By James Sullivan, Head of Advisor Advocacy & Technology
Picture this: my wife, Emily, and I bundled up in heavy winter coats, walking through East Aurora, New York (30 minutes outside Buffalo) in the hot June sun, pretending it was Christmas. Hallmark selected my brother-in-law Don’s family store, Vidler’s 5 & 10, a nostalgic wonderland of Americana, as a key location for filming Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story. Don and his cousin and business partner, Cliff DeFlyer, scored extras roles, and we were thrilled when they invited us to join in for what we knew would be a classic “hurry-up-and-wait” day on set.
The experience was an absolute blast, and the entire Hallmark team has an all-hands-in, no-role-too-small, energy that floored me. It felt familiar and here are a few observations and some moments behind the scenes from my time as a Hallmark movie extra that business owners or team leads may appreciate.
1. Culture Counts
At Private Advisor Group, we pride ourselves in our advisor-first culture. The first topic in any discussion of change or evolution is, “How will this impact our advisors?” That lens—who we’re serving and how we show up—was exactly what stood out to me again when I saw the Hallmark team in action months later.
After filming, we then head to the premier in November. When I saw the group of Hallmark stars arrive at Vidler’s to promote the film, I was gob smacked that along with the leads, Holland Roden and Matthew Daddario, was Wes Brown, Tyler Hynes and Benjamin Ayres, each of whom I recognized from many hours watching Hallmark (let’s keep that between you and me)!
As soon as they arrived, all the Hallmark stars found places around the store to assist customers with their purchases! Holland Roden worked Vidler’s old-fashioned candy counter and it was like she had been doing it for the last ten years! Wes Brown and Tyler Haines jumped in to bag purchases and made small talk with the customers. There may have been a mix of fans and people unfamiliar with Hallmark in the shop that day, but they were all fans after their interactions!
These stars making the trip to support the movie, the network, and their fellow stars, stood out to me as great culture. It reflected an import all-for-one, one-for-all attitude. It reminded me directly of the cross-department support I see in our team at Private Advisor Group. An advisor’s issue will not be “someone else’s problem.” It gets handled with careful attention and routed to the right spot for resolution.
2. There Are No Small Roles
Emily and I were chosen for a background scene at the local Elm Street Bakery, where we crossed the floor behind the leads, Holland Roden and Matthew Daddario, just after they met Buffalo Bills legends Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed and Scott Norwood. An assistant producer walked us through when exactly to start, where to move, and importantly, to be as silent as possible! We also got some encouragement and advice from a fellow extra who had been in other productions and could sense our nerves.
Just as Private Advisor Group values every part of the business, even those that may not intersect much or at all with our advisors, we recognize that advisor independence is supported by many different roles. In the same way, even as a couple of shoppers in the background who you may never see move (but we did), and will never hear speak (we certainly didn’t!), we were able to support the wonderful final product that is “Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story.”
3. Make the Principals Look Good
Emily and Don were filmed together in a scene shot at Vidler’s where Holland Roden’s character has completed a purchase and is now navigating the store to find a particular clerk. In this early, pivotal scene in the movie, two dozen of us were tasked by the director, Dustin Rikert and the assistant producers with walking the floors to represent the high energy and hubbub of Vidler’s during the holiday season, all without taking away attention from the principals. Some of you may know that quiet is not my natural state, and I almost laughed out loud when former NFL punter Jake Schum and I grabbed the same stuffed animal at the same time.
This is the same energy of support and concern, and working hard in the background, that we bring to our engagements with our community of advisors. Our advisors are the principals in their client engagements. What our team has learned, connections we have made, and vendors we have onboarded, are all in the service of keeping our advisors in the spotlight!
I do not harbor any Hollywood-by-way-of-Buffalo dreams after my experience as an extra in a Hallmark movie. But I do have a greater appreciation of how movies are made and for how my colleagues at Private Advisor Group show up every day, ready for their own “Lights, Camera, Action!” moment.
