Jarod Steffen: Forty Under 40
FairHaven Funeral Home • March 25, 2020
As far as business accolades go, being identified as a top performer by age 40 is a significant milestone. In this Business Weekly profile, Steffen explains how he got himself into this rare cluster of Fort Wayne talent. He's 38.
Forty Under 40 for 2020:
FairHaven's Jarod Steffen shares a deeply personal approach to his work, where success is defined by bringing comfort to others and bringing the community together in their support.
Employer:
FairHaven Funeral Home and Cremation Services
Education:
Rensselaer Central High School; Worsham College of Mortuary Science of Wheeling, Illinois (Associate’s); Taylor University of Upland, Bachelor’s degree.
Community organizations in which you are involved:
Member of Apostolic Christian Church of Leo; Sunday School teacher; Fort Wayne Rescue Mission; Erin’s House for Grieving Children; Mission Church Christmas Eve Distribution; Supporter of Fort Wayne Fraternal Order of Police; local Little League sponsor.
Hobbies:
Running, home projects, fantasy football, and spending time with my family.
Why are you in northeast Indiana?
My wife and I moved to the Fort Wayne area after feeling directed to work with youth at Gateway Woods Family Services
in Leo. We worked with teenagers who were court-ordered to be in group home placement. It’s a wonderful organization with people that have a heart for the youth of northeast Indiana. My wife and I understood it would be a short-term ministry opportunity. We served there for three years before my wife returned to teaching and I returned to the funeral industry.
What is it about your profession that you enjoy and why?
Caring for others through a difficult time is always very fulfilling. People who arrive at our funeral home typically don’t want to be there, but it’s where they find themselves. Coming alongside and helping mend the brokenness is where I find the most fulfillment. My work is very purposeful, and, although difficult, the work keeps me focused on others. Working around death causes constant self-reflection and eternal thinking. I also enjoy working alongside local clergy, healthcare workers, and military honors teams. This profession allows me to feel connected to the community.
What does success mean to you?
A successful day for me is when details are carried out with accuracy, a community joins together in support, and a grieving family is satisfied and at peace with their act of commemoration. Personally, feeling successful usually means that I’ve given my best for God’s glory.
Where did your first pay check come from? What was your job then?
I was a paperboy for a local newspaper, The Rensselaer Republican.
Who was your biggest supporter who helped you advance in your career?
My family. I’ve been blessed with a wife, parents, sisters, and in-laws who have always supported me. I’ve also worked with good leaders who challenged and pushed me.
What has been your biggest accomplishment thus far in your career?
Teaming up with my business partners, Mark Scheidt, Britton Claghorn, and Lucas Glessner. These guys make me better every day. The establishment of this group and the unified way in which we began our business was a great accomplishment.
The Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly Forty Under 40 event, which was scheduled for March 26, has been postponed due to Covid-19. The event will be rescheduled when safe to do so.
When it comes to end-of-life care, you and your family have choices. However, the most important one may be which funeral home you select. Listen in as partner-director Mark Scheidt expands on the subject in our latest spot — plus brief testimonials from families we've served.
We're pleased to be recognized as Fort Wayne's Best Funeral Home for the third time in three years. It's proof positive that our brand of care — authentic, local and deriving from a deep sense of mission — is speaking directly to Fort Wayne families and helping them heal.
FairHaven Funeral Home has been nominated for the Readers' Choice Best of Business award, and we're looking for your vote. We invite you to learn what made FairHaven the number one funeral home in Fort Wayne in 2019 and 2020.
FairHaven Funeral Home has once again been voted the Best Funeral Home in Fort Wayne in Readers' Choice 2020 polling. This is the second time in two years that FairHaven has been recognized with this prestigious business honor.
Funeral director and partner Jarod Steffen received a Forty Under 40 Award for his community work and business acumen. He and his partners at FairHaven Funeral Home have remade the end-of-life care experience to be more comfortable, authentic and affordable.
With the help of volunteer Honor Guard, owner-director Mark Scheidt was able to give Robert Thompson Sr. a military funeral for his naval service during the Vietnam war.