Primerica reps sprint to the stage, claiming their awards and basking in their winning moments, and there, at the foot of the stage or standing in the wings is Tom Hamilton. His camera is snapping away at top speed, and he’s amped up on the energy in the room. But the camera man who quietly slips in and out of events, digitally banking those times for posterity, has an eventful story of his own – one that many of his subjects never learn.
“It’s never boring.” That’s how Tom Hamilton sums up the adventures of his company Spitfire Studios. And that is a gross understatement. From speeding through Atlanta traffic on a mint green Vespa, to staying up until 5 a.m. editing thousands of images to deliver that same morning, Spitfire does what seems impossible – and what is unconventional – to create digital images that are more like frozen minutes … and they are SO not boring.
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Before digital photography was “cool,” Hamilton was doing it. He was perfecting it. He was investing in it. He says, “Digital photography enables you – using sophisticated, quality cameras – to increase your frame rate so that you don’t miss that moment.” Before people began using digital photography, though, Hamilton felt like he was “yelling in the woods.” He adds, “We were driving ourselves almost out of business with our digital photography equipment. Then, almost overnight, clients started calling for it.”
One of his biggest gigs is as the photographer for Primerica’s largest events. Since 1987, he has traveled back and forth across the country to capture the moments that bring the thousands of representatives of this sprawling financial services company together. He’s photographed camera shy new guys as they morphed into million-dollar earners. With his help, the Primerica publications department has amassed a photography database of more than 200,000 images. In fact, at the company’s last convention, he and his team took more than 15,000 images over three days!
Rumor has it that Hamilton could be seen between events speeding from the Georgia Dome to his studio on his Vespa. He says he was inspired to purchase the scooter when he saw people dashing through the streets on Florence, Italy on theirs. Others say he got it because it’s the only thing that could keep up with him.
Westside Collective
To become a leader in his field, Hamilton had to always look for new and inventive ways to do his job. In that search, he discovered an industry need for a full-service imaging studio. This need led him to form a collaboration with two other digital imaging gurus to create the Westside Collective. Live action production, still photography, and editorial is handled by Spitfire. The other two companies, Trick 3D and 2 To Design, handle photo real architectural visualizations, 3D animation, camera tracking and effects compositing for commercials and feature films and innovative branding and motion graphic design for broadcast, print and Web respectively. With the Westside Collective, however, clients don’t have to farm out portions of their projects to different firms. As Hamilton says, “We’re a single source that works like a symphony to get a project done on time and on budget.”
According to Hamilton, the Westside Collective just finished a well-received intro package for the DIY Network’s show “Rock Solid.” They also did the openings for CNN’s “Black in America” series, commercials for Royal Caribbean cruise line and a slew of projects for the Cartoon Network.
Ahead of the Curve
When your work life is digital, it often spills over into your personal life. That’s the case for Hamilton. He practically speaks in bits and bytes, blaming it all on what he calls his “toy problem.” If there’s a new gadget, he feels compelled to own it … and he usually does.
For Spitfire, he’s invested in the biggest, baddest “toy” of all. The RED ONE. This expensive piece of equipment is so advanced that Hamilton had to put a deposit on it sight unseen (unless you count a balsa wood model).Why spend thousands and thousands (and thousands) of dollars on a camera you’ve never even touched? Hamilton answers, “The RED ONE does what a digital still camera does but it takes 120 frames per second in continuous bursts. Each frame is 33.5MB. This allows you to play those frames back to look like a movie.” Because of his foresight, Spitfire Studios is, according to Hamilton, the go-to expert in this technology for the Southeast.
Being this sought after keeps you on the go. When Spitfire got tired of renting motor coaches that smelled like they’d just been the site of an out-of-control party, they invested in their own. Now, they own a mobile photo and video-editing studio that enables them to house “talent” and manipulate images from the road. Between the Winnebago and their mini photo lab (It’s the size of a dishwasher!) they can do their job from anywhere they need to be.
The Idea Guy
Hamilton says he’s full of ideas. It’s because he says he wants to leave the earth “a better place” than he found it. For him, that includes transforming reality television into an art form more focused on educating and celebrating people. “People have never needed to lean on each other more than now. I think ‘do-good’ programming is far more interesting than deception and belittling,” he says.
As part of his legacy, Hamilton also wants to share new technologies throughout the world. He’s well on his way, as he and his director of photography, Tripp Rhame, were instrumental in the production of the #1 music video in the country for Nigerian artist elDee. Hamilton says that he and Spitfire were instrumental in bringing the technology to that emerging global market.
