Southwestern Advantage Blog

what’s the best way to get better at ping-pong? hitting against a wall won’t do much. playing with your 4 year old nephew will entertain him for sure, but won’t do much for your game. the only way to get better at the sport is to play someone that’s better than you are. period. and so it is with life. if we would like to improve ourselves in a particular area, we’ve got to find people who have mastered whatever it is that we are looking to be better at! ask them questions, observe their behaviors, analyze their attitudes, values, and habits . how do  they  prioritize? how do they communicate? how to they carry themselves? having a mentor – whether an official mentorship, or a more casual one – is remarkably beneficial. not only can we learn from them and the things they have accomplished, but mentors are great to bounce ideas off of (no pun intended). they help us decide where to focus our energy, and they help to keep us motivated and focusing on ...

We believe in service and giving back. Our 'Share The Advantage' program visited Franklin Heights Family Learning & Resrouce Center in Murfreesboro, TN - an organization that helps fill the additional educational and miscellaneous needs of young people. Nashville-area student dealers and Lexi of  SkWids.com  spent the afternoon teaching the children and supervisors how to use Southwestern's donated books and subscription websites. We are proud to have the Family Learning & Rescource Center as a partner in our program! Learn more by visiting  sharetheadvantage.com . Photos from the event can be seen here .

it’s a bummer to see people who believe that their lives, or their jobs, are not exceptional enough to be impactful; that they’re not BIG enough to make a difference.  FISH!  is a story of the philosophy of real-life fishmongers in seattle’s pike place fish market. it’s a touching tale about personal choice, energy, service, and culture; and our ability to make an impact. the beauty of its story, really, is that you can be extraordinary – at ANYTHING . you don’t have to be president or prime minister, or rich or famous to make a positive difference in the world. you can be the BEST garage attendant in town. the BEST therapist. the BEST sister-in-law. the BEST broker, or salesman, or cube-mate, or customer, or teacher, or garbage man, or HR specialist, or nurse, or movie-ticket collector!  whatever it is you spend your time on (regardless of whether or not you get paid for it), you touch people daily.  you may not touch millions of people at one time, but your ...

Southwestern has been recognized by the Nashville Business Journal at the 19 th Annual Best in Business Awards as the 2013 winner in the large company category (501+ employees).  Each year, the Best in Business Awards program spotlights some of the most dynamic and unique companies throughout the entire Middle Tennessee region that are able to maintain an accelerated growth pattern and leave their distinct mark on communities.  This is the second time Southwestern has won Best in Business in the past eight years (2006 win). The companies nominated are narrowed down by a judging panel who then meet with the CEO and conduct interviews regarding the company’s performance, philosophies, community involvement, and business track record. Henry Bedford, CEO “We are very honored to be recognized by the Nashville Business Journal as the 2013 Best in Business winner in the large company category.  All of the companies that make up our corporate family have...

"There are two types of people in this world: One finds an excuse; the other finds a way. It doesn't take guts, gumption, or determination to find an excuse; anybody can locate one. It takes quality people to find a way over, under, around or right through any obstacle that stands in the way." -Spencer Hays Executive Chairman of The Board  Southwestern Family of Companies

" SkWids.com makes learning come alive for young kids. Wholesomely endearing SkWids characters learn and practice important curriculum-based math, phonics, language, science, and social studies concepts right along with your child. The videos are smart and lively, with the perfect balance of explanation and instructional support consistent with current core teaching strategies. Fun interactive games, projects, songs, and click-and-print activities reinforce key learning concepts, while kid-friendly stories about character-building experiences encourage discussion and creative problem solving. Best of all, the SkWids Parent Dashboard helps you navigate your child’s progress, links quiz questions back to the point of instruction and practice, and explains the curriculum relationship between concepts and core standards so you are prepared for the next steps in your child’s education.  With on-going creation of new, engaging learning content, SkWids.com provides a fresh, engagi...

Thaddeus Wert,  M.Ed., Vanderbilt Review of Southwestern Advantage: Math Content As I went through all of this material, I tried to think of topics that were left out, and I honestly couldn’t think of any. This is the most comprehensive presentation of elementary, middle, and secondary level mathematics that I’ve ever seen. Students can potentially find math examples by searching on the Internet, but there aren’t any websites that are this organized and easy to navigate. There certainly isn’t one single website that provides as much content as what is available in these books. Special Features This is where I am most impressed with this product. Southwestern Advantage has managed to bring a “hypertext” feel to the static pages of a hardcover book. Students today are turned off by linear presentations of content, and they have shorter attention spans. The problem is they still have to learn a lot of math concepts! I believe the Advantage books will appeal to students who...