Friday, November 15, 2013

Nordic American Thanksgiving Breakfast: An Interview with Brad Hewitt

Next Wednesday is the deadline to get your tickets for the 2014 Nordic American Thanksgiving Breakfast! If you haven't decided whether or not you want to be a part of this exciting event yet, then maybe this post will help. Today we have an interview with Thrivent CEO, Brad Hewitt who will be speaking to the audience on the topic of freedom.


SofN: Please tell us about your connection to the Nordic American Community?

Hewitt: None specifically other than living in the Twin Cities most of my life and being Lutheran, it is hard not be affected by the Nordic culture.
SofN: Have you ever attended the Nordic American Thanksgiving Breakfast before?

Hewitt: No, but I'm looking forward to it.

SofN: Can you give us a sneak peek into what the audience can expect from your presentation?

Hewitt: I'm going to give a little family history about fighting for freedom - struggles and successes:  my grandfather's generational – Scarcity, my father's generational - Security, and what I think our current freedom fight that we are engaged in - Surplus.

SofN: A person in your position is sure to have a very busy schedule. Can you tell us a little about what convinced you to speak at this year’s event?

Hewitt: Sons of Norway is a fellow fraternal benefit society, and I am honored to be asked to help in an important community event that they sponsor.

SofN: You’re this year’s speaker on the topic of Freedom. Why is this an important topic to you? 

Hewitt: Frankly I would have loved to talk about any of the three.  I like this one because I normally get asked to speak about the other two.  In America we value freedom – I value freedom, but I’m not sure I think about the implications and cost of it deeply enough.  When you are asked to speak about something it makes you think about it more deeply than normal.

SofN: Do you have a favorite quote or passage about freedom?

Hewitt: Yes, partly because I was just in South Africa -  Nelson Mandela – “For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”
SofN: As the CEO of a Fraternal Life Insurance Company, can you share with our readers the importance of supporting community events like the Nordic American Thanksgiving Breakfast?

Hewitt: Our mission is to guide people on the journey to be wise with money and generous.  We believe if you want to have a healthy relationship with money generosity is the best diagnostic tool and the best prescription.  Community events are a wonderful way to give back and encourage one another.

SofN: Can you share with our readers the role that fraternal organizations, like Thrivent and Sons of Norway, play in supporting local charities?

Hewitt: As a member owned organizations all we have is theirs.  For Thrivent part of our  goal is to inspire our members to be more generous, so  local churches and charities are the most common beneficiaries.

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