More Than a Job: Investing in the Place You Call Home

Episode 67: Pocket Change Podcast

Summary

Interested in Bartlett City Schools or wanting to learn more about the City of Bartlett? Visit bartlettschools.org. 

The Pocket Change Podcast is presented by Leaders Credit Union. To learn more about Leaders, visit leaderscu.com.

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Full Transcript

Shea:

Hey, this is Shea.

Carrie:

And this is Carrie.

Shea:

Welcome to the Pocket Change Podcast.

Carrie:

Where you'll learn better ways to spend, save, and invest, and take control of your financial journey.

Shea:

So, Carrie, a lot of our listeners may not know, but we've had a branch in Bartlett for over a decade.

Carrie:

That's right. And our guest today is a huge part of the Bartlett community. He was raised there, he went to school there, he works there. So, he's got a lot of involvement in the Bartlett community.

Shea:

He wears a lot of hats in his current role. Been involved in a lot of things, but I want to learn from him about what makes Bartlett great and how that, makes the whole greater Memphis area so special.

Carrie:

And maybe hear where the best food spots are?

Shea:

Yeah, best place to eat.

Carrie:

We're excited to welcome our guest, Jason Sykes, one of the leaders with Bartlett City Schools. Welcome to Pocket Change.

Jason Sykes:

Thank you for having me.

Carrie:

Thank you. So, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your role with Bartlett City Schools?

Jason Sykes:

Sure. I grew up in Bartlett; I do want to say that. I'm a native of Bartlett. All my family's there in Bartlett. And it's home to me. Always has been. But so, at Bartlett City Schools, I'm over communications, transportations, volunteers, and our outreach program. Came to Bartlett City Schools about nine years ago. Our district is about 12 years old, so I came a couple of years in and have enjoyed every minute of coming to Bartlett City Schools. It's a lot of moving pieces running a public school district, but it's been a lot of fun, and I've enjoyed every minute of it.

Carrie:

That's great.

Shea:

So, you have a background in education and communication. So, tell us how you got to that point and what led you there?

Jason Sykes:

Well, early on in my career, believe it or not, my degree was in graphic arts. So I worked at a company called Youth Villages doing all their graphic arts department work in that department. I worked in the public relations communications department. That led me down a certain path. That's the thing about communications and PR, you can go a lot of different paths. But that led me to a nonprofit in Memphis, worked there, handling their marketing for a while and then had the opportunity to go and work for, at the time, Keith McDonald, the mayor of Bartlett, Tennessee, for a couple of years and then was recruited to Bartlett City Schools. So, I've always kind of been in that communications, PR marketing world. And so, like I said, my paths just kept, I guess I just kept taking the fork and ended up at Bartlett City Schools.

Shea:

Well, I do have to say Bartlett City Schools has a great brand. Of course, you know, building that reputation and the branding and marketing in the community. So, you can definitely tell that there's someone with that, that mind and that that experience behind it.

Jason Sykes:

Well thank you. It's one of those things you have to be very intentional. I mean, you guys know because Leaders does such a good job with that. But yes, it takes a lot of work. You have to be very intentional.

Carrie:

Yeah, well, you do a great job at it. So, what is your favorite part of your job?

Jason Sykes:

My favorite part of working for Bartlett City Schools, honestly, is the flexibility. No two days are the same. Every day there's a new challenge, a new opportunity. And so, you come in with, you know, X, Y, and Z on your plate and you leave doing something completely different. And I absolutely love just the versatility of how my day goes. It's got to be flexible, and just kind of roll with it. But that would be the thing that I love the most about.

Shea:

It keeps you on your feet. So how many how many students are in the district, roughly?

Jason Sykes:

We have about 9,000 students. We have 11 schools and about a thousand employees. So, I mean, we have a lot going on.

Shea:

And double that the number of parents and grandparents and you know, a lot of moving parts with that.

Jason Sykes:

Right.

