The Gift of Gratitude
A special year-end note from Leah, partner and Director of Retirement Plan Services at Shepherd Financial:
I should preface this by saying I am not at all a blogger – my degree is in Mathematics, so I don’t claim to have a way with words. But I am obsessed with people who do – my newsfeed is full of great writers talking about the things I love – like food, fashion, and Notre Dame football, just to name a few! So I hope I do the blogging world justice with this post, because I have something important to say.
Our industry moves fast, and our team at Shepherd is constantly running at breakneck speed to stay ahead of the curve. It seems as if each year goes faster than the one before, and December feels like it’s gone as soon as it starts – between work deadlines, holiday parties, and a million errands, I often find my head spinning. Don’t get me wrong – it’s a joyful time, full of celebrations and things to be happy about. But because of our frenetic pace, I sometimes have to force myself to pause and reflect on the past year.
And when I do, I am just in awe. 2018 was a really big year, both personally and professionally. I have some wonderful trophies to remember the year by – I was published and made partner – and I am so grateful for them! But the biggest accomplishments, in my mind, are the relationships I have built or deepened this year.
I have been here since the beginning and gotten to see Shepherd Financial grow right in front of my eyes. We still have a long way to go and are always trying to innovate, but we are doing so many things well. The level of service we are able to offer to our clients has increased exponentially. The success stories we hear from helping plan sponsors and participants show we’re making positive contributions, and I’m so proud to be part of those experiences.
This was a pivotal year for our team – we adopted a new branch and have experienced the growing pains that come along with opening our arms to more people. We are still in process as we figure out how to improve, learn, and grow together. While we have good and bad days, I believe we will ultimately come out better than before.
And that’s largely due to the fact that I am blessed to be surrounded by really good and extremely talented people. The makeup of our team is so unique, and I am consistently impressed by each person. I believe I am part of a truly special group, and if we’ve come this far in four years, there’s no telling what we can accomplish in the future. In the grand scheme of things, we’re really only in the beginning of our story.
So from the bottom of my heart, whether you are a client, service partner, or one of my team members, thank you for sharing in this with me. I’m in awe and so, so grateful.