This is my last Thought for the Week. I don't recall exactly when I started this ritual, but it was probably about 25 years ago. My goal from the beginning was to share some positive insights regarding our company, our amazing people, our clients, our community and our world. It was always my hope that I could inspire you to think about who you are, and where life will take you. There were many themes along the way, service to others, excellence, goal setting, life planning, humility, integrity, faith, lifelong learning, books and family. I hope at least one touched your heart. 

I will miss being a part of the Williams Company. This is a special place. For 33 years, this has been my home. I have given this company my brain, my heart and my soul. I love this place, and looking back, I have no regrets, only positive memories. 

I am retiring now knowing that our company will only get better in the coming years. We have an incredibly talented leadership team and an outstanding group of people, all consummate professionals. We are as strong financially as we have ever been, and our reputation in the community and amongst our clients has never been better. The company will change and evolve, but I believe our core values will keep us strong and resilient. 

As I leave I have a few words of encouragement ... laugh often and deeply, always try and do the right thing, as character matters, tell your family and your friends you love them often (and mean it), plan and organize your future because your best days are ahead of you, cultivate your relationships as if they are your most valuable asset, immerse yourself in good books, take a nap when you can, pray. 

My cup runneth over! Farewell! 

My wife Chris has often said that the most important decision of your life is the person you marry. I whole heartily agree! For the past 35 years Chris has been my rock. For all the ups and downs life brings, Chris has always stood by my side, always encouraging me, always offering a different perspective, always listening with a keen ear, and always my biggest fan. 

The main reason I have been able to grow and succeed, both personally and professionally is due to Chris being in my life. She is the one who has handled all the details of our marriage. She pays the bills, she handles the health insurance claims, she's made our housing decisions, she taught our two daughters how to have fun, she plans our vacations. Chris is a fantastic mother, caring community volunteer, matriarch of the Fowler family, fierce competitor on the pickle ball court, and most importantly my best friend! She is the glue that holds our family together! 

As Chris and I enter the next phase of our life I am excited to be able to spend more time with her (Chris is a little nervous about the transition). Each day forward her bright smile, joyous heart, fun loving attitude and zest for life will continue to be a blessing in my life! 

And even though she will no longer be the First Lady of the Williams Company, she will forever be my Queen! I love you! 

 My wife Chris and I attended our Habitat for Humanity kick off early this morning under a brilliant orange sky and beautiful rainbow! In a year that has been anything but normal, I thought it was fitting that we are ending the year on such a high note! 

"This house we are building is just people helping other people, because I believe most people are inherently good and just want to help others." These were the words from our Matt Olberding as he spoke to the people who had gathered for the kick-off celebration. In a world that is currently so polarized and divided, isn't this what life is all about ... just people helping other people? 

As I was speaking with Catherine, the CEO of the local Habitat chapter, she was telling me about the family of 5 that will be receiving their new home two weeks from now. She said that the mother and father and 3 young children were living in a one-bedroom apartment that was just atrocious. She said they were paying 

$1,100 a month for this awful place. She also told me their new mortgage payment for the house we are building will only be $600 a month. What a blessing! 

I can't imagine the emotions of the family as they will enter their new home just before Christmas. I'm emotional just thinking about it. What an incredible gift all of you are providing for this family! 

As I drove away it was very humbling to see 30 or more Williams Company employee owners framing this new house. Everyone was in such good spirits, and all happy to be helping on this wonderful gift. 

Our company has a giant heart, and our community is a better place for it, because of you! 

 Things I am thankful for in no particular order:

• Freedom

• My Health

• My Friends

• Being an Employee Owner

• Potato Chips

• Being a Florida Gator

• My Faith

• Free Speech

• Healthcare Workers

• Cops and Firefighters

• Good Books

• My Peer Group

• Air Conditioning

• Whoever invented Red Wine

• My wife's sense of humor

• The soldiers in the US Military

• All the incredible people at the Williams Company!

I have a lot to be thankful for I Happy Thanksgiving!

