Nearly 50 years
inside an independent
funeral home.
Barbara Poole co-founded and operated an NC funeral home beginning in 1978. She knows preneed from the owner's side of the desk — what a program needs to actually work, and what quietly keeps it from doing so.
Does any of this sound familiar?
Most funeral homes Barbara works with
are in one of four situations.
We want a preneed program but don't know how to build one.
You know preneed is being left on the table. But building a real program — with the right structure, staff, and habits — is a different problem than signing with a carrier.
Our program exists but it's not producing what it should.
The contracts are there. The carriers are signed. But results are inconsistent, follow-through is weak, and nobody's quite sure why. An outside assessment changes that conversation.
We hired a preneed counselor but they need real training.
Carrier product training is not counselor development. There's a difference between someone who knows the product and someone who can earn a family's trust.
We're not confident our program meets NC requirements.
NC has specific expectations for preneed operations. Most gaps aren't intentional — they're the result of programs that grew without a compliance framework built in.
"I know what a preneed program looks like from the owner's side of the desk — because I sat there for nearly 50 years."
Barbara Poole co-founded an independent funeral home in Knightdale in 1978 and helped build it into an established institution. Licensed as a Funeral Director, Crematory Operator, and Cosmetologist. District 3 Director of the NC Funeral Directors Association. 2017 Knightdale Chamber Citizen of the Year.
Read Barbara's full storyA practical, no-pressure process.
We talk about your situation.
A confidential conversation — no pitch. Barbara listens, asks the right questions, and gives you a direct read on what she sees.
Barbara designs the engagement.
Program design, assessment, counselor training, compliance review, or ongoing advisory — scoped around your actual needs, not a package.
Your program produces results.
Strong preneed programs run on the right structure, trained people, and consistent habits. That's what Barbara builds.
Experience that comes from inside the business.
Most preneed consultants come from the carrier or counselor side. Barbara comes from ownership — nearly 50 years of it.
Built It Herself
Barbara did not study funeral homes from the outside. She co-founded one in 1978 and ran it. She understands preneed from the perspective of the owner who made payroll, managed staff, and faced the same decisions you face.
Knows the Owner's Side of the Desk
Most preneed consultants come from the carrier or counselor side. Barbara comes from ownership. She knows what a program looks like when it helps the funeral home — and when it quietly works against it.
Deep NC Standing
District 3 Director, NC Funeral Directors Association. Nearly 40 years on the Knightdale Chamber of Commerce. 2017 Citizen of the Year. The relationships and reputation Barbara brings are built over decades, not a business card.
Stewardship Over Shortcuts
Barbara's approach has always been built on stewardship, leadership, and service. She will tell you what your program actually needs — not what's easiest to sell.
Let's talk about your preneed program.
A short, confidential conversation. No pitch. Just an honest look at where your program stands and whether Barbara can help.