Katia Sand

I first heard about Southwestern Advantage from a classmate as we walked out of the first English Literature seminar of the year. We hadn’t met before but I had noticed Mel in class because she was almost as opinionated as I was, and she was the only other person in the room who wasn’t British (though she spoke with a perfect English accent). She came to join me as we left and asked where I had gone to school, and it turned out that we had attended different branches of the same international school: the European School – she in Munich, Germany, and I in Brussels, Belgium. Within about five minutes of opening the conversation she was trying to tell me about the job she’d had the previous summer selling books door-to-door in America. I had spent the previous summer on an amazing road trip across the states and couldn’t work out a) why she was telling me about this in such detail when we had only just met, and b) why on earth she was talking with such enthusiasm about a job selling books door-to-door. I brushed off her suggestion to come and find out more about it, and the summer job didn’t cross my mind again.

Then at the beginning of December I got a phone call as I was revising madly for an exam the following day – this guy named Ali said he was recruiting for summer work in America and he had got my number from Mel. It took me a while to remember who Mel was, but I didn’t remember anything about the job at all. In the end I agreed to meet him the next day just to get him off the phone so that I could go back to my last-minute revision. In the end I went to a presentation the next day right after the exam. I walked in late to a packed room in our student union and immediately felt like I had to impress these people. I have an innate goody-two-shoes side that my lateness had offended, so I spent the rest of the presentation paying great attention and volunteering when we were asked why we might be interested in taking part. The answer I gave was unfortunately true. While on my way to graduating at the top of my class I had had next to no work experience and, with a degree in English Literature, was feeling the pressure of not knowing what exactly I was going to do post-graduation. Plus, at a recent Career Services interview I had been told that the class of 2008 was likely to be the least employable graduating year of the past 2 decades. The prospect of improving my CV/resume seemed too good to pass up, especially as these people seemed to be a whole lot more proactive than my Career Services representative, who had advised me to go travelling or remain in education until the job market improved. Had I taken her advice I think I’d still be on the road 4 years later.

I still wasn’t ready to commit though, and I made Mel go through every possible financial outcome of the summer for me – the very minimum I would need to sell in order to cover the cost of my flight ticket and visa. Eventually I was convinced that I really would not need that many customers in order to make that happen, and that if she could have a successful summer, so could I. The real reason I finally agreed to sell books, though, was simply because I didn’t have anything else lined up and, after a recent break-up, the prospect of getting to know an entirely new group of people felt necessary.

The summer came and went really quickly. I went to California just as the sub-prime crisis began and every other house seemed to be going into foreclosure, but all the moms I met were furious about how much money was being removed from the state education budget. I felt like I had the opportunity to make a difference and put control over their children’s education back into parents’ hands. I made about $11,000 in 7 weeks, cried almost every day because I was tired and felt I wasn’t doing well enough (my up and down emotions still bewilder Mel), and met some absolutely incredible people amongst my customers (some of whom I am still in touch with), my teammates, my host mom, and the rest of the people I was lucky to get to know through Southwestern Advantage. I have some very vivid memories of cycling home after 12 and a half hours of work through a Californian sunset, feeling how surreal it was that I ended up as a door-to-door salesperson, and also immensely grateful that all my premonitions of being like Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman had not come to be! I came back with some hilarious memories and, although I must have met about 1500 families that summer I could still tell you detailed stories about many of them!

Over the following 3 summers with Southwestern Advantage, these friendships have multiplied. I have now made good friends with customers in Folsom, California; Denver, Colorado (including a family who sent their teenage daughter to stay with me in Europe for 2 weeks); all over North Dakota (including one wonderfully special family who I now consider part of my own); and finally western Colorado, where I met some of the most open-hearted people I have ever had the pleasure to know. I have also been exposed to some tough life lessons and been taught and looked after by some incredible mentors who have helped me not only with my Southwestern Advantage experiences, communication skills and business and management know-how, but who are also helping me get into graduate school. Oh and in 2011 I made about $43,000 during the summer.

Student Manager Brandon Abernathy

Dear Caring and Concerned Family,
As a parent, we want to protect our children at all costs. When my son Brandon Abernathy told me about a summer internship with Southwestern Advantage selling books, I was very skeptical. I wasn’t exactly thrilled at the idea of allowing my son to go to a different state and stay and work with strangers. My first thoughts were, “what if these people treat my son bad, hurt him, or steal from him?” Not to mention, I was discouraged of helping my son financially nor could I be able to talk to him much. Secondly, I thought “sales?!!” How can this be lucrative? No way was my son going to go “door to door” where I wouldn’t be able to protect or comfort him whenever I felt I needed to. I wasn’t comfortable with him carrying all that money or being out by himself all day long. I was so scared, because anything can happen.

Virgie and Audrey (two of Brandon’s managers) spoke with me about the program and what their expectations were and how well they invested in and monitored each student. This helped me feel a lot better. Signing the parent support letter made me feel even more skeptical, however I soon realized that this was my own fear that I was dealing with. I did a lot of thinking about everything and came to the realization that I couldn’t protect my son from everything. I had to step back and allow him to be an adult. So, I signed the consent form and decided to support my son rather than give him permission.

