Drayton Saunders

Michael Saunders & Co.

Translating values into culture into community. The chain that connects an abstract idea to a real-world impact is one that Drayton Saunders knows well.

Leading a No. 1 ranked brokerage in the competitive Florida Gulf Coast market, Saunders can speak to what success looks like at the business level. But he says the real accomplishment for him and his firm this past year was what they did in the face of the global pandemic.

Besides protecting the safety of staff and agents, Saunders held strong to the company’s values—not just with words, but with action. The philanthropic arm of Saunders & Co., the MSC Foundation, distributed more than $1 million to underserved communities in 2021, rallying to give back to the people who need it the most.

“Doubling down” on their values and setting an example for everyone else, Saunders created the best kind of success this past year—a success built on service.