77. What it’s really like running a funeral directors business | Damian Melville

Running a business is hard, but what is it like when your work sits at the centre of people’s most emotional moments?

In this episode of all about business, James Reed sits down with Damian Melville, Managing Director of Melville & Daughter Funeral Directors. Together they explore leadership in one of the most emotionally demanding industries there is.

Damian shares his journey into the family business, reflecting on the responsibilities that come when helping people in their most vulnerable time, and how that shapes both leadership-style and company-culture. He shares what balancing tradition with modernisation means, the realities of running a business where empathy is as important as efficiency, and the discipline required to maintain high standards in sensitive circumstances.

The conversation explores what it means to lead with care while still making clear commercial decisions, how to build trust within communities, and why consistency and professionalism matter more than ever, in a service built on reputation. Damian also discusses the challenges of succession in a family-run business and the importance of supporting both clients and staff through emotionally complex work.

A thoughtful, grounded conversation about leadership, responsibility, and building a business where purpose and performance have to coexist every step of the way.

Timestamps

01:04 Finding a niche market

06:36 Going solo challenges

12:50 Winning trust locally

23:18 COVID shock to the system

36:27 Hiring costs and NI

43:25 A Funeral director day

01:00:26 Memorial innovations and burials

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Find out more about Melville & Daughters Funeral Directors here

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