During the summer, my son’s first few weeks were a little bit rough, but I started to notice significant changes in him. Even though he was struggling at first, his attitude was so positive! I thought, “how can he be so positive even though he wasn’t making TONS of money at first?” My son explained to me that the intense emotional training that Southwestern invested into him was what had helped him. “Never give up”, he would say, “because when one door closes, another one is waiting to be opened.”

Southwestern teaches our children about “life” through selling books. Everyday in everyone’s lives we have good and bad days. It is how we perceive it and what we take from it that ultimately matters. I learned this through watching my son grow into a new person, better than before. Believe in yourself and you can do anything. Southwestern helped me grow and learn how to be better within myself and I thank them for that. My son is completely responsible, and is extremely motivated. He takes on each day with a positive attitude and no matter what happens, he does his best to make anything negative into something positive. Southwestern is like a family, and I am apart of that family now too. Please allow Southwestern to mold and shape your child to be the best “them” they can be. Open yourself up for the growth just as your child is trying to do. You will not regret it. If you have any questions or just want to talk, please contact me.

Best Regards,
Michelle Fouad

Cell: 513.633.8862

My name is Josef Dvorak, I am a graduate of University of Economics in Prague (Czech Republic) and I am getting ready for my seventh summer with Southwestern Advantage. I was recruited in my 3rd year of University wanting to learn English at any cost. The summer before I went to Ireland with the same desire, I ended up in a kitchen washing dishes and the only English words  I learned were: "peel the potatoes", "wash the plates" and "faster". I came back home and felt ok about my summer, but that was it.

When I saw one of the Southwestern experienced guys talking in front of a lecture with huge confidence and handing out little surveys, I thought to myself: "I want some of this!" I filled out his survey and didnt even care what I was going to do. I just wanted some of his skills. My first summer went alright, by the end of it I was able to converse fluently in English, saw a little bit of California, learned a lot about loads of things and ended up in the TOP 10 in Europe, saving over $10,500 and feeling great!

As I mentioned above I am getting ready for my 7th summer. I could be talking for hours about all the fancy stuff that I have seen and learned, but here are just couple of those that I value the most: I not only learned English, but spending 5 summers in California also tought me Spanish and nowadays I am able to make sales and converse in Spanish. I learned how to talk with confidence in front of a large group of people, sell ideas, how to stay motivated, set goals, .... and in general got ready for the job market or setting up my own business. Thanks to what I do I already visited places like Mexico, Cayman Islands, Gambia, Cyprus, Spain, Scotland, Ireland, .... and of course loads of places in USA.

In my "minicareer" with Southwestern I was fortunate enough to build a business with a turnover of over $710,000 (13 Million CZK) in 4 months and ever since the end of my second summer I have been earning more money in my summer job than both of my parents. Most importantly I helped dozens of Czech, Slovak, and Polish students to go to the US, improve English, learn tons of things, have great fun, and that makes me feel like I had positive impact on many young people.

Last year (early 2011), when I was a sophomore undergrad at Michigan State University, I was sitting at the student union with my girlfriend, Mara, and one of our friends, Wyatt. Wyatt was telling us how he had to tell this guy he was planning on doing a sales internship with this summer that he could no longer do it because he had found a more suitable internship with a state senator. While we were talking, the guy that Wyatt had to break the news to, Kyle Peters, approached our table and introduced himself. After him and Wyatt left and had their discussion, Kyle came back to the table where Mara and I were sitting and asked us what we were doing this summer. Mara went on a brief, but fairly impressive monologue about this internship she had already secured with a lobbying firm in Michigan. When it was my turn, all I was thinking was, “Her excuse to not talk to this guy Kyle is so much better than mine.” So, sure enough, I responded with my much less-impressive plan for the summer, which was to wait tables at a restaurant in my home town. Even though I was initially resistant to talking to Kyle, what he said about Southwestern did peak my interest, and given my very weak response to what I had lined up for the summer, I felt obligated to attend one of his informational meetings.

At the meeting, Kyle spoke about the long hours, hard work, and perseverance it takes to do well with Southwestern. He told me that if I worked 80 hours a week and saw 30 people a day then I would definitely make $8,000. This was very intriguing to me, because I needed some money, but being a political science major, I felt the need to question this, along with everything else Kyle said. I talked to my parents after my second or third meeting with Kyle, and they strongly encouraged me to look into other paid internships, reminding me that there was no guarantee I would make any money. Being the procrastinator I am, I put off the decision of whether or not I would sell books for weeks, before finally telling Kyle that I was in. I figured there was no way to know for sure whether or not this internship would be good for me unless I actually did it. It’s a good thing I finally did decide to sell books, because it was without a doubt one of the best decisions I have ever made.

