April was a month of exciting expansion for Southwestern Family of Companies after successfully launching three companies in three days. Mac Anderson and Dan Green hosted the Inspire Kindness internal launch in the atrium, which was filled with live music, games, food, and fellowship.
Katy Kvalvik along with Danielle McMorran hosted the Southwestern Empowerment inaugural Mastery Workshop in the auditorium and positively impacted everyone who attended.
Kim and Ira Blumenthal announced to the basketball community at the Women’s NCAA Final Four Tournament in Tampa, Florida that Pat Summitt Leadership Group has joined Southwestern Family of Companies. The news received a warm welcome.
(Candace Parker after speaking at the Southwestern Leadership Summitt)
(Kim and Ira Blumenthal at the Women’s NCAA Final Four, announcing that Pat Summitt Leadership Group joined Southwestern Family of Companies)
Additionally, we welcomed Buzz Stone as Founding Partner of Southwestern Medicare, a Medicare supplement insurance agency contracting with over a dozen major insurance carriers. They shop and compare rates to identify the lowest cost of coverage for clients in the rapidly growing over 65 market.
We are also pleased to announce that Stedman Graham has joined the Family of Companies. Stedman is part of Southwestern Speakers with his keynote on “Identity Leadership” and he is on the board of advisors for Inspire Kindness. He will have an office here in Nashville at Atrium Way and will be partnering with us in a variety of ways. We are excited to continue to build and partner with influential leaders like Stedman in the future.
We are continuing to see changes and innovations in our Fundraising business. Historically, the fundraising industry has adopted unsustainable products and business practices, and the traditional school fundraising model is broken. Through our vantage point in the industry, we have seen many fundraising businesses stagnate or even fail because they have not kept up with changes in the marketplace. We clearly see the need for fundraising and are focused on creating a new model that raises funds for schools through technology-driven products that have a residual payout. Therefore, we need to reshape the way we think, operate, and go about doing business. Our new fundraising offerings, City Saver and Ready Set Fund, are gaining considerable traction as they gear up for the fall.
As we add new family members to the team, we will continue to focus on innovation. All of our existing family member companies are doing a great job of challenging the status quo and reinventing themselves to stay ahead of the needs of the marketplace. As we grow and innovate, we will continue to reach our goal of positively impacting the world. To achieve this, it is essential to focus on our mission, vision, and values.
The principles in our Southwestern Statement of Purpose have been guiding us since 1855 and will continue to drive us into the future and keep us on the right path. Life is unpredictable. The unexpected will happen. Focusing on things outside of our control is the cause of stress and anxiety. However, living by a set of principles allows you to be present, listen genuinely for opportunities to serve others, and be calm when life takes unforeseen turns. Principled living is a craft worth honing. I encourage everyone, myself included, to print a copy of our Statement of Purpose, frame it, and read it at the start of every day to anchor ourselves in the timeless principles that have served and will continue to serve us well in business and in life.
Together, we will achieve our mission when we are unified by faith in these principles and fueled by confidence that stems from optimistic attitudes and consistent actions. It all starts with our beliefs about who we are and what we stand for. So let’s all challenge ourselves and each other to live out our Statement of Purpose and contribute to continually making Southwestern Family Of Companies’ culture the best in the world.
