Keenan Knopke on Modern Day Old School Cemetery Management

00:00 - Introduction to On the Clock and guest Keenan Knopke 00:27 - Starting at age five: Stomping flowers in Tampa, Florida 02:00 - Giving up pro golf to enter the family cemetery business 03:15 - Learning ground care, digging graves by hand, and “chopping markers” 04:30 - Becoming a licensed funeral director and embalmer 05:48 - Selling the family business and spending 19 years with Stewart Enterprises 08:15 - Making the move to Curlew Hills Memory Gardens 12:00 - The unique history and corporate structure of the Curlew estate 17:20 - Modernizing the business: Computers, digital arrangements, and cutting overhead 18:40 - Overhauling sales culture: Eliminating pressure tactics and sales quotas 25:00 - Adapting to 70%+ cremation rates and changing consumer preferences 26:29 - Looking ahead: Open-air chapels, glass-front niches, and composting 29:30 - Words of advice: Open-minded leadership and never judging a book by its cover