 "We the People" 

These are the first 3 words of our country's most precious document, the United States Constitution. Why did the founders of our country start with these 3 words? I believe our founders knew that any great nation needed to be governed by folks representing all of us. It is certainly true that in the early years of our nation this was not the case. Over time, our country has healed many of those wounds and learned that "We" means everyone. Men, women, black, white, Asian, Hispanic, Italian, Irish, Muslim, Christian, Jewish ... are all part of our governing bodies. The system is not perfect, but it is better than any other country in the world. 

So, what does "We the People" have to do with our company? I believe it has to do with one of our core values, "We not I." None of us can make our company successful by themselves. We all bring different talents and passions to what we do. Together though, as a team, we can accomplish anything we set our hearts and souls too! 

Alan Williams had this quote on his desk for as long as I can remember. The quote is from Thomas J Watson, the CEO of IBM from 1914 to 1956. The quote was later trademarked by IBM. The quote is very profound and should be used every day of our lives.

The quote is:

THINK

Think big! Have a plan! Take some risk!

Live fully every day!

I can remember when I first came to Williams Company 33 years ago that we were doing about $15M in annual revenues. Thinking big was getting to $25M in revenue, and so we did that, and then the big goal was $5OM, and we did that, and then it was $100M, and we did that, and then it was $200M, and we did that! 

Do you see where I'm going with this? In the river of life, unless we are fighting hard against the current every year to grow, then we are going backwards. And even though our boat will sometimes have waves crashing over our bow because of economic realities, our focus on growth and progress are what will keep us fresh and vibrant over the long term! 

Seeking growth means we will be bringing in new talent and new technologies. It means new clients and new subcontractors. It means we will venture into new regions and new market types. It means new leaders will emerge to guide us into the future! It means change, big changes, will occur in the future! 

If there is one constant in the world, it's change. Brace yourselves for a fantastic ride here at Williams Company! 

Proper balance in life can be very important to maintaining a stable life. We all are blessed with 168 hours each week, and so how you spend these hours is important. I'm an 8 hour a night sleeper, so that leaves me 112 waking hours. If we work and commute another 5O hours, that leaves us 62 hours a week to pursue a balanced life. I have listed below some basic categories: 

• Fitness and physical activity
• Family
• Social
• Financial
• Civic
• Spiritual
• Purpose
• Hobbies

This is a basic list, but you get the picture. Are you aware that the average American spends 35 hours of screen time (TV, computer, social media) outside of work each week? We all could spend a bit more time on planning our finances for retirement, starting a new hobby, reading a good book, walking for exercise or practicing our faith. 

Balance in life takes some planning. All of us get out of balance at times. Take a minute and put how many hours each week you spend in each category. How's your balance? It has been my experience that the more balance your life has, the happier and healthier your life will be! 

Consistency. It is one of the most elusive characteristics of all. To be consistently good at anything, for extended periods of time, is incredibly difficult! Think Alabama football, IBM, Ford, Target, Home Depot and Patagonia. All these organizations have a pedigree of being very good at what they do, for very long periods of time. 

That's why this chart that was presented in last week's State of the Company Address is so important to our culture. Out of 8 client surveys we received in the third quarter, we received one "9" and everything else was a "10"! We also got our first "12" and "14". This is incredibly hard to do year after year! Each project had different Williams Company personnel on them, but the results were the same throughout! Our teams delivered incredible service to our clients and they recognized it! 

Stay focused! This is highly unusual and is the differentiator from our competition! 

When Nobody Was Looking 

It happened after store hours last month in Wayne, New Jersey. Four football players - three black and one white - came into a Buddy's Small Lots and started shopping. Then it dawned on them that there was no clerk. With such easy pickings, surveillance cameras rather than human eyes tell what they did. 

They found the items they were searching for and started for the door. But they weren't making a run for it. Quite the contrary! They stopped at the checkout counter, calculated the total of their items, and pulled out $5.80 from their pockets - the total for the items, plus tax. Still with no one in sight, one of them turned to a prominent surveillance camera over the cash register, waved the money at the camera, and laid it on the counter. 