I worked exactly the number of hours, and saw exactly the number of people per day that Kyle told me to, and lo and behold, I made exactly the amount of money that Kyle said I would if I did those things. But that is not the reason you should sell books. Money comes and goes, but the endless amount of skills you learn on the book field last forever. Southwestern will teach you skills that are perfectly relevant to any career path you choose. My communication skills are infinitely better, especially with adults (who are the demographic you will be interviewing with when you apply for jobs), but also with little kids (which is more difficult than I thought, and may help in the long run). My ability to sell went from non-existent to at least above average, which is a crucial skill in any profession, whether you’re selling your case to a jury, you art to a museum, your medical practice to patients, your software design to a superior, or yourself to any interviewer. Southwestern teaches you the ability to stay positive and laugh at yourself, which is a skill that so many people sorely lack. When you are riding an old bike around in the driving rain at 9 pm (I rode a bike because I did not have a car), and knocking on doors asking people to let you in their home so you can show them some really cool books, the only thing you can do is laugh (even if it’s to keep yourself from crying). Selling books makes it easier to overcome challenges, and I am a more confident, more persistent, harder worker for doing it.

There is no better internship in the country that will better prepare you for the professional world and life as a whole than Southwestern. If you struggle with confidence, it will help you. If you are struggling to figure out how to separate yourself from your classmates while searching for a job, selling books is a great way to do it. If you want to improve your communication skills, Southwestern will help you. If you think you are someone that is already a hard, diligent, motivated worker, why not prove it to yourself? There are certainly risks involved with selling books; anything can happen. And you will probably lead a happy, fulfilling life if you do not sell books; I do not mean to overstate its importance, and I would certainly never say that someone who has done the Southwestern program is any better than anyone who hasn’t. But if you never take any risks, you will never gain any rewards. If you only take small risks, you will only gain small rewards. But if you take great risks, your rewards will be great as well. So, if you are considering selling books, I urge you to stop considering, and just do it. I promise you won’t regret it.

Bryan,

Over the past four years working for Southwestern Advantage, I have seen you mature into a fine and responsible man.  In order to explain my statement I need to review  your time with Southwestern.

I recall it was about mid February of 2008 when you said you were considering working a sales job for the summer.  As we talked, I had some doubts (as all caring parents, do), but you said you would arrange for me to meet and speak with a Recruiter/Sales Manager of the company.  In March of 2008 you and I met with the Recruiter and spoke over an hour regarding the following:

1.) Who or what was Southwestern...how long in business, ratings, financially, etc?

2.) How were you to get paid, how much for each sale, how often, etc?

3.) Where would you be going, where would you live, would you be safe, etc?

4.) How would they train you, who would supervise you, who would be there to help and

support you as you required assistance, etc?

I felt my concerns had been answered to a point of me feeling 95% sure the summer opportunity was valid and you would be taken care of while away.  No parent is ever 100% sure their child is okay and every caring parent will always worry for their child in someway.  I was no different.

During that summer you and I spoke often as to sales and the ups and downs of such a career.  After all, I have been in the sales industry for some thirty years and had in my experience, running into many of the same walls as you did and the wonders you had that summer.  I hope you feel having my support was helpful to your success during the tough times which occurred.  As any caring parent, I wished for you to be safe and successful at whatever you choose to do in life.

In August when you came home, we talked about the experience of outside sales, your memories (good and bad), and the friends you made during the summer.  Although, you didn't do as well as you had wished for as to your compensation, I explained you made a better income for three months than did many of your friends who worked at Wal-Mart or other high school jobs and you got to travel and see North Carolina.  During our conversation in the late summer I noticed your communication style had come from a quiet young man into a more self assured and confident adult.  It seemed as if you had a stronger belief system in yourself, as well.

Since 2008 and working with Southwestern, you have become more responsible person, more of a take-charge individual, and have a self assured belief system which is both healthy and good for you as you grow into your professional career.  I believe you have been given an opportunity for which you took full advantage of in succeeding as an individual, but also as a part of a team and an organization.

Roughly two and a half years ago my roommate, best friend, and current student manager Wes Linette opened the door to an opportunity and reality that I’m forever grateful for – Southwestern Advantage. No, I wasn’t a believer from day one, but a few years later I am and as a result continue to challenge myself each and every day. Southwestern isn’t simply a job, Southwestern is a daily decision, a lifestyle.

Following Wes’s first summer with Southwestern, where he sold in and around Beaumont, Texas for a full summer, he immediately told me that not only would I succeed at the job, but I would love it. Love selling books door-to door? Love sweating, a lot? Love hearing ‘No!’ over thirty times a day? Love not seeing my family, friends, and golf courses all summer long? To me, the thought of loving this job made absolutely no sense. Thanks to Wes’s passion, persistence, and the perks of living a short three steps away from him, I gave him some time.

Long story short, I came out for my first summer of selling books, semi-reluctantly. Ultimately, the trust that I had in Wes, the fact that I love to succeed, and Wes’s continued push for me to work with him led me to hot, humid, and lovely Waco, Texas. The summer began quick, as I actually sold a massive package (sarcasm) at my first contact of the summer at 7:54 am, a full set of My Fun with Words! BOOM, three units and counting! The success continued as I signed up another set of books, this time some My Books, then a whole Kids Collection! Shoot, I was on pace to break the company first-year record, Ricardo L. Desoto (8000+ units) look out!

