I couldn’t figure out why my Wednesday morning alarm sounded just like my ringtone.

Ring, ring.
Ring, ring.

I cleared my eyes to see the clock.

3:50 am.

Then I grabbed the phone. Oh wow, this was not an alarm, it was go-time. The ringtone was a real call coming in from Nick Bezner, my business partner.

Nick and his wife were scheduled to have an induction the next day for baby number three, but God had other plans. I answered with four words - I’m on my way!

I enjoyed a quiet morning at the Bezner house, waiting for Nick’s daughters to wake up while he and his wife welcomed another girl into the world. Everything about the chaos of our lives seems to make sense in moments like these. Priorities fall into place, and the purpose of our day comes into sharp focus.

All went well for Nick and his wife, and they were back home by the end of the week in a house with more kids and more Advent joy.

On Friday, while we recorded a bonus spot for The BeatiDudes podcast, Nick reflected on what it was like knowing he had a business partner who would drop everything to help his family as his wife went into labor. He said it gave him peace, confidence, and excitement to keep building something special so more people could experience what it is like to work at a company where the leaders put people first.

Cody Slape, Undivided Life’s first hire and Chief Optimizer, would share the same sentiment. His family was expecting a baby on the same scheduled date as the Bezners, and, in Cody’s case, their successful birth happened on the date of the scheduled induction, December 12th.

Cody’s experience of feeling supported and encouraged by his teammates throughout the pregnancy and the delivery comes from a different angle. In the 15 months Cody has worked at Undivided Life, this is his second paternity leave. As a startup run by a small team of elite performers, common wisdom would tell you that Cody stepping away for a few weeks (twice) leaves a significant gap in his absence. And it does.

But unlike other organizations that attempt to influence family growth and potential absences for maternity or paternity until all is stable, we have collectively cheered for Cody while offering all measures of support and encouragement to his family. We have jokingly said that our strategic plan requires that at least one of our team members needs to be expecting a new child at all times to hit our 5-year growth projections.

All joking aside - - Our commitment to each other’s personal and professional growth is evident at Undivided Life. We expect each team member to pursue excellence in faith and family formation while living joyfully and inspiring others to do the same. Those core values come together in beautiful harmony when welcoming new life to the team and supporting each other in the process.