At S³, we don’t say no, we find solutions

By Alisha Dixon

All Staff is a terrific event where the entire S³ family has a chance to come together and come away with renewed energy and attention to S³’s four pillars and mission. Nashville-based Anthony Bordonaro, one of S³’s Team Charmed newest account managers sat down with us to share his takeaways from our 2018 All Staff meeting, and what it’s like to work at S³.

What have you taken away from your first All Staff?

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from working at S³?

Anthony: The biggest take away from All Staff was that at S³ we don’t say no to anything.
It was almost immediately after All Staff that I was presented with a large opportunity
with a client that wasn’t in our typical “wheelhouse” and not what we normally do.
But, I remembered Cindy’s message from All Staff where she said, “We don’t say no, we find solutions.” Cindy’s message really stuck with me and I went to work to be able to find a solution for the client. The difference is a lot of people and some other companies would just say that’s not something they can do, but with S³, we work based on the clients’ needs.

Why did you decide to work for S³?

Anthony: I’ve had experiences with larger sized firms and more boutique firms. I felt S³ really kind of fit in that perfect middle ground where we have the resources and the power of a larger firm, but with the ability to be customizable to our customers’ needs like a boutique firm. I just felt it was good fit for my personal style and professional style.

What’s it like to work for S³ and what has it done for you personally?

Anthony: I’m still new (started with S³ in June 2017). It’s provided me with new opportunities that are the result of learning new things, developing new relationships and growth. I’ve grown a lot from just being able to learn from my fellow team members and different perspectives. I’m in one of the more unique situations because the rest of my team sits all over and it’s just me here in Nashville. Although I physically sit alone, no one from any part of the organization, top to bottom, has ever made me feel like I’m by myself in any way. It’s just great to be a part of team that’s so strong and so committed to supporting each other that even if you physically sit alone, you are never truly alone.

How do S³’s four pillars and your values align?

Anthony: Pretty closely! Two of them really stand out to me. I don’t think you can be successful and happy in this industry if you don’t want to make other people happy and successful. You must have a passion for changing someone’s station in life. This could be by giving a consultant a new opportunity, creating an environment for more work-life balance or even with our customers by providing the resources they need to make their lives much easier. We really do have the ability to affect a lot of change, whether we see it or we don’t. My background in charitable work directly aligns with S³’s commitment to the community and how active we are. That is something I am extremely proud to be a part of.

By Alisha Dixon

Fulfilling S³’s four pillars goes beyond serving external customers. For more than 25 years, S³ has played a major role in changing the lives of its team members by providing opportunities that have led to success beyond what many believed was possible. David Stevenson, an account manager with S³’s Team Charmed sat down with us to tell us just how S³ has changed his station in life and the importance of being green.

How did you learn about S³?

David: I started recruiting at 19 years old when I was at Walt Disney World on an internship at the casting center. I got a call one day from Marvin (Daugherty) who began telling me about this company that was green and really did things differently. But at that time I had made a vow that I would never go back into recruiting. I had had enough. I had seen enough and I was very disenchanted. But, the more I learned about S³, the more I was intrigued. I remember Cindy interviewing me while she was in Scotland. A CEO calling you from Scotland? That shocked me. Halfway through the interview she says, “David, somebody needs to give you a chance to change your station in life.” I was all in from that point.

What has working for S³ done for you personally?

David: Yesterday (Monday, Feb. 12), I put in an offer on a home. Just 3, 4 or 5 years ago, I never would have dreamed of this possibility. I can help people in need now. My mother-in-law passed away this year and my father-in-law has struggled financially but we’ve been able to help support him. We just rented a hotel room for a woman who didn’t have a place to stay. We are so blessed because of S3 we are honored to do this. Before all of this, I could barely afford food or a roof over my head. I was struggling terribly. I was steps away from being homeless myself. To say S³ changed my life is probably the biggest understatement ever. It changed everything. I’m so appreciative and so thankful that someone had faith in me.

A lot of that has been done for me since I’ve been with S³_. When I first started, my lead recruiter at the time, David Flores, pulled me aside and told me I was going to be successful because he was in my corner. We all need that. We all need someone that’s going to believe in you. If we truly want to be the best and continue to grow, that’s what it takes.

How do S³’s four pillars and your values align?

David: My values and S³’s values are pretty much one and the same. I believe in those four pillars in everything I do. I was raised that way. The fact that we care about people and we go that extra mile for our consultants, I’m truly passionate about that. We genuinely care about our customers. The reality is that when you don’t take care of your customer, there are repercussions that can reach very far down the food chain. It goes beyond just us. People can get hurt if things aren’t done right.

I’m green at heart because of the values that we convey within the community, with our customers and with our consultants. The way we treat our consultants is just as important as we treat our customers. It’s how we separate and distinguish ourselves.