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 monument professionals. Designed to support onboarding, team development, and industry knowledge, the Academy provides training that companies can deliver directly to staff at their desks. The conversation explores why structured education is critical for the future of the monument industry, how the fundamentals course benefits employees at every level, and what additional courses are coming next. The episode also highlights how shared learning can strengthen company culture, improve employee retention, and inspire the next generation of professionals in memorialization.

• (00:00:05) - Monument Matters
• (00:02:08) - Monument Builders Academy
• (00:04:18) - MBNA's comprehensive academy training
• (00:06:54) - The First-Year Monument Training
• (00:09:02) - MBNA Training: The Fundamentals Course
• (00:11:33) - MBNA's four-year design course
• (00:14:12) - The Academy of Management: Pass knowledge to the next generation
• (00:15:36) - MBNA's Monument Builders Academy
• (00:20:59) - Monument Matters: Starting the Monument Builders Academy
• (00:22:08) - MBA and Monument Matters

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 with host Mike Johns, he reflects on craftsmanship, the value of MBNA membership, and why personal outreach and collaboration are essential to strengthening the monument industry.

• (00:00:05) - Monument Matters
• (00:00:49) - President of Monument Builders of North America Sean Longstreth
• (00:04:04) - MBCN: The Real ROI of Membership
• (00:06:43) - The Best Way to Get a Member to Join MBNA
• (00:08:25) - What are the biggest opportunities for monument builders?
• (00:11:59) - MBNA President reflects on the association's future
• (00:16:55) - MVNA President's message
• (00:21:11) - Monument Matters

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 Bouwkamp explore burial trends, green burial, and why meaningful memorialization remains essential for grief, remembrance, and connection across generations.

• (00:00:05) - Monument Matters
• (00:02:03) - Cremation and Burial: What's the Connection?
• (00:05:11) - Do cemeteries care about cremation or green burial?
• (00:08:17) - Questions about Green Burial
• (00:09:33) - Cremation Rates and Monument Builders
• (00:12:02) - Questions about funeral and memorialization options
• (00:17:47) - Gen Z's Love of Home and Tradition
• (00:19:31) - What should monument builders think about memorialization in a cremation world
• (00:22:02) - Monument builders: More Community Involvement
• (00:25:10) - Why Does Permanent Memorialization Matter?
• (00:26:03) - Monument Matters: Cremation