The record pursuit slowed down, in a hurry. The humidity, the rejection, the hours, the attitude caught up to me quickly. Rather than ‘Yes’ it was ‘No’, rather than ‘How’ it was ‘Should’, rather than ‘Find a way’ it was ‘Find an excuse’. The reality of the summer began to hit hard, this was a tough job. As the summer continued I found average success yet learned that the system only works if I work. I learned that taking the stairs isn’t easy. I learned that my natural ability couldn’t carry me. I learned that it is definitely easier to look for an excuse than a way. The summer came to an end; it was humbling, challenging, and extremely eye-opening. I am forever grateful for being humbled, challenged, and now able to see myself in a more accurate/real manner.

I began my junior year of school far from 100% on board with selling books again. The doubts, the skeptics, and the uncertainties involved all gave me fear. It wasn’t until multiple tough, honest meetings with my DSM and good friend Brandon Devlin that I made the decision to come back, and SUCCEED. Thanks to Brandon’s ability to listen, respond, and find the best in me I am now typing this with utter confidence in my abilities, decision-making, and goals.

Summer two began and our group was back in Texas, this time finding myself in Victoria, Texas. GoogleMap it if you may, that’s right, deep south, like Mexico almost. This time instead of living with my friend and student manager I would be living with some guy from Washington, who I had just met in sales school, who had a real weird name: Kielan Stewart. Little did I know, working, living, and joking with Kielan made this summer what it was, that being successful, memorable, and hilarious all at once.

This past summer in Victoria can be best summed up by one word: GROWTH. I’m far from perfect, heck I’m good at best, but what I learned in Victoria, Texas was perspective, work-habits, and what a winning-attitude really means. The summer and the challenges it presented definitely didn’t get any easier, I got better. I personally made the decision to work more hours, see more families, work early, work late, have fun, and grow. As a result of these decisions I made the impact that I was looking to make on the families of Victoria, Texas. I wasn’t a solicitor, nor an outsider – I was ‘The Bookman’ in the area. My sales almost tripled from the first summer. My confidence was restored, and my belief in the system and myself was real. The money, the experience, the challenge, the travel, the impact, and the growth excite and motivate me for summer three. This is a GROWTH business, a personal growth business.

A big thanks to Brandon Devlin, Wes Linette, Jake Fowler, Lester Crafton, Kielan Stewart, Dave Kleifgan, Jake Hoffberg, Danielle Roos, Tyler Smith, Bryan Fink, Jake Valley, Jessica Starrett, CJ Burtner, and all other people I have the privilege to work with. Also, thanks to all my skeptics and anyone who’s ever said ‘no’, because of you I continue to strive to be my best and find a way.

“Discipline allows for YOU to be in charge of your results.” – Rory Vaden: Take the Stairs

Southwestern Advantage, where to begin? For me this internship has been around for a while. 6 years before I was ready to take on the challenge, my oldest sister sold books for two years then my middle sister, which is heading into her 5th summer. Both top first years, coming back after each summer glittering with outstanding growth and a renewed enthusiasm, my path was set. I finally decided to sell books last year in the summer of 2011, an experience that changed my life!

I was and in many ways still am a very shy person so campus meetings made my weeks. I loved working with such driven, positive and fun people! It was cool to know that I wasn’t the only one going on this wild adventure without even a clue whatsoever. Practicing the sales talk was awkward at first, the idea of meeting and interacting with 3000+ families terrified me and I had only traveled through out California and Las Vegas previously. Needless to say joining a top campus was definitely a humbling opportunity.

Sales school reminded me of summer camp because everyone, even hotel clerks where we were staying, was full of energy all week. Getting into the schedule with roommates, practicing our sales talk and learning the fundamentals of selling and being motivated all summer, the summer had a promising gleam. I couldn’t wait to hit the book field.

Being mentally and physically accountable with myself was certainly a challenge, one which made the summer so full of life. My greatest challenge was being in the moment wherever I was and to focus on the wonderful people I would soon be meeting.  The funny thing about time on the book field is that it is nonexistent when you’re working. In fact around my 11th week it seemed as though we were on our 4th week. Learning to stick to schedule and build a strong work ethic was highly rewarding in only a 3-month period. My favorite part of the summer was delivery week when all the hard work we put in was greeted with smiles and sheer delight from the kids and the parents.

Southwestern Advantage is an opportunity no student should overlook because no matter how much hard work and time we give up during the summer, the growth and life skills we gain are simply invaluable.

Earl Almeida - University of Western Ontario

It was just over 13 years ago that I heard about Southwestern for the first time.  I started my university career in the fall of 1998, moving away from home in Toronto to attend the University of Western Ontario, in London, Ontario.  The business school at Western had a great reputation and shared cases with Harvard, and since I’ve always wanted to be in business, I figured Western was the place to be.  I entered university with very little in terms of work experience.  I had done a lot of extracurricular activities both in and out of school. I was involved in numerous teams, events and even the business club, DECA, where I served as the President of the Ontario organization during my last year of high school.  But while I had been involved in many activities and had developed my leadership skills, the one thing I lacked tremendously when starting university was good work experience.

