From time to time, I wonder what motivates people to do their jobs and frequently I find that for those that live and breathe their careers, the motivation rarely revolves around a paycheck.

I was up and about this morning at quarter to 5 a.m., surprisingly pleasant, to prepare myself for a 7 a.m. meeting with one of my favorite clients Brian Johnson, city manager for Garden City. He has an extensive military background, so an early meeting suits Brian just fine.  In fact, it’s probably the only time of day that we can meet uninterrupted from others needing his attention.

As I sat across from him, I couldn’t help but reflect on the last two years. When I first met Brian, Garden City was mostly known as a rough and tough, industrial city. Since then, with the help of an amazing team of supporters, Brian has been able to rebrand the city with a shiny new seal, a beautiful Town Center and City Hall campus on the corner of I-16 and Dean Forest road, community growth, increased interaction between residents and has positioned the city as a viable candidate for the annexation of a neighboring community. His intense style of leadership hinges on his love of the Garden City community and is to be admired. His vision for the future of Garden City is a bright one and I have to hope that a larger city doesn’t take notice and attempt to steal him away for a grander purpose.

Enough can’t be said for these early, face-to-face meetings. Despite all of our technological efforts, having the ability to read your counterpart’s eyes and body language in person really can’t be replaced with a conference call or even Skype. It’s connecting with people and their mission that motivates me and is key in my business and I hope that never changes.

What motivates you to make that 7:00 a.m. meeting?