Horizon Point writes about dozens of leadership, career, workplace, and workforce topics. Sometimes we write whatever we want. Read this category for general blogs from the HPC team.
Throughout the year, we wrestled with choosing a book—considering titles on leadership, career development, workplace culture, and change management. Yet, nothing seemed to align with what we truly wanted to communicate. We were forcing a choice.
Then, serendipitously, we rediscovered The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse. And, much like our first-ever selection, When Breath Becomes Air, we were reminded that sometimes the most impactful books are those that appear to have nothing—and yet everything—to do with our work at Horizon Point Consulting.
This beautifully illustrated treasure offers nourishment in just a few minutes of quiet reading and reflection. It’s a profound reminder of the quiet strength found in kindness, connection, and vulnerability—values that are foundational to the work we do and to the relationships we are privileged to build with you.
As we turn the page to the new year, we hope this book nourishes your spirit, just as it has nourished ours. We are deeply grateful for your trust and partnership.
Looking ahead to 2026, we are excited to announce our new theme: SIMPLICITY. In a world that often feels complex, we’re reminded that the simplest things—like a ten-minute read—can yield the most profound insights into courage, kindness, leadership, and connection.
Wishing you and your team many blessings in this season of joy and reflection!
This week we are featuring a reblog from Mary Ila, originally published November 23, 2021.
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I was tasked with writing a blog post on gratitude for this week- Thanksgiving week. I love it when my team gets together without me while I’m on sabbatical and sends me an email telling me what to write 🙂 It’s a given- a post with a theme of thankfulness- even though as a culture we’ve seemed to skip right to Christmas once Halloween ends.
But what keeps jumping back into my mind this year as I think about how to articulate some inspiration for gratitude is to cite Bryan Stephenson. I had the opportunity to hear Stephenson at a conference I attended this fall. Bryan Stephenson is the author of Just Mercy and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative.
He is obviously an in-demand speaker. He apparently charged the group nothing for an almost hour-long talk. He started the session by thanking the people in the audience for the work they do. Mostly public servants in the audience who spend their days helping people on the margins, he made reference to how some of the services the group was involved in impacted him as a child.
He thanked and he thanked and he thanked before he moved into any form of argument or points.
But his points were powerful, and also speak to a heart of gratitude I believe that then leads to a heart of grace and mercy, and then one of action.
In speaking about the marginalized, or “least of these” Stephenson made four points:
Commit to getting proximate. We can’t help if we aren’t close because then we don’t know what we don’t know. We need to affirm people’s humanity to help them get to higher ground and realize that all our journeys are tied to one another.
We have to change our narratives. This means we have to talk about things we haven’t talked about before. He says we have to, “acknowledge, confess, and repent.” My favorite quote of the night was, “Beautiful things happen when we tell the truth. We close ourselves off to beauty when we don’t tell the truth.”
We have to believe in hope. This means believing in things we haven’t yet seen and being confident that in getting proximate and changing narratives, they will become seen.
We have to do things that are uncomfortable and inconvenient. Really, the first three things echo this point. Getting proximate is uncomfortable and inconvenient. Changing our narratives and telling the truth is uncomfortable. Staying hopeful is not only uncomfortable, it is also inconvenient to train our brains to be so. But in the end, and in the journey itself, that is where the beauty lies.
I hope you’ll take this week to be thankful and it will lead you to grace and mercy, which will then inspire you to action.
During this holiday season, where do you need to get proximate, change a narrative, have hope, and/or be uncomfortable or inconvenienced?
At Horizon Point, our work begins and ends with people. That’s why our Meet the Team series is all about sharing the stories behind the faces who bring our mission to life. This week, we’re proud to spotlight our founder and CEO, Mary Ila Ward. [Full video at the end of this blog and on our YouTube Channel.]
If you caught her keynote last week at the Southern Automotive Conference, you already know that Mary Ila’s energy is contagious. Her message about driving the workforce forward challenged leaders to think differently about how we grow people, organizations, and communities. It was a perfect preview of what drives her every day at Horizon Point: helping others discover purpose, align passion with productivity, and build workplaces where innovation thrives.