Shea:

You can tell it definitely takes a lot of effort. So, a big part of, you know, a school is that it's, you know, it's the city school. So it's involved heavily in the community, the local, you know, city. And so, why is it important for you to stay involved in the community?

Jason Sykes:

Well, again, I grew up in the Bartlett area, and so I take a lot of personal pride. All of my family is there in Bartlett. My siblings graduated from Bartlett High School. My parents, my whole group is there in Bartlett. And I've had the opportunity not only to grow up in Bartlett, raise my own family in Bartlett, but to have a career in Bartlett. And that means a lot to me. And I never, coming out of college, I never wanted to move off. I never wanted to go off to college. I wanted to stay local. And that's something that line aligns with my personal goals and ethics is really finding a way to give back to Bartlett and so that's always been very important to me.

Carrie:

So, I think that's special because you're so deeply rooted in Bartlett. So that's one reason why it would be special. But what do you think makes Bartlett and the school district special?

Jason Sykes:

Bartlett is a wonderful community. One of the things that makes it such a great community is the people. I think people really care. And so, it's really a blue collar kind of community. And both parents generally are working, working hard, sending kids to school. Bartlett does a good job of really getting behind a cause and really supporting each other. That's something that I've experienced through the years living in Bartlett, and that's really special to be 60,000 people large, but yet still have that small town feel. And to me, that's what Bartlett is: genuine people who really care, they can get behind a cause. And one of the things they've really gotten behind is Bartlett City Schools. Our district is, had so many advances over our short 12 year history. Not only do we have a wonderful superintendent, Dr. David Stevens, who has been almost 40 years in education, which is impressive in and of itself. He's been everything from a classroom teacher all the way up through the years. And so having his leadership, which is very collaborative, he does a great job of assembling a team. He's very innovative. And he's just a really great overall leader. So not only having him as a leader, but, Bartlett, listen, the future is bright for Bartlett City Schools. We have so many things that we've already accomplished, but we continue to build upon. Technology is big for us. Technology and teaching kids what the jobs of the future are really going to be like. And so we're going to hit those fundamentals, right. We're going to hit the core subjects. And that's important. But we're also going to incorporate other opportunities for our students to get real world experience. You hear a lot about career technical education. And Bartlett City Schools does a fabulous job of introducing this kind of career technical path all the way in elementary, middle school. And so when you get to high school, there's so many opportunities and it's things that weren't available for you and I when we were in school - drones and health science and 3D tables and 3D printing and advanced manufacturing. I mean, I could go on. And so having the opportunities for these kids to see where their path may be. A four year university is great, a trade school, a community college. You know, having Bartlett City Schools be such a success story, I won't necessarily go into the history of how Bartlett City Schools was formed. It's a relatively young school district. We're in our 12th academic school year, and a lot had to happen for us to get to that point. But to be the shining star, and the only public school district there in that area, one high school, you know, all these schools are feeding up to that high school, that's really something special that a lot of communities don't have. And to have a school district that is so well run is really special to me.

Carrie:

I have to say, being that we are so closely related to you guys with our jobs and being able to go in and see the in-services and other activities that we've done there at Bartlett City Schools, I personally believe that if I lived there, my children would be going to school there. I've always been very impressed.

Jason Sykes:

Well, thank you. That's a huge compliment. It is, it's a large organization. But it is it really has that family atmosphere to it. And again, that comes from the top down and our team of principals and our teachers and wonderful staff, that's a testament to the work they do. Listen, running a public school district nowadays, it's hard work. There's a lot of challenges you face, a lot of obstacles along the way. And so, to really to be able to navigate that and really to stay on top, it's hard work. But we've got a great team.

Carrie:

Yes.

Shea:

And the district's been named best employer to work for several years.

Jason Sykes:

That’s right, top workplace in the Mid-South area. So that picks up a whole region. And listen, when you're in the same category as some really well-known organizations, certainly in that Mid-South area, that's a that's a huge accomplishment.

