Just wanted to take a moment and publicly announce that I am SO proud of my husband.
A little more than a week ago, on Valentine's Day, in fact - Cliff was given an opportunity to step up into a leadership role at Lampo - one that was created both out of a need for a specific type of leader AND out of Cliff's exhibited strengths in his time as an ELP Advisor.
I know most people know he works there, but I think most people are clueless as to what he does - or did - and now what he's going to be doing.
So, I'll break it down for you.
1. There's Dave Ramsey. Yes, the nationally-syndicated talk-radio, best-selling author, and speaker who has made it his works' mission to free people from their bondage to debt and help them live lives in control of their money, and not vice versa. He teaches basic, common-sense, biblical principles that most people just don't learn in our culture. I don't care what your opinion is of him, the man is making a difference.
2. There's Dave Ramsey's ELP (Endorsed Local Provider) Program. A system by which a Dave fan, listern, book reader, you-name-it, can go online to that website above, indicate what area of service they are in pursuit of (be it investing, real estate, insurance, health insurance, or tax services), fill in their information and be contacted immediately by a person who has been extensively interviewed and then brought on as the endorsed person for that area (usually by zipcode). Their endorsement by Dave is such that each ELP has a working knowledge of the principles Dave teaches and can help that client manager their finances in that particular way. And too, endorsed for their commitment to customer service.
3. There are ELP Advisors, like Cliff was. A handful of great folks who work with those individuals above who provide the services. That means, these advisors spend countless hours on the phone every week talking with tax accountants, financial advisors, and the like looking for the right people to fill the need for great service in certain "territories" (zip code areas). They interview, hire, coach, manage, and if they have to, fire ELPs all in the name of providing the best for Dave's listeners. There were weeks Cliff's hours on the phone totaled 15-20 hours for the week and he alone worked with around 340 of those ELPs across the nation.
4. There's the new ELP Sales Leader; that's Cliff. Now, over time, Cliff will be working less with his current ELPs as they are shifted to other team members and will be taking on the responsibility of working closely with the current and future ELP Advisors to increase their sales. In some ways, Cliff was already doing this, and I'm tickled pink to seem him getting both the recognition and opportunity to do this more officially. As much as he has been successful at his job, his success has come largely in developing a system that works and that he's committed to - having the autonomy to really develop his own ways of managing his set of ELPs. The fact that he'll now get to do that, training new ELP Advisors and finding ways to help the current advisors set and achieve new sales goals, is just a great transition for him into a familiar and yet entirely new experience.
Get it now?
It's hard to believe April will be four years that Cliff has been at Lampo. I have loved watching him grow and excel in his role there, and am grateful for that company in a way that few spouses get to be. He serves under and with such incredible people who are each working, in their own way, to make a difference in the lives of people - specifically in their personal finances.
I'm excited to see what this next chapter has in store - but in the meantime, can't think of a better way to celebrate than we are tonight, with dinner at the Melting Pot!
