Meet Jenny Tay, a phenomenal entrepreneur from Singapore, taking on the world of funeral services with a zestful and innovative spirit that challenges norms and stereotypes about the deceased, death and dying.
As the Managing Director of Direct Funeral Services Pte Ltd, she is transforming the funeral services industry – usually dominated by rough-talking men and surrounded by superstitions – one taboo at a time.
To Jenny, the funeral services business is a hospitality business.
When she married in 2015, she made the front page news as she and her husband decided to take unusually daring wedding photos – she was photographed in her wedding finery lying in a coffin and sitting on a coffin!
Jenny and her husband worked to revamp society’s shoddy perception of funeral services and raise the bar for funeral directors.
Her ideas sparked notable changes – from an industry predominantly occupied by individuals between 40s to 60s, often uneducated and illiterate and viewing the profession as a last resort to a younger group who believe in setting higher standards of service for the grieving.
Today, her team comprises young, aspiring individuals between the ages of 20 to 40. Reflecting on her journey, Jenny is proud of the growth of her business – from a small group of 5 individuals to a robust team of 80.
In her own words, “When you surround yourself with people who share a passionate commitment around a common purpose, anything is possible.”
Jenny’s decade-old journey in the funeral industry has been nothing short of extraordinary. Having such proximity to the deceased daily has given her a profound appreciation for life and relationships, fostering compassion for clients relying on her and her team to handle wakes and funerals with the utmost empathy and calmness.
Jenny recalls the initial wave of skepticism that greeted her when she entered the funeral business, taking over from her father, Roland Tay. Her entry into the funeral business was sparked by a personal experience – her father’s heart attack. Armed with a background in advertising, Jenny had to prove herself capable of staying in the business. The people who had worked with her father questioned her commitment, expecting her to quickly abandon ship.
To prove them wrong, Jenny dove headfirst into the gritty realities of the business, even volunteering for an autopsy case on her very first day. When she stepped into the embalming room, she mentally prepared herself to face the inevitable – a deceased body.
Despite initial resistance, Jenny’s calm determination to understand the embalming process showcased her commitment and it was this determination, over time, that changed the judgemental perceptions of the people around her.
Jenny approaches this business with deep respect for the deceased. She recognizes the equalizing nature of death, emphasizing our shared humanity beneath societal roles and gender differences.
In her determined way, Jenny revolutionized the industry, pushing forth innovative ideas as she was dissatisfied with outdated practices in the industry. Despite facing resistance, she believes families deserve a compassionate and personalized approach during times of grief.
She introduced uniforms and name tags for her team, redesigned funeral settings and backdrops to reflect calm and elegant spaces and even humanized the departed by creating biographies for guests at the wake and funeral to know them even in death.
Her ideas didn’t stop there. Concerned after overhearing how an adult explained death inappropriately to a child, she and her husband decided to author a children’s book that approached the topic in a non-morbid yet respectful manner.
Beyond her professional achievements, Jenny has a penchant for lounge music, finding solace in its soothing tunes to relax and decompress. She is deeply inspired by her dad’s resilient attitude towards life and her mum’s nurturing care for the family.
Jenny passionately speaks about the positive changes in the industry yet emphasizes, “In terms of work, there is a lot to talk about, but one of my life’s biggest achievements is having 3 lovely children within 4 years of my life.”
Jenny Tay’s story is not just about reshaping an industry but also about fostering a work environment that values growth, diversity and a holistic approach to life.
Her journey underscores the importance of being able to re-imagine change and creativity in the face of tradition and taboos.