Tom Hamilton, his team and the many endeavors they so expertly juggle are a testament to tenacity. They prove that, in whatever you do, you can change the world – and making a difference in people’s lives is never, ever boring.
At Primerica, we pride ourselves on finding better, faster ways to do things. Home Office employees have a “make it happen” mindset, but sometimes we’d get bogged down in “procedure” and that meant that some projects moved at a snail’s pace.
Thanks to a new method called Agile, Primerica can now run the play the right way. Agile is a method that allows project managers to work more quickly – become more agile if you will — on projects that require a series of steps.
Projects that used to take months (if not years) to complete can now be completed in a fraction of that time! How? Small “scrum” teams “huddle-up” to get the job done through consistent collaboration and modification.
Much like the sport rugby, Agile scrum teams try to go the distance as a team, passing the ball back and forth. This allows them to run the play toward their goal and ultimately score.
In rugby, “scrum” refers to the action of eight forwards from each team binding together and pushing against each other in a circle. With the Agile method, Primerica’s IT scrum team huddles up each morning for 15 minutes to discuss their roles, progress and any impediments in their current project. Each reports on:
• What he or she has accomplished since the last Scrum huddle
• What he or she will do before the next Scrum session and
• What (if anything) is impeding his or her progress on their part of the project
These meetings are held daily and usually at the same time during the project’s “Sprint” cycle. Sprints are usually held for 30 days. At the end of that time, the team evaluates how far down the field they’ve been able to run the ball. The team reviews their progress, determines whether or not the Sprint Goal was achieved and then moves on to the next 30-day Sprint.
By working as a team and sprinting in super-charged cycles, the team is able to work quickly and efficiently toward the goal, make changes as needed and deliver the end product on — or ahead of — schedule. By using the Agile method, Primerica has been able to keep a consistent pace and create incredible technology for its representatives.
Have you implemented Agile or a similar methodology? Leave a comment to share your insights and how it has benefited your company.
When you think of canned food drives, you probably think drives organized around Christmastime or the holidays. For Primerica Financial Services, the work to “can” hunger in the local community is a year-round effort. Now, this work is more important than ever as local food banks struggle to keep up with increased demand in this tough economy.
“The problem is not the lack of food but limited access to the food which is available,” says Primerica’s Program and Events Coordinator Renee Carter. “Food banks provide the access linking people to food. We want to be a positive link in this chain of action.”
Primerica works with the Lilburn Co-Op, and held two company-wide food drives in 2008. A summer food drive netted more than 7,000 items and employees donated another 10,000 items during a food drive in November. Another major food drive campaign will kick off in July. “I spoke with the director of the Lilburn Co-Op and she stated that the summer food drive is most important because so many families depend on the state’s free breakfast and lunch programs,” Renee says. “During the summer this is not available to families in need and children of school age sometimes miss meals. It is hard on some families to provide three square meals per day.”
Nearly 30 years ago, a group of art lovers was inspired by the bold mission to foster an understanding of and participation in the arts. That grassroots effort soon blossomed from a kitchen table idea to the state of the art Jacqueline Casey Hudgens Center for the Arts (the Hudgens).
What began as a grassroots effort in 1981, has grown into a thriving center for the arts. The facility houses three fine art galleries, a children’s gallery, classrooms, pottery studios for adults and children, a performance hall, sculpture garden, a black box theater, local artist gift shop and administrative offices.
In today’s world, the need for critical thinking, creative problem solving, effective communication and teamwork is more important than ever. The Hudgens believes that art forms a solid foundation for the next generation to develop the skills they’ll need to become tomorrow’s leaders! Primerica is proud to be a part of that tradition through grant sponsorship and participation on the board of directors by Vice President of Community and Foundation Relations/Strategic Marketing, Anne Soutter.
Anne first became involved with the Hudgens while working on a Primerica grant funding project. Art has always been a part of her life so having the chance to use some of the resources of the company to benefit a non profit community arts organization was right up her alley. “Of all the college courses I ever took, the one that impacted me the most was Art History. To study Art History and understand the cultural/societal context in which those artists worked, is to understand the continuing evolution of humanity.”
She continues, “The Hudgens is a critical part of our community and through class programming, school field trips and other outreach events, it’s providing a valuable benefit to the community.”
Anne’s experience working with the Hudgens throughout the grant process was so positive that when she was invited to join the board of directors, she accepted immediately. “This is very much a ‘working’ board and every member contributes their time and talent!” she says.
The Hudgens relies on community partnerships, donations and volunteers like Anne to continue to provide the high quality professionally taught classes and facilitate the exceptional exhibits and events, there is always a way to get involved.
