[Update: Dave‘s office has changed as the firm has grown, but it still says a lot about what he values and the foundation he’s built the firm on.]
Most clients never see what you’re getting to see here – me in my office! That may seem strange, but clients don’t get to come in here because there is too much confidential information that I’m working on. If you look closely, you can even see client files turned over so you can’t see the names!
Here is a guided tour of what you see in the photo:
1. Glass box on the front of the desk. It says “AMB” which is my granddad, Arthur Bitzer. You may have heard me talk about him because he had really great stories, and we’re a lot alike. He owned a Dodge dealership in Salem and used to keep this box on his desk.
2. Illini lamp. (Back left.) Many of you know by now I’m a proud Illini. I-L-L!
3. Dilbert calendar. To the right of my phone, you’ll see a Dilbert calendar, which my wife Michelle gives me every Christmas.
4. Homemade calendars. On the shelf above my head you’ll see two homemade calendars with family photos that Michelle made.
5. Grade school lunchbox. Top left on the top of the shelf you’ll see my post office lunch box that I took to school growing up in Taylorville.
6. 1982 World Series Coke bottle. On the top right side of the top of the bookshelf (right next to the Fred Bird bobblehead!), you’ll see a 1982 Cardinals’ World Series Coke bottle.
7. 90-day goals. To the left of the Illini lamp on the wall, you’ll see my 90-day goals for the office. I’m always thinking about ways we can better serve our clients.
8. Phone headset. Underneath the lamp is my phone headset. I use it when I’m on the phone so I can type or write notes.
9. Baseball calendar. On the front of the desk next to my grandfather’s glass box is my baseball calendar given to me by my brother, Jay, for Christmas years ago.
10. Glass of water. To the left of the Illini lamp, you’ll see my water with a brightly colored band around it. Bailey made this for me with her Rainbow Loom, which was all the rage in 1st grade.
11. Lamp. The lamp on the front of my desk has been with me since my first job out of law school with an Illinois Supreme Court judge in Peoria. The night before this picture was taken, the whole family made a special trip to Lowe’s to replace the old lampshade that was looking pretty ragged after being dropped over the years.
12. Photos from family vacation spot. On the wall on the back right are 2 photos taken in Waters, Michigan. The photo on the left was taken when I was 11 years old, at the dock house where we went every summer during my childhood. The photo on the right was taken in the same location in 2008 when our family went back to visit the area.
13. “I Love You” sign. On the bottom right of the photo on the floor there is a sign that Bailey made me. It says, “Daddy I Love You.” Bailey and Cole both love coming to my office, and I love having them here. Do you remember when Bailey made signs for all the office staff?
I think your office says a lot about who you are and what you value. I hope this sneak peak into my office shows you that things we value as an organization at Edwards Group are the same things I value as a person:
Family, history, traditions, memories, humor and hard work.
All of these things are the reason we do what we do on a daily basis. And they’re the reason we are driven to do it better than anyone else. Every family is special and unique. Every family deserves an effective plan to address and protect their unique needs.
If you’d like to read more about our one-of-a-kind approach, and how it protects our clients and their loved ones, click here. If you’d like to learn more in person, call 217-726-9200 to save a spot at one of our upcoming workshops, or click on the link in the event listing.