Letter from the Publisher

Angels and Heroes Among Us

“Your gifts are not about you; leadership is not about you; your purpose is not about you: A life of significance is about serving those who need your gifts, your leadership, your purpose.” Kevin Hall

Dear Readers,

Where did September go? I feel like this last month is a blur, and now here we are in the fourth quarter, and the holiday rush is already upon us. I try to ignore the retail pressure to embrace Christmas as I stroll the aisles looking for ghosts and goblins to add to my Halloween splendor. Keep holidays to their own time – and don’t rush me into tree trimming, please! Halloween is an almost equally festive time around here. Living in downtown Franklin, we gear up and decorate pretty big. We anticipate hundreds of trick-or-treaters, and it truly has become a significant part of our fall.

This edition is a favorite of mine because, at our core, we love to showcase people doing good in this community. As this is the annual Philanthropy edition, we go above and beyond to spotlight those unsung Nonprofit Heroes. These people give back in a profound and real way, every day, and their contribution to our community is significant in big and small ways that matter. Beyond our six nominated heroes, we also feature several other great stories of giving back to the community in this issue. But, perhaps, one of the more exciting stories we feature this month is our cover story on Luke and Caroline Bryan and how they have made Williamson County their home and their commitment to giving back. Now, I am rarely, in fact, if ever, star-struck – perhaps from growing up in a home where some pretty stellar celeb types wandered through the kitchen from time to time – or so I hear now! And living here in Williamson County, we are all pretty used to spotting our famous residents out and about from Kroger to Starbucks and the occasional event. But it’s not often that I get to sit down with them and learn about what’s in their heart. This month, we had that privilege to interview Caroline and Luke Bryan, who welcomed us into their home and shared their love for our community and their desire to give back whenever they can. Not star-struck, but grateful. Whether famous or not, whether blessed with wealth, or trying to get by ourselves on less - it’s important to realize, we can all give back. Just our very presence in some ways can be as meaningful to someone in need as a check. Caring about those around us, organizations that do good, and investing of ourselves into the community we all call home - can be our most fulfilling and lasting legacies. Creating a culture of giving back has made Williamson County is unique in that regard, and everywhere I look, I find plenty of angels and heroes among us who truly do make this the place we all call home proudly. Thank you, Williamson County, for providing us with ten years of exemplary stories of extraordinary people and organizations. We continue to believe this is our greatest legacy and know that where there is good – great things can and do happen!

Shelly Robertson Birdsong Owner | Publisher shelly@robertsonmediagroup.com

Family. Fun. Friendship.

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