Hitting eject.
The reasons people land at Brindlee Mountain are numerous. Below, Nate Smith shares why and how he landed here.
Nine years into a corporate ladder climb, I, Nate Smith, hit the eject button. I walked away from a company full of prestige, black suits, long-term financial security, and the promise of respect and envy from highly educated colleagues. I worked with a brilliant team but didn't feel connected. I had high profile clients, but I didn't feel accomplished. I had achieved every promotion target I aimed for, but I didn't feel satisfied. I had a great job, but I wasn't fulfilled. Deep down, I knew it.
At the end of a church leadership conference in the fall of 2015, a good friend penned a short note to me that I have kept in my Bible ever since. At the end of this note, he included: "PS - I believe God has handpicked another job for you." I thanked him for the note and encouragement, but I couldn't see a way out of my career path. I felt stuck.
God had a better plan.
The next summer (2016), through a series of peculiar but God-ordained events, I found myself visiting Brindlee Mountain to learn more about the company and understand if I would potentially fit. James had approached me at church, had a short conversation in the parking lot about the business, and that was all I knew about the company.
I still remember driving up on the property for the first time and parking in front of a large oak tree in the pasture and looking at the sunrise as the cattle grazed. I prayed in that instance and asked God that if this was His will, he needs to make it as clear as possible so it is literally impossible to make the wrong choice.
God made his plan abundantly clear.
I'm not one for "laying out the fleece" and asking God to show me physical signs pointing to the right direction for my life decisions. But I knew very quickly that Brindlee Mountain was a special place from the moment I stepped foot on the property. I realized the people here, the feeling here, the eagerness and dedication to doing business God's way, was here. This was where I needed to be and where I wanted to leverage all that I had learned in my past to serve, here. I was excited and thankful to be offered that opportunity.
I knew nothing about fire trucks. Now I know a little. But I know this...
Nobody comes to work at Brindlee just to punch a clock, turn a wrench and complete a task. Nobody comes just to close a deal, create reports, or close the books. We come to serve one another with eager hearts. We come to serve our customers with a spirit of service. We come to do business God's way with integrity, excellence, and gratitude. And THAT, I have found, is extremely satisfying.
Fulfillment in work was not something that I studied in business school, or learned how to model and analyze when working in consulting, but I know I have found it here at Brindlee Mountain.
And I know this…