The Southwestern Company Testimonials
Southwestern Company 5-year alum shares what he learned
I got an e-mail from Josh Crews the other day and wanted to share. Josh ran his own business selling Southwestern products from 2000-2005.
From Josh:
I heard about Southwestern almost 10 years ago and sold books the next summer (2000). I did average my first summer, but kept coming back and improving each summer and became a top salesperson.
These are three benefits that I received from selling books with Southwestern
A rescue from the disease of growing up in modern America
In school, I was really smart. A lot people are, and don’t have to work hard to do well. So I end up filling in the time with TV, video games, and conversations about nothing.
I really wish I had been working during that time, because work is great for the mind, body and soul. To illustrate this point, think of the wealthy American family today. The parents grew up working, didn’t have a lot of money then, but built up wealth over their lifetime. Their kids didn’t have to work, and now are either “failing to launch” into adulthood, or worse, are addicted to drugs or video games.
For many middle-class college students today, the hard work of a Southwestern summer is a refreshing cure to a disease they didn’t know they had. Many Southwestern students feel alive at the end of their summer; amazed at what they can accomplish in a day.
That was my experience.
Learning the law of sowing and reaping in 3 months
There is a law, worked by God into human life, “you reap what you sow”. And sometimes it takes years or decades to prove true. Take the example of a neglected marriage: it may take 25 years; but the pain of not investing in your relationship will be much greater than the “pain” of being intentional now. Neglect sown now will reap misery later. It’s a law of reality.
The reap-what-you-sow principle gets accelerated into 3 months with Southwestern. In selling books if you invest good habits, encourage your roommates, treat customers well, work the schedule, learn your presentations; you will harvest a rewarding summer.
If you sow compromising the schedule, mistreating customers, and not being coachable; you’ll reap a crummy summer.
The value of experiencing that principle in a Southwestern summer helps me everyday in my job, community and marriage.
Instant self-employment experience when it’s safe to fail
A person who can create their own customers from nothing is much more happy and economically secure than one who fears having to run their own business.
I do not preach the virtue of economic independence; I’d rather live like George Muller who relied on God in prayer for all his needs; but I do recommend avoiding economic dependence on your employer.
Southwestern allows you to gain that experience in college, where it’s really OK if you have a financially terrible summer, because you’re just a college student (no family, no mortgage…)
Summary
I got into Southwestern for the money. And the money was great. Today I’m most thankful for how Southwestern changed me as a young man in ways that will be paying dividends to me for the next 50 years.
Thank you Josh for your encouraging words and sharing your Southwestern experience! Josh lives with his wife Stephie (who sold books 3 summers) in Nashville and runs his own web-development company. You can check it out at http://www.joshcrews.com