Nourishing Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Our 2025 theme, Nourish, is about more than professional development. It’s about tending to the roots that make growth possible. Mary Ila has been doing just that since she founded Horizon Point more than a decade ago. What started as a vision to reshape how companies think about people strategy has grown into a thriving consulting firm that blends HR, leadership, and workforce development with a deep commitment to community impact.
Mary Ila believes that nourishing entrepreneurship starts with curiosity and courage and the willingness to try new ideas, take smart risks, and trust that growth often comes from discomfort. Her own journey embodies that mindset: moving from corporate HR roles to launching a business built on her belief that work should be both productive and purposeful.
Leading with Heart and Purpose
In her Meet the Team interview, Mary Ila shares how she balances bold innovation with grounded leadership. She talks about the importance of creating space for creativity while maintaining a clear sense of mission. Whether she’s designing leadership programs, coaching executives, or mentoring emerging professionals, her approach always centers on one thing: helping people flourish.
She also reminds us that nourishing others starts with nourishing ourselves, investing in reflection, learning, and rest so we can show up ready to serve. It’s a principle that guides her leadership and the culture she’s built within Horizon Point.
Looking Ahead
As we continue our Meet the Team series, we invite you to get to know the people who make our work possible, each bringing their own story of growth, grit, and generosity. Mary Ila’s story reminds us that innovation doesn’t happen by accident. It’s cultivated, cared for, and shared, one idea, one conversation, one relationship at a time.
The Alabama Legislature recently passed SB289, a bill supporting the teaching of the Success Sequence in all public schools. This three-step model offers a data-driven approach to breaking the cycle of poverty:
Graduate from high school
Obtain full-time employment
Marry before having children
The sequence is simple, but the order is essential. Research from Brad Wilcox and Wendy Wang found that 97% of millennials who followed this sequence were not poor in adulthood, further citing that is also the case for 94% of Millennials who grew up in lower-income families and 95% of those who grew up in non-intact families.
Source: The Power of the Success Sequence for Disadvantaged Young Adults
Education, Employment, and… Marriage?
The relationship between education, employment, and poverty is widely studied (also, remember the Benefits Cliff?). However, marital and parental status is often overlooked, unless the discussion centers around childcare or workforce participation. But the data suggests we need to talk more openly about the order of life events.
Raising children is hard and expensive, regardless of your educational level, job status, or marital situation. But raising children without a high school diploma, without full-time employment, and without a supportive partner makes the challenge exponentially harder. The hurdles compound and make it more difficult to escape poverty.
How the Sequence Supports Workforce Participation
Let’s zoom in on the middle step: employment.
If you lack a high school diploma and have children without support from a spouse or caregiver, holding a job becomes significantly more difficult. You’re more likely to experience job instability, absenteeism, and burnout. For employers, this translates into higher turnover and less workforce reliability.
While the model doesn’t say you must get married or have children, it suggests a strategic order if you do. Marriage before children, backed by education and employment, sets individuals – and their families – up for long-term stability.
Why the Success Sequence Matters for Employers and Communities
Promoting the Success Sequence isn’t just about preventing poverty. It’s also about ensuring a strong, stable workforce. When individuals follow this path, they’re more likely to stay employed, reducing turnover and increasing productivity.
Supporting the sequence, whether through school programs, community education, or policy, could be a smart, proactive investment in both economic mobility and workforce development. The Brookings Institution in D.C. has been talking about the Success Sequence for over a decade. Maybe it’s time we pay attention.
What Are Your Thoughts?
Do you think the Success Sequence is a valuable tool in reducing poverty and improving employment outcomes? Should schools and communities promote it more directly? We honestly want to know. Drop us a line at info@horizonpointconsulting.com or fill out the quick poll below.
