3 Birds was founded on the belief that dealerships deserve more than a mere vendor; they deserve a partner whose success is tied directly to theirs. We wanted this philosophy to ring true for all our employees as well, but we also wanted to know what other values they felt made 3 Birds so unique.

The 3 Birds Culture Committee (CC) was established nearly one year ago as a joint project of both management and employees to define our company’s culture. A single representative from each department was nominated by members of their team to serve on the CC.

The CC met to determine the best process to establish 3 Bird’s Core Values. Initial brainstorming sessions overseen by 3 Birds CEO Kristen Judd took place across all departments to determine the connection between employees' individual values and the values exhibited by the company.

After all the sessions, extensive notes were compiled and explored in depth. Finally, a "word cloud" was created that helped us to identify eight "Core Values" that reflected traits employees already saw in the company as well as those 3 Birds as a whole wished to aspire to.

These values include:

  • Set the bar higher for yourself than anyone else will
  • Elevate and appreciate the team
  • Our clients' success is our success
  • Hustle tenaciously
  • Let integrity and "doing the right thing" be your compass
  • Bring positive energy and a sense of humor
  • Keep swinging for the fences
  • It’s okay to be unapologetically different

Today, the CC continues to play an important role in furthering company culture. Our core values have been formally integrated into our new hire interview process, along with the creation of the "Bird of the Month" program, which encourages team members to nominate co-workers they believe exhibit one or more of the Core Values. The nominations are reviewed each month by the CC, and both the winner and their nominator(s) are awarded with a free lunch of their choosing.

As we continue to expand, we feel it’s important to preserve and promote the values that have come to define our success.  The Culture Committee is an excellent way to further that goal. Not only have we reaped the benefits within the company, but we believe our continued mission to establishing a positive culture ultimately benefits partners like you. In fact, people who partner with 3 Birds often remark that there is something refreshingly different and real about our company – that we truly care about our clients – and that's something that won't change.