I like Bill Wilson. Bill is the owner of Majestic Eagle Agency, an insurance agency specializing in personal and commercial insurance, employee benefits and wealth management based out of Clackamas, Oregon. Bill’s a straight shooter without a dishonest bone in his body. And that’s a good quality to have when you’re in the insurance business.
I met with Bill and his Commercial A/E, Jessica Reid, last week because Jessica had tipped me off to some of the cool things Majestic Eagle does on the down-low to serve their community. I, of course, was curious to know more.
Bill introduced me to Christmas for Kids, an annual partnership between local business, schools and public sector agencies that raises money and collects in-kind donations to help underprivileged kids in the Portland area. School counselors identify the “neediest of the needy” to participate in an outing to go Christmas shopping for themselves and their family at a local Fred Meyer store. It’s been a tradition for over 20 years.
Last year the Christmas for Kids Foundation (Bill’s the President) raised over $60,000 in cash, which was leveraged into over $120,000 worth of gift items. Adult volunteers took about 200 kids shopping. Including siblings, the program served over 620 kids.
Here’s the thing that impressed me about Bill: the sheer degree of understatement with which he describes the Christmas for Kids program and his personal role in making it happen…it’s bewildering. My expectations about the program were blown away as Bill nonchalantly listed off a few of their community partners. Columbia Sportswear. Fred Meyer. The Standard. Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office. Tigard Police Department. Local School Districts. United Healthcare. Kaiser Permanente.
Keep drooling because the list goes on and on. This is no small affair. All volunteer run. No paid staff. Wow!
Some Things I Learned From Talking with Bill and Jessica:
Persistence Pays
“I’m not shy about asking my clients to volunteer or contribute money. And I keep after them,” Bill explains. “I had a guy who wanted to thank me for helping him with an insurance issue. I had been after him for years to participate in Christmas for Kids and he never would. So I asked him to take a kid shopping and he did. The following year he became a corporate sponsor and every year since then, he brings his employees and his family to volunteer.”
Passion Pays
Bill admits, “When it comes to Christmas for Kids, I get a little bit…” – “Obsessed?” Jessica offers.
“Yeah, OK, I was going to say ‘obnoxious’ but I don’t care – it’s all about the kids. Every month I work a little bit on Christmas for Kids and starting about September, it gets crazy for me. But I grew up on a farm and we were relatively poor. I know what’s it’s like to be in a fairly desperate situation. When I see these kids wearing shoes held together with duct tape or thin, tattered coats, it makes it all worth it.”
Participation Pays
Because of the whole understated/modesty thing Bill has going on, he’d probably argue this point, but involving his employees, his clients, community organizations and colleagues epitomizes the “rising tide lifts all boats” aphorism. When I asked Bill if he thought his commitment to the community had a positive impact on his business, he responded,
“I don’t know – maybe a little bit but quite frankly, I don’t care. That’s not why I do it. This is a labor of love for me. I am blessed to have the means to give back and in my view, everyone should feel called to give back to society.”
To belabor the point a little longer, I asked Jessica to provide an employee’s viewpoint on the question and she responded,
“It’s definitely an element of why I like working here. We have employees that have been here for 10, 20, 30 years and it’s part of the culture of this agency. We’re more than just a business, we’re part of the community.”
It won’t surprise you to know that Majestic Eagle employees are also encouraged to volunteer on a monthly basis for a community food bank, and get paid to do so. They’re also encouraged to participate in Christmas for Kids on a rotating basis.
Purpose Pays
Bill’s obviously a purpose-driven guy, though he’d probably never define himself that way. In considering the legacy he’d like to leave, Bill says,
“I’d like the agency to go on. I’d like Christmas for Kids to go on. And I’d like to see the commitment to giving back go on.”
Now I know that to hear Bill tell it, none of this matters to his customers and his bottom line but truth be told, can you think of someone else from whom you’d rather buy insurance? Me neither.
Christmas for Kids will be held December 1, 2010 at the Hollywood West Fred Meyer. Volunteers and in-kind donations or cash are always needed. Because Christmas for Kids is interested in alleviating the financial strain on the families served, donations of food coupons or toward utilities are additional ways to support these kids and families.
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