Today, September 1st, marks fifteen years for me at Arthur State Bank. It's crazy to think about how much has changed in my personal and professional life over that time span. I've gone from a single guy whose start date was chosen because some friends and I were going to Vegas after my interview to a married man with 3 kids - none of which came from the Vegas trip LOL.
I have to be honest in saying that I truly had no idea what I was getting into even when I applied for a position at Arthur State Bank, and I told them as much. When asked why I wanted to get into banking, I literally answered, "I don't know, I just heard it's a good career to get into." Looking back, I have to ask myself, "How in the world did you get this job? Why did they hire you? What were they thinking?" A year or so ago, our bank President did make the comment in jest (at least I hope he was joking) that once I said that he knew that I was a blank slate that he could work on.
But I truly didn't know what all banks did nor did I fully understand the role they play in communities, businesses, and families. At the time, all a bank was to me was a place where my money was stored until I went there to take some out to go spend it. I hadn't had loans, I didn't understand business, and I didn't realize that banks were so much more than checking and savings accounts.
Since 2005, I've gone from "I don't know" to a Vice President in the company (a VP, not the VP - I'm not #2). I've learned that there are a lot of people behind the scenes that make things happen in a bank. I've learned that they are vital for communities and becoming even more so in today's time as increasing number of transactions involve wiring and transferring of money instead of the good ole paying someone with cash. You have to have financial institution to assist in these matters.
I consider myself fortunate to have gotten hired on with a community bank instead of one of the big banks out there as well. Do big banks have more structured leadership and management ladders? Do they pay more? From what I've been told, the answer to both is a pretty solid, yes.
But what they offer in organization and potential pay, I believe they lack in compassion and opportunity. I'm not sure how they would have felt on occasions when a family member was in an accident or sick, or my wife calls with a real emergency and I have the freedom to leave the job and go do what's more important in the moment. Listen, anytime something like that has happened, family has always taken priority and management has always been considerate and understanding never hesitating in saying, "Go." I don't believe I would have had the opportunity to meet the people, the business owners, or the students that I have in my time with ASB if I had been elsewhere.
Oh the students! If you haven't heard about ASB's Jr. Board of Directors, it may one of the best kept secrets in our company and in our town. As the Director of it (with all the real work done by Lori, the Assistant Director, or whatever titles we made up) we have had the pleasure of working with high school juniors and seniors since 2009 to help promote community involvement, financial education, and other valuable life skills. If you were one of the earlier members, I'm extremely thankful to you because of over the last couple years, we have been able to really improve the program and make it more impactful because of your feedback. This will be the first year in 11 years that we haven't been able to do it on site with the students, but hopefully we will be able to come up with a virtual option to help teach and inspire them during these trying times. I may get a little heat for putting some folks on the spot about that, but come on, we need to do it guys.
Through my position with the bank, I have met people I never would have had the opportunity to meet. I've been in meetings, breakfasts, luncheons, and rooms with people who were way above levels that I thought I could be on - CEOs, Presidents, politicians. I went from an unbelievably shy kid with no business savvy who had little desire to merely speak to people "higher up" than me to someone with minimal fear in taking a platform in front of hundreds to discuss community issues, banking issues, or just life issues in general. Based on my own personal job interview response, clearly some young people need some coaching! Somewhere along the way, their confidence and investment of training and knowledge in me exploded, and I am sincerely thankful for that.
What do the next 15 - 30 years hold? Who knows with how this year has gone. But if things can stay on the same trajectory, I believe that the future is bright, both personally and professionally - I'm hoping that the feeling is mutual.
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