"We were down there for ten minutes, looking for someone," one later reported. "We thought everybody was in the back on break." Then the four young men left the store and headed for football practice at William Paterson University. 

The episode was soon reported on News 12 New Jersey, and the video of their after-hours honesty went viral. Then the story was picked up by several news outlets. 

You see, the store was supposed to be closed and locked. But the door lock apparently malfunctioned. Consistent with store policy, lights had been left on inside for the sake of security. So four guys looking to purchase something had walked through an unlocked door into a lighted store building. They assumed it was open for business - and could have tried to take advantage of the situation. 

By the way, before heading to practice, they went next door and reported to an all-night pharmacy that Buddy's appeared abandoned, although the door was unlocked and open. The police were called and the "burglaryll was investigated. But the store's surveillance camera had caught a case of honesty instead! 

When the young men were identified, Buddy's operations manager called their coach and asked to meet them. "We thought we were definitely in trouble!" said one. He wondered if they had committed a crime by going into a building that was supposed to be closed for business. The caller, Marci Lederman, just wanted to compliment and thank the four - and give them some gift certificates. 

In a time of steroids in sports, murder by bored athletes, and on-the-field brawls, a story about character and integrity should make us feel good. So thanks to Jelani Bruce, Anthony Biondi, Thomas James, and Kell'E Gallimore for reminding us that honesty really is the best policy. The only right policy. 

Your reputation is merely what others think of you; your character is what you do when you think nobody is looking.

Rubel Shelly 

Preacher and Professor of Religion and Philosophy

 I received a nice handwritten thank you note from Sofia last week. I had recently supported her Girl Scout effort, and she was kind enough to say thank you in writing! Charisse is doing a great job of instilling the value of gratitude to her daughter! 

I think everyone enjoys being appreciated, and we should never hesitate to thank someone for a job well done. I once had an attorney tell me that you should never put a thank you, or any kind of praise, in writing because it may come back to haunt you. How ridiculous is that! I have always felt that we need to thank those who are helping us get the job done. That could be a fellow teammate, a subcontractor, a foreman, an architect, an engineer, even a building official or fire marshal! Sounds crazy, right! Well, it has been my experience that when you tell someone in writing that you appreciate them, it creates a positive bond between you and them. 

The art of writing a good thank you note has become somewhat of a lost art. You should give it a try. Write your Mom, your Dad, a sibling or a friend a nice note telling them you appreciate them. Send it via snail mail. I'm willing to bet you they will be surprised and pleased with the gift of gratitude you have expressed to them! 

Try putting an attitude of gratitude in your life! You will be amazed at how it changes you, and the people around you! 

Personal responsibility was something that my parents instilled in me at an early age. By the time I went off to college my parents wanted me to be physically, emotionally, spiritually, intellectually and financially ready for the world, as much as an 18-year-old can be. My wife Chris and I had the same goal for our two daughters. I have a good friend who says most of the world's problems are caused by bad parenting, or no parenting at all for those who may not have a mother or father. I think there is a lot of truth to that. 

It seems we live in a nation of victims. There's always someone to blame for our circumstances, someone to blame for us not getting the proper education, not having any faith, not being able to make a good living or have a good job, not having a good marriage, not having good relationships with others, not being able to stay fit and healthy. It always someone else's fault, the government, the left, the right, your mother, your father, your siblings. You get the picture. 

Well, for all those people, I say ... take a good look in the mirror. There is only one person in the world you have full control over ... it's you! You are the CEO of your life. You're ultimately responsible for your well-being. Certainly, we all experience challenges each day, but I find the folks who take full responsibility for their actions as they deal with a tough world, are the happiest and the healthiest. 

This message was inspired by the following. At the completion of each project we ask the project manager and superintendent to give feed back on every subcontractor that was on their project. The evaluation is sent to the owner of the company and it is meant to give feedback on how they did. Here is the response we got back last week from Prodigy Flooring in Tampa. 

