Every year at Family Reunion, attendees look forward to spending their last conference day at Inspirational Morning – a special event created and championed by Mo Anderson – to celebrate the unique culture of Keller Williams while showing appreciation for one another. The yearly tradition continued today, as attendees logged on from all over the world, eager to honor incredible individuals who have stepped into the higher purpose of business: to give, serve, and perform outstanding acts of service.
After a welcome message from Anderson which reiterated the purpose of the event, KWRI VP of People Operations and host, Leslie Vander Gheynst recognized incredible acts of kindness that had been displayed throughout the week, especially that of Austin, Texas-based KWRI associates who worked tirelessly to ensure Family Reunion continued amid unprecedented weather conditions. She also reflected how in a year filled with trials brought on by a global pandemic, social uprisings, and natural disasters, KW associates persevered.
“At every turn, you’ve underscored intention with action. You are the champions of change that we celebrate every day, but especially today. As the year has shown us, when times get hard, you forge a path. When giving up seems easy, you choose instead to act. That’s our culture. And our purpose today is to highlight and celebrate you.”
After honoring religious diversity among Keller Williams associates through a yearly Prayer of the Faiths tradition, Vander Gheynst was joined by members of the executive team. Over the next 40 minutes, the group took turns introducing three very powerful stories, bound tightly together by the thread of KW culture.
KW Italy: Choosing Happiness
Keller Williams’ culture is one of careers worth having and lives worth living – and this is a phenomenon that extends across the company’s 50 worldwide regions. Inspirational Morning’s first story, presented by Curtis, was a shining example of this. Although it was one of the countries hardest-hit by the global pandemic, KW Italy and its majority-women team leaned into KW’s culture of happiness by creating an infectious campaign for their fellow agents: With associates quarantined all around the world, smiling into their cameras and saying “I choose to be happy.”
“Culture was the main point to stress in our communications,” KW Italy regional marketing manager Silvia Rossi said. Throughout the pandemic, Rossi’s team showcased the true value of Keller Williams through a set of videos highlighting technology, training, diversity, an environment in which women can thrive, and, of course, happiness. “We wanted agents to know that these instruments are available to them in these very peculiar times in their lives,” Rossi said. With the help of a $10,000 donation and the opportunity to hold a worldwide Mastermind with top female leaders within the company, KW Italy is set to provide more value than ever before.
Related reading: KW Italy’s Women Leaders Blend Creativity and Passion to Pave the Way for All
Dan Grieb and Chris Nikic: History Is Made
On November 7, 2020, Chris Nikic made history as the first athlete with Down syndrome to complete a full-distance Ironman.
Alongside him was his coach, Dan Grieb – CEO and founder of the Home to Sell Team at Keller Williams, and a 17-time Ironman athlete himself.
As Dan and Chris’ story shows, anything is possible if you start with an achievable goal: being 1% better each and every day. Having conquered his first big challenge, Nikic is now training for a future competition in Hawaii – a journey that will hopefully be made easier through a $10,000 donation received during Inspirational Morning. If you’d like to donate to Chris’s competition, click here.
Related reading: To the Finishing Line: Dan Grieb Reflects on Coaching Chris Nikic – First Athlete With Down Syndrome to Complete an Ironman
Coalition Properties Group: For the Love of Community
Across the world, Keller Williams associates pour tirelessly into their communities through education and financial resources, lifting up the future generation of leaders. In the Washington, D.C. area, the gentlemen of Coalition Properties Group give back to their community by hosting homeownership seminars and investing in their team. “The opportunity to get in the door can be the difference for a lot of families between surviving and thriving,” Coalition Properties Group co-founder Harrison Beacher said.
During the session, Beacher was joined by team member Isaiah Hazward, the founder of nonprofit organization Unfair Advantage. Through Unfair Advantage, Hazward and his team are able to provide financial literacy, stability, and independence to those who need it most. At the event, the nonprofit received a $10,000 donation in order to further its mission.
Learn more about Unfair Advantage and join their mission to make an impact, here.
The session closed with encouraging words from Vander Gheynst, followed by a recorded prayer with Mo Anderson. “Let’s all vow to be the change we want to see and the leader the world needs: in our homes, our market centers, in our communities,” Vander Gheynst said. “And, when the going gets tough, let’s look to one another for comfort and strength, and in those moments when others might give up, keep going and be as tenacious as we have been this year.”
I attended the 2021 Family Reunion and am a KW realtor at KWP#77…I paid and attended the sessions and now I cannot access the 2021 Library of Family Reunion…if I hit forgot password, it still will not let me reset or enter a password at the reunion site. J
Hi Joyce,
Thank you for attending and I am sorry to hear you are having trouble logging in. Please email events@kw.com. They should be able to help!