Clark Twiddy is the president of Twiddy & Company
We’re in the hospitality and asset management business on the Outer Banks. We try first and foremost to be a great employer in our region, and in building a great team we’re able to serve our homeowners as a trusted local partner and deliver to their guests a truly memorable family experience. A rental home, for example, is a vessel for that experience and that moment.
Twiddy & Company is a second generation family business that was started in Duck, North Carolina, by my mother and father. Their sense was that the Outer Banks was only beginning its rise as a destination and it was important to them that they be able to have a shot at controlling their own destiny. I would be remiss, however, to not quote my father here on a core idea in his business philosophy from the early stages through today: It is all about the people.
I’ve always been geared toward service to others. In this position I’m incredibly fortunate to get to serve not only great clients and customers but also a great group of talented local team members who come to work every day and try to make a difference. In seeing what this group of professionals can do, I feel lucky to be able to support them in some small way.
Currituck is simply a beautiful place to live, work, and visit. I love quite a few places in this beautiful state of ours, but to me Currituck has an authenticity that simply gets in your blood. We have a stunning natural environment, strong relationships to both regional North Carolina but also the Hampton Roads area, and as a market are immediately accessible to the Mid-Atlantic population centers. We are indeed fortunate.
Without question, it’s the ecosystem triumvirate of workforce housing, educational opportunities supporting a skilled workforce, and access to health care—to isolate one of the three of them is to sever what I believe to be the connective tissues around the larger system. In short, we need great people and to recruit and retain great people as a community we’re going to have to solve, together, both workforce housing and health care.
Always the people and seeing them reach their potential. If we get to share a big vision with great people and get out of their way, great things will in turn happen. Dr. Jim Goodnight, the founder of SAS, often says that if you treat people like they make a difference they always will. I’ve never forgotten that.
Well, we’re humble in the sense that we have quite a few worthy and capable competitors. That competition in many ways makes us all better and, in turn, brings tremendous value to our clients, customers, and team members. That said, I’m tremendously proud of our team and what they’re capable of on a day to day basis. Our people make the difference.
Work to build relationships both inside your company and within the larger region, across sectors, and up and down ages and stages. While the crowds in the summer are remarkable, don’t let them fool you into thinking this isn’t a small town. Your first job will always be people. Lastly, don’t forget that if you’re not at the table you’ll find yourself on the menu.
