Sample chapter by Renee Spears, submitted in the Benefit the Community section.
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Recently someone in my office said, “Today is my best day at work ever.” My mind flashed back to my best day at work. Most people probably think it would be the day when our company won the Small Business of the Year Award or was named the #1 Company to Work For, but it wasn’t.
My best day started out as any other day. I came to work in my shorts and flip flops and was greeted by Stella, a co-worker’s dog. After having a cup of tea and saying good morning to everyone, I settled down to work.
It happened to be Earth Day that day. Everyone at work either rode their bikes, took public transportation or carpooled to the office in an effort to conserve. We also celebrated with a lunch feast from Burgerville. After gorging ourselves on spicy black bean burgers and strawberry shakes, I checked to see which loans had closed that day and was told that we’d closed 4 deals for first-time home buyers. It’s great fun when we get to share in the excitement of someone buying a first home. This in itself was a great day, but the part that made it the best happened after lunch.
Years earlier I started a donation program where we donate $100 to our client’s choice of non-profit each time we close a loan. For the past 5 years, I’d been writing checks to non-profits. Our client’s choices range from the Rock and Roll Camp for Girls to the Oregon Food Bank and everything in between. That day I wrote a check to Raphael House of Portland for $500.
It didn’t hit me what had just happened until I went out to record this transaction with the rest of our donations on the office bulletin board and did some math. That day, the total of our donations topped $100,000. Amazing! Only 5 years earlier I started the business in my family room and now we’d given back $100,000 to the community. It was actually possible to make a difference in the world! I’d never felt pride like I did that day!
That was my best day at work ever.
Renee Spears is President of Rose City Mortgage, the nation’s 1st socially responsible mortgage company, named by Oregon Business Magazine the state’s #1 Small and #4 Green Company. | Rose City Mortgage | @RoseCityMrtg
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