At my sister's senior prom lead-out that year, I saw a man I'd known my whole life and had worked for three summers of my college career at a local bank in town. He was no longer at that bank, but I'd heard he was working with some investors to start a new bank. I took the opportunity to let him know I'd love a chance to meet with him, a chance to show my interest in being a small part of his new venture.
Mark graciously accepted, and we kept in touch. My first interview was scheduled for September 12, 2001. I drove home from Athens on September 11, listening to the radio, nervous as a cat after all that had happened that morning in our country. The naive little girl inside of me had no idea the devestation that was occuring. I met with Mark the next morning as planned. I remember they had a television on in the office, listening to the coverage of the horrific aftermath of 9/11. I remember Mark telling me he wasn't sure after the previous day's events if this bank he intended to open would ever come into fruition. But he also told me if it did, he'd love to have me on his team.
He also encouraged me to consider other avenues. I remember very vividly him telling me I could go to a bigger institution and take part in a management training program and probably become a commercial lender a lot faster than what he could offer.
I didn't want that. I wanted the small, community bank feel I knew was in my blood. Remember, my Daddy was a banker. My Granddaddy was a banker. Mark and my Daddy were lifelong friends and went to banking school together. There was no doubt in my mind working for Mark was exactly where I wanted to be.
God was good, and I was offered a job as a customer service representative. I started November 5 of that year and was so very blessed to be a part of such an amazing experience. I will never forget the electricity that filled that office when we reached the threshold. We had raised enough capital, and we would be opening the new community bank! Oh, it was ELECTRIC! The high fives, the hand shakes and hugs, they were just awesome.
And I was a part of it! A small part of it, but it was amazing.
We opened our doors December 10, 2001, and we hit the ground running. A team of 12 of us were in place, and the veteran bankers who worked there were busy bringing in customers left and right. Every. Single. Minute. was jam packed. And it was so much fun!
After our first branch was open and we were rocking and rolling, the executive team began looking to expand. An office in our downtown area was a must, and I was asked to step up and run that office. What an experience! I'll never forget working with the contractor to ensure subs were completing their jobs in a timely manner (I may have been one of the most annoying customers ever for some of those contractors!). I remember our team polishing the brass in the stairwell of the building as it was an old building and had been vacant for some time. We opened our downtown office and again, I loved every single second of it.
Before too long, I was asked to return to the main office to begin doing some small commercial lending. First, I would spend a few months training in our credit department, learning to analyze financial statements. What an experience that was! I was blessed to work under an amazing lady who knew financials inside and out. She taught me invaluable lessons. And not just about income statements and balance sheets.
Before I knew it, I was where I had wanted to be all along. A small business lender. I had high hopes of making great loans and knockin' 'em dead. Oh, if only it had been that easy! I can laugh about it now, but y'all, I was a terrible lender. I spent most of my time declining folks. To make matters worse, I never wanted to hurt anyone's feelings or crush anyone's dreams, so I always gave them a little ray of hope.
Which meant they'd come back again.
And again.
And again.
I remember my boss (whom to this day I adore, admire and love dearly) telling me, "Bethany, you've just got to toughen up and tell them the truth! Tell them it cannot be done!"
About the time I met Tim, I was beginning to wonder if this lending gig was right for me. Our prayer journal reflects such as we prayed for months about my job and where God would have me to go.
And wouldn't you know it, God showed up. Again.
I was asked then to begin a training program within the bank. We had aspirations to grow and expand, and the need for policies and procedures to be in place to enhance consistency throughout was necessary. What an answer to prayer!
And so it was. I was the trainer for this amazing bank for 4 plus years. I had the opportunity to work alongside some amazingly talented people. I learned so very much from them as most of them had been in banking for decades and were a wealth of knowledge.
I. Loved. It. With all my heart I loved that place. I remember numerous times the conversations I had with some of the "originals". We just loved that bank like it was a part of our family. It was. I'd get so frustrated with those who looked at it as a typical 9 - 5 job. It wasn't that for me. Not at all. It was part of my life, and I loved that institution dearly.
When I got pregnant, as we began to plan for our future as a family of three, God did amazing things in my heart. I wanted to be a mother. A full time mother. Forget the business world. The suits. The office. I wanted to be at home with our child, wiping noses and bottoms, singing lullabies and saying nursery rhymes. God honored that desire, and as y'all know, I've been home with Molly since she was born. I was lucky enough to do a little bit of work for the bank (which, by the way changed names a couple more times) from home and loved every minute of that. I enjoyed being a tiny part of a place I'd known and loved since its inception. It was a great transition, and I'll forever be thankful for the opportunity they gave me to do what I did.
Sadly, the bank as it was is no more. Georgia's really been hit hard with this recession, and our bank was not to be spared. There's a new name, most of the team is still in tact, and I'll forever be fiercely protective of them. They are the hardest working, most dedicated group of folks I've ever known. And I'm proud to call them colleagues and friends.
The emotions I've felt over the last week have been all over the place. This post is a very transparent one, and it's really for me. I need to get this all out. This song has played in my head over and over again. We worked as hard as we did for 9 1/2 years, and it was all well worth it.
What an experience! What a ride! Thank you, God, for allowing me to be a part of such an incredible team.
