Artificial intelligence is changing how businesses approach research, communication, design and daily operations, but monument builders need guidance tailored to their work. In this episode, host Mike Johns speaks with Mike Lannen of Eternity about treating AI as a trained assistant rather than a replacement for employees. They discuss data privacy, fact-checking, customer-facing limitations, proposal development, design mock-ups and choosing the right AI tool for each task. Lannen also previews MBNA’s four-part AI Bootcamp, which will give monument builders practical, live demonstrations designed for users at every experience level, from beginners to professionals already experimenting with AI in their businesses.

• (00:00:05) - Monument Matters
• (00:01:13) - What's the Need for More AI Training Series?
• (00:02:15) - Is AI Good or Evil?
• (00:10:17) - Should Businesses Use AI in Monument & Memorial Business?
• (00:14:06) - Should You Sign Up for AI Boot Camp?
• (00:18:14) - At Tech Boot Camp, Volunteers Complete a Task Live
• (00:20:19) - The AI Bootcamp
• (00:22:38) - Is Claude the Best Content Planning Tool? vs. ChatGPT
• (00:24:48) - A.I. In the Elevator
• (00:25:49) - Monument Matters

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’s move from its 108-year-old facility into a new headquarters and production facility in St. Cloud, Minnesota. The conversation explores how Sunburst approached growth, Lean Manufacturing, employee ownership, workflow redesign, safety, technology and culture. Jill and Dylan also share practical lessons for other monument shops, including why process and people should come before equipment investments and why innovation can strengthen, rather than replace, the craftsmanship at the heart of memorialization.

• (00:00:00) - Monument Matters
• (00:01:27) - Sunburst Memorial's Move Into New Headquarters and Production Facility
• (00:03:53) - How Big Is Sunburst Memorials?
• (00:05:03) - Building a new plant in Minnesota
• (00:07:18) - What Lean Manufacturing Looks Like in a Monument Shop
• (00:12:48) - Questions about redundancy in the monument industry
• (00:14:42) - Sunburst Industries: 100% Employee Owned
• (00:18:17) - What feedback from employees has had the biggest impact on the final facility
• (00:22:26) - The New Granite Plant's new facility
• (00:24:18) - Exploring a Production Expansion with Lean
• (00:28:00) - Continuous Improvement in Manufacturing
• (00:29:59) - Monument Matters

In this episode of Monument Matters, Mike Johns talks with Jed A. Hendrickson, CM, FAICA, about the fundamentals of meaningful monument design. Their conversation explores lettering, proportion, balance, white space, technology and the new Monument Builders Academy Design course, created to help teams improve design awareness across the company.

• (00:00:00) - Monument Matters
• (00:01:31) - A Question for Jed Rosen
• (00:02:21) - The American Institute of Commemorative Art
• (00:05:00) - The Typography Errors of Memorials
• (00:08:08) - The Design Module of the Monument Builders Academy
• (00:11:13) - The Design Process Improvement Module
• (00:14:57) - The Importance of Creativity in Design
• (00:18:09) - The Art of Monument Design
• (00:20:19) - The Design Modal
• (00:23:53) - Monument Matters