This is Us: Sydney + David
This is Us: Sydney + David
TAA's Membership Committee created the This is Us series to showcase the lasting friendships that can grow when working together as volunteers at TAA.
The stories in our series follow a Supplier member and an Owner-Operator member in a conversation surrounding how they met and started doing business together, as well as the professional growth they’ve experienced after becoming TAA members.
Sydney: David and I were on the Special Events Committee together and our relationship strengthened through volunteering with TAA at multiple events. At Maintenance Mania in 2017, I knew David and I were buddies forever. I was a new Supplier and moving into a sales role and David was able to give me some very helpful tips. In return, I helped him make some new connections. I knew I didn't want to be without David as a friend.
David: In early 2018 when I found myself seeking employment opportunities, I was told to reach out to The Liberty Group. I knew Sydney pretty well so I contacted her on a Friday morning and she placed me on Monday morning! I was plugged into a few different communities but ultimately landed at Capital Creek at Heritage (CCH) in Wake Forest for some time thereafter.
Sydney: At the first Special Events meeting of 2018, I noticed David wasn’t there and then again at the next meeting. It was unlike him to be absent back to back and I was worried about him! I finally heard from him and he was seeking a new opportunity and asked for my assistance. We quickly had him out to work on some temporary assignments and the industry loved him. He was nothing short of hard working, kind and grateful- which made helping him that much easier. I loved the updates after each assignment about what was going on and what he accomplished everywhere he went.
David: While working with the CCH Team, the newly acquired community went from 78% to 98% occupied in a 3.5-month timeframe. Our social-media footprint was reputable and second-to-none. CCH had very high retention and was 'the place to be' within our market. I garnered the company's first-ever 100% Shopper's Report and earned my NALP credential. At the annual Manager’s Conference in Atlanta, an event I was able to attend by winning a company-wide competition, I was was awarded the Waypoint Management Company's Shining Star Award… All of this was during my first year of being in the industry!
Sydney: When he was assigned to Capital Creek with Waypoint, I knew we had a slam dunk. Week after week, the updates were flowing in about what a great fit he was so it was no shock at all when the call came that he was being hired on as a permanent employee. I had to visit him and celebrate his success to make sure he knew how genuinely exciting it was for me to see him soar in his new role. His success is what a recruiter's dreams are made of.
David: I am grateful and fortunate to know Sydney, who helped steer me onto this amazing journey on the Owner/Operator-side of the industry. After some time working through The Liberty Group at CCH, I was formally offered a permanent position with Waypoint Management Services, Sydney surprised me by showing up with balloons in hand to congratulate me! Although I am no longer currently working through The Liberty Group and with the Liberty Ladies, I still hold the organization and those involved very near and dear, and call it a privilege to have been a Liberty Lad.
Sydney: Since working together at TAA, David and I are the first ones to find each other at events. If I know he will be there, I make it a priority to see him and grab a selfie. I love hearing his life updates and catching up and even though we no longer serve on the same committee, my TAA experience isn't the same if David is missing. He's one that we frequently discuss amongst our team because of his success and gratitude. We wouldn't be successful in our business without people like David on our team and we're quick to acknowledge that at every turn.
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