My dad never encouraged me to work as a teenager as he, like many parents of Asian descent, wanted me to focus on my schooling.  Even so, during my high school career, I had 4 different jobs, though none of them lasted very long.  I first started selling newspaper subscriptions door-to-door on straight commission.  I only did this a few times and was so bad I just got some charity money from the boss for coming out to try. I then started selling knives, during the summer before my final year of high school.  This was a sales position that required me to call on family and friends and make presentations and then ask for referrals to their friends.  I was told in training that 1 of 2 families would make a purchase;  however, in the 20 presentations I made, I only made 3 sales, and I wasn’t good at collecting referrals.  In the spring, I took a position as a telemarketer selling newspaper subscriptions to the same paper for which I had previously gone door-to-door. The job worked well for my active schedule as it was just 4 hours a week and offered an hourly rate plus commission. But in the 5 months I worked there, only once did I sell enough to earn the commission.  My final job before university came right before moving away to school.  I had traveled with my dad for half the summer so all I could find was a dish washing position at a restaurant for the last week of my summer break.  The job sucked and the 50 hours I worked in the one week I was there for was enough to let me know that I never wanted to work in such an environment again.

So when January 1999 came, and the summer was just a few months away, I started thinking about what I was going to do for the summer.  I had made the decision earlier to get my resume in order and mass mailed to employers by the end of January.  However, my academic success and discipline from high school hadn’t followed me to university and by the time February had arrived I had yet to get my resume organized.
So I was blessed in early February, to get a call in my dorm from a lady named Sue. She told me about the Southwestern Internship where I could make $8000 in the summer and get good experience.  I don’t remember how the call went but the prospect of the money was enough to spark my interest.

I attended the information session the next day and heard a lot of things that appealed to me. The position involved running a business, having some independence, and relocating across the country to Vancouver, a place I had never been to.  I left the information meeting excited about the opportunity that it could provide me.

That night I told my residence advisor about it. He was a few years older than me and also an aspiring business student, but he didn’t think it was going to be a good experience.  His initial opinion led me into a small downward spiral of somewhat negative thoughts.  Over the course of the evening, I started thinking about what I was going to be missing being away from home for the summer.  I remembered my lack of success at my three previous sales positions and started asking myself why I kept encountering sales roles and whether I could really do well with Southwestern.  My dad wasn’t thrilled with the idea of Southwestern either.  I think he mostly didn’t want me leaving home, but he was also a little skeptical about things, feeling it might be a scam and I wouldn’t make any money.

I went back the next day to meet with Sue and I wasn’t so sure any more that Southwestern was the thing for me that summer.  I remember telling her that maybe I needed a summer at home first after being away for school and that the next summer would be better.  Sue was patient with me; she answered my questions and discussed my concerns, which brought me a lot of comfort.  She was honest and told me the job would be hard. She shared how we would make 30 presentations a day but would average just 1 sale.  That gave me the most confidence because I knew I wasn’t great at sales, but I felt the books were good enough that I could find at least 1 customer.

Looking back it on now, I realize that I was just a little scared of the unknown, the things I felt I “needed” to do in the summer by being home were also things I could just as easily do during the school year (ie. playing sports, spending time with friends, etc.) and it was no reason to pass up on the opportunity I had with Southwestern.

I was fortunate to meet Dan Moore, then Southwestern’s VP of Marketing (now the President), the next day on campus.  His visit just happened to occur during the time I was being interviewed.  I don’t remember everything he said but one thing has stuck with me for 13 years.  He compared a regular job to Southwestern in 3 categories: financial, time and boss.  He talked about how at a regular job you get paid ‘x’ dollars an hour and at Southwestern your income has no limit.  Then he compared how at a regular job you would work 40 hours a week and at Southwestern you’d work 75 or more.  But what stuck with me the most was when he talked about how at a regular job you’d work for someone else and at Southwestern you’d work for yourself.  He closed off with a question that I’ll never forget, “If you’re not willing to take on a challenge in your late teens, early twenties, when there is little to lose, are you going to be any more prepared to take on challenges in yours thirties and forties when there is even more at risk?”  That part really stuck with me because I had already experienced family members who were not thrilled with their job or their bosses, but were reluctant to move as they had families to support or were afraid of the risk involved with change.  It was at that time that I decided Southwestern was where I needed to be and I was thrilled to be officially selected a few days later.

For me, Southwestern was like a wall, or a challenge to tackle, on the road to business success.  I knew it was going to be hard, but I also knew that once I got over that wall, by finishing the summer, my path to success in business would be a little easier.   I made the decision and the commitment to myself to finish the summer, no matter what.

I was no top sales person my first summer:  I worked hard, no less than 82 hours a week, but selling books didn’t come easily for me.  I had tough days, both physically and mentally, and often debated with myself whether I should quit and go home.  The only thing that kept me going every day was the commitment I made to myself when I was first selected to finish the summer, no matter what.  In the end, I made over $8000 that summer and when I showed my dad my savings check for almost $5000 and said I was going to return for another summer, he had nothing to say against it.

Before my second summer, I had a chance to attend the Great Recruiters Seminar in Nashville. Being surrounded by several hundred motivated university students, I realized that I was in the right place.  I made the decision at that point, 4 months before my second summer, that I would continue with Southwestern, no matter what, for the rest of my school career.

