Happy Thanksgiving from VisionPoint Marketing

If you are really thankful, what do you do? You share.

W. Clement Stone

Our culture is a huge part of what has made VisionPoint Marketing a standard in higher ed enrollment marketing for the past 21 years, but we couldn’t be what we are without the team we’ve assembled. This year, we asked all the VisionPointers what they’re thankful for – in their job, in relationships with our client partners, and in their personal lives.

And the answers just show what an incredible group of VisionPointers we’ve gathered together. We are so grateful each of them has chosen to be part of our VisionPoint family. Continue reading for a chance to see what we’re grateful for.

Our Jobs

Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.

Henry Van Dyke

When we asked what VisionPointers were most thankful for related to their jobs, the answers came quickly, and they might have had us wiping away a few tears.

• “I’m thankful to be working with such a wonderful and dynamic team that’s always pushing to do our best work.”
• “[I’m thankful for] the great minds I’m consistently surrounded by and the integrity that comes with those big brains. We really work hard as a team and that shows.”
• “[I’m grateful for my team! We’re] always learning from each other, growing our knowledge, and laughing every day with genuine friends.”

Team members were the number one response to this question and that just reinforces our belief in the fact that the right team members really can make all the difference.

Other VisionPointers were grateful for the culture we’ve worked hard to build and continue to keep top of mind. Our effort to keep a great work/life balance came up more than once, as did having colleagues who support each other.

• “[I’m grateful for] how supportive and kind everyone is, a company culture that is committed to excellence but still puts people first, resources to continue honing our crafts, and unlimited paid time off to enjoy life outside of work.”
• “[I’m grateful for] so many things. Having a fun job that I love, working alongside very talented and kind humans all in the name of furthering a worthy cause – higher ed. [I’m grateful for] flexibility and understanding that employees are people with lives outside of work and being given the space to take care of those non-work needs.”

In short, VisionPointers are grateful for the ability to laugh with their team members, learn from others, and appreciate the support they are given, both in their jobs, and in their lives outside of VisionPoint.

One VisionPointer put it best when they said, “[I’m] never alone. [I] always have a team.” Another said, “[I’m grateful for] the high-character people that make up this clan.” And that’s what we are: a family. With our VisionPointers, our days are better, and we are so grateful for them as well.

Our Client Partners

We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.

Friedrich Koenig

When we talk about what we’re grateful for at VisionPoint, one thing that always comes up is our client partners, and the absolutely biggest trait we are grateful for in our clients is their trust in us. Whether it’s through breaking out of their comfort zone with a creative direction or choosing to take our advice on audience segmentation, our client partners show their trust in us. They know they can push back if they don’t agree, but they are truly partners, trusting us to tell their story, and we are grateful for their confidence in us.

Our client partners contribute ideas and provide invaluable feedback from which we are able to hone our response to their specific needs. One VisionPointer spoke of a client, saying, “They are a joy to work with day in and day out, and they truly get it. They understand how we work, appreciate and respect our recommendations, and kindly navigate any hiccups with us as partners along the way. They challenge us to be better marketers, brainstorm alongside us, and give praise where praise is due for outstanding work.”

Despite the challenges and headwinds our client partners have endured over the past few years, their tenacity and optimism is something we can’t show enough gratitude for. “[We build] true relationships. [We have] clients we can talk to, joke with, and build lasting relationships with.”

Collaboration is truly the name of the game with our clients, “from big idea process to optimization efforts. We’re a team!” It’s true that we’re complete partners with our clients – it’s why they have the name client partners! “I’m grateful for the friendships with our partners…together we have the same goal for higher education’s success. Being partners with a common goal to help students invigorates me every day,” said one VisionPointer.

Our client partners are flexible, too! We don’t know if they can do splits – though maybe that’s something to bring up at our next meeting with each of them – but they are “committed to excellent work and continue to put their audience first.” This means that VisionPoint’s client partners have “willingness to break the status quo and [are] open to new ideas that don’t fall into the sea of sameness, but rather break through the noise.” And, “[they’re open] to try new channels, new tactics, and new strategies. That collaboration helps so much! “[They keep] us apprised of enrollment data weekly so we can bolster marketing efforts in certain areas.”

Truly, our client partners make our campaigns work worth doing. Their easy-going attitudes and understanding mean we’re all on the same page, working hard to meet their goals, to reach their audiences, to improve their enrollment numbers, and to help spread the world of the life-changing power of higher education that we all believe in.

Our Personal Lives

Wear gratitude like a cloak, and it will feed every corner of your life.

Rumi

From A to Z, VisionPointers are thankful for a lot! And we are here for it.

By far, family was the overwhelming top of VisionPointers’ gratitude lists! Partners that love us, support us, and cheer us on in everything we do is as equally important as our combined nearly-55 sweet and silly children who keep smiles on our faces. Children, along with our animal children, make frequent meeting appearances and we love watching them grow! And, some of us are lucky enough to live near other family members. “Living close to family and friends, and being able to spend meaningful time with them,” is the number one item to be grateful for for one VisionPointer. Friends, new relationships, and continuing relationships, and relationships with God keep all of us smiling, too.

Why? Because those close to us bring us so much more to be thankful for. They bring us conversation, new experiences, travel, laughs, the ability to dare and dream, and know that we’ll be supported along the way. From them we learn about kindness and empathy, and we see in them that there still is good in this world.

Whether they’re babies or 16-years old, whether they fly, hop, stalk, or lope, VisionPointers are grateful for their good boys and girls. We can be assured of a pet-bomb in every meeting we have, be it a cat walking in front of the camera or a dog barking at the mailman, we are never far from our four-legged friends. Please enjoy a selection of our pets and know that this is just a random selection and does not at all constitute the entirety of the pet world at VisionPoint.

VisionPointers are also celebrating health, “the breath in my lungs,” mental health, and finally getting out of that Covid slump. In addition, new houses, music, and fall weather all made the list.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is a time of togetherness and gratitude.

Nigel Hamilton

From our VisionPoint team to you, happy Thanksgiving! We hope you have a chance to unwind, relax, be grateful, and live in the moment. And we can’t wait to connect again and continue building the best relationships we can as we work toward our client partners’ goals to bring the value of higher education to everyone. Now, that’s something to be grateful for.