If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Hank is the son of Southwestern CEO, Henry Bedford. While a student at Middle Tennessee State University, Hank had a successful summer in 2002. Hank pretty much grew up at Southwestern Company, working summers in the office and helping student dealers with their check-out process.

As quoted in an article in the Tennessean, he credits high school wrestling and the Southwestern Company internship for mentally preparing him for the grueling production schedule on the movie sets.

“Honestly, two things prepared me for my career more than any academic studies: wrestling at Franklin High School and selling books door to door in college for The Southwestern Co. They both prepared me for hard work, sacrifice, rejection and a grueling schedule,” he said. “On set, we worked about 80 hours a week.”

Anyone who has sold books may be thinking right about now how the 80 hours a week sounds all to familiar.

Upon taking a chance and moving to LA, Hank has had the opportunity to work on a Comedy Central series and several other movies – including his directorial debut, a short film titled Down South.

Right now, Hank is looking forward to gaining more experience in the hopes of directing his own feature film. With several projects in the works, he plans to maintain the “bookfield” schedule with no plans to slow down.

For full article: Take a bow: Franklin grad shows fighting determination in Hollywood

We are all so busy in our day-to-day tasks, yet it is important to take a moment to pause and re-acknowledge the truly great thing that is happening all across America and Canada this summer. It is one of the true success stories in the history of business: 142 years in a row of helping young people develop themselves, and help families, through the Southwestern program. Last month, Henry accepted our award for being the oldest company in the Direct Selling Association on behalf of all the student dealers who make all this possible through their hard work every day.

These young people are showing themselves – and the world around them – that despite economic turmoil, political problems, climate change, and many negative factors facing them, they can stand proudly on their own two feet and ask nothing of anyone except a chance to see what they can do. They are creators of opportunity, and carriers of optimism. This Monday, as many Americans will be celebrating Independence Day, the Southwestern Team and the student dealers will be working jointly so those students can HAVE independence, and all that will mean to themselves and their families.

The Sales Managers and Directors are themselves leading the way for Southwestern, inspiring their groups to great production as we move into the most important months of the summer. Every single District Sales Manager and Director knocked on doors for multiple summers, and they know from first-hand experience gained over thousands of hours the truth of what Theodore Roosevelt meant when he said,

“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”

Thanks to every Sales Manager, including those who are selling books right now, today.

Thanks also to all the other parts of the company as well for the true team effort that takes place at this time of year. Through Henry’s leadership, every part of our company works together to make this summer spectacle happen year after year. There are literally thousands of moving parts that have to mesh and make sense in order for our year to happen, and you make it so. The student dealers and sales managers are grateful to all of you. Please accept our thanks, and please share this with others in your areas as well: every single person’s efforts count, and make a difference.

It is a pleasure to announce that this summer we are up dramatically in student managers and they are out there making it happen.  We are on the grow, and we intend to continue!

Thanks again to all of you.

In fact, I’d like to thank Mr. Neville, the fourth grade teacher at Bow Elementary in New Hampshire, for being my golden name my third summer on the bookfield.  His testimonial and recommendation of the Volume Library boosted my sales tremendously.  A recognizable name has always been a great way to build trust.

Recently The Tennessean published a slideshow of photos of the Southwestern Company and several of the locally famous alumni who have worked in the summer program.  It includes local Tennessee alumni:  Former Metro Councilman George Armistead III; Tennessee entrepreneur Jim Ayers; US Representative Marsha Blackburn; Retired Southwestern CEO, Ralph Mosley; Tennessee entrepreneur Ted Welch; Tennessee entrepreneur Sam Kirk; and current Southwestern CEO and Chairman, Henry Bedford.

National alumni included:  Former Federal Prosecutor, Ken Starr; Texas Governor, Rick Perry; and Evangelist and Best-Selling Author Max Lucado.

Also included in the slideshow are various photos of Southwestern headquarters on Atrium Way in Nashville and student dealers in training at “Sales School.”

In seeking out our “Rich and Famous” alumni, it has been the bookpeople whose names may not jump out at you that intrigue me the most.  Many of our alumni who have created successful businesses and lives do not live in the public eye.  They have taken the skills they learned at Southwestern and have become the “Millionaires Next Door”. 

Check out some of our Alumni Spotlights  and look for more success stories of Southwestern alumni in the coming weeks.

Who do you know that sold books that should be on our “Rich and Famous” list?  ]]> http://www.southwesternalumniblog.com/southwestern_company/the-tennessean-slideshow-of-famous-southwestern-alumni/feed/ 0