So many heroes are commended for their commitment to their craft. Olympians, musicians, and thought leaders have been immortalized for their devotion.
What if such intense devotion were given to relationships, particularly those of family and friends?
To this question, Jordan may serve as a case study.
Having given himself wholly to his family and friends, he has forged relationships of rare quality. The fruits of these endeavors have been nothing short of lasting joy and success, shared by those he has invested in.
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Jordan
My name is Jordan. I’m the cold chain systems manager, and I’ve been with England Logistics for 11 years.
EL
That’s an impressive tenure. Can you walk me through your career progression at England Logistics?
Jordan
I started in cold chain operations, specifically order entry, tracking, and tracing. I progressed to managing and being involved in our contracts.
I moved into sales for a while and then became the cold chain systems manager.
EL12
That’s an impressive amalgamation of skills. What are some of your passions outside of work?
Jordan
I’m a big soccer fan. I love the Real Salt Lake. I’m also a big University of Utah fan, although there are many more hardcore fans than I am.
I have a garden in our backyard. I enjoy my garden. I am just getting into woodworking. And I absolutely love my family.
I know that a lot of people love their kids, but I like my kids. I just love hanging out with my kids.
EL
That is so beautiful. I love that your family has become your friends. What is it about soccer and football that you love so much?
Jordan
There’s just an intensity with college football that I love.
I grew up in Utah County, so I may have been the only Utah fan in Utah County, but the rivalry and passion behind the games were so enjoyable.
As for soccer, I still play to this day in a league down at the Gardner Village in West Jordan. It’s just fun to get that adrenaline up and running. It’s my form of exercise. It’s something I want to keep doing as long as I can.
EL
I can tell you love it. Weren’t you the one who got to do the coin flip at the Real game this year?
Jordan
Yes, it was probably one of the top ten highlights of my life. It was just awesome. Great experience being on the field with the energy that was around. I still have the coin at home and I love it. That was such a fun experience, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to do it.
EL
It was awesome seeing you do that. I want to return to your unique relationship with your kids. What are some things that you guys like to do together?
Jordan
So, now, I coach all three of my kids in soccer, and it’s kind of hectic. We’re in the throes of soccer season right now. We’ve got practice on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and soccer games on Saturday. It’s crazy, but I love it. My second kid, my boy Jesse, is more passionate than I am, and it’s fun watching him grow.
My third kid, Wyatt, he’s really thriving in it right now and having a fun time.My girl, Molly, she’s the oldest. She’s a daddy’s girl and she’s playing soccer because she likes spending time with me. I want to keep that alive for as long as possible. I’m just going to burn myself out in soccer as long as I can with my kids.
The other thing I like doing is beating them up on Smash Brothers at home on the Nintendo. It’s a lot of fun with them. They’re like my hype crew, right? They’re just following me around. It’s the best.
EL
This is so fun to get a glimpse into your life. By this same vein of conversation, what are some things you are most proud of?
Jordan
To start off, I think about my relationship with my wife. She’s not just my wife; she’s my best friend as well. We have a great relationship. I’m happy that we enjoy each other’s company. It makes for a good home environment, and I think that’s due to good communication.
One of the things I’m proud of about myself is my good, clear communication with others, expectations, and emotions. I think that’s required for interacting with people in any context, from family to friends to work.
Here at work, I’ve really set the standard for becoming an expert in the cold chain environment regarding the way our network works. It’s complicated, and it requires a lot of carriers and different groups to connect.
I’m proud of the ownership I’ve taken of that. My depth of knowledge has put me in a valuable position.
EL
You should take tremendous pride in your ability to communicate effectively. That is a rare skill.
What’s something that you feel like you’ve learned over the years that’s benefited your relationships here at work?
Jordan
I think it’s important to communicate your emotions but not necessarily respond to them because that can kind of muddy the waters when you’re communicating. There have been many times I’ve been upset with a client and realized I needed to wait before responding. So, I wait, then I reword it, and then I send it.
Thinking through the words that come out of your mouth is important because it’s not about what you’re trying to convey, but what other people are going to hear. You need to think through how your words could be interpreted and not just what you intend.
EL
That’s outstanding advice that I feel confident readers will benefit from. With all you’ve learned, I’d love to hear about a professionally defining experience in your career.
Jordan
Early in my career, I was struggling. I was young and not super responsible, but my boss gave me this opportunity. It involved reviewing the billing process and the contracts that we had with carriers. That’s what jumped me into this world of understanding the contracts that we have with all our providers.
It also helped me understand how our networks worked and how they were priced. That led us to have a good understanding of how we need to price our customers. If we understood why these charges came through and why things were priced the way we were, we could predict our pricing and costs and then price them accordingly.
That really helped us with our expectations regarding how much we needed to charge and how much we were going to be making in revenue and margins on a weekly and monthly basis.
EL
And what made that experience so rewarding for you?
Jordan
That opportunity gave me a lot of ownership of a particular position within cold chain, and it made me an expert in one area, which I think is invaluable. If you’re the expert, then you’re needed.
Learning this stuff really made me feel confident in my ability here at England Logistics.
EL
It seems like you’ve built a very fulfilling life for yourself, both at work and at home. Tell me then, when are you very happiest?
Jordan
I’m generally a happy guy. When everything at work has calmed down and I can relax with my family with nothing in the back of my mind, that’s when I am happiest.
I love getting on vacation with my wife and my family and just having a good experience.
We went to Disneyland earlier this year and spent all this money. When we got to the free playground at the top of Toon World, the kids had the most fun there. You might think, “What a waste of money?” but it was just so fun watching them run around.
That was a good moment.
EL
You sound like a wonderful father. With all these efforts spent with family and becoming a great leader at work, what legacy are you hoping to leave?
Jordan
When people think of legacy, they want to leave a big stamp on humanity. People in media, politics, and sports have left lasting legacies. I’ll be happy just leaving a legacy on my kids and, someday, hopefully, grandkids. I want to set them up for success.
I’d love to leave my mark on my family for years to come.
EL
That’s wonderful. Legacy isn’t concerned with the number of people impacted but with the depth of impact.
And what about here, at England Logistics? How do you want people to remember you?
Jordan
I hope it’s just somebody who was reliable– Someone who provided good guidance in their careers, good advice, good training… someone who could share knowledge and set up others for success. I think that is a worthy ambition.
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