In a world where conversations about death are often avoided or silenced, Jenny Tay chose to do the opposite and brought them back to life.
Jenny’s journey in Direct Funeral Services shows that even legacy businesses can be revitalised through vision and perseverance.
As the managing director of Direct Funeral Services, Jenny’s journey into an industry shaped by traditions and taboos is anything but ordinary, as she shares in a previous TEDxNTU talk. Here are three timeless lessons we can learn from her inspiring story.
How do you lead in a world built on traditions and taboos? In her TEDxNTU talk, Jenny shares some insights from her journey in the funeral industry.
Lesson #1: Your gender doesn’t define your potential
When Jenny first entered the industry, many questioned her credibility, assuming that her age meant inexperience and that her gender signalled weakness. Still, she stayed. Instead of responding with confrontation, she focused on doing her work and letting her results speak for themselves. Where others choose to lead with formality and traditions, she led with empathy and authenticity. Her journey demonstrates that being a woman is not a limitation, but a different kind of strength the industry never knew it needed.
Lesson #2: When change is needed, don’t let anyone convince you otherwise
Jenny recognised early on that the funeral industry needed a serious update in order to revive the trade. The wake setups felt outdated, the service was disorganised, and the company image did not reflect the level of care families deserved.
The outdated aesthetics of wake services in Singapore were one of the first things Jenny sought to reform.
She pushed for changes: introducing new wake layouts, professional uniforms and modern service standards. But not everyone agreed. Vendors, seniors, and workers were hesitant but that did not stop her. She made the tough call and stood by her vision. Over time, what once seemed disruptive is now the new standard.
Jenny’s transformation of the business echoes a broader evolution in funeral planning in Singapore.
This serves to inspire us that when you see the need for change, don’t let resistance stop you from doing what needs to be done.
Lesson #3: A crisis can be a hidden gift
Jenny did not plan to join the funeral business. It was a crisis that brought her in when her father, Roland Tay suffered a heart attack, and she stepped in to help carry the weight of his business.
What started as her love for her father became something greater. As she navigated the daily demands of the business, she saw the gaps in how the industry served grieving families. She started challenging the norm and was determined to reimagine how funeral services could improve if changes were introduced.
Even traditional sectors like Buddhist funeral services in Singapore saw a transformation under her watch.
This crisis became a calling that led her to transform not just her family’s business but the expectations of the entire industry.