Theismann, Johnson & Johnson exec kick off SMC3 Jump Start conference

Conquering challenges with a positive attitude is critical to enduring success, according to speakers kicking off SMC3 Jump Start 2020 today [Jan. 27] in suburban Atlanta.

Football legend Joe Theismann, in his keynote address before a gathering of more than 500 leaders of the less-than-truckload industry and related disciplines at the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel & Convention Center in Cobb County, Georgia, urged attendees to embrace change.
 “Change is something we should never be afraid of,” said Theismann, who 37 years ago quarterbacked the Washington Redskins to Super Bowl XVII victory over the Miami Dolphins.

Theismann, now 70, whose playing career was brought to an end in 1985 after a brutal tackle destroyed his right leg, reinvented himself as a sports commentator, corporate speaker and restaurateur.
 “Life is about meeting and conquering challenges,” he said, noting that the trucking industry, like many other businesses today, faces challenges related to capacity, regulation and technology.
Theismann said of trucking: “Your industry is the heart and soul of this nation. You are the blood and lifeline of this country.”
The conference chairman, Eric Stone, Johnson & Johnson’s senior manager for domestic sourcing and supplier performance, said low cost is not necessarily the most critical factor in creating value.
“We must balance other elements of value with cost,” Stone said, citing the importance of sustainability, diversity of thought and suppliers, and advancement of long-term, mutually beneficial strategic partnerships.

“We need to think about creating that value not just in 2020 but beyond – creating those long-term relationships that are going to last,” said Stone, who is in his 18th year with New Brunswick, New Jersey-based multinational healthcare products leader Johnson & Johnson, which just reported $82.1 billion in 2019 sales.
“At J&J,” he said, “we’re working to build win-win relationships between suppliers and customers.”
In his keynote, Theismann commented, “Customer service is nothing more than people-people relationships.”
Interestingly enough, Theismann’s connection to Johnson & Johnson came long before the morning’s Jump Start appearance. As he shared with AJOT before taking the stage, his mother and aunt both worked decades at Johnson & Johnson in his home state of New Jersey.
Theismann peppered his presentation with “momisms,” pieces of sage advice his mother shared with him since childhood. In urging conference attendees to set goals, focus on teamwork, think outside the box and have a confident attitude, he quoted something his mother would tell him: “Joey, you’re never going to be happy with anybody around you until you’re happy with yourself.”
Comprehensive coverage of SMC3 Jump Start 2020, including reception photos, is slated to appear in print in the Feb. 10 edition of AJOT.