Good Leaders: How are you spreading your own message of goodness?

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What if all financial advisors selected clients based on their goodness, rather than the dollars in their portfolios? At Generation Group, Steve Blexrud and his team know that their best clients are people who care for their families above all else, drive for success, and are genuinely generous – because life isn’t just about money. Steve’s business already mirrors our message of goodness, and I was thrilled when he launched his own version of a leadership breakfast two years ago…more goodness all around!

A Work In Progress

Steve has been a part of the Good Leadership Breakfasts since the very beginning; way before he was dreaming up his own program, the message of goodness was inspiring him. “Hearing the speakers and their incredible stories made me want to be a better leader,” Steve explains.

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Turning 50 a few years ago was hard for him: “I felt like my time horizon was closing in, and I hadn’t accomplished enough. I suddenly turned into a grumpy old man.” His optimism was tested, and he noticed himself getting sarcastic and impatient. But at one of our Breakfasts last year, it hit him: “Life’s too short to set a bad example for my kids, or to be anything but the best for my wife. I was waiting for some other person or thing to solve my problems. But if I want my life to be the very best, I have to be the very best.”

Now, he’s telling everyone that he’s back to ‘Fun Steve!’ “The challenge of turning 50 was necessary – it woke me up and reminded me how important it is to find the enjoyment in everyday life.” Steve pays close attention to his Seven Fs Wheel, a tool that measures his satisfaction with his Faith, Family, Finance, Fitness, Friends, Fun, and Future. He says his wheel isn’t always round enough to roll, but that’s okay. “A wheel that can always roll? That’s called perfection. It’s hard for me to imagine being perfect…I’m perpetually a work in progress.”

A New Way to Spread Goodness

“We knew we had to get our brand out there.” Generation Group was a growing force in the financial services industry, and Steve wanted to amplify their focus on family, success, and generosity. He took a leaf out of our book and started the Generation Group’s version of a leadership breakfast called Sunrise Social. “We threw a breakfast together in early 2013, and 17 people showed up…seven of them were our employees!”

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At their last Sunrise Social, however, they had 110 attendees. Steve attributes the success of the program to the opportunities for his clients to network and meet other professionals and business owners. “I hear about companies I never knew existed, and I hear stories I never would have dreamed of. We provide an entrepreneurial space to make inspiring, authentic connections.” When I asked him what differed between our Good Leadership Breakfast and his Sunrise Social, he thought for a minute and answered: “At Good Leadership Breakfast, people are really eager to hear the speaker. But when it’s time for the speakers at Sunrise Social, it’s hard to pull people out of their conversations and get them to sit down!”

Good leaders are always challenging themselves to spread the message of goodness individually. And they capitalize on opportunities to radiate goodness on a broad scale.

Please share with me: how are you amplifying your own message of goodness?

Registered Representative and Financial Advisor of Park Avenue Securities LLC (PAS). OSJ: 920 2nd Ave S Ste 1100, Minneapolis, MN 55402 612-746-2200. Securities products and advisory services offered through PAS, member FINRA, SIPC. Financial Representative of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America® (Guardian), New York, NY.  PAS is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Guardian. Generation Group and Good Leadership are not affiliates or subsidiaries of PAS or Guardian. 2015-8293[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]