08/03/2026
Today is International Women’s Day and it feels like a good moment to reflect on the journey that led me here.
I knew from the age of 15 that I wanted to work in the funeral profession. It wasn’t a quick or easy path. Over the years I attended countless interviews where I was often pipped to the post by someone already working within a company or someone with more experience. But it was something I truly believed was my calling, so I kept going.
I put myself through my embalming qualification and later secured a position with a large corporate funeral company. I started in an administrative role and worked my way up to becoming a funeral director. I spent nearly a decade there learning the profession and caring for families during some of the most difficult times in their lives.
When the opportunity came to take redundancy, I made the decision to work for myself as a funeral consultant. During that time I supported other funeral businesses so they could take well earned family holidays or have additional support when needed and I also provided embalming services for other funeral directors, something I am still doing to this day.
In 2023, with the incredible support of my husband and the hard work of his friends who helped build our premises, we opened our own funeral home.
In the two and a half years since opening, we have been honoured to look after 65 families. That might not sound like a large number, but in a town where there are 6 other funeral companies - many families understandably return to the company they have always used, even when the faces may have changed over the years - it means a great deal to us when a family chooses to place their trust in us.
Some families have returned to us to care for other loved ones and others have taken out funeral plans and allocated them to our business for when the time eventually comes. The trust that represents means more to us than we can truly put into words.
People often say that I’m “too happy” to be a funeral director, but I believe compassion doesn’t have to come with a stern face. For a long time the stereotype of a funeral director has been an older gentleman with a gruff personality and very serious demeanour. I’ve always hoped to show that it can also be someone approachable, warm and human.
I also strongly believe that putting on a suit and calling yourself a funeral director does not necessarily make it so. This profession requires experience, dedication, compassion and a genuine commitment to caring for people at some of the most difficult moments of their lives. It’s something that must be learned, earned, and treated with the utmost respect.
This work is far more than a job to me - it’s a vocation. It’s about compassion, understanding and supporting families through moments that truly matter. And sometimes a little warmth, kindness and even gentle humour can help make a difficult time feel a little less heavy.
I hope that through my personality and the way we care for people, families will continue to feel comfortable placing their trust in us to look after their loved ones.
To every woman striving to reach her goals - even when the path takes time - keep going. You will get there!
Happy International Women’s Day
Leisha x
