Graystone Associates

08/26/2026

The 2026 Graystone Manager Boot Camp is off to a great start. A fantastic group of leaders have assembled in Arlington, Texas to hone their People Management Skills. A big thank you to Wade Funeral Home & Crematory for being our host this year.

08/20/2026

What a fantastic day in Traverse City, Michigan. The awesome folks at Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home hosted the 13th edition of the Michigan Summit on Tuesday and it was a total home run. Fantastic hosts, great group of funeral professionals looking to grow, develop and lead the way forward. The collaboration was fantastic. We're already looking forward to Grand Rapids 2027!

08/17/2026

This past week, Locke Funeral Services in Waterloo, Iowa, completed the Outward Performance Workshop. We began this journey together in September 2025 and completed the workshop last Tuesday. The workshop was facilitated by Graystone's very own Michael Wellensiek, a Certified Arbinger Facilitator.

Over the past year, the leadership teams at Kearney and Flanner Buchanan have also completed the Outward Performance Workshop.

Kudos to Eric Locke, Ryan Crean, and Jan Smith for their commitment to investing in their people and intentionally focusing on culture within their respective organizations. Building and sustaining a strong culture takes time, commitment, and leadership—and these teams have demonstrated all three.

Congratulations to everyone involved!

08/12/2026

Results Matter!

08/03/2026

Graystone is an entrepreneurial organization that has partnered with independent, family-owned funeral homes for nearly 25 years. As our profession continues to evolve, we remain committed to providing the business tools, peer forums, and ownership and leadership development our clients need to succeed in a rapidly changing market.

With our client count at an all-time high, we will continue expanding our partnerships with progressive leaders across North America. At the same time, we remain focused on fostering a collaborative, business-oriented community where every client benefits from proven best practices, innovative ideas, and strategic insights that enable them to grow, adapt, and thrive well into the future.

07/15/2026

09/26/2025

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lifes-undertaking/id1608187684?i=1000728306278

Another great Podcast Episode with Graystone Client Brad Jones of Ridley Funeral Services in Toronto, Canada. If you are not part of a Graystone Study Group, please reach out to your Account Manager for more information.

Podcast Episode · Life's Undertaking · 09/24/2025 · 27m

07/01/2025

Michael Wellensiek, Senior Account Manager and Coach with Graystone Associates, successfully received his certification to train Outward Performance from the Arbinger Institute. Transforming team performance starts by changing mindset. Outward Performance addresses the source of organizational dysfunction, interpersonal conflict, organizational silos, and poor morale. By enabling a fundamental mindset shift, the training and tools in this transformational program produce unprecedented levels of collaboration and innovation in your organization.

Training opportunities for September and November will be announced soon. Space will be limited, as this is a sought-after program, so be sure to register as soon as dates are announced.

06/11/2025

Congratulations to Milward Funeral Directors for celebrating their 200th anniversary.