Every business says its service is what sets it apart. Very few are publicly recognised for it. Jason and Nichola Threadgold are, and they work in an industry where every customer arrives on the worst day of their life.
The husband-and-wife funeral directors have grown from one funeral home to five in 12 years, built a team of 30 and won a customer service award. On the latest ActionCOACH Business Growth Podcast, they explain how. Their answer is simple, and hard to live by: stop selling and start solving people's problems.
Trust starts with listening
In a high-stakes industry, trust is everything, and Nichola breaks it down into four parts: listening, caring, understanding and going beyond what people expect. Communication doesn't start with what you say. It starts with how well you hear what the customer actually needs.
Be impeccable with your word
For Jason, trust is won or lost on one thing: doing what you said you'd do, on time. In a business where, as they put it, you only get one chance to get it right, every promise matters. It's a lesson for any business owner: audit the promises you make to customers, and make sure you keep every single one.
Solve the problem, don't sell the product
Every customer walks through the door with a problem. The Threadgolds treat that problem as a challenge to exceed rather than a sale to close. Their philosophy is to give people what they aren't expecting, but what they deserve. Do that consistently and, as they've found, clients become lifelong friends.
It's also why Jason was able to go it alone. After more than 30 years in the funeral industry, many of the families he had served followed him when he set up his own business.
Work as equals
Running a business with your partner brings its own challenges. Jason brings decades of industry experience, while Nichola brings a customer service and corporate background and leads the operational side. They share how one comment in the wrong tone taught them to work as equals, not as manager and employee, and why that shift mattered for the business as much as the marriage.
Scale with research, not hope
Opening five locations didn't happen by chance. Before committing to a new area, they study census data and age demographics, and make sure the model is right before they open the doors.
Finding the right buildings took courage too. Their approach: knock on the door and ask the owner directly. That landed them three buildings, including one that took nearly a year to come through. As they say in the episode, the best things in life are on the other side of fear.
Cross-train your whole team
At Threadgold, everyone learns everyone else's role. It builds resilience, understanding and a stronger culture, to the point where an administrator has stepped in as a hearse driver. Their challenge to listeners: send one team member to spend a day in another department, and see what changes when they come back.
Know your numbers
Even a funeral business felt the pinch during COVID. The cashflow squeeze taught them a lesson every owner should take to heart: know your numbers inside and out, whatever industry you're in.
Culture makes the difference
Jason and Nichola's story shows that care and trust aren't soft extras. They are the foundations of growth. Whether you're running a family business, leading a team or planning your next location, this conversation is packed with practical ideas you can use straight away.
Jason and Nichola work with ActionCOACH business coach John McHale. If you're ready to build a business your customers trust and your team is proud of, an ActionCOACH coach can help you get there.
