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Florida

With 2020 now in our rear-view mirror, I would not want to minimize the harsh realities of what an incredibility difficult year it was. Too many people across the country lost their jobs, their businesses, their lives and their hope as Covid-19 changed our way of doing things in so many ways.

But out of bad, so often comes some good when you really focus and search for that silver lining.

If anything, 2020 may have forced us to slow down, to look at our lives, re-evaluate our priorities and learn that we can live very differently without sacrificing quality. Maybe we learned to relish more opportunities to be home with our loved ones, to take the time to smell the roses, notice the green grass or blue skies.

We also learned we can conduct business remotely and in fact, technology provided us an opportunity to see each other more often and get to know each other better than with our normally quick in-and-out during conventions and business meetings.

This new year is an opportunity for us all -- to utilize lessons learned and ensure that we do not slip back into our old routines. Hopefully, we have learned how our relationships -- personal and professional -- are important and crucial to our well-being and happiness as well as to our success.

We want them and even need them to enhance our own abilities to create a more positive and productive work environment.

I want to welcome you to the year with a focus on Authentic Leadership.

The most effective leaders have learned the value of being authentic as a leader and have succeeded in creating highly effective, productive teams who genuinely feel a team spirit. Working together is working successfully.

This year, we will spend time learning how to be authentic leaders as we go through this journey together. This is our Authentic Leadership Mantra:

No matter what anyone says, just show up and do the work

If they praise you, show up and do the work

If they criticize you, show up and do the work

If no one notices you, just show up and do the work

Just keep showing up, doing the work, and leading the way

Lead with passion

Fuel up with optimism

Have faith

Maintain hope.

Be Stubborn

Fight the good fight

Refuse to give up

Ignore the critics

Believe in the impossible

Show up

Do the work

You will be glad you did

True grit leads to true success

(written by Jon Gordon)

But how will we get there? How will we accomplish our goals? By rolling up our sleeves, doing the hard work and even at times embracing the uncomfortable as we step outside of our comfort zones.

Remember…

Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. Nothing worth anything comes easily. It comes through hard work and determination. But embrace the journey, not just the goal, and you will get there with a smile on your face.

On behalf of the entire 2021 State Line – Paige, Charmaine, Dinorah, Andrew and me - we look forward to an amazing and productive year. And we are glad you are taking the journey with us!

Sincerely,

Amy S. Snook

2021 President