Growing up, Laura Carter didn't think twice about heading to a cemetery after school to help her parents install monuments.
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Ms Carter was one-year-old when her parents Paul and Barbara went into the funeral business.
"My mum and dad are originally from Wollongong. They wanted to be in business together and didn't know what to do," she said.
"My grandfather was a scientific policeman and he heard of this business being for sale. He phoned mum and dad one night and said 'I know you're looking at going into business together, what about the funeral business?' They said 'no way' and hung up the phone."
After three days of thinking about it, they changed their mind.
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"In 1995 they bought Gilgandra Funerals and shipped themselves and us three kids out to Gil," Ms Carter said.
In 2003 their business expanded further when they took over Shakespeare Funerals and W Larcombe and Sons.
At the time, Ms Carter was in Newcastle, but still involved with the family business. Admin work would be emailed to her and she'd send it back completed.
"My mum always kept saying to me 'when are you coming back to Dubbo?' and I knew I would but I wanted to do my own thing first," Ms Carter said.
At the start of last year, after finding the perfect house, she returned.
Ms Carter stepped into the role of accounts manager for Shakespeare and Larcombe.
"We were talking about how we needed to find a manager [for Shakespeare Funerals] and then dad goes 'why don't you be the manger?' I went 'huh? What are you talking about?'. We had a two hour phone call."
Despite being nervous, like her parents, Ms Carter decided to take a chance.
"It's always interesting when you get other people at the dinner table and they find out what I do. They always ask what it's like working in the industry, but for me, because I grew up in it, it's normal," she said.
"The funeral industry is such an unknown world. No one knows anything about it unless they've either worked in the industry or they know someone who's worked in the industry."
When finding out what she does, Ms Carter said she was always asked about dealing with dead bodies.
"Sometimes you get things that are a little bit unpleasant but it's not as bad as what everybody thinks. You might have something that's not very pleasant but by the end of it someone looks really good. To be able to turn around and say 'I did that' or 'I helped that' is really good," she said.
Ms Carter quickly discovered you had to be strong to be in the industry.
"I remember when I first started going to funeral services I wouldn't know who they were but I'd be in the background as a funeral assistant crying while I was listening to the eulogy," Ms Carter said.
"But it's one thing I've learnt, not to be shut off and closed but strong. I'm there to do a job and my job is to look after that family not to be there crying.
"Sometimes it's hard, we're all human and you do get emotional."
As expected, one of the most difficult aspects of the job is dealing with grieving families.
"Someone might come in who is grieving and they're angry and rude and hard to deal with but you've got to take a step back. They're grieving. Some people get angry, some people go blank, everyone grieves differently," Ms Carter said.
"But you have to realise it's not at you."
The manager said she had dealt with cases where the families were difficult at the arrangement but after the funeral were completely different.
The funeral industry has changed from when Ms Carter was growing up. One of the biggest differences has been the way technology is now utilised.
"We had a funeral a couple of months ago and the lady was from Holland so her sisters couldn't make it. We had someone livestreaming it to Facebook so her sisters in Holland could watch the service," Ms Carter said.
"Fifty years ago you couldn't do that sort of thing, but now if you can't make the service, it's not a problem, we can record it for you."
Despite the hardships of the industry, Ms Carter said she wouldn't give it up.
"Working with mum and dad as well, a lot of people couldn't do that," she said.
"But I love my job."