Shea:

Yeah. So, you grew up in Bartlett, what's your favorite thing about living in Bartlett and in the Greater Memphis area now?

Jason Sykes:

I would say the diversity that the community brings, not just Bartlett, but beyond. Obviously, we're right there alongside Memphis and just the diversity, everything from the arts, to sports to, I mean, you name it, there's such a great history and diversity. And that's something that I really like about our community.

Shea:

Right. You can go catch a basketball game, or you can go to the gym, or even Bartlett Performance Center.

Jason Sykes:

Absolutely.

Shea:

Or go work out at the YMCA or whatever. So, lots of different opportunities. That's great.

Carrie:

All right. My personal question that I feel like is the most serious out of all this, what's your favorite restaurant?

Jason Sykes:

Well, I think it depends on what category you're talking about.

Shea:

Yeah, break it down even more.

Carrie:

I’m the same way.

Jason Sykes:

So, you know if it's a steak place. I'm, you know, I love my steak and potatoes. I would honestly, it's Side Porch Steak House for me. Great families that run that. So that would be that. You're going to get me in trouble because I know so many people, but that would be it for me.

Carrie:

Ever since we had a conversation about our, you know, favorite restaurants and you told me about them, I've been following along, but I've yet to be able to visit there. But one day I will.

Jason Sykes:

Yes. You have to give me a call. I'll meet you over there.

Carrie:

Okay, I'll remember that!

Jason Sykes:

Yeah, absolutely. So, for barbecue, it would be Ty's Bar-B-Q. The brisket there is absolutely amazing. Oh, really? Great. Call me, I’ll take you there, too.

Shea:

You can go there next, yeah.

Jason Sykes:

If it's coffee, I love a good cup of coffee, right now, I'm really big into the Pharmacy Coffeehouse, again, relatively new.

Shea:

Been there. It is good.

Jason Sykes:

That is very good. If I had to pick a lunch spot right now, I would say Isabella's Pizza.

Carrie:

Okay.

Jason Sykes:

Go see my buddy Michael over there, who happens to be a huge Bartlett Panther supporter. I've been going there for many years. Isabella's Pizza is really good to me.

Carrie:

All of it sounds nice.

Shea:

So you've served as a member of our Memphis Advisory Board for Leaders Credit Union and been really involved in this. How did you first hear about Leaders Credit Union?

Jason Sykes:

Interesting story, that honestly goes back, I was thinking about this earlier, it goes back about a little over 40 years ago.

Carrie:

Wow.

Jason Sykes:

My grandparents lived just two miles from here. And I remember one year for Christmas, they gave all the grandkids, they went and opened up a savings account at Leaders.

Shea:

Wow.

Jason Sykes:

And so they gave us savings accounts at Leaders, and I remember as a young kid, I was probably 6 or 7, I thought that was the coolest thing. I had arrived.

Shea:

You had your own savings account.

Jason Sykes:

I had a savings account. And so that was honestly my first introduction to Leaders. Now fast forward that through the years, I remember I was working at Lifeblood at the time, which is an independent blood collection agency, and two executives from Leaders who had just moved into this Memphis market, somehow somebody dropped my name, imagine that, and they invited me to lunch. They told me about Leaders, gave me a wonderful overview of what Leaders was trying to accomplish and said, “We're here in this community and we want to be a part of it. We know you're plugged in. Tell us what we need to do to come alongside you and really be a member of this community.” And I walked away from that lunch extremely impressed. Not only what they had to say about Leaders, but just initially that their investment of wanting to come in and be true partners. And I'll never forget that. So, that was a wonderful lunch, a great introduction to Leaders after all those years. Yeah.

Carrie:

So, we're proud to be partners with Bartlett City Schools. But why do you think partnerships like ours are so important?

