Culture Matters: Building the Wise Firm

2020 has been a year like no other. The way we work, live and look at the future changed drastically. But as we look back, one thing was clear – culture mattered more than ever. Thankfully, our team members didn’t shy away from hard topics and felt empowered to share their personal stories.

In September 2018, my husband, Kevin, was diagnosed with Stage 3 Cancer. The doctors told us that the cancer was aggressive and so was the treatment. They explained to us the treatment would be long and it would be hard. My husband, who is a classically trained Chef, would have to eat through a feeding tube surgically inserted directly into his stomach to stay alive. Because of this, he would go on to lose 90 pounds. The doctors instructed us to pray. We were already putting that recommendation in practice and would surely continue.

One morning, I was deep in thought, prioritizing my duties for the day. I happened to look down and saw my keychain lying on the desk next to my mouse pad and thought, Wow!

You see, it was once a cute little white metal bear with dangling arms and legs, and the “I Love NY” logo stamped on its chest. My nephew had gone to the big apple a few years back and had gotten it for me as a souvenir. It was still on my keychain for sentimental reasons, even though it was not as cute as it once was. But until this moment, I hadn't noticed just how badly it had deteriorated!