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.
