From our colleagues at Heritage, congratulations on 25 years of service!
By Nancy Payne Ellis, Founding Member of Heritage Trust
In 1998, the motivation to start a wealth management company was simple — self-preservation for my family. The big banks had moved into Oklahoma City, but their feel was distant and removed. We wanted local professionals, and we felt that other families in the area had our same needs and wanted a more local touch when it came to money, business and personal relationships.
That’s the story of how Heritage began. But our goal from day one has never changed. It’s always been about service to the client and putting their needs first.
The most important question
After all this time, we still ask ourselves the same question that we did a quarter of a century ago — “What is best for our clients?” We work as a team, and we encourage personal relations. It’s really that straightforward.
At the same time, we do have a higher purpose. We help to preserve wealth. The old saying that “money doesn’t grow on trees” couldn’t be further from the truth. Because it does grow on trees, but it grows on family trees. Preserving and protecting money so that the wealth is multi-generational and passed on requires careful planning with the help of an expert.
Legacy
Our growth over the last 25 years has come from dedication, experience and results. Therefore, this quarter-century anniversary for Heritage is monumental. We started from zero and now have billions under management. Everyone from the top down in our company has worked hard. This was a concerted, decades-long effort to provide service. That’s the way we’ve built the company, and it’s why we’re still around.
In 2015, we entered a new and successful chapter of Heritage’s history book when we merged with Argent Financial Group. This gave us the opportunity to expand our services to clients. Further, Argent is aligned with our pledge to uphold the values of personal service and commitment to our community.
The concept of legacy is vital because it gives a sense of purpose and meaning to what one does. It is about creating a lasting impact that benefits society. A business that focuses on legacy is one that considers the long-term consequences of its actions and strives to make a positive difference in the community. It is about creating a legacy that will outlive the individuals who built it and benefit generations to come.
Gratitude
Another important concept at Heritage has been gratitude. Gratitude is in our hearts and exemplified by the way we support our clients, employees, and community.
Gratitude is also shown in the way we’ve treated employees. A dedicated staff is built by cultivating personal relationships, just the same as with clients. Supporting employees means remembering that they also have personal lives away from work and that maintaining a work/life balance is challenging.
In short, gratitude is essential in business because it fosters a culture of appreciation, respect, and collaboration. It is easy to get caught up in the day-to-day challenges of running a business and forget about the people who have contributed to one’s success. However, gratitude is about recognizing the efforts and contributions of others, expressing appreciation for their work, and building strong relationships based on mutual respect and trust.
25 years later
A lot has happened in 25 years. We’ve continued to add employees and have had so many quality people at Heritage over that time. We’re grateful for each one of them.
Meanwhile, our focus will remain on our clients. We do not sell products like banks, and it sets us apart. We sell service — personal service. When clients come to Heritage, they know how we work and what to expect. We have made an impact in the trust business, and as a board member, that still makes me very proud.
