How do you define “excellence” in business? Jeff Sandefer: “Find a deep customer need that makes the world a better place; deliver on your promises and have some cash left over in the end.”
Legend Spotlight: Jeff Sandefer
Alumni Spotlight: Mohammad Elashi
“Excellence is putting others in front of you in an effort to grow the business and ensure success of the company for everyone’s benefit. So often we want instant gratification, and it can be tempting to cut corners. But that won’t build a sustainable business. Customer service and customer loyalty are often a measure of excellence, so I believe you start with your employees. If you treat your employees with loyalty and dedication, they will be your biggest and most passionate advocates. That treatment and behavior gets passed down to the customer, creating a positive experience for everyone.”
Alumni Spotlight: Ayodele Aigbe
“I define excellence by having sincere empathy for and taking the time to understand who you are serving. What are their needs? What problems are they facing? Why does this product matter to them? You take all that and use it to create something that can help them. Excellence starts with caring about people and finding a way to add value to their lives.”
Alumni Spotlight: Erich Bell
Erich Bell: “I’ve seen first-hand what happens when a business operates with honesty and communication, and what happens when they don’t. I believe in sharing the wealth and successes of the company with the people who work there. As a leader, you want to set an expectation for greatness. And that starts by modeling and leading that behavior.”
Director Spotlight: Amy Chronis
Amy Chronis: “Persistence and tenacity. The ability as a leader to persist and never give up is essential to making things happen. Combined with work ethic. As a leader you have to model to your team that you’re not going to give up. You keep striving to find workable solutions.”
Legend Spotlight: Frank A. Bennack, Jr.
Frank A. Bennack, Jr.: “Excellence is something that you must continuously strive for. Excellence is about being a little better than those with whom you compete and recognizing that mediocre is not a rewarding outcome. We are human, so we won’t always win every time, but if our target is excellence and we put in the work, we can achieve excellence more often that we think.”
Alumni Spotlight: Stephanie Stare
Stephanie Stare: “Own your destiny. It’s important to network and build relationships, but at the end of the day, if you want something, you have to make it happen for yourself. Don’t expect it to come from someone else. I feel that is what differentiates people. You can’t wait for the opportunity to be given to you; you have to go after it. You need to advocate for yourself, especially at a large company. Be vocal about what you want next and be your own greatest champion.”
Alumni Spotlight: Michael Kmetz
Michael Kmetz: “Giving back to my community is something I feel obligated to do after finding some early success. As Gerald Smith said, ‘You are blessed to be a blessing.’ I could not agree more. It is so inspiring to see TBHF alumni and legends be generous with their resources and time.”
Rob C. Holmes Interview
Rob C. Holmes: “Excellence is something you commit to every day. To be excellent in business, you must act with transparency, candor, and discipline. You must be accountable to one another, clients, communities, and stakeholders.”