The 2025 North Alabama Wage and Benefit Survey, conducted by Horizon Point Consulting and hosted by NAIDA, North AlabamaWorks!, NARCOG, NACOLG, and seven participating counties, gives employers in our region valuable insight into compensation, workforce practices, and benefits.
With input from 152 participating organizations—including 81 manufacturers and 50 government contractors—this year’s report shows how pay and perk strategies are evolving across North Alabama.
Who Took the Survey?
Employers across diverse sectors contributed:
152 total participants
81 manufacturers
50 government contractors
Representing Colbert, Cullman, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, and Morgan counties
Skilled trades and technicians, especially for off-hours and specialized roles
Engineering and IT
Finance, HR, and leadership
Production, warehousing, and frontline service roles
Education and hospitality support
Pay Practices and Compensation Trends
Average last pay increase: 4.11%
Median last pay increase: 3.35%
Average next pay increase planned: 3.48%
Median next pay increase: 3.00%
Turnover: Down 16% from 2023—an encouraging trend across most industries
Wage comparisons reveal moderate increases:
Accounting clerks: $23.00 to $24.48/hour
Customer service reps: $20.25 to $21.48/hour
HR assistants: $57,000 to $60,000/year
Production roles: $20.78 to $21.91/hour
Maintenance: $27.39 to $28.90/hour
Warehouse/logistics: $20.52 to $21.39/hour
Some employers are adopting skills-based pay programs, offering:
$1.00/hour for learning additional skills
Maintenance progression increases of up to $5/hour based on testing and training
Pay raises tied to performance on a skills matrix
Emerging Scheduling Trends
A few employers are exploring non-traditional shift models:
Short shifts (3–8 p.m. options)
8-hour formats instead of traditional 12-hour shifts
Part-time based on availability and business needs
Benefits Overview
Average total benefit cost per employee: $14,098.61 (up 9.4%)
Individual medical coverage (median): $7,524.79 (up 15.8%)
Family medical coverage (median): $20,308.56 (up 18%)
Non-Traditional Benefits Employers Are Offering
In addition to traditional benefits, many employers are getting creative with their perks. Survey responses show a growing focus on holistic employee well-being, including:
Wellness Reimbursement Plans to cover the cost of fitness and personal health equipment
Charitable Gifts Matching to support employees’ financial support of community nonprofits, giving directly to organizations with personal meaning to internal staff
Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOPs) increased this year, continuing the trend of giving employees more direct ownership in the success of the company.
These nontraditional offerings help employers stand out and signal a commitment to supporting employees beyond the basics.
Paid Leave, Child Care, and Wellness Support
31% of participating companies are offering Paid Family Leave for new parents after the birth or adoption of a child. The average leave time is 7 weeks, and 87% of participating employers pay a full 100% of salary. These stats are up from 2024.
13% of employers offer some type of Child Carebenefit, primarily by offering an FSA or vouchers to nearby child care centers. This is up a bit from 2024.
53% of employers offer Remote/Telework employment options, most in a hybrid format. Additionally, 35% of employers offer Flex-Time, allowing employees to work alternate hours to accommodate child care and other needs.
State-Funded Workforce Programs, Tax Incentives, and Child Care Credits
Up to $15 million in statewide tax credits in 2025, $17.5 million in 2026, and $20 million in 2027.
Small Businesses (fewer than 25 employees): Eligible for a credit equal to 100 percent of eligible expenses, with a maximum of $600,000 annually.
Other Employers (25 or more employees): Eligible for a credit equal to 75 percent of eligible expenses, with a maximum of $600,000 annually.
However, only 1% of participants in this year’s survey have applied for the Child Care credit so far, and 53% do not intend to apply at all.
Why This Survey Matters
With rising costs, shifting workforce expectations, and the competitive labor market, the 2025 North Alabama Wage and Benefit Survey provides critical benchmarks. It equips organizations with:
Reliable data for budgeting and planning
Insight into regional labor market pressures
A roadmap for strategic compensation and benefit design
To learn more, access the full interactive survey reports via Sensible Surveys or contact the Horizon Point team for consultation and support.
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