Spending time at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia has allowed me to reflect on the power of mission driven companies. As I was cruising the trails on my bike, winding around lakes and through an endless maze of trees it came to me that because of the Callaway family and their passion for nature and conservation, my life was the better for it. Their mission resulted in me getting to experience nature alongside my family- from biking, water skiing and learning of all things- circus tricks – on the lush land they have preserved and shared with those of us lucky enough to experience it.
This thought led me to you. Working with senior living and healthcare providers has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. Every owner, manager or sales counselor I’ve met is compelled to make a difference and most are driven by a mission fueled from an experience of their own. It’s very unusual to encounter this kind of passion in business but then again, senior living is one of the best kept secrets there is!
Every day all over the great USA and beyond, families’ lives are better due to the work you do. Your dedication leads to improved health, wellness and care. It allows daughters, like my own mom who placed her father in a skilled nursing center after a stroke to stop being the caregiver and instead, the child again. It encourages husbands, who have been in denial for years in regards to their wives memory loss, to cope, start making tough decisions and put focus on proper care. Because of you, people who are isolated, lonely and feeling hopeless- feel alive again! You make people’s lives better.
As an entrepreneur for over 20 years, I’ve found that it’s easy to work really hard, day after day and never take the time to reflect on the legacy built, the people employed or the lives changed. As a manager, it’s very easy to get stuck in the daily grind and feel as if the work will never get done. As a sales person, no matter how hard you work, it seems you can never get ahead; move in six and eight move out, pass away or move to higher levels of care.
No matter your job, you are making a difference. And today I want to remind you, through my experience here at Callaway, to stop, reflect and savor this moment. To savor means to own it, give credit where deserved and enjoy the fruit of your hard work because it’s made a tremendous difference not just in the lives of the people you’ve met, but many more you have not met.
I imagine as soon as you finish reading this, there will be more work to do- calls to make, emails to answer and conversations to have. You are answering the calling to care for people in need and that is something to be incredibly proud of. If no one has told you lately, “job well done,” then allow me the honor. Keep up the amazing work. Healthcare is undergoing tremendous change and there is a lot to do in preparation for the future of care and what’s to come. When the going gets tough, remember why you do what you do and keep pressing forward.
I can’t help but reflect on my own mission here at Bild & Co. While it’s different than yours, I’ve spent my life trying to help people and the companies they work for to work smart, not hard- so they can work less and literally produce more. Selfishly, I know if I can do this, then people will have a better quality of life and improved work-life balance. So from one mission driven person to another, carry on and know that you’ve done well!
Written by Traci Bild, Author Entrepreneur and founder of Bild & Company.
