Looking Back Before Moving Forward: A Year-End Reflection on Culture and Growth

This past week, during a quick stop into one of my favorite boutiques, I ran into a former colleague I hadn’t seen in years. What began as a brief hello turned into several minutes of catching up about kids, grandkids, career paths, and familiar names from our time working together. Then she said something that put words to a familiar feeling.

“I knew it was a great place to work, but I don’t think I fully realized just how special it was until years later.”

Her words resonated with me because I felt the same way.

I spent 17 years working at Leatherwood, Walker, Todd & Mann, all of those years in leadership roles, first as Firm Administrator and later as Executive Director. Following the merger, I spent an additional three years as Director of Marketing and Client Services in the newly formed firm. It was a significant chapter of my professional life, one that shaped how I think about teams, leadership, and culture. I, too, felt a strong sense of belonging during that time. The attorneys and staff were more than coworkers; they were a team in the truest sense of the word.

She shared that while she knew at the time it was a great place to work, she didn’t fully realize just how special it was until years later. It took time and distance to truly appreciate the culture that existed during that season. That comment stayed with me.

Many of us experience something similar in business and in community life. When you are in the middle of the work, focused on deadlines, problem-solving, and what comes next, it’s easy to miss just how meaningful the culture really is. It’s often only later that we recognize the value of the relationships, the shared purpose, and the sense of belonging that made the work meaningful.

Strong cultures don’t happen by accident. They are built intentionally, through leadership, trust, accountability, and respect. They are reflected in how people treat one another, how challenges are handled, and how success is defined. Titles and achievements matter, but culture is what lasts.

As a new year begins, this is a natural moment for business owners, leaders, and organizations to pause and consider what they are building. Culture shapes not only how work gets done, but how people remember their time together.

Looking back isn’t about longing for the past. It’s about learning from it. Reflection brings clarity, and clarity leads to better decisions.

As we move into the year ahead, this reflection feels especially relevant for those of us who live and work in Laurens County. Our businesses, organizations, and institutions are deeply connected, and the cultures we create have a lasting impact on our community. May we enter the new year with intention, grounded in reflection, focused on growth, and committed to building workplaces and organizations that people are proud to be part of, both now and years from now.