“I Know My Worth” Is Undermining Professionalism in the Funeral Industry

In a world flooded with self-affirming slogans and hustle culture soundbites, one phrase continues to echo across industries:

“I know my worth.”

It sounds strong. Motivational. Even principled. When you dig deeper; especially in professions grounded in service, legacy, and emotional responsibility. It becomes clear that this phrase is often a mask for misplaced entitlement, And few industries feel this tension more than the funeral profession.

A Real-World Example

A seasoned sales professional recently applied for an entry-level role in the funeral space. The position offered a $40,000 base salary with commission potential. Standard. Fair. Ground-floor.

Despite having no industry experience, no client relationships, and no understanding of the relational depth required in this field, she requested:

$150,000 base.

Full commission.

Immediate trust and autonomy.

Her justification?

“I know my worth.”

This isn’t confidence. It’s confusion.

And if leaders don’t address it head-on, it can poison teams, fracture trust, and reduce businesses built on service into hollow structures of ego and expectation.

Worth vs. Value: The Line That Matters

Let’s draw a clean line in the sand. Worth is personal. It’s what someone believes they deserve based on past experience or internal perception. Value is professional. It’s the measurable impact someone delivers in a new context. In industries like funeral service, where relationships are built one handshake, one midnight phone call, one grieving family at a time, value cannot be assumed. It must be earned.

When this misunderstanding creeps into hiring, training, and leadership development, the consequences ripple out fast:

• Inflated salary expectations not matched by deliverables

• Shortened tenure from employees who expect instant trust

• Frustrated leadership spending more time correcting than coaching

• Diluted service standards as entitlement overtakes empathy

In our profession, where trust and consistency are currency, this erosion is dangerous, and entirely avoidable. Funeral professionals don’t just manage services. We steward moments that define how families heal, how communities grieve, and how legacies are remembered. This isn’t sales in the traditional sense. It’s trust work. It’s emotional labor. It’s service in its highest form. You don’t walk in with a big résumé and demand to be seen. You show up consistently and earn the right to lead. That’s what real value looks like.

Where Dignity Solutions Comes In

Dignity Solutions is a consulting partner focused exclusively on the unique challenges and opportunities within the funeral industry. We help firms and leadership teams:

• Reinforce culture around service, not status

• Train and coach staff who deliver measurable value with humility

• Establish expectations that align performance with long-term growth

• Create hiring and onboarding systems that filter for character, not just charisma

Our belief is simple: Sustainable success comes from clarity, accountability, and commitment to excellence over ego.

Whether you’re navigating internal misalignment, struggling with turnover, or looking to scale without compromising your standards—our team can help.

We don’t chase trends.

We reinforce what works.

“We Help the People That Help People.”

Slogans don’t build legacies.

Service does.

Clarity does.

Character does.

If your business is ready to grow through value (not noise)we’re here to support that journey. Want to talk? Reach out today to schedule a discovery conversation with a Dignity Solutions advisor.

We’ll help you build a team that earns trust, sustains growth, and leads with purpose