How Community, Passion, and the Right Support Turned a Vision into Reality

Owning a small business is more than just a job—it’s a commitment to serving others. For Mike McBride, a former police officer in New Hyde Park and dedicated funeral director, that commitment was made possible with the help of Live Oak Bank. With their support, Mike overcame financial challenges to purchase the funeral home he had managed for years, turning his passion for helping families into a thriving business that honors both his community and his family’s legacy.

Owning a small business is more than a job—it’s a commitment to serving others. This is a story of resilience, dedication, and community impact that highlights how a strong relationship with the right bank can transform dreams into reality. For a funeral home owner in New Hyde Park, New York, it wasn’t just about running a business; it was about honoring a legacy and serving the community with purpose.

The funeral home, established in 1956, has deep ties to the New Hyde Park community. Its owner, a former NYPD officer, wanted to pursue a second career after retiring young. Starting as a part-time pallbearer, he discovered his passion for funeral services, a profession that blends compassion and responsibility. When the opportunity arose to purchase the funeral home he had managed for decades, he turned to Live Oak Bank to navigate the complex financial process.

Live Oak Bank recognized that his goal wasn’t just about ownership but about continuing to care for families during their most difficult times. Financial hurdles, including a premium asking price, threatened the acquisition. However, through guidance and education, the bank worked to align the seller’s expectations with the buyer’s goals. Their relationship-first approach ensured a solution that worked for both parties, empowering the former officer to secure his dream of owning the business.

The story goes deeper. Years before this, the owner experienced a heartbreaking loss when his daughter Katie was diagnosed with Burkitt’s lymphoma. Despite a fierce battle, Katie passed away in 2008, leaving an irreplaceable void. Determined to keep her memory alive, he turned tragedy into purpose by creating Katie’s Run, an annual community event and fundraiser. What began with 300 participants grew to over a thousand registrants a decade later, becoming one of the community’s most cherished events. The funeral home became the epicenter of this movement, bringing people together to celebrate life, honor Katie, and make a difference.

Katie’s Run is more than just a fundraiser; it’s a reflection of the family’s passion and the community’s support. Volunteers, local organizations, and families come together every year, finding joy in knowing they’re part of something meaningful. From the children’s race to the award ceremony, every moment is filled with smiles, gratitude, and a sense of togetherness. People leave not only with memories but with the satisfaction of having made a difference.

This success story underscores the importance of relationships. Without Live Oak Bank’s guidance, the acquisition of the funeral home might not have been possible. By listening to the owner’s story, understanding his passion, and providing the right support, the bank helped transform a vision into reality. This relationship-based approach allowed the business to thrive while creating a legacy of love and service that continues to impact the community.

Small businesses like this funeral home are more than financial transactions; they are pillars of the community. When owners receive the right support—both emotionally and financially—they can overcome challenges, achieve their dreams, and make a lasting difference. Whether it’s guiding families during times of grief, organizing events to bring people together, or keeping a loved one’s memory alive, these businesses remind us of the profound role small businesses play in our lives.

Through compassion, community connection, and trusted relationships, businesses can grow into something far greater than themselves. This story proves that with dedication, support, and a commitment to serving others, dreams can be realized, and legacies can live on.

For more on Mike’s story: https://youtu.be/-MCG1lOEzis?si=-DVIVp_EAB3uBIki

For more information on Live Oak’s products and services contact Andrew Kennedy, VP of Funeral Home and Cemetery lending, at andrew.kennedy@liveoak.bank. 

With the personal development industry exploding over the last few years, I’m sure you’ve heard the word “affirmations” before.

According to the English American Dictionary, to “affirm” is to state that something is true. 

Affirmations are a great tool to use when you feel yourself caught in a place of negativity, pessimism, drama, or judgement. They’re especially important for switching your mindset from being a “victim” of your circumstances, to a “creator” of them.

That’s why we thought it would be helpful to transform the funeral profession’s biggest challenges into affirmations to empower us. 

Keep reading below for 5 challenges we see the funeral profession facing now, into empowering affirmations for our transformation:

The Struggle: “I can’t keep up with all the changes happening in the funeral profession.” 

The Affirmation: “Change is the first step of evolution, and I’m so excited to witness the evolution of the funeral profession.”

Change is a constant in our profession, that’s an important, but harsh truth to remember. And why feel overwhelmed, when you can flip the perspective and get excited? Did you know that modern psychology says the energy of anxiety and excitement are the same? It’s true, you can read about it here. So buckle up and enjoy the ride!

The Struggle: “Families are just looking for the lowest priced services or no service at all.” 

The Affirmation: “Families want something different, and I am committed to finding out what it is that they’re looking for. ”

If your families aren’t choosing any of your services or opting for direct cremation, it’s not because they don’t want any services. They just don’t see enough value in your current offerings to invest it. This can be another harsh truth, yet easily flipped. What if you changed your offerings based on families needs? What if you kept testing offerings until families were knocking down your door for your services? Failure is just a nudge in another direction. So go forth and don’t be afraid to fail!

The Struggle: “The funeral industry is dying!” 

The Affirmation: “The funeral industry is having a rebirth!”

This one requires another simple switch in your mindset. Doesn’t this feel much more empowering than focusing on the struggle? It’s a revolution, my friends. Time to embrace it!

The Struggle: “I’m a funeral director… not a therapist.” 

The Affirmation: “As a funeral director I am here to support families on their grief journey, and I recognize that it takes building a relationship with my families in order to support them.”

With families seeking more experience-based support, and less product-based support, it can feel overwhelming for funeral directors to understand this switch. Many funeral pros on social media have shared that offering grief or aftercare support is beyond their scope. But the truth is, this kind of experience based support is becoming our scope. Time to get familiar with it.

The Struggle: “I’m just not able to educate families on the value of our services anymore.” 

The Affirmation: “I am becoming educated on the value of my services by listening to my families.”

One of our audience’s biggest struggles was educating families on the value of a funeral service (check out the other top struggles here). Educating families is important. However, what if we allowed our families to educate us? What if we used active listening skills, interviews and testimonials to hear what families are truly looking for from us? Now that would be a game changer!

How to use these affirmations

Since you’re reading this post, you’re probably part of the 10% of our profession is creating the future of funerals. Since you ARE the change we are looking for in our profession, it’s your responsibility to use these affirmations as much as possible! If you see anyone else getting caught on the struggle bus, help them switch their struggle to an affirmation! Try it and let us know how it goes in the comments below! 🙂

What are your favorite affirmations for the modern funeral director? Tell us in the comments below!