Jason Sykes:

Partnerships like the one we have with Leaders is extremely vital to the work that we do in public education. And I know that sounds really high and lofty, but if I could drill down, it's important because a lot of school districts, obviously it's no secret their overall budget goes to academics, right? They're supporting academics in the classroom, materials, supplies. Your teacher salaries are such a large part of your budget. And so oftentimes, school districts can't fund every single project or program that comes along. And so many years ago, Bartlett City Schools did something very wise, and they created a district sponsorship program. And so, it's a program made up of community partners who really come along side Bartlett City Schools and partner with us in a very real and genuine way. And so, we're able to go out and have partnerships like the ones we have with Leaders. And Leaders, not only are they giving of their resources and their time and their energy to Bartlett City Schools, we're able to take those resources and then put them back into programing like fine arts and athletics. And so, the money that Leaders gives, honestly, I can tell you and we've had this conversation, every penny of those dollars goes back to support all 11 of our schools. And so now we're really able to address some of the needs that we may not have been able to, again, in fine arts and athletics, which as a district, we place a really high value on. And so Leaders is, a really good partner with that. And likewise, Bartlett City Schools tries to be a good steward of those resources and there's a real partnership. So, we talk to you guys all the time and we try to work and involve you all in all aspects of what we do, and that's a partnership. I mean, that's a true partnership. There's that give and take. And so again, Leaders has been great through the years, many years at a very high level. So, it's been very vital to what we're trying to accomplish.

Shea:

That's great. Yeah, we want to be boots on the ground, be involved. Like you said, we came into the Bartlett location and so just wanted to be plugged in and involved as we can be. So it's been a very fruitful, meaningful partnership, building so many relationships with folks. And we encourage any other businesses in Bartlett.

Jason Sykes:

That’s right. Absolutely. Come see me.

Shea:

Contact Jason, he'll hook you up, cause district sponsorship, because, the more we can support our public schools, the better, I think. And so, since this is a financial podcast, we want to ask you what some of the best financial advice you've ever been given.

Jason Sykes:

That's a that's probably the toughest question right there.

Shea:

Yeah, you can talk about Bartlett all day!

Jason Sykes:

I know. Yeah, I would probably say, interesting story. So, when I graduated, again from Bartlett High School many, many years ago, a little known fact, I went off before I started college to do some professional acting out West. And I'll never forget, I'm standing in our driveway at my house and my parents are fixing to wave goodbye. My dad kind of pulls me over to the side and says, “Hey, just want you to know, like you're on your own. Like, here you go into the big scary world. I hope you took those lessons I gave you to heart. I hope you saved some money.” My parents are really good about instilling three main things. You spend, you save and you give. And so that was some of the advice that really stuck to me. And so, standing in the driveway, he was like, I hope you, I hope you really did save, because now you're fixing to find out. And so you carry that forward to the real world. And many years later, I mean, that holds true. I used to tell people all the time, and I tell my own kids, you better save some money because life's gonna happen.

Shea:

That's right.

Jason Sykes:

The washing machine is going to break. You're going to get a flat tire. Like, it's just gonna happen. And so, being able to have the financial means to take care of things without getting yourself in a real pickle is really key. So yeah.

Carrie:

It's great advice. Yeah. Okay. Finally, if you were to find some extra change in your pocket, what would you spend it on?

Jason Sykes:

I would if I found some, I would put it in a jar and save it for travel.

Carrie:

Okay.

Jason Sykes:

So, we like to have experiences, like for Christmas. You guys know this, we like to take trips with the kids instead of tons of gifts. That's just us. We like to make those experiences. So trip the trip fund.

Carrie:

So where are we going?

Jason Sykes:

Well, the kids really want to go back to Chicago for Christmas. You can't get them away from that. They had such a blast. So, we'll see.

Carrie:

It’s a special place, I understand that.

Jason Sykes:

Yeah.

Carrie:

Well sounds good. Well, thanks so much for being with us today, Jason.

Jason Sykes:

Thank you for having me, I appreciate it.