Thank you for the past few years of partnership. It has been a great opportunity and is sincerely appreciated. Not only for Prodigy Flooring, but for me and my family as well. I would like to take a moment to address the attached evaluation that we received. I am embarrassed by our lack of performance on this job. We failed to man up when needed and we did a poor job managing quality control. I take full responsibility for the problems we encountered on this job. As an account manager, it is my job to see issues before they come to fruition and implement measures to stop them before they happen. My job is to make your job easier and I do not feel like I accomplished my job. I sincerely apologize. This evaluation is completely understood, and Prodigy will do everything in our power to ensure nothing like this happens again. Your success is our priority.

Wow! This guy gets it! In a world of excuses and "it's not my fault", it is refreshing to see and an individual and a company say "That's on me. We will do better"! 

I heard a good message over the weekend, and it reminded me that our company is like the human body. Our company is made up of many parts like our body, each having a specialized function, and all being important for overall health. If any one of the parts of our company is not healthy, then the whole organization suffers. 

There are many analogies that can be made. Our business development team sniffing out new leads acts as our nose, our human resource team pumping new people into our company acts as our blood, our preconstruction team looking out with their eyes, surveying the subcontractor landscape to assure a successful project, our accounting staff, like our lungs, breathing in and out each day as they process our payables and receivables, our project management team constantly running with their legs to assure our field staff has the necessary tools to be successful, our marketing team working with their hands to create extraordinary images and content, our receptionist whose voice is often the first sounds a new client may hear, our field staff and concrete crews, who are the backbone of our company giving us strength, our safety team who is the immunity system that keeps us safe each day, and our leadership team that is the brain of our company that thinks, plans, analyzes, motivates and organizes our company now, and into the future. 

All of us have been given different gifts and talents that allow us to perform one of the functions of our company, and all of them are important to our success! 

I have saved the most important part for last. Even though all parts of our body, and of our company are important for us to be healthy and successful, the most important part of our body, and our company is our heart! And like our body, a heart that is dedicated to serving others, is the most important part of our company! Service to our clients, serving each other, serving our communities, and serving our families is the path to a healthy heart! Keeping a strong heart... and a passion for incredible service to our clients, is at the heart of our continued success! 

If you are married, or have a significant other, you should consider reading "The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate" by Gary Chapman. The author describes the following five ways to express your love to your mate: 

1. Words of Affirmation

2. Acts of Service

3. Receiving Gifts

4. Quality Time

5. Physical Touch

My wife Chris and I had a couple staying with us recently, and as I was fixing dinner and setting the table, my friend asked if acts of service was one of my love languages. My answer was yes! So, what does that mean? In terms of intimate relationships, Acts of Service is a language that can best be described as doing something for your partner that you know they would like, such as filling up their gas, watering their plants, or cooking them a meal. When you give Acts of Service, you give up your time. 

One of my wife Chris's love language is Words of Affirmation. I tell her often that she is funny, her hair looks great, or that new dress looks fantastic! I am my wife's biggest fan, and I have been telling her for 35 years that I am crazy about her! These words are important for her to hear. 

If you are in a long-term relationship, give this book a try. It certainly will be a lively discussion with your mate, and hopefully you'll learn how to be a better partner to the one you love! 

I'm excited about our 2019 ESOP Stock Reveal Party this Thursday! In the early days of our ESOP it seemed hard to imagine the stock price growth that our company could achieve. There was a run of a few years during the Great Recession that our stock price remained relatively flat and I know many of our folks were skeptical about long term growth potential. Our company, like all companies, will have its ebbs and flows, but over the long term, I am confident that your stock will have tremendous growth! 

I think the thing I like best about our ESOP stock growth is that we all have control of its growth. Unlike your 401K stocks or publicly traded stocks you may own, you really don't know the inner works of the company that you are buying. Here at Williams Company you all play an integral role in the success and profitability of our company. Your long hours, your organization skills, your dedication, your sense of urgency, and your incredible service to our clients, literally effects your pocketbook! 

