Penny Mattingly

I attribute my success to the skills I developed early in my career working in an old-fashioned shoe store, where I learned to sit down with individuals, measure their feet, try multiple shoes on them, and most importantly, listen and talk to people. That experience really helped me grow and prepared me for connecting with families in funeral services. I've always been interested in helping families and trying to make their lives a little better. When you work closely with people like that, you learn to truly listen to their needs, and that ability to connect has been fundamental to everything I do. My mentors also played a huge role - Glenn Duhon, our Funeral Director Manager at Maxwell P. Dunn, has taught me a great deal about thinking outside the box even though I've only been working with him for a relatively short time. And Don Beard, who trained me and hired me at the cemetery, showed me so much and saw in me what I didn't see in myself - the ability to connect with families and help them. Those relationships and that foundation of genuinely caring about people have been the keys to my success.

The best career advice I ever received came from a wise man who told me, 'Penny, you have two ears and one mouth. What does that tell you? Listen more and talk less.' That simple piece of wisdom has stuck with me throughout my career. Beyond that, my mentors have taught me invaluable lessons - Glenn Duhon has shown me the importance of thinking outside the box, and Don Beard saw abilities in me that I didn't see in myself, particularly my ability to connect with families and help them. I've also learned that you have to be flexible, you have to listen, and you have to have a heart for people. Being empathetic and sometimes putting yourself in their position means a lot to people, because people just want to know you care.

My advice to young professionals entering this field is that you have to be flexible and you have to listen. A wise man once told me, 'Penny, you have two ears and one mouth. What does that tell you? Listen more and talk less.' You also need to have a heart for people - be empathetic and sometimes put yourself in their position. That means a lot to people, because people just want to know you care. You have to be willing to do the hard things, even the things you don't want to do, because doing them makes you better. For me, that's making phone calls to people who aren't expecting me and don't know me - I don't like it because I feel like I'm bothering people, but I know I'm not. So you do the work, even the difficult parts, and that's what helps you grow and succeed in this profession.

One of the biggest challenges I face in my field is making phone calls to people that aren't expecting me to call them and that don't know me. It sometimes catches people off guard, so I have to overcome that and just start a conversation. I do not like making phone calls because I feel like I'm bothering people, but I know I'm not, so that is a huge obstacle for me. However, I've learned that you have to do the work, and even the hard things that you don't want to do, you do them, and that makes you better. On the opportunity side, there's a real need for education and guidance in this field. Many people don't understand that cremation isn't just a simple pickup - you can have a full traditional service and then be cremated after, or you could have a memorial service. It's my job to educate families and guide them so that when the time of need comes, they don't have such a difficult time.

First of all, faith - my faith in God is of utmost importance in my heart and my priority. And then, of course, family is a huge part of me. And then, serving others. So, I guess that would be my priority list in a short version. These values guide everything I do, both professionally and personally. In my work, I try to show people that I care by being empathetic and putting myself in their position. People just want to know you care, and that's what drives me to help families through one of the most difficult times in their lives. My faith also led me to pursue a degree in theology from South Texas Bible Institute, and Bible study and church are a big part of my life. I also love spending time with my whole family - we go to the Frio River every year and rent a bunch of cabins, and we have 20 of us, including friends. Family and faith are truly at the center of who I am.