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Southwestern Advantage Media Suggestions
The idea for recommendations of potential article content and various story angles has come up more than a few times in discussions with reporters.
Southwestern Advantage is a great American success story in entrepreneurialism, perseverance, character and values. For over 140 years, college students have gained an experiential education in life. The company is unique to say the least and has some of the most dynamic, interesting, and yes, many times local things to write about – its people.
The real story is not even the company. It is the people who make up the company and sell its products. More than a few reporters have sought after the secret ingredient that makes Southwestern Advantage and the summer program what it is. While Southwestern Advantage has weathered the years and does have a certain mythical lore in the realm of direct selling and entrepreneurialism, the fact that an extraordinary company is made up of extraordinary people can not be escaped. By giving students the opportunity to develop through doing, what they accomplish has few limitations.
In the past, reporters have covered such things from the students practicing their sales talks in our reflective glass building (and the reaction to those inside) to the outstanding successes past alumni have found who credit their Southwestern Advantage experiences. With that in mind, here are a few things to get the creative juices flowing.
Content Ideas
Everyone we have ever met in the media has one thing in common – they are all extremely busy! With that in mind, here are a few ideas for content, both creative and relevant to your audience.
Please keep in mind there are a limitless supply of information and stories out there beyond what you see below!
- College students turn to entrepreneurship in hard economic times
- Students graduate with a degree in life
- Think door-to-door sales is extinct… think again!
- Life lessons: one door at a time
- Opportunity knocks for college students seeking to graduate with less debt
- Door-to-door sales in a dot.com world
- The art of dealing with rejection
- Companies over 150 years old – common threads
- Local student makes own way
- Interview top student salespeople in specific locale.
For additional Southwestern Advantage conceptual ideas, media tours or to obtain information you need, contact Trey Campbell, APR at 888-602-7867.
Topic-specific Experts
The Southwestern family of companies contains many expert resources for interviews and research – and they are all available to you! With a wide variety of companies – from start-ups to experienced experts in their industry – you may want to add these experts to your Contact List.
Financial Services:
Jeff Dobyns, CLU, CHFC, CFP
President, Southwestern Investment Services, Inc.
Financial Advisor, Raymond James Financial Services, Inc.
Jeff.dobyns@raymondjames.com;
615-391-2902
As president and founding partner of Southwestern Investment Services, Inc., Jeffrey T. Dobyns is responsible for the firm's daily operations, business development and strategic direction. His leadership has helped grow our office into the top-producing branch of Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. In addition to leading his team, Dobyns also advises a wide range of clients on many financial issues from his Nashville, Tennessee office.
Dobyns' various qualifications help him to advise clients on an array of financial matters. He holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification, CLU (Chartered Life Underwriter) and ChFC (Chartered Financial Consultant) designations. He has received his Series 6, Series 7, Series 24, Series 63, life, health and annuity insurance licenses. He is also a Raymond James investment management consultant. His experience helps his clients build wealth through comprehensive financial planning with a specialty in fee-based professional money management, tax reduction strategies and exceptional customer service.
A native of Columbus, Ohio, Dobyns first established a relationship with Southwestern by participating in the summer sales program while attending Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. After earning a degree in business administration with an emphasis in finance, he worked for Lykins Financial Group., CPAs in Westerville, Ohio where he held the position of vice president of investments.
Determined to begin his own firm that would incorporate the values learned during his experience with Southwestern Advantage, Dobyns presented the idea to executives at Southwestern who supported the idea and welcomed Southwestern Investment Services, Inc. into The Southwestern corporate family. Today it is one of the fastest growing companies at Southwestern/Great American Inc.
Dobyns and the other professionals offer securities and investment advisory services through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC. By being completely independent, the allegiance is with the client and not with any particular product. We have no proprietary funds or products.
Southwestern Investment Services, Inc. is in the top 1% of all Raymond James brokerage firms nationwide.
Fine Art, Collecting, Sales
Ed Nash, Founder
Oxford Fine Arts
enash@oxfordfibnearts.com;
615-391-2644
Upon graduating from university and having participated in the Southwestern Advantage summer program for three summers, I could not see any jobs in the graduate job market that really interested me. I thought I would like start my own fine art company but did not feel I had the confidence or business experience to make it successful.
I decided to continue to build my own business with Southwestern in their graduate program. Within five years, I was able to learn essential skills for the business world that gave Southwestern the confidence to invest in me to start Oxford Fine Arts.
