MBNA Monument Matters

More Than a Sale: Rethinking the Memorial Sales Experience

Selling a memorial isn’t like selling almost anything else. Families may arrive grieving, uncertain and unfamiliar with the process, making empathy and careful listening

Placement with Purpose: Turning Cremation into Permanent Memorialization

More than 22 million urns are estimated to remain in homes across the United States, often without a plan for permanent placement. In this episode of Monument Matters, Ho

Mentoring in Motion: Sharing Knowledge, Building the Monument Profession

Some of the most valuable education in the monument profession happens when someone simply asks a question. In this episode of Monument Matters, Roger and Debbie Aholt of

AI at Work: Practical, Safe Tools for Monument Builders

Artificial intelligence is changing how businesses approach research, communication, design and daily operations, but monument builders need guidance tailored to their wo

Tradition Doesn’t Mean Standing Still: Sunburst Memorials Builds for the Next Century

In this episode of Monument Matters, host Mike Johns talks with Jill Kampa, president of Sunburst Memorials, and Dylan Gertken, director of operations, about the company’

Designing Meaning: The Art of the Story in Stone

In this episode of Monument Matters, Mike Johns talks with Jed A. Hendrickson, CM, FAICA, about the fundamentals of meaningful monument design. Their conversation explore

Monumental Mobile: The USS Alabama and the Stories It Preserves

In this episode of Monument Matters, host Mike Johns talks with Matthew McCluney of USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park about one of Mobile’s most memorable destinations

Keeping the Monument Industry Connected: A conversation with the We Rock podcast hosts

In this special crossover episode of Monument Matters and We Rock, Mike Johns, Tony Watson and Austin Keese explore how education, networking and association involvement

Carving the Path: Mentorship and Community through WinMBNA

In this special takeover episode of Monument Matters, the leadership team of WinMBNA shares personal stories, career lessons, and insights into the future of the monument

Typography Matters: Bringing Craft and Creativity Back to Monument Lettering

Lettering is often treated as a secondary step in monument design—but should it be? In this episode, Brandon Billester of the Monument Lettering Center joins the conversa

Honoring a Life Lived Full Throttle: The Story Behind an Award-Winning Monument

What does it take to turn a life story into a lasting memorial? In this episode, the team at Harrison Monument share how they worked with Salem Stone to transform a young

More Than a Job: Training Monument Professionals

In this episode of Monument Matters, host Mike Johns talks with Troy Caldwell about the launch of Monument Builders Academy, MBNA’s new online education platform for monu

From Shop Floor to President: Sean Longstreth, CM, AICA on Craftsmanship, Community, and the Future of Memorialization

New MBNA President Sean Longstreth, CM, AICA shares how growing up in a fifth-generation monument business shaped his passion for memorialization. In this conversation wi

Beyond Cremation: Why Families Still Want a Place to Remember

Despite rising cremation rates, many families still want a permanent place to remember their loved ones. In this episode of Monument Matters, Mike Johns and Cristine Bouw

Cremation Isn’t the Whole Story: What Consumers Really Want in Disposition and Memorialization

Dr. Tanya Marsh joins Monument Matters to unpack what consumer research really reveals about cremation, burial and emerging options like green burial and human composting

The Stone Carver’s Apprentice: How CNC Technology Is Shaping the Future of Monument Craft

In Season 2, Episode 2 of Monument Matters, Ross Oglesby of Keystone Memorials and Dan Weeres of Coldspring discuss how CNC technology is reshaping the monument industry.

The Art of Memorialization: Craftsmanship That Endure

Are memorialists artists or tradespeople—or both? In this Monument Matters episode, Danielle Lehman and Steve “Kaz” Kaczmarski explore how design fundamentals, mentorship

The Quiet Cost of Credit Card Fees Hurt Monument Builders and Their Families

In this episode of Monument Matters, we explore how MBNA members can take control of credit card processing costs without changing providers or disrupting daily operation

Protecting What You’ve Built: MBNA Partners with AMJ Insurance to Offer Business Coverage

In this episode of Monument Matters, host Mike Johns, Jr., CM, AICA, is joined by Michael S. George and Sarah Scott of AMJ Insurance to discuss the real-world risks monum

Getting the Names Right: Preserving Veterans’ Stories Through Research and Memorial Design

In this episode of Monument Matters, host Mike Johns speaks with military researcher Bill Beigel, founder of World War II Research, Inc., about how monument builders can