Meet Savannah Turhan

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Savannah Turhan a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Savannah , we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

Resilience, for me, has always come from a deep sense of purpose. Working in death care is not something most people stumble into — it’s a calling. Every family I serve reminds me that what I do matters, not just in a logistical sense, but emotionally and spiritually. When someone is grieving, they are in one of the most vulnerable moments of their life. Being able to show up with calm, compassion, and clarity gives me strength, even when the work is heavy.

I also draw resilience from my own life experiences — moments of loss, uncertainty, and challenge that shaped who I am. I’ve learned that pain has a way of teaching us what truly matters. My commitment to running a family-owned and family-operated business comes from those lessons. Orchid Cremations is more than a service; it’s a reflection of my values — dignity, transparency, and humanity.

Finally, I lean on the quiet support of small rituals: walking outside to reset, grounding myself before a difficult phone call, and remembering the people I’ve helped along the way. When I’m tired or discouraged, I think of the thank-you notes from families, the peaceful look on someone’s face when they feel heard, and the knowledge that I helped bring a little light to a dark time. That’s where my resilience lives — in showing up, again and again, with heart.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

As the owner of Orchid Cremations, a family-owned and operated cremation provider based in Carlsbad, California, we serve families across San Diego County, offering direct cremation, water cremation, witness cremation, and solidified remains — all with transparent pricing and a deeply personal touch. What makes Orchid special isn’t just the services we offer, but how we offer them. Death is an incredibly personal experience, and I believe that families deserve compassion, clarity, and options that reflect their values and traditions.

What excites me most is the chance to change the way people think and feel about end-of-life care. For so long, this space has felt cold and transactional. I wanted to create something different — something grounded in empathy, education, and ease. We make arrangements available entirely online for those who prefer simplicity, but we’re also always available by phone or appointment for families who want to sit down and talk through things in person. It’s about meeting people where they are, especially when they’re at their most vulnerable.

We’re also deeply committed to serving the community in meaningful ways. Orchid Cremations offers free pre-planning seminars for the public to help families understand their options and feel more prepared for the future. We also hold educational seminars for hospice professionals, fostering collaboration and a deeper understanding of how to better support families through the dying process. We work closely with hospice teams across the county to ensure continuity of care and to ease the transition for patients and their loved ones. Additionally, we proudly partner with the nonprofit Garden of Innocence, which provides dignified burials for abandoned babies in San Diego County — a cause close to my heart.

More than anything, I want people to know that Orchid Cremations is here to serve — not just to handle logistics, but to support families through the most difficult goodbyes with grace, respect, and kindness.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back, the three qualities that have been most impactful in my journey are empathy, adaptability, and clear communication.

Empathy is at the heart of everything I do. In this line of work, people aren’t just looking for a service — they’re looking for someone who can hold space for their grief without judgment or pressure. Developing true empathy means listening more than speaking, being present even when things are uncomfortable, and recognizing that every family’s experience is unique. For those early in their journey, I’d say: start by showing up for people, even in small moments. Practice being present, and learn how to listen without the need to fix everything.

Adaptability has been essential. No two days — or families — are the same, and the ability to pivot, solve problems, and stay calm under pressure has saved me more times than I can count. Whether it’s navigating new regulations, unexpected delays, or helping a family work through last-minute changes, being flexible while staying grounded is key. For anyone developing this skill, I recommend leaning into discomfort. Say yes to the things that stretch you. You don’t grow by playing it safe.

Finally, clear communication has been critical. In the death care space, there’s no room for confusion — families need information they can trust, presented in a way that’s easy to understand. Learning to communicate with clarity, compassion, and professionalism builds trust. My advice is to be intentional with your words. Learn how to explain complex things simply, and don’t underestimate the value of a kind, direct email or a calm phone call.

These three qualities — empathy, adaptability, and clear communication — have helped shape Orchid Cremations and continue to guide me through each chapter of this work.

If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?

If I knew I only had a decade left, I would spend it leaning fully into the things that matter most: time with my family, meaningful service to others, and a deeper connection with nature and community. I think about mortality every day in my work, not in a fearful way, but as a reminder that time is precious and love is the most important legacy we leave behind.

I’d keep running Orchid Cremations, because this work gives me purpose. But I’d also create more space for rest, travel, and presence; long walks by the ocean, dinners with people I love, quiet mornings with coffee and no rush. I’d continue hosting pre-planning seminars and working with nonprofits like Garden of Innocence, because giving back would feel even more urgent.

Most of all, I’d focus on making peace with every season as it comes, saying what needs to be said, forgiving more quickly, and savoring the small, ordinary moments that end up being the most sacred. Ten years would feel both like not enough and exactly enough, if I lived them with full intention.

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