I'm looking forward to handing out some cold hard cash for the winners of our Stock Reveal Contest Thursday! The great part about our stock price going up is ... we are all winners! 

Sometimes I wonder if we realize that someone is always watching us. All of us have someone who is following our lead. It could be a spouse, our kids, a coworker, a subcontractor or a client. Our outward appearance, our tone, our smile, how we handle tough situations, or how we celebrate successes, the people around you are watching. 

I think one of the most important roles of a parent is to be a good role model for our kids. Believe me they are watching. I had a friend that had a really fast car, and he would drive his two young sons around showing them how fast the car would go. Once they both began to drive, my friend couldn't figure out why they got so many speeding tickets. Along those lines, if your kids watch you be generous with the less fortunate, giving both your time and your resources, they too will see the value of this, and will also become generous. On the flip side, if you are nasty to the waitress, talk ugly to a neighbor or try and cheat the system, that's who they will also become. 

Having heroes and mentors is important. People who you admire and look up to help us set goals for who we want to become. Many times, our heroes are a teacher who we have connected with, a grandparent that shows us old school ways of doing things, a close friend that has a heart for listening, or a neighbor that we admire. I once had a neighbor named Norm that fell into this category. He and his wife walked and cycled together all the time. For his 60th birthday he asked his wife to cycle on a tandem bike 3000 miles across the country, unsupported! His wife obliged and they made it from California to St Augustine in 35 days! Whenever I would see Norm I would tell him he was my hero! Norm, always humble, would say I had very low standards for a hero. 

So, I ask you, who are you following? 

And maybe even more important, who is following you? 

This quote was sent to me last week.

If you want happiness for an hour, 

Take a nap. 

If you want happiness for a week, 

Go fishing. 

If you want happiness for a year, 

Inherit a fortune. 

If you want happiness for a lifetime, 

Help Somebody.

I have a friend who told me he was depressed, just not feeling right with the world, and so he asked me what I would recommend to help him feel better. I told him he should spend a morning delivering meals to shut in senior citizens as part of the local Meals on Wheels program. He took my advice, and spent a morning with my wife Chris delivering meals for about 3 hours. He told me afterwards that he felt better because he realized there is always someone in more difficult spot than he was. By focusing on helping others, some of his burdens were lifted. 

Helping others is one of the most therapeutic and rewarding things we can do. I have always felt that outwardly focused people, always asking what they can do to help, are the happiest people in the world! 

If there is one trait to have in your life, and one you should teach your kids, it's perseverance. The ability to get up once you fall is one of the most important lessons of all. In this poem, the father's love for his son is so powerful as he encourages his son to get up and win that race! 

The Race: Life's Greatest Lesson 

By Dee Groberg 

Whenever I start to hang my head in front of failure's face, 

my downward fall is broken by the memory of a race. 

A children's race, young boys, young men; how I remember well, 

excitement sure, but also fear, it wasn't hard to tell. 

They all lined up so full of hope, each thought to win that race 

or tie for first, or if not that, at least take second place. 

Their parents watched from off the side, each cheering for their son, 

and each boy hoped to show his folks that he would be the one. 

The whistle blew and off they flew, like chariots of fire, 

to win, to be the hero there, was each young boy's desire. 

One boy in particular, whose dad was in the crowd, 

was running in the lead and thought "My dad will be so proud." 

But as he speeded down the field and crossed a shallow dip, 

the little boy who thought he'd win, lost his step and slipped. 

Trying hard to catch himself, his arms flew everyplace, 

and midst the laughter of the crowd he fell flat on his face. 

As he fell, his hope fell too; he couldn't win it now. 

Humiliated, he just wished to disappear somehow. 

But as he fell his dad stood up and showed his anxious face, 

which to the boy so clearly said, "Get up and win that race!" 

He quickly rose, no damage done, behind a bit that's all, 

and ran with all his mind and might to make up for his fall. 

So anxious fo restore himself, to catch up and to win, 

his mind went faster than his legs. He slipped and fell again. 

He wished that he had quit before with only one disgrace. 