Oxford Fine Arts helps people build fine art collections. This has been a life long passion and dream for me. Raising the capital to start such a venture on my own would have been incredibly hard and time consuming. My multiple summers of experience with Southwestern Advantage was not just a summer job after all, but turned out to be a unique career opportunity.
Investment Services:
David W. Adams
Vice President, Southwestern Investment Services, Inc.
Investment Management Consultant,
Raymond James Financial Services, Inc.
David.adams@raymondjames.com
615-778-0262
David Adams provides clients with the comprehensive financial experience that has helped to make Southwestern Investment Services, Inc., an independent firm and a division of Southwestern/Great American, Inc., one of the top-producing branches of Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. As vice president of Southwestern Investment Services, Inc., Adams manages the day-to-day operations of the firm's Cool Springs branch office in Franklin, Tennessee. Adams' designations as a Certified Public Accountant and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ help him advise his clients on an array of financial issues and add to the overall financial assistance provided by our office.
Adams assists his clients in helping to build wealth through comprehensive financial planning with a specialty in professional money management, tax reduction strategies and exceptional customer service. He has an extensive list of qualifications and honors that attests to his capabilities, including: Licensed as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, through the Certified Financial Board of Standards, Inc.
Licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Adams is a member of the Nashville Chapter of the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants as well as the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Holder of Series 7, Series 63, life and annuity insurance licenses Member of Raymond James Financial Services' Executive Council, an honorary group of elite advisors recognized for outstanding client service and exemplary professional growth Certified as an Investment Management Consultant through the Raymond James Institute of Investment Management Consulting.
Licensed as a Registered Player Financial Advisor for the National Football League Players Association Registered representative with Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC.
A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Adams served as a financial auditor for the Fortune 100 express delivery company, FedEx, and was a senior consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, the world's largest professional services and accounting firm, prior to joining Southwestern Investment Services, Inc. He holds a degree in business administration in accounting and finance from the University of Memphis' Fogelman College of Business and Economics where he graduated summa cum laude and was valedictorian.
Adams also donates his time and experience to several community-based nonprofit organizations. Adams is also on the board of directors for the Fannie Battle Day Home for Children in Nashville, Tennessee, as well as the Martin Center of Senior Citizens, Inc. in Brentwood, Tennessee.
Southwestern Investment Services, Inc. is in the top 1% of all Raymond James brokerage firms nationwide.
Personal Coaching, Motivational Speaker
Rory Vaden, MBA
Co-founder, Professional Speaker, Success Starts Now!
rory@roryvaden.com;
615-391-2862, 303-204-6563
- Co-Founder of Success Starts Now!™
- Graduated Magna Cum Laude with an MBA from The University of Denver
- Is the 2007 World Champion of Public Speaking 1st Runner-Up
- Author of the new book No Laughs to Know Laughs - "How to be Funny to Make More Money" (buy here) and the audio series "The Audience is NOT in their underwear - How to craft truly compelling presentations and deliver them like a champ". (buy here)
- www.roryvaden.com
Rory Vaden is the world’s leading expert, author, and speaker on self-discipline. Rory’s insights have been shared on radio shows and featured in print media all around the country. Rory has degrees in Business Management, Leadership, and he also has an MBA. He’s been invited to share his compelling “Take The Stairs” message on stages in Taiwan, China, Canada, the UK, and all over the US. As the Co-Founder of the multi-million dollar training company, Success Starts Now!©, he has had the opportunity to personally coach top producers such as Chad Goldwasser, the #1 Keller Williams agent in the world.
Rory’s focus on implementing discipline as a life and business strategy led him to start a rapidly growing social movement called the “Take The Stairs World Tour” which encourages people to be more self-disciplined. As part of that movement Rory is on a world tour where he is taking the stairs to the top of the 10 tallest buildings in the world to raise money for charity.
Rory is a member of the National Speaker’s Association, and recently out of 25,000 contestants, became “The Toastmasters 2007 World Champion of Public Speaking 1st Runner Up.”
Sales Training, Personal Coaching, Motivational Speaking
Dustin Hillis
Co-founder, Professional Speaker, Success Starts Now!
dhillis@southwestern.com;
615-391-2867
- Co-Founder of Success Starts Now!™
- Was making approximately $35K per month at age 22 as a record breaking Top Producer for the 150 year old Southwestern Advantage.
- Graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Tennessee.
- Recently featured in the book Speaking of Success, with Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup for the Soul), Stephen Covey (7 Habits of Highly Effective People), and Ken Blanchard (One Minute Manager) (buy here)
- Is the current company sales record holder for the 150 year old Southwestern Advantage
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