In the presence of greatness

Last night was a phenomenal night.

This is Smile Week for #jnj. It’s a week we dedicate to raising awareness and raising smiles for Operation Smile. Our mission is to provide safe surgeries for all children and their families. It is a very fun week, but also takes a lot of manpower to plan and execute. Sometimes you end up losing sight of the ultimate goal in the midst of all the craziness. I have to say, last night, the ultimate goal gave me a tap on the shoulder (maybe more like a slap in the face).

I had the opportunity to attend a Smile Week Celebration Reception last night. We were celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Credo and 30 years of partnership with Operation Smile. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. As the evening progressed, I felt the greatness surround me. Thoughts like “I just made eye contact with Alex Gorsky”, “I can’t believe I just shook hands with Sandi Peterson”, “I am sitting next to my Company Group Chairman the Chief Quality Officer….what the heck am I supposed to say?!?” and then the obvious “Don’t say anything stupid” or “I should have practiced my elevator speech a couple more times” came flashing through my mind. I quickly came to the realization that this event was not about talking shop. It wasn’t about talking about business financials or the latest acquisitions. We came together as humans that share a common mission. We shared conversations about mission trips, summer vacations, our favorite football teams. The only new product we talked about was the one developed by our colleagues at DePuy Synthes to aid in the cleft repairs…all done on volunteer time. The highlight of the night was hearing Dr. Bill Magee, the founder of Operation Smile, share is testimony on how Operation Smile came to be. I have never been more inspired in my life to make change. I have never been more proud to work for Johnson & Johnson.

Last night was a phenomenal night….and one that I will never forget!