Mark Ruma, COO, spoke to over 250 people that came to enjoy Epitec’s 35th anniversary party on March 7, 2013:
Epitec has enjoyed 35 years of successful business. Thank you Jerry Sheppard, our CEO and Founder and thank you Josie Sheppard, our President and Head Coach. You have always been our guardians, mentors, our coaches, and our confidants. You have always been there to encourage us, and you are never there to make excuses for us.
I hope you all get a chance to see our beautiful offices which we are so very proud of. When you walk into each office you will see a life sized picture of Josie on one side and Jerry on the other; our guardians at the gates.
Above their heads is a moniker or battle cry that reads “Listen, Understand, and Perform.” A simple yet powerful process that can solve nearly any problem. And if you know anything about Epitec, we love process. And when it comes to solving problems, we have a personal stake in finding the right solution – whether that be for our employees, customers or partners.
The first step in this powerful process is to listen. Our name, Epitec, is a combination of Epictetus, the Greek philosopher, and the word Technology. Epictetus coined the phrase, “We have one mouth and two ears, therefore we should listen twice as much as we talk.” The combination of Listening and Technology is in everything that we do.
I love this business. We succeed and fail based on how well we communicate. When you listen to people, it’s the first step to understanding. A good listener cares about the person they are talking to. And at Epitec we care deeply for our employees, customers and partners.
The second step is to understand. A connection occurs when after listening you can tell someone, is this what you meant? Is this what you said? Is this what you want? Will this get you what you need? When we have painted a picture of the problem and our interpretation of the picture is the same, we have accomplished a good understanding.
Finally, performance is the last step in the process. Presumably, the most important step but in our opinion you will not perform at a high level unless you first listen and understand.
When I was a bit younger, I used to write poems. In moment you will see just how young I was and what kind of poems I wrote. And so, I thought I would write one for tonight. I’d like to share it with you, if I may:
The roses are red at Epitec
Roses are red – violets are blue
I promise to always listen to you
Roses are red – violets are blue
I promise I won’t do anything, until I understand you.
Roses are red, violets are blue
After this, I promise Epitec will always amaze you!
Jerry and Josie you are amazing owners. Your employees, customers, and partners are a reflection of you. When you look into the mirror and reflect on 35 years tonight, I hope you are pleased at what is looking back at you; amazing employees, amazing customers, and amazing partners.
Thank you Jerry and Josie. Thank you Epitec employees. And thank you Epitec Customer and Partners.
And most importantly of all, thank you Epitec for 35 amazing years.