Bruce Weldyn

My entire career has been about what a brand represents (its DNA), what a brand offers (its Product), and who a brand serves (its Client). For me, every industry or category of business has a DNA: brands have a DNA, law firms have a DNA, but it’s how organizations define and align with that DNA that supports or challenges their market position.

Who you are most likely shows up in your mission statement. Throughout my career, whether a few months or a few years in with a particular company, I find myself in a room with a group of executives trying to solve for client satisfaction or team morale. The source of the issue and the solution are somewhat always the same. When you walk away from your mission statement you lose your brand potency and purpose. When we are mindful of our mission statement, we can operate with integrity from our core values. I often advise clients to maintain a mantra as they go about their work: this is who we are; this is what we do; this is what we believe in; and, most critically, this is what you can expect from us.

The momentum of operating in alignment with our mission statement is a top priority at Greiner Consulting Group and key to its long-term success with clients. The company has a DNA and stated position as strong as Prada, Louis Vuitton, or Bergdorf Goodman. Knowing who you are and what you are committed to, with purpose and a sense of ownership, allows you to serve your clients in ways that exceed their expectations. Surpassing client expectations is the core DNA of the GCG brand.

I would say that I learned the value of relationships incrementally, much the same way most of us have along a relationship continuum. In grade school, we value relationships for the camaraderie and entertainment our friends offer. As we grow into achievement and defining our career interests, we step into the space of relational value with commonality and shared purpose. The evolution of relationships is valuing others and what you can do for them – the doors you can hold open for them given your advancement and experience. At that point, it’s even more about your opportunity to give back.

In my career, relationships are essential to growing the business, as well as anchoring the “love what you do” element of work. A few keys to valuable relationships include, selection and retention, as well as steadiness and spontaneity. Identifying the high-value relationships to develop is essential to a robust business, career, or a well-lived life. Surround yourself with individuals that inspire you and share yourself with those that need you. There is a solid data behind the adage: “your network is your net-worth.”

My degree is in Theology, my career is in Fashion is a dichotomy that has not been lost on me and has served me well. Over the last 20 years, my focus and success has been assorting and building high-performing teams, and I am consistently fascinated and am an almost obsessive student of philosophies that support talent development. Investing in people has always paid off. Occasionally you are let down, but if you look at macro results the ROI is undeniably high.

I have a few wonderful friends that include me in everything one could wish to enjoy! My inclination to overly invest in office hours is offset with inclusion from my “party-planning-posse”. I get to join for a coupe of champs at Casa Cipriani, slide into a back corner banquette for the brunch offering of Raoul’s au poivre burger, or line up for a street-treat slice at Scarr’s. Enough of food, what for fun? I was raised on a farm in the Midwest but now favor a Saturday sunrise spin on an eBike across the Manhattan bridge, which is as exciting for me as circling on a Jet Ski off the stern of a Lürssen in the Exumas. I love all that New York offers and everything the World gives.