The good news is that I did get better.  My sales doubled in my second year, to about $16,000 and then to $24,000 in my third summer.  I was able to pay for all of my tuition, books and lodging expenses for my last few years of school, graduated without any debt and decided to work with Southwestern in a sales manager role.

I relocated to Vancouver and started working with the students at UBC.  In the following years, I was promoted several times, eventually becoming a District Sales Manager for the Canadian Division and leading the UBC team to become the #2 campus in the world, two years in a row.
Southwestern has been part of my life for the last 13 years.  During that time I learned more things than I could possibly list in this blog post, so I’ll share just a few of the big ones:

1. Selling is a NOT a natural skill, it’s a learned and VERY ESSENTIAL skill – it does not matter what career path you are going to take, I guarantee you will have to make a sale to someone at some point.  At the very least, it will be selling yourself to your future employer.  Learning the ability to sell effectively, is learning the ability to communicate effectively, and is a skill most students don’t get with their degree.
2. A degree is important, but it doesn’t matter what it is – when I graduated university, I received a BA in Statistics.  This doesn’t surprise many who know me well as they know I work well with numbers, but I don’t remember a thing from my university degree, and I likely won’t do anything statistics related in my career. I have a degree though, and that alone opens up a lot of doors in today’s world.  I encourage anyone I talk to that post-secondary education is important.  Whether it’s a degree or a diploma program, do something at least, and study what you enjoy learning about.  Make sure though, to spend the time during your school years and summers to gain the soft skills necessary to compete in today’s marketplace.
3. Enjoy your youth while you can – I’ve met so many students over the years who can’t wait to finish university and start working.  However, many of them don’t even know the type of job they want or have the skills needed to get those positions.  My question to them has always been, “What’s the rush?”  If most people are going to graduate at 22 or 23 and work until they’re 60 or 65, what difference does it make to spend another year or two in school if it means you’re graduating with more life experience?  During my 11 summers of selling books and meeting over 25,000 families, I heard from so many parents who would love to spend a day or two back in university if they could, and escape the everyday pressures of being an adult with a career and family to care for.  While you’re a student you have so few responsibilities compared to when you start a family and career, so take the time while you’re young to get the most out of it.

Of course you don’t have to participate in the Southwestern Internship to learn these things, but in my experience, my time with Southwestern definitely expedited the learning process.

I started Southwestern in 1999 as a way to get a leg up over my peers.  I knew it was going to be a challenge and I was a little scared, but I was excited about the opportunities ahead.  I never thought I’d spend 13 years there, but I’m so glad I did.  What I’ve learned during that time goes far beyond just selling books and managing other students to do the same. In addition to the many friends I’ve made, I was also fortunate to meet my wife, Charlotte.  To this day, many of our closest friends come from “the bookfield.”

This year, after extensive thought and deliberation, Charlotte and I decided to move on from Southwestern.  We are currently traveling the world for 8 months with nothing but a backpack each, and an iPad.  Our experience with Southwestern has given us the time, flexibility, desire, and financial ability to partake in such a trip.  In fact, it was the decision for me to sell books one more time this past summer that provided the funds necessary for this trip.  Thankfully, I’m a much better communicator than I was my 1st summer!

Now, as we are 2 months into our travels, we’ve had a chance to see how much our experience with Southwestern has come to benefit us.  Having years of sales experience, we’ve also had the pleasure of dealing with locals in markets and observing the good and bad sales techniques that are used.

Everyone has asked me recently what I’m going to do now that I’m no longer with Southwestern.  In short, I don’t know for sure, but I’m also not concerned.  Right now, I’m focused on making the most of our time as we travel around the world, an opportunity we worked hard for over the last few years.  When this journey comes to an end, we’ll start a new one with a new career and a family, and when that time comes, I know the skills I’ve learned over the last 13 years will help me get to where I want to go.

Earl & Charlotte Almeida are currently traveling the world for 8 months in 2012.  You can follow their travels on their blog www.iPadNomads.com and on Facebook as well.

Hi Maurice,

I'm writing to express my gratitude to you, the other Foundation Org. leaders Kyle Peters and Christie Bradley, my district sales manager Aaron Schafer, and the Southwestern summer sales program as a whole, especially the student managers of our group and everyone that conducted sales school in Nashville. I wanted to commend you all for the hard work that you do and the passion you have for the program and the results it provides. I feel compelled to write almost out of obligation - I was a doubter in Southwestern from the start and a skeptical/reluctant participant throughout the internship, and now I sit here today just months after going through only one single summer selling books and I realize that I have gained so much from the internship and the experience that I practically feel guilty.

I approached my Southwestern summer quite differently than most. Unlike most of the kids I was in sales school with, I was no longer a college student. Actually, I arrived in Nashville for sales school a mere 16 hours after my graduation ceremony. While, for most, having the courage to go through a summer away from family and friends selling books on the road would seem like a major step forward in life and career progression, for me it felt like a step back. I had just been handed a piece of paper recognizing my Bachelor's degree in Business Administration (with a concentration in finance) from the University of Notre Dame. That piece of paper also meant that I could probably get a job with a Forbes 500 company or continue on with my education and get a more prestigious degree. Hell, that's what all my friends were doing. And yet here I was in Nashville, running around with children's books and PB and J's like I was back in the third grade. To say that I questioned what I was doing would be the understatement of the century. You should've seen the looks on the faces of all my friends' parents when I told them what I was doing after graduating.