"I'm hopeless as a runner now, I shouldn't try to race."

But through the laughing crowd he searched and found his father's face 

with a steady look that said again, "Get up and win that race!" 

So he jumped up to try again, ten yards behind the last. 

"If I'm to gain those yards," he thought, "I've got to run real fast!" 

Exceeding everything he had, he regained eight, then ten ... 

but trying hard to catch the lead, he slipped and fell again. 

Defeat! He lay there silently. A tear dropped from his eye. 

"There's no sense running anymore! Three strikes I'm out! Why try? I've lost, so what's the use?" he thought. "I'll live with my disgrace." But then he thought about his dad, who soon he'd have to face. 

"Get up," an echo sounded low, "you haven't lost at all, 

for all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall. 

Get up!" the echo urged him on, "Get up and take your place! 

You were not meant for failure here! Get up and win that race!" 

So, up he rose to run once more, refusing to forfeit, 

and he resolved that win or lose, at least he wouldn't quit. 

So far behind the others now, the most he'd ever been, 

still he gave it all he had and ran like he could win. 

Three times he'd fallen stumbling, three times he rose again. 

Too far behind to hope to win, he still ran to the end. 

They cheered another boy who crossed the line and won first place, head high and proud and happy - no falling, no disgrace. 

But, when the fallen youngster crossed the line, in last place, 

the crowd gave him a greater cheer for finishing the race. 

And even though he came in last with head bowed low, unproud, you would have thought he'd won the race, to listen to the crowd. And to his dad he sadly said, "I didn't do so well." 

"To me, you won," his father said. "You rose each time you fell." 

And now when things seem dark and bleak and difficult to face, the memory of that little boy helps me in my own race. 

For all of life is like that race, with ups and downs and all. 

And all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall. 

And when depression and despair shout loudly in my face, another voice within me says, "Get up and win that race!" 

I have been a lover of books from an early age. Both my mother and father were big readers. My 85-year-old mother still reads 30-40 books a year. It keeps her mind sharp. Both our daughters are avid readers. Our oldest daughter Jessica is a journalist, and so she is reading and writing daily. Our youngest daughter Kelly caught the reading bug her freshman year of college when she took a speed­reading course. It literally changed her life as she now reads 30-40 books a year and has a friendly competition with her grandmother every year.

I have found that reading has opened all kinds of new doors for me over the years. I enjoy books on history, Christianity, leadership, self-help, travel, investing, sports and always a good novel. I have read many 1000-page novels, many of them hard to put down because they were so interesting!

Reading at a young age is so important for a child and I would encourage parents to read, read, read to your kids! The kids that are voracious readers are almost always going to excel in school ... and in life!

Some of you have received a book or two from me over the years. I have loaned or given a lot of books away in hopes of sharing some good information, a good story or just a simple laugh. My wife Chris says that at my funeral there will be a requirement to bring a book that I may have given you, and that there will be a giant book swap. Sounds like a grand idea to me!

I miss it. It's been a part of my July since 1985. I look forward to it every year, the drama, the excitement, the suffering, the crashes. What is it? It's the biggest bike race on the planet, the Tour de France! 

The Tour de France is an epic 3 week cycling race each year in July that covers about 2,500 miles through France. Twenty- two teams of eight riders, from around world, compete for the most important title in cycling. The routes change each year, and every stage offers beautiful scenery of France. 

For the last 35 years my family knows that when July comes, I get dibs on the TV. I record each day's stage, which can be anywhere from 2 to 6 hours a day. Because France is 7 hours a head of us, sometimes the Tour starts very early here in America and I can see it live. Most of the time I come home from work, eat a quick dinner and sit back and watch 3 to 4 hours of the tour. I love it! 

For all you sports fans out there, this has been a weird year. No Major League Baseball, no NBA, no hockey and no college sports at all. There is a little bit of live golf but is golf really a sport? I mean, come on! 

Anyway, I sure hope there is college football this year. If the government announced today that the only way college football happens is that we go into a complete lockdown, the entire South would quarantine immediately ... just saying!