We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Halie Behr a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Halie, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I would call it divine intervention. Man, did I ever get oh so lucky! At 15 years old, my Grandpa encouraged my younger sister and I to go to auction school. My uncle was an auctioneer, and he owned the World Wide College of Auctioneering at the time. Many family members had already went through the school, and he thought it would be good for us to go too. It was beyond scary at first and very intimidating, but after a few days, I really started to get into a rhythm and fell in love with it. It felt natural and like everything clicked for me. Upon graduation, I wrote my uncle a letter thanking him and telling him I want to be an auctioneer. I told him I felt it was my purpose, my passion. From that day onward, I never gave up my dream, and I worked so hard to turn that dream of being an auctioneer into a reality.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a classically trained fundraising auctioneer and an auto auctioneer. Founding the company Behr Benefits, we conduct around 100 fundraising auctions a year to help many worthy nonprofits and schools. My car auctions also keep me busy as I work one in Dallas every week and one in Denver.
There are so many things I love about being an auctioneer. I enjoy entertaining an audience and making them feel good about their generous giving. I enjoy the speed and thrill of an auction and being able to increase the results from the year prior. I am competitive by nature, so being able to break records excites me. The relationships that have been formed from the auction industry are one of the greatest gifts I am most fond of. From excellent friendships formed with clients to cheering on my auction buddies and their successes, it is all meaningful to me.
The most special element to me is feeling like you are truly giving back, making the world a better place, and doing my part to make an impact on the lives of others and for the community as a whole. I am a big believer in personal responsibility and have always wanted to help others in a unique way and this industry allows me to do just that.
At Behr Benefits, we are proud to represent and advocate for our clients and their mission. We spend time getting to know who they are, who their work impacts, and the need they have. We volunteer, trail, tour, research, and get to know every single organization we work with. I always say, “If I am not passionate about your cause, how can your audience be?” We take a personalized approach for every single nonprofit organization we represent. I am grateful for their trust in us!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Long-term focus: I was a young auctioneer when I broke into the business. It is hard to obtain work and for people to take you serious at just 15 years old, but I held true to my want and belief of being an auctioneer. I never gave up hope and kept that focus. I worked other jobs that I had no love or interest in to build my auction career. I never became side tracked. I never let other opportunities interfere with this dream. I kept the blinders on and stayed focus to my mission of becoming an auctioneer.
2. Passion: One of our taglines is “Passion with a Purpose” at Behr Benefits. We put passion into everything we do. If you do not have passion for what you are doing then you should probably find a new avenue. Don’t waste your life away for something you don’t love or enjoy. I have a deep passion for the auction industry and for the nonprofit clients we are able to help and work with. I am instilled and driven by this very passion because it gives me my purpose!
3. Faith: Always believe in yourself. Have faith, God will provide! He wants you to succeed! I always had faith, even when I was a broke college student with a handful of auctions, I knew I would get there. I had faith that my big move to Colorado would work out, and I would succeed. I had faith that I would become a full-time auctioneer. I never doubted myself or God. I kept that long-term focus, let my passion guide me, and always had faith.
I advise folks who are lost or who are trying to find their niche, follow the steps above! Never give up hope, you can do it! J.K. Rowling wasn’t a success until her 50’s. Sylvester Stallone was down and out on his luck and had to sell his dog to live, but he never gave up his goal and focus, and he became a sensation with Rocky! Your moment will come if you keep the faith, focus, and passion alive.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
I have been so blessed with a variety of family, folks, and mentors who are in my corner and who have encouraged me. I would not be where I am without them. I owe them much of my success, and I am grateful!
One of the biggest blessings has been my Uncle Paul who spent his life on the auction block. I believe Paul is a blessing who has blessed countless others. He is an excellent connector and has connected me with so many mentors, clients, and good folks. He has provided insight and expertise. He has always encouraged me, been in my corner, and offered support in any way possible. His passion for the business extends into me, and I am so grateful we share this love of the auction business. Paul has always been one who has exercised incredible ethics and integrity. He is one I look up to, and I try every day to make him proud and to follow in his footsteps. I have observed him in many situations, I have taken his advice and followed it, and he has spent many hours with me helping to advance my craft.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.behrbenefits.com
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