Welcome back to The Sunstone Way.
One of the first things I learned when I stepped into a management role was the importance of the team working with me. That’s why I want to stop and recognize National Employee Appreciation Day this Friday, March 7.
Recognition Important
Employee Appreciation Day is 30 years old this year. It was created by Dr. Bob Nelson, who did his doctoral dissertation on why some managers work to recognize employees and others do nothing to recognize those who work for them.
Nelson’s study showed how a culture of recognition has significant impacts on employee retention, performance and the ability to attract talent. While it might seem self-evident now that a pat on the back – and more tangible expressions of appreciation – are important, that hasn’t always been the case.
Remember how Ebenezer Scrooge treated his employee Bob Cratchit in “A Christmas Carol,” the classic Charles Dickens tale set in Victorian England? That autocratic approach to management held sway for much of the Industrial Revolution.
On The Screen
Have you ever heard of Jimmy the Crow? He also was called Jimmy the Raven, and he was one of Hollywood’s biggest stars in the 1930s and ‘40s. But he was a bird, for crying out loud!
Director Frank Capra discovered Jimmy in 1938. Already a movie veteran, Jimmy had a star turn in “You Can’t Take It With You.” In one of my favorites, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” Jimmy played Uncle Billy’s pet crow.
Uncle Billy was a less than reliable employee for his brother George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart), but Jimmy the Crow hit all his marks. His trainer, Curly Twiford, made sure Jimmy was properly appreciated. The raven appeared in more than 600 films, including many for Capra, and made $500 a week – more than many stars at the time. That’s appreciation.
It’s easy to say we have a great team, but it takes work to make it happen. Teamwork – get it?
There are several components of successful teamwork. It all starts with communication. One person might have the greatest idea in the world, but if he or she cannot communicate it to the rest of the team, it likely will wither on the vine.
Management is responsible for putting the team together with people of different, but compatible, skills. A baseball team made up solely of pitchers isn’t going to do well, but leaving the pitchers out altogether will result in just as bad a result.
There should be a shared goal, and all the team members should be able to buy into that goal. It’s up to the leader to explain the goal and inspire the entire team to work together toward it.
Sunstone’s Team
I feel like I’ve always had great teams to work with over the years, but this Sunstone team is a step above. One of the reasons this team is so great is the number of incredibly talented women onboard.
I want to make a point of acknowledging them this week since it is International Women’s Day on Saturday. The day originated in Europe – hence the International – in the 1910s, the same decade when the International Woman Suffrage Alliance was formed. Remember that the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, giving voting rights to women across our country, wasn’t passed until 1920.
In the last century, great strides have been made in recognizing that women can be, and often are, the most talented, smartest people in the room. Let me introduce you to several who vital leaders in our team.
Stella Zhang is a partner at Sunstone and Chief Operating Officer at American Lending Center. She is a well-known entrepreneur and benefactor of the Paul Merage School of Business at UCI, where she sponsors the Stella Zhang New Venture Competition.
Jasmine Jiang is the Senior Vice President of Investment Operations and has held positions in both Sunstone and American Lending Center.
I asked Jessica Dela Rosa to come with me from the city of Long Beach to Sunstone to be the Administrative Officer and Board Secretary. She acts as our Human Relations Officer too.
Jennifer Huang is our Marketing and Communications Manager. She also worked for ALC before moving to Sunstone. She keeps Sunstone on the cutting edge of communications and social media technology.
Heather Lewis came to Sunstone as our first in-house Chief Compliance Officer. It’s her job to keep us out of trouble with the regulators, and she’s accomplished that mission and more.
It says something that women outnumber men at Sunstone headquarters, and all three of our current fellows are women. But you know what? That doesn’t come up in our office. We’re all team members and we all work together.
After all, that’s The Sunstone Way.
Remember to always be a Sunstone!
John Keisler
CEO & Managing Partner
Sunstone Management, Inc.
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©Sunstone Management, Inc. 2025