of Cardinal Funerals Homes, Toronto

Ripple Effects: Leaving a Legacy That Lasts

Legacy. It seems to be a hot button word these days as we see and hear about it everywhere - especially on social media if we follow speakers, authors, coaches or “influencers” of a wide variety. We see catch phrases like “living a life of intention”, “making every day count”, “being the best parent/spouse/entrepreneur/employee/hustler you can be”, and if we’re honest, it can often feel a bit exhausting, overwhelming or disheartening.

In this thought-provoking and encouraging presentation, Sara offers insights based on both her personal story and wrestling with these big questions combined with the wisdom she’s gained as a Funeral Celebrant and listening to hundreds of families who have lost a loved one. Sara shares some of these powerful stories of a wide variety of people, highlighting the main aspects of a person's life that actually gets talked about "at the end of the day".

All attendees will walk away from this session:

• with greater clarity on the simple yet profound ways they can make their own unique impact both in their professional and personal worlds,

• having had time for personal reflection on the different ways they have potentially sought after a sense of value, worth and identity, and

• with ideas for self-care so that they can continue to bring their A+ game in their setting.

This presentation can be formatted as a keynote or breakout session. It has been well-received and would be suitable for companies and organizations with the goals of any of the following:

• inspiring and motivating employees or association members,

• increasing productivity for sales teams,

• expressing appreciation to volunteers for non-profits, or

• encouraging Caregivers, Emergency Medical Services Workers, Funeral Professionals and more.

“We were delighted to have Sara speak at our 29th annual Caregivers' Luncheon in October 2019.  She is a genuine storyteller and speaker, and her moving presentation engaged everyone in attendance.  Not only did Sara share powerful stories from the families she has served through her Celebrant work, but she also gave us practical ideas on how each of us can make an impact – helping us to recognize and appreciate what's truly important in our lives.  Sara's heartfelt passion is infectious, and we all left encouraged, inspired and grateful.”

Don Smith, Owner and President of Smith’s Funeral Homes, Burlington

Have another keynote or breakout session topic in mind?