Daisy Bordeau-Echevarria

I attribute my success to working my way up from the very bottom of the funeral industry, literally starting with janitorial duties and progressing through every single aspect of the business. I started part-time at a local funeral home in Texas while studying forensic science in college, and as soon as I began working there, I felt a calling I had never experienced before. I knew that's where I was meant to be, so I changed my major and pursued funeral direction as a career. Having done all aspects of the work - from embalming to directing to managing - means I can train on it, mentor on it, and do it myself if needed. I've learned to soak up experience from everyone around me, from embalmers to directors to managers to administrators, and I take a little bit from each and make it my own. The degree got me the job, but the experience and the way I've formed it into my own has helped me grow in the industry. What I'm most proud of is rising to a leadership position in an industry that remains very male-dominated, especially at the leadership level. I had an incredible mentor early in my career, Donnie Wall, a funeral director with over 40 years of experience at that first family-owned funeral home. He was a wealth of knowledge and was always so good to me, even though I struggled at that home with male domination and wasn't allowed to go to conferences like the National Funeral Directors conferences - that was what the guys did. Donnie knew my struggle, and when I left the company, he understood why. Now I still send him messages every time I get a promotion or recognition, and he makes sure everyone knows about my success. I've also found it incredibly rewarding to mentor others, particularly a woman who worked for me in Texas as an administrator. I promoted her to office manager and continued to mentor her even after I left the company. She was then promoted to the corporate office and has since received another promotion. She often tells me that I believed in her when nobody else would, and seeing her grow has been one of the most exciting parts of my journey.

I would tell young women entering the funeral industry to be firm in what you believe. If you know what you are standing up for, don't back down. In order to stand out in this industry and make a way for yourself, you have to be confident. You can't be okay with being in somebody's shadow. You can't do all the work and then be okay with being overlooked. You have to be firm and stand out, and you have to be persistent. You absolutely have to be persistent. This industry is historically very male-dominated, and while it has been shifting in the last few years with more women funeral directors, it's still very much male-dominated in leadership roles at higher levels. You will face challenges where your voice may not be heard as readily as a male colleague's, even when you have more experience and insight. I've been in situations where I can literally be in a room and people will walk right past me asking where the director is, and I have to say, 'Right here.' You will have to work harder for the same recognition, and you will have to prove yourself. But if you stay confident, firm in your beliefs, and persistent, you can rise to the top just like I did, working from the very bottom doing janitorial duties all the way up to regional leadership.

The biggest challenge in my field right now is navigating the male-dominated nature of the industry, particularly at the leadership level. While the funeral industry has been shifting in recent years with more women becoming funeral directors, leadership roles at my level are still very much male-dominated. The most frustrating part for me is when I have input or a solution to something that I have more insight on because I've done it myself and have more experience, but there will be a male in either an equal position as me or maybe a higher position with less industry experience, and his voice will be heard before mine. I can literally be in a room and people will walk right past me asking, 'Where's the director?' and I have to say, 'Right here.' It's incredibly frustrating to be overlooked in meetings despite being present and having the most relevant experience. In this environment, proving oneself requires additional effort. You have to work harder for the same recognition and constantly demonstrate your expertise and value, even when you've worked your way up from the very bottom through every aspect of the business.

The values most important to me center around continuous learning, mentorship, and making a difference in people's lives. In my professional life, I believe in soaking up all the experience I can from everyone around me - from embalmers to directors to managers to administrators. I take a little bit from each person and make it my own. While my associate's degree in mortuary science gave me the book knowledge, it's really the experience and the way I've formed it into my own that has helped me grow in the industry. I'm passionate about mentoring others and giving people opportunities that they want but that nobody else will give them. Seeing the people I've mentored grow in their careers has been one of the most rewarding things for me. Beyond my career, I'm deeply passionate about advocating for vulnerable populations. I was involved with CASA, an organization that advocates for children in the system, and I was super passionate about that work during my time in Texas. Now, as a first-time mom to my 8-month-old son, being a mother has become central to my life. I spent so much time building my career and waited until I was more established to have a child. Now that I have him, I realize this is the best thing ever. Anytime I'm not working, I'm just soaking up being a mom. Balancing my leadership role managing 30 funeral homes across Florida with being present for my son reflects my commitment to both professional excellence and personal fulfillment.