I almost wrote this sunflower off. My nephew came over to help with landscaping, and when I asked him to cut a tree down at the base… he accidentally cut down my kids’ sunflower instead — the one they’d watched climb past eight feet tall, the one that hadn’t even bloomed yet. By the time I got home, he had it propped against the house, leaves already wilting. It looked done. Still… something in me thought, What if? So I replanted it. No roots. No real chance — just a one-foot hole, mud, and hope. A week later it was worse. Brown. Slumped. Lifeless. Every sign said it was over. My kids were devastated. But growth doesn’t always announce itself. And resilience rarely starts where we can see it. Weeks passed… Then one day, pulling into the driveway, I looked up — and out of the very top of that dead-looking stalk, a new stem had pushed through. A week later… a bud. A few more weeks… and it bloomed into a brilliant sunflower. Small, yes. But mighty. And then came the day when a butterfly landed on it, soaking in a beauty that almost never existed. That’s when it hit me: That sunflower shouldn’t have made it. No roots. No structure. No reason. But it still found a way to send up one more stem… one more bud… one more chance to become what it was meant to be. Even when it looked finished — cut down, wilted, slumped — something inside that sunflower refused to quit. It kept pushing, kept reaching, kept trying to live the only way it knew how. It amazed me — this thing that had every reason to give up choosing instead to grow again. Not perfectly. Not impressively. But honestly. A single bloom. From a broken stalk. And in the end, it did what sunflowers do: it turned whatever strength it had left toward the light… and bloomed anyway. 🌻 Growth doesn’t always look pretty. Resilience rarely announces itself. But it’s there — working beneath the surface long before anyone sees the proof. Be curious. Be confident. Be competitive. Be kind. #UnapologeticallyFraternal Much Love & Cheers. #ModernWoodmenofAmerica #RethinkSuccess #DoThingsDifferently #PauseAndReflect #ThisIsMWA #ThisIsUsMWA

Some weeks remind you exactly why community work matters. This week, I stopped by the Greenwood City Building and found Julia Reynolds transforming an ordinary lobby into something that made you smile the moment you walked in. Nothing fancy. Nothing loud. Just simple, thoughtful beauty — full of heart and intention. The kind that feels like a gift. Shout out to all of the folks who assisted with making this a reality: Greenwood High School’s Theater, Trades & Construction, and Art departments; Amy Barile from Teal Canary; Stephanie Robbins from Queen Bee Spa; our wonderful Michelle Badolato; Miss M’s Home & Garden; and of course Julia, Emily Ellis, and the amazing team at the Greenwood Public Library (especially the Studio Makerspace staff!). Watching the team work — ribbon by ribbon, ornament by ornament — was a reminder of what makes Greenwood special: people who show up, contribute, and bring a little joy wherever they go. Julia, from the Greenwood Public Library, coordinated everything with such care. You could feel her passion in every detail carried a personal touch. She turned an ordinary day into a many moments of connection, pride, and shared creativity. These small moments matter more than we think. They brighten someone’s day. They bring people together. They make our town feel like home. They build pride. They spark joy. They remind us that community isn’t just where we live — it’s something we actively shape together. Grateful for this community. Grateful for the people who pour into it and make it better just by being themselves. And grateful for every opportunity to show up alongside them. Be Curious. Be Confident. Be Competitive. Be Kind. #unapologeticallyfraternal Much Love & Cheers. #ModernWoodmenofAmerica #ThisIsMWA #ThisIsUsMWA #MakeAnImpact #MakeADifference #PeopleHelpingPeople #CommunityMatters #FraternalLife #GiveBack #MWAInTheCommunity #PurposeDrivenWork #UnapologeticallyFraternal

Huge congratulations to Amanda Laney on officially passing her Series 7 exam! 🎉 Anyone who’s been through it knows—the Series 7 isn’t just a test. It’s hours of studying, discipline, sacrifice, and an extremely large amount of determination. Amanda brought all of that… and more. This milestone represents not just technical knowledge, but commitment to growth, professionalism, and serving clients with an even deeper level of expertise. Amanda, your hard work paid off, and this achievement is so well-deserved. Proud of you, excited for you, and looking forward to seeing all the incredible things you’ll accomplish next. Here’s to the next chapter in your career—well done! 👏💼📈 Be Curious. Be Confident. Be Competitive. Be Kind. #unapologeticallyfraternal Much Love & Cheers. #ModernWoodmenofAmerica #TeamMWA #MWACareers #CelebratingSuccess #Congratulations #WelcomeToTheTeam #NextLevel #GrowthMindset #ThisIsMWA #ThisIsUsMWA ‌

A huge THANK YOU to Tom Wall for coming out to lead our Jackson Division monthly workshop! His topic? “Permission to Spend: Maximize Your Retirement with the Best Kept Secret in Personal Finance.” His seminar was packed with actionable insights, strategies, and motivation that challenged our team to be more efficient, effective, and creative financial professionals. We look forward to following up with Tom at his Fast Start Forum next month in Hollywood, FL, as he brings in special guests and experts from across the country looking to share thought-provoking ideas and best practices. Here’s to see the power, momentum, and brilliance our team will bring moving into 2026! We were also excited to host Amanda and Brian Denney out of Ohio and quite a few financial representatives from Andrew Beers' Division out of Michigan. Your questions and insights did well to add to what was already an engaging, innovative, and highly educational atmosphere. Moments like these remind us that the depth of talent within this team — near and far; across divisions, across states, across every level — is a force in its own right. When we CHOOSE to harness it together, the outcome isn’t just incremental… …it’s transformational. Be Curious. Be Confident. Be Competitive. Be Kind. #UnapologeticallyFraternal Much Love & Cheers. #Motivation #Leadership #Resilience #GrowthMindset #BeCuriousBeConfidentBeCompetitiveBeKind #TeamDevelopment #LeadershipGrowth #JacksonDistrict #TeamPower #NextLevelThinking