Why I Started In Good Co.

Greetings, my name is Derrick Valenzuela and I am the Founder and CEO of In Good Co.

I started this company because I began to recognize that many people were looking for alternatives to what traditional funeral homes and services are offering. As time has passed, so have society's views on what should happen after someone we love passes away. Historically, many people would have a religious service before being buried in a cemetery. With time, people's attitudes have evolved. Some people have different religious practices that influence how they are remembered after death, some have no connection to religion at all, some don't want to have a solemn event, and some see this as an opportunity to celebrate life in a more joyful and meaningful way.

Alongside these changes, we have also had to contend with the rising costs of traditional funerals and burials as many people realize they are looking for more affordable options. However, affordability should never circumvent the need for ritual, ceremony, and community.

Over the years, I began noticing something interesting when people in my own community experienced loss. Many families didn't feel connected to traditional funeral structures anymore, but they still deeply wanted an experience that helped them grieve, remember, and come together. They wanted something that felt more human. More personal. More authentic to the person they lost.

I also noticed that the parts of funerals people connected with most emotionally were often not the formal traditions themselves. It was the video tributes. The emotional speeches. The stories. The opportunity to sit together, eat, drink, laugh, cry, and reconnect with people they may not have seen in years. It was hearing stories about their loved one that they had never heard before. Those were the moments people carried with them afterward.

That realization changed how I thought about grief and remembrance.

I believe a meaningful Celebration of Life should feel less like simply acknowledging someone's death and more like genuinely celebrating their life. Tears and laughter exist on the same spectrum and they can absolutely coexist in the same room. In many ways, they are both healing.

When my own grandmother passed away, we followed a very traditional structure. We attended a long visitation filled with prayers and singing, followed by another service and then a reception afterward. While I understood the importance of those traditions for many people, I remember feeling like we spent more time following a structure than truly capturing who my grandmother was as a person.

My grandmother loved to cook. She loved hosting. She loved bringing people together. Looking back, I kept wondering what it would have felt like if the ceremony reflected more of her actual essence. What if people were gathered around her favorite foods? What if the room sounded like the music she loved? What if the stories people shared became the centerpiece of the experience?

That is ultimately what inspired me to create In Good Co.

After spending much of my career working in technology and marketing, I realized I wanted to move closer toward work rooted in humanity, emotion, and community. Much of my previous work focused on systems, automation, strategy, and influencing consumer behaviour. I reached a point where I wanted to lean more into empathy, connection, and helping real people through emotionally difficult moments.

At my core, I have always been someone who enjoys bringing people together. That is a huge part of what this work is about for me.

I believe Celebrations of Life are one meaningful chapter in the grieving process. For some families, it may come after watching a loved one battle a long illness and finally finding peace knowing their suffering has ended. For others, it may be the beginning of a much longer healing journey. Wherever someone may be emotionally, my intention is to help create a moment of peace rather than another source of stress and pressure.

One of the biggest challenges families face after a death is feeling like they need to make immediate decisions while also worrying whether they are honouring the person "correctly." Many people don't realize they actually have options outside of traditional funeral structures. There is no single right way to honour someone. Some families want intimate dinners. Some want storytelling circles. Some want live music, outdoor gatherings, candlelight ceremonies, art galleries, memory walls, or celebrations centered around food and community. Others want a blend of solemn reflection and joyful remembrance.

What matters most is that it feels authentic.

I also strongly believe people should be having these conversations before death occurs. The families left behind are often under immense emotional pressure trying to create something meaningful without knowing what their loved one would have wanted. Having conversations in advance, even informal ones, can remove so much uncertainty and emotional burden from the people we love most.

At the heart of everything we do is storytelling.

Stories are how we remember people as time passes. A song, a meal, a photo, or a simple moment can suddenly trigger a memory years later. Storytelling gives shape to grief and helps preserve the identity of the person beyond the day of the ceremony itself. It also creates a narrative structure that can be woven directly into the event experience so guests leave feeling like they truly connected with the person being honoured.

Across cultures and throughout history, humans have always used gathering, storytelling, food, music, light, and ritual to process grief and strengthen community bonds. While traditions may evolve, the human need for connection and remembrance remains the same.

To me, living itself is a milestone. So why not celebrate that after someone passes away?

My hope with In Good Co is simple: that families feel supported, seen, and cared for during one of the most difficult periods of their lives. I want people to feel like they worked with someone who genuinely cared about the outcome of the experience and helped guide them through it with compassion and honesty.

Most importantly, I want people to walk away feeling like the person they loved was truly present in the room through the stories, music, food, laughter, tears, and community that surrounded them.

If this resonates with you, I encourage you to begin having conversations with your loved ones about what kind of remembrance would feel meaningful to you and your family. And if you are currently navigating a loss, or simply exploring what is possible outside of traditional funeral structures, I would love to connect.

Sometimes the most healing thing we can do is simply begin the conversation.