- November 14, 2024
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In 2019, Ormond Beach resident, businesswoman and philanthropist Nancy Lohman decided she would write a book.
Not just any book, but one where she could memorialize the many stories from her decades building Lohman Funeral Homes from the ground up, and one where she could share the best pieces of advice she'd gathered throughout that time. But, she said she was later filled with self-doubt and wondered if she truly had something worth imparting on the world.
Then, in 2020 after her 60th birthday, Lohman regained her confidence.
“Over the years, I have strived to live a fulfilling life while balancing a variety of roles from businessowner, community enthusiast and board member to loving wife, mentor and friend,” said Lohman in a press release. “There are so many facets of life that make us wonder how we can truly make a difference and how we can help shape the way our legacy will be defined. I wanted to write a book that inspired the reader, specifically women, and served as motivation to take bold steps and make changes to lead well, live well, and give well.”
And thus, her first book, titled "Blossom: Cultivating More Joy And Success in Life and Business" came to fruition in 2021.
The Ormond Beach Observer spoke with Lohman about her first book on Saturday, May 8, and she shared some of her best practices on running a business, empowering women and giving back to the community.
What inspired you to write "Blossom?"
I have been speaking for many years, particularly in the cemetery and funeral industry, on best practices as we operated our funeral homes and cemeteries. What I discovered over the years was that our best practices really bled over into all facets of professional and work life.
As I started to think about my life, and how I led my life, I realized that there were a number of life lessons that also applied to living well and giving well, not just leading well.
In what ways can we help empower women in business?
The biggest way is to allow women to feel comfortable and secure and bold to speak up, speak out, lean in as Sheryl Sandberg would say, be a part of the discussion, and be comfortable and confident in their decisions. I think for a lot of us, and certainly a lot of younger women feel this way, there’s trepidation in speaking up and speaking out and owning their decisions and being assertive because of that whole yin and yang of women feeling that [they] should be nurturing, and caring and compassionate, and that there’s a disconnect between being assertive and bold along with that compassionate and nurturing aspect.
So how do we find that balance? And that’s what I hope women garner from my book — that there is that opportunity to have that balance, but even more importantly, it is so important to feel empowered to be your assertive self.
Being a strong woman is not a bad thing. In fact, it’s a beautiful thing.
Have there been strong women that have been role models in your life?
Certainly. It begins with my mother. My mother was such a strong woman, and she was so resilient, and I think that made a huge difference in my life. To see our family as a teenager sort of unravel, and then to see my mother say, “You know what, we all have a better life than this.” To see her say, “I’m going to take steps to go from being a stay-at-home mother to getting my college degree, to getting a career and to making my own way in this world.” And of course as she did that, she encouraged her daughters to do the same. She didn’t need to articulate "this is what you need to do." She did it, and we watched her do it.
In my world, there’s really no better woman that’s represented resilience, ambition and drive than my mom.
How do you find a balance between running a business and giving back to the community?
That is a very difficult balance, and I understand the stress of professionals who are trying to do both. As a young professional in the funeral service industry when we first opened Lohman Funeral Home Ormond, I sensed the need to be proactive in terms of community outreach, to build our brand so to speak, but also the obligations I had within our front doors, within the funeral home itself. I empathize with everyone who is trying to define their opportunities in this world in terms of both their professional life and the way in which they want to give back to their communities. It’s not easy.
Some of the things that have helped me balance that have been a very focused life, a disciplined life, and the idea that you have to empower others to help you. You have to embrace assistance.
What are some words you live by?
So many, and that’s what I tried to capture in my book. One of them is “Be the positive person that walks into that room.” I think that’s so important — that when you walk into a room, when you enter a meeting, when you’re a part of a meeting, be the positive influence in that room.
Another one is “Prepare yourself.” You are responsible for your own personal and professional development. I think it's very important that people own their own personal professional development.
Another is to "Rejuvenate yourself." Focus on what you’re passionate about and focus on the ways in which you can maintain that equilibrium between your career, your family, your volunteer work, your civic engagement, your wellness, your hobbies, your social investment and your friends. All of that is so important and I realize that tug of war can be difficult.
How do you hope others view the Lohman legacy in Ormond Beach?
I hope that we’ve made a small difference. I hope that the Lohman name, or the Lohman family, or at the very least, Lowell and Nancy Lohman, have made a difference. We have been so grateful for how well we were received when we opened the funeral house. So many, many families trusted us with their loved ones, trusted us with the care of providing that final tribute for their loved one.
It is our honor and privilege to give back to that same community that helped us serve others.