There was a reason for it all, though, as I often reminded myself. I had studied abroad in Australia two years ago, and I really really wanted to go back. For one, the economy in the US was nothing to stick around for, and I certainly had no idea what I wanted to do. I wasn't very sure I was interested in finance or even business anymore. Also, I had a great time in Australia. The sun, the beach, the lifestyle, the people, the sun, the bea - let's just say it all called to me. It was my kind of place. I figured I'd never go back if I waited, so might as well go back while I was young and not tied down. Of course, I had no money. Literally none, not even enough to afford the ridiculously expensive flight over let alone support myself. I saw Southwestern as the best option to get me to Australia. I wouldn't normally bet all my chips on an internship that requires 85 hours of work per week and pays straight commission, but I had a reliable source - my best friend Rose - who had been through it all and promised me that it was no scam. I figured that even if I did poorly, I would make enough money to afford a flight to Australia (at which point I would beg for change or wing it). I was convinced by Rose and Aaron that Southwestern would add to my resume, so it was a better option than going home and working at a restaurant for the summer. I couldn't get a "real" internship as I called it, because no company would invest in an intern who was leaving the country after the internship. So, I signed up to sell books and I trained with Rose the semester before the summer.

Though I chose to sell books I saw it as a necessary evil, simply a means to an end. I was far from jumping into the internship with optimism or enthusiasm. I went into sales school nervous and downtrodden, fully expecting to be put through the worst three months of my life. I won't chronicle my entire experience that summer, because from there on out it was pretty similar to what every first year goes through. I only wanted to illustrate my mentality going in. I was miserable a lot of the summer, but mostly because I put a lot of added pressure on msyelf. I wasn't just a college kid looking to learn and get a good experience, I was counting on success over the summer to realize my dream of moving to Australia. My options were either sell or go home empty-handed and embarassed with a college degree that cost as much as a house, no job prospects and shattered dreams. In my mind it was a close call. The fear of failure was a constant presence for me and it held me back the whole summer, but I still learned a lot. I won't ramble on about all the intangibles I gained over the summer or how I "grew sooooo much" as a person because I'm sure you've heard that lame story from about a hundred kids. I just wanted to let you know, concretely, how much I got out of the Southwestern internship and how thankful I am to you and those like you who make it what it is.

As you know, I did well enough to more than just afford a plane ticket to Australia, but also to come here with some savings. This was quite a relief. I got over here to Australia and I worked in the deep fryer at a restaurant for two weeks, flipping french fries. Yep, at this point I wondered how things could have POSSIBLY gone downhill from driving a VW Bug and going door to door looking for families with small children. I worked 12 hour shifts and left at night with sore feet/wrists and grease burns all over. Pre-Southwestern, I would've thought this was hell on earth. Post-Southwestern, I thought it was sweet that I didn't have to work the extra hour and a half. Anyways, luckily I didn't have to do this for too long since I got a job at a financial planning firm. I got the interview due to my sales experience. Just as I had been told by Aaron, the Southwestern internship was a huge talking point in the interview. My interviewer was amazed that I had door-to-door sales experience and that I had worked so many hours. He asked me more questions about Southwestern than about the job I was applying for, and he hired me on the spot. In my training class the next week, I knew every answer to every question during our sales training. I was already off to a head start at my new job. I had to coldcall potential clients for over 3 months, but this was a piece of cake compared to going door-to-door 13 hours a day. Since I had the sales experience, I succeeded at coldcalling and was the first of my intake group to be promoted. Within a month or two I will be out on the road meeting with clients, assessing their financial situations and selling them on becoming our clients. I can potentially become a financial adviser with my own clients within the year. I am quite sure I would not be in this position had I not done Southwestern, and I feel fully prepared to take on my next role with my current employer since I've already presented to hundreds of people over the summer. To sum it up, the technical knowledge I learned from Southwestern, the confidence the experience has given me, and the hiring power that comes with having the internship on my resume is invaluable to me. What's more is that it actually opened up my eyes to more career options. Whereas before I scoffed at sales, I've come to realize that I actually like sales a lot, and my job now combines sales with financial knowledge. In a way I think Southwestern has helped me find a career that really fits my skills and interests, and even if I choose not to pursue financial advising I am so much more aware of other options and opportunities that I have. Again, the confidence that it has given me is key, because having gone through what I went through last summer I truly feel that I can tackle anything.

I wanted to thank you, Aaron and the other org. leaders in particular because you are primarily the ones that made my experience what it was. The fact that you guys are able to stay so positive and motivate others to be at their best while also going through summer after summer of selling books yourselves (not to mention recruiting teams) amazes me. It is a testament to your belief in the Southwestern program and experience, and without that belief and passion for what you do, people like me might choose to go home with the shattered dreams and lack of job prospects rather than stay and sell and give it all we can. I doubt that I could do what you do - my natural state is not towards the energy and optimism levels required and I don't know if I'd be able to muster up enough psychic energy to keep my attitude so positive for so long - but I really do admire you all for being able to do so. Your charisma is infectious Mo, and it is in large part what made the experience as rewarding and fun as it was for me. I certainly was not one of those who bought into the Southwestern system from the get go, but I can say that nobody can deny that what you're doing has a very lasting impact (both real and intangible) on all those that you work with. I wish the best for you and all of Foundation this summer and look forward to seeing you again Stateside!

