Company Meeting
One of the most popular events for the men and women who work for BetterTrades is the annual company meeting, four days set aside every spring to meet, greet and hear the vision of founder and CEO Freddie Rick. Those who attend the BetterTrades company meeting come away inspired with the prospects for the upcoming year and leave the event enthusiastic about returning to their jobs and taking the company to the next level of success.
The 2009 company meeting was held in Dunwoody, Ga., a suburb of Atlanta and hosted by the Westin Atlanta Perimeter North, a four-star hotel with spacious meeting facilities and quality service. The hotel was convenient to those who live in the Atlanta area, as well as those visitors who flew in from out of town. (The hotel is near a MARTA rail station, which provides a direct route to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.)
The theme for the 2009 company meeting was "The Power of One," which founder Freddie Rick developed to encourage employees to pull together and achieve great things through teamwork. There was plenty of teamwork on display in Atlanta, with employees sharing their dreams for the company and pledging to do their part to take BetterTrades to the next level of success. It was also a good opportunity for new employees to get acquainted with veterans of the company. More than 300 employees were represented at the company meeting.
The meeting also coincided with the opening of the new 51,000 square foot BetterTrades facility in nearby Norcross. The company moved its Atlanta headquarters from Suwanee, about 10 miles away, to the new building, which is large enough to host the Financial Freedom Expo and Market Essentials Classes for which the company has become known. Employees got a chance to visit the new office (which is almost eight times larger than the former office) and take a personal tour of the facility from Freddie and Mitzi Rick.
The company meeting began with an enjoyable night of fellowship and recreation at a nearby restaurant and amusement center, which permitted people to talk and relax before the business began the next day. There was plenty of food and unlimited play in the bowling lanes and video machines. Many people enjoyed watching the college basketball playoffs on one of the huge televisions sets.
Once the meetings began the next day, employees broke into their own specific areas and met with other groups to talk about challenges and solutions. The time provided an opportunity to voice issues that previously were unknown and put them on a to-do list. It was a good opportunity to meet people in other departments and tear down the curtain of anonymity that exists, which enables the employees to act in accordance to be part of "The Power of One."
Because of the popularity of the Atlanta location, the company meeting will return in the spring of 2010 with more informative sessions. Given the growth of BetterTrades since the 2009 meeting, employees can hardly wait to hear what's next.
