WALL-E is an all-time favorite in my home. It captivates my kids every time we watch it. Here are some takeaways from the film as it relates to leadership in business.
Protecting our planet is critical
For those of you who haven't seen WALL-E, the film is set centuries into the future where humanity has had to abandon Earth as the planet is no longer inhabitable due to pollution. All of humanity is now living on space cruise ships, permanently vacationing far from Earth. WALL-E's job on Earth was to collect the trash from centuries of overconsumption and waste. Much of the beginning of the movie focuses on a dry, dead planet, but despite the barren visuals the most dramatic impact for me was the silence. A planet without life is quiet- which to me is the most striking part of the setting.
At CLOSED I've led our commitment that our corporate processes have the least amount of impact on the planet as possible. This is due to our mission to bring the real estate closing process 100% online and our CLOSED Cares initiative. But doing things differently requires challenging the status quo.
- We've set paperless, electronic only policies for certain types of closings to reduce travel, paper waste, and to protect our team during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- We've spent thousands of hours adjusting our systems and training team members to process title digitally.
- We've conducted hundreds of meetings online instead of traveling to connect in person.
- We have offered digital escrow services at no additional fee to save real estate agents and buyers from driving to deliver paper checks.
According to Redfin, online closings would save 120,000 trees per year. Reduced travel would eliminate thousands of tons of carbon dioxide transmissions. CLOSED is proud to be leading the way, having conducting closings 100% online since 2018. We are doing our small part to keep our planet looking like it does today, not like it does for WALL-E.
It's not about what's easy
In a pivotal scene, the Captain of the Axiom is issued a directive from the past that staying on their cruise ship would be "easier" than returning to Earth to rebuild and restore the planet. Faced with this enormous challenge, and stunning both his trusted auto-pilot and all the people on the ship, he ventures to great lengths to do what he knew was right, not just what was easy.
Our team faces similar challenges continuously. Since our inception CLOSED has added a new team member or opened a new office every few weeks. We've trained new team members on our systems, and integrated our teams and data with our joint venture partners. We've worked with our development team to build proprietary technology that will drive the industry forward.
We've done this because we believe in our mission, we see the impact that the culture we've created has for our team and their quality of life. Whether it's work-life balance, on-demand support from our expert team, or health care and 401k benefits. Personally, for me leading our team, inviting team members to join closed is the most fulfilling part of this journey. This is because I know that every new team member we bring into the company is joining a team that cares about them and has the opportunity to grow with us.
Devan Spinelli, Esq. is the Founder and CEO of CLOSED™, The Joint Venture Title Company™ . Learn more about our title joint venture platform here . CLOSED™ is one of the fastest growing title companies in the US, expanding rapidly to 21 offices, adding new team members and opening new offices every few weeks. CLOSED™ is continually hiring across multiple states. To see our current career openings go to joinclosed.com .
Devan brings a unique, extensive background in technology, as real estate attorney and a previous senior associate consulting Fortune 500 C-level executives with the world’s largest technology research firm. CLOSED™ was founded to deliver on a fundamental promise of technology : to transform experiences . Visit closedtitle.com to learn how CLOSED™ is Title Reinvented™