Cheers,

Billy

Brandon Devlin Southwestern Advantage

It’s funny to think that our lives can fundamentally change based on the smallest decisions we make.  In March of 2001 I was a sophomore at the University of Richmond, and I can assure you that I harbored no grand illusions of having a paradigm-shifting experience like I ended up with that summer.  I had just returned to my dorm room one evening and happened to find a slip of paper resting just inside my doorway.  After reaching down to pick it up, I read the small print on it.  To the best of my recollection it read, “What are you doing this summer?  Sales and Leadership Program with the Southwestern Company available for Richmond students.  Average student makes $7,400”.  I remember gawking at that last number in disbelief, as I had worked 2 jobs the previous summer and had only managed to make about $5,000 working 60 hours a week.  Needless to say I was intrigued, and in that state I called the number listed on the paper, using my handy dorm room phone - raise your hand if you still have a dorm room phone!

I left a message and didn’t really think much of it until I received a call back the next day from Lester Crafton.  He invited me over to an information session at our Commons that afternoon and I went over to check this job out in more detail.  The first time I met with Lester we ended up talking about sports for roughly 2 hours (I am a Philadelphia native and he seemed to have a preternatural understanding of the Eagles, which I thought was cool).  Eventually we got around to discussing the Southwestern Advantage Program, and I ended up signing up immediately.  Once I left the meeting I went back to my dorm room, and being the mature and discerning 20 year-old that I was, promptly decided to change my mind and back out on my “decision”.

That’s actually a gross oversimplification.  I called my mom back in Philly and she reminded me that, “nobody buys books”.  I told my roommate Luke and he scoffed at the idea of selling things door-to-door.  I told my boss at the library, Scott, and he scrunched up his face and just shook his head back and forth.  Then I called my girlfriend Katelyn and asked her what she thought (I was a very independent decision maker, it seems).  She told me her Uncle Bill had worked with Southwestern in college at the University of Delaware and paid his way through school back in the 70s.  Although that made me feel a lot better, I still had this nagging fear that I’d be an awful salesman.  I was an Econ and Civil War Studies major in college, so the idea of sales was a foreign concept to me.

The next day, after taking a deep breath, I walked over to the commons to tell Lester that I had conveniently forgotten that I had to take summer school to earn my business management minor.  I would have to say that as an adult, looking back, this quiet scene in the University of Richmond on a nondescript weekday afternoon turned out to be the single most important moment in my life.  Lester let me know that it was ok if I didn’t work with him, but that he had scheduled the time to talk with me and asked if I’d like to talk about it.  We ended up talking for about an hour, and I am grateful every day of my life that Lester took the time to believe in me and help me understand that I was afraid to fail.  Eventually, he looked me in the eye and said, “If you go out and work 80 hours a week and see 30 families a day, you can’t fail.  Come work with me”.  So I said yes.  And my life changed forever.

I’ll fast forward from here on out and tell you that I ended up making a little over $20,000 in profit that summer and finishing as the #13 first year in the company.  It was the best summer of my life up until that point.  I lived with Lester and another student from UNC named Paul Kosko.  We lived in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, in the modest basement of a modest family named the Hulls.  I walked all summer around the sweltering streets of Eau Claire, which for a kid from Philly who’d never been west of Pittsburgh and considered the Jersey Shore the furthest place you’d ever travel, was quite an experience.  I met my closest friends I’ve ever had, too.  I’ve been in 5 weddings from that first summer’s organization alone.  I knocked on about 3,000 doors that summer and heard “no” from 2,700 of the residents in Eau Claire.  Most people didn’t buy from me and I didn’t care.  I just committed to working as hard as I could and doing my personal best.  It’s impossible for me to every adequately share with someone else what I learned that summer.  If I had to, I’d tell you that I proved myself to myself.  People had always told me how “good” I was before then but deep down I never fully believed them.  I was determined to see how high I could go, so I pushed myself harder than I knew I could.  I grew more in 3 months than I had in 3 years.  When I came back from that summer I felt like I could do anything I put my mind to.

Lester has remained my closest and dearest friend, mostly because he was the first person I ever met who truly saw me for what I could become.  I ended up selling for 5 more summers and now work with students all over the US at incredible schools like Penn State, Tennessee, Purdue, Indiana, Murray State, Illinois, and Washington State.  I get to mentor and teach other students and share our program with them every day.  It’s the best vocation I could ever hope for.  If you’re thinking about Southwestern this summer, I’d encourage you to think about it like this: can you work hard?  Will you be coachable?  And will you stay committed no matter what?  If the answers to those simple questions are yes, yes, and yes, you ought to do it.  It was the most challenging thing I’d done up until that point, and that’s why it stays with me to this day.