Marilyn Jones Gould

Founder of MKJ Marketing
Consultant to Tribute Technology

Biography

Marilyn is highly regarded throughout the funeral industry as one of the most popular convention and meeting speakers, applying her marketing acumen, communication skills, and industry knowledge to the areas of professional sales, customer service, arrangement skills, advertising, and branding.


She created four comprehensive DVD training systems that were recognized as the best in the industry. Then, she took the content knowledge and updated the format and the ideas for online learning. With her daughter, Courtney Gould Miller, Marilyn co-created Advance U — a comprehensive online learning university offered successfully to deathcare professionals.


Marilyn holds a master’s degree in communication from Purdue University and is the past President of the Tampa Bay Advertising Federation. She is a member of the National Speakers Association and has been recognized for receiving the highest-earned international recognition for professional speaking — the Certified Speaking Professional. Only 400 professional speakers in the world have achieved this recognition. She is a member of the Million Dollar Speakers Group and served as its chair for one full year. When she was President of the Central Florida Chapter of the National Speakers Association, she was honored with their Lifetime Achievement Award.


Marilyn served six years as a trustee of the National Funeral Service Foundation and chaired the Advertising Committee. She was honored by the National Funeral Directors Association with the Initiative Award, which annually recognizes an exceptional individual who has made substantial professional contributions to funeral service. Few people in funeral service have made the contribution she has.


Marilyn hears a challenge and looks for a creative solution. Most recently, she served as Executive Producer of Guiding Grief™, offering grievers a 26-video private library to get them through the first year of grief.


Her greatest accomplishments have been in collaboration with others. Her efforts with the funding of the World War II monument in Washington, D.C., was a project where because of her efforts in part Wilbert and funeral service became the third-largest gift to the memorial. 


Marilyn has been recognized by Outstanding Young Women of America, Who’s Who of American Business Executives, Marquis Who’s Who of American Women, and International Who’s Who of Entrepreneurs, the Silver Screen Award from the U.S. Industrial Film Festival and over 25 ADDY Awards from the American Advertising Federation. Her talent in production and direction of videos surpasses any others in our industry.

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