Award-winning memoir recognized for its powerful exploration of leadership, loss, resilience in overcoming business challenges and women's advancement in the funeral profession

PARKER, Colo., July 20, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Funeral and Death Care industry leader, entrepreneur and author and podcaster Lisa Baue continues to earn national recognition for her debut book, Wake-Up Calls: A Journey of Learning to Lead and Succeed in the Funeral and Deathcare Profession, which has been honored by numerous independent book award programs for its compelling blend of memoir, leadership and professional insight.

Most recently, Wake-Up Calls was recognized in the 2026 Literary Global Independent Author Awards, earning Winner in the Cancer category and Finalist honors in:

• Death and Dying
• Memoir
• Nonfiction
• Women's Issues

The latest recognition adds to an impressive list of national honors, including:

Literary Titan Book Awards:

• Winner: Nonfiction

The Book Fest Book Awards

• First Place: Nonfiction – Business Leadership: Leadership & Management
• First Place: Nonfiction – Business Leadership: Women in Business

IPPY (Independent Publisher Book Awards)

• Silver Medal (Tie): Business/Career/Sales

Next Generation Indie Book Awards

• Finalist: Memoirs (Career)

San Francisco Book Festival

• Honorable Mention: Memoirs
• Runner-Up: Business
• Runner-Up: General Nonfiction

CIPA EVVY Book Awards

• Honorable Mention: Memoirs

Published in September 2025, Wake-Up Calls combines memoir, leadership lessons in and professional insights drawn from Baue's more than four decades in funeral service. Through candid stories of personal loss, business challenges and transformative leadership experiences, the book offers encouragement and practical wisdom for anyone navigating change, adversity or a calling to serve others.

"I wrote Wake-Up Calls to share lessons learned throughout my career and to encourage others—especially women in funeral service—to trust themselves, embrace challenges and lead with purpose," says Lisa Baue. "To have the book recognized by so many respected award programs is incredibly meaningful because it shows that the themes of resilience, compassion, leadership and personal growth resonate with readers from all walks of life."

Women now represent a growing majority of funeral service professionals, yet leadership opportunities and long-term support remain critical priorities for the profession. Through her book, Baue aims to provide mentorship through storytelling while helping advance conversations around women's leadership, personal development and the future of deathcare.

Adding to the book's impact, 100% of proceeds from Wake-Up Calls are donated to organizations supporting women's education and leadership development including the Foundation Lisa Founded the Funeral Women Lead Foundation and the Funeral Service Foundation.

Following her successful 40-year tenure as a funeral director and President & CEO of Baue Funeral Homes, Crematory and Cemetery in St. Charles, MO, Lisa went on to found a coaching and consulting practice helping funeral businesses and individuals grow into strong, values-based leaders. Most recently in 2024, she established the Funeral Women Lead Foundation, the first nonprofit in the industry, dedicated exclusively to advancing women's leadership growth in the funeral and death care profession.

Book Details:

Wake-Up Calls: A Journey of Learning to Lead and Succeed in the Funeral and Deathcare Profession

• By Lisa Baue
• Available September 3, 2025
• River Grove Books
• To Purchase: https://www.lisabaue.com/

About Lisa Baue

Lisa Baue is a third-generation funeral director and former owner who has worked in the deathcare and funeral service profession since 1979. For 40 years, she was and actively licensed and the President and CEO of Baue Funeral Homes, Crematory, and Cemetery, transforming it into one of the leading firms in the Midwest. Once she retired from ownership, Lisa founded Your Funeral Coach in 2021 to help individuals and businesses grow. Through her coaching, she became passionate about advocating for women as leaders, and in 2024, she founded the Funeral Women Lead Foundation, the first nonprofit organization dedicated solely to advancing women in her profession along with a new Podcast Four Women and a Funeral. Lisa is a well-known speaker and writer for funeral and death care associations and publications.

For media and interview inquiries or to review copies, please contact Holly Mitton at holly@litlebirdboston.com or 617-680-4827

Media Contact

Holly Mitton, Lisa Baue, 1 6176804827, holly@littlebirdboston.com, https://lisabaue.com/

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SOURCE Lisa Baue