After earning a degree in communication and mass media, Jamie Sarche planned to work in television. Instead, she says, she is doing what she was “meant to do” by broadcasting the benefits of Wellabe’s Preneed insurance to clients.

Jamie has served as the Director of Preplanning for Feldman Mortuary in Denver, Colorado, for 15 years. She satisfies her passion for mass media when she gives presentations, such as a TEDx talk that taught people how important it is to talk about death. That is the reason she works in funeral preplanning.

“People feel so alone in their grieving because we don’t have any practice talking about death,” she explains. “If we would learn to talk about it, we would have an easier time navigating bereavement when death does happen.”

Jamie began helping people with difficult matters in high school as a peer advisor. When a friend was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, Jamie didn’t shy away from hard conversations with her. Today, no topic is off the table when it comes to death, and Jamie has noticed a shift in her community’s culture since she started having these public talks, which have served as her biggest lead source. 

Among her engagements is a four-week series at a retirement community, where she not only presents but also hosts others to speak on related topics. The public library often invites her to facilitate a Death Café, where people discuss death to live a more meaningful life. Jamie is also the “go-to person” for one university’s enrichment programming for aging adults. 

When she isn’t educating her community in these venues, Jamie spends time with her husband, two adult sons, and labrador retriever named Dubarry, who is a grief support dog at Feldman Mortuary. She is also enthusiastic about volunteering in her community in other ways, such as helping with voter registration. These activities have helped her build credibility that carries over to her work. 

“People feel safe with me. The seeds I have sewn are making a difference,” she says.

Jamie’s tips for success

• Be an educator, not an order taker. Jamie believes it’s her responsibility to give people things to think about and to help them make decisions that align with their values. “I’m not there to sell them on anything except that it’s a really good idea to plan ahead,” she explains. 
• Keep your mission front of mind. For Jamie, her goal is to support people and make things easier for their loved ones. Remembering that helps her to keep going despite challenges. 
• Become a subject matter expert. Jamie says to educate yourself, especially on grief. She also says to get “real information” on legal requirements, such as those for green burials. Jamie gets involved with state legislation to not only gain extensive information but to also influence the availability of offerings.
• Ask for referrals. Jamie often hears that clients have pressured their peers into contacting her, and she takes that as a compliment. She uses a gentle manner for asking for referrals: “If this has been meaningful for you, I’d really appreciate you sharing it with other people.”  
• Don’t fear the competition. Jamie isn’t afraid to interact with others in preplanning. She believes the only competition she has is when people choose not to preplan. “The more people who preplan and it becomes the norm, the better it will be for all of us,” she explains.