2025: The Year of the Transformer
By Willis Kleinjan, CEO & Founder
Each year, Northland Capital chooses a theme for the year. We develop a logo, organize an all-staff kickoff event, plan out a skit by leadership, customize t-shirts and when asked, even dress up in costume.
It’s designed to be fun, allow us to live out our culture and come together around a shared vision for the year ahead. It has become something our team members look forward to each year and a key part of our culture. We keep the theme under wraps until the kickoff.
We are calling 2025 the year of the Transformer.
If you were a parent or child of the 80s, you likely remember the animated series featuring Optimus Prime and the heroic team of Autobots battling the Decepticons. From semis, race cars and other objects, the robots in disguise transformed before our eyes to fight for the moral good. The series has morphed into blockbuster movies with a slate of transforming characters and remote-control vehicles for today’s young generation.
This year, I slipped into the Optimus Prime costume with my sidekick B to share a few lessons with our team. Here’s a look at what being a transformer means to us that you may find valuable for your team as well:
- We all have been given unique powers.
Each of us has been designed for a purpose and bring unique strengths to our work. The key is knowing what they are and developing them. It’s our goal at Northland Capital to be faithful stewards of those gifts. We know that when we all use our gifts, we’re better – for each other, our partners and our customers. - We are rooted in transformation.
Although transformation gets talked about often these days with the rise of technology, it’s not new. It’s what got Northland Capital from a startup to a top independent equipment finance company in the country – over the past 30 years. We have gone from handling requests with typewriters and snail mail to processing online apps in a matter of minutes. - We all have the power to be transformers.
We’re challenging our team to make big and small moves that make us better and we’re recognizing those efforts each quarter with the Platinum Transformer Award. It’s a fun way to encourage everyone to keep reimagining what’s possible. It’s rewarding to see employees from across our organization already step up to the challenge with new ideas, bold moves and humble service – all focused on doing what’s right for our vendors and our customers. - We stand here together — as one.
We have some big plans for 2025 that will improve customer experiences, serve our vendors and make us better as a company. But none of them will be achieved by one person. As Optimus Prime says, “we win as one” — each doing our part. The same can be said about each transaction we do. It takes a team to provide the level of care and service we desire.
Each year, we also choose a verse that reflects the theme and becomes our guide. This year’s is one of my favorites. It comes from Romans 12:2: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world but rather, be transformed by the renewing of our mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.” It reminds us to keep learning so we live out our purpose.
In Optimus Prime’s words, “You all have proven yourself worthy. Take these and experience your full potential.”
I get the opportunity to see over and over how our vendors and customers also are transforming through new equipment, processes and strategies to achieve their goals. I know it is just the beginning.
I am looking forward to what 2025 will bring for our team, our vendors and our customers. Is there is a word, mantra or theme that you are focused on this year? Feel free to share!