Annual memberships at varying monetary levels are available for purchase on site and via the web and volunteers are always welcome. To learn more, about the Hudgens, find out about upcoming exhibits or classes, or to get involved, visit www.artsgwinnett.org.
Primerica is proud to be a charter member of the Insurance Marketplace Standards Association (IMSA).
Since 1996, IMSA has had the sole focus of advocating the highest standards and ethics throughout the industry. Companies vie to be IMSA members but they have to uphold the best industry practices. Primerica has been a member since day one and must qualify for recertification with IMSA every three years.
Each member of IMSA vows to:
• Conduct business according to high standards of honesty and fairness and to render that service to its customers which, in the same circumstances, it would apply to or demand for itself.
• Provide competent and customer-focused sales and service.
• Engage in active and fair competition.
• Provide advertising and sales materials that are clear as to purpose and honest and fair as to content.
• Provide for fair and expeditious handling of customer complaints and disputes.
• Maintain a system of supervision and review that is reasonably designed to demonstrate the company’s commitment to and compliance with IMSA’s Principals and Code of Ethical Market Conduct.
Primerica is in the business of changing lives through financial education and sound financial products. But Primerica employees also contribute to saving lives once every quarter through blood drives!
The first blood drive of 2009, held on February 18, benefited the American Red Cross. Each pint can save up to three lives so even a few pints can make a huge difference!
Steven Gwynn, director, says he donates every time Primerica holds a blood drive because of his father. “My father donated blood for as long as I can remember,” he says. “He believed donating blood was a simple way to have a great impact on someone’s life. So, when he passed away, I decided to honor him by continuing the tradition.”
In the past 12 months, more than 200 Primerica employees donated 186 pints of blood to the Red Cross.
Primerica has been helping middle market families with their finances for more than 32 years. Our company is financially strong and, while other companies are struggling in the current economy, we’re thriving. And that’s not so easy in this economy!
Everywhere you look you see headlines about mass layoffs and company closings. Companies once thought of as “rock solid” are crumbling before our eyes. Not Primerica. Why? Because no matter what state the economy is in, people still need our solutions.
How many companies today can say they’re debt-free? Primerica can! We have no debt whatsoever. Our life insurance companies hold a conservative investment portfolio of $6 billion. Plus, for the last seven consecutive years, Primerica has reported greater than $2 billion in revenue each year.
One of the largest marketers of term life insurance for more than two decades, Primerica’s life companies paid out more than $958 million in death claims in 2008 and have nearly $639 billion of life insurance in force. Want further proof of Primerica’s credibility? Primerica Life Insurance Company (PLIC) and National Benefit Life Insurance Company are both rated “A+” by A.M. Best and PLIC is rated “AA” by Standard & Poor’s. (A.M. Best and Standard & Poor’s are two independent rating firms that assess a life insurance company’s financial strength and ability to meet its ongoing financial commitment to policyholders.)
While other companies are cutting back and struggling to meet their obligations, Primerica is thriving. We’re continuing our three-decade track record of growth, and are on track to dominate the financial services industry.
Primerica Life Insurance Company’s insurance financial strength and claims-paying ability and National Benefit Life’s ratings of A+ by A.M. Best are considered “Superior.” This rating is assigned to companies that, in the opinion of A.M. Best, have a SUPERIOR ability to meet their ongoing obligations to policyholders. Primerica Life’s rating of AA by Standard & Poor’s is considered “Very Strong.” This rating means, in the opinion of Standard & Poor’s, that an organization’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on obligations is VERY STRONG. (National Benefit Life is not rated by Standard & Poor’s.) Primerica Life Insurance Company (Home Office: Boston, MA) is rated by A.M. Best and Standard & Poor’s.
A.M. Best ratings range in order from the highest ratings as follows: A++, A+, A, A-, B++, B+, B, B-. C++, C+, C, C-, D, E, F. Standard & Poor’s (S&P) ratings range in order from the highest as follows: AAA, AA+, AA, AA-, A+, A, A-, BBB+, BBB, BBB-, BB+, BB, BB-, B+, B, B-, CCC+, CCC, CCC-, CC.
Primerica representatives market term life insurance underwritten by the following affiliated companies in the following jurisdictions: National Benefit Life Insurance Company, Home Office: New York, in New York state; Primerica Life Insurance Company (PLIC), Home Office: Boston, MA, in all other U.S. jurisdictions and Primerica Life Insurance Company of Canada. Each company is responsible for its own obligations.
