The Milestones in Leadership Summit was held on May 17 in sunny Huntington Beach, and we were graciously invited by our partner and sponsor, of this event, PTS Advance. Just a short drive away from our main office, the gorgeous Hyatt Regency hotel played host to over 500 leaders in all aspects of business. This event, which started in 2002, has grown into an amazing collaboration aimed at providing leadership knowledge and expertise to hundreds of industry leaders. I did not know what to expect having never attended this summit in the past but came away with valuable experience and insight into not only being a leader in the business world but taking ownership in my daily life.
There were two charities this event supported, the first being the Honor Foundation, which assists Navy Seal Veterans in attaining successful business skills to take with them into their career after they have served in the armed forces. The second was the Child Abuse Prevention Center, which has been assisting children with mental health and child abuse issues and is the country’s leading non-profit organization focused on preventing child abuse.
Jocko Willink, a retired U.S. Navy Seal Officer and co-author of the number one bestseller Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy Seals Lead And Win, was the guest speaker at the event. He had a very different outlook into the world of business with his military background, but his ideas resonated with me, especially his take on winning as a team. He stated that even though a business may have separate divisions such as Sales, Support and IT when one fails, they all do, but when we all work as a team sharing insight and pushing towards a common goal a team becomes unstoppable. Jockos message aligns with our own at SmartSearch and not only between our team members but also with our partners as we work together to create a lasting bond that transcends beyond client and vendor.
We can’t thank PTS Advance enough for the invitation to this wonderful summit. They have been an incredible partner for many years, sharing similar ideologies and characteristics. One of the many reasons PTS Advance has continued to be an industry leader is their commitment to building strong relationships through honesty and putting in the extra work and consideration.
We look forward to many more years of continued association and continuously building a better future through leadership by utilizing knowledge gained at the Milestones in Leadership Summit.