We recently connected with Allison Fillmore and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Allison with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I got my work ethic from watching my parents. They started their own business when I was young. They worked hard to give us a beautiful home and a wonderful childhood. Seeing all the benefits of their hard work, I wanted to provide for myself and started early with a paper route. As soon as I turned 16 I started working and had retail jobs all through high school.
My father passed away when I was 17 and the company was sold. My mom started a brand new career journey as a teller at a bank and also worked nights at Dillard’s to make sure my brother and I didn’t skip a beat with our private, catholic education. She was successfully able to transition to a banking career where she retired as a Vice President.
I continued to work throughout college and even worked three jobs (including an unpaid internship) during my senior year. To this day I strive to be a role model for my girls, just like my mother was for me.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I lead new business sales for official marketing partners at the PGA TOUR. I enjoy this role as I focus on building relationships and helping companies achieve their goals.
I spend time with potential clients, learning about their businesses and what challenges they face. Through our assets on the PGA TOUR, I then work to create a comprehensive partnership that solves their challenge while also driving business.
My role takes me all over the United States, whether it’s hosting prospects at a golf tournament or going to their office to meet in person.
I pinch myself every day that I get to do the job that I do because, in the end, it helps drive dollars to the communities in which we serve.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The three qualities or skills that were most impactful in my journey have been:
1. Empathy
2. Listening
3. Grit
Empathy gives me the ability to understand and share the feelings of my team members. I want them to know that I support them every step of the way.
Listening is the most important quality a salesperson can possess. If you don’t have the ability to listen to your prospects, you will never understand the challenges they face and how you can solve their problems.
Grit has gotten to me where I am today. I set goals to achieve them and don’t stop till I do. I want my daughters to know that they can do anything they want if they work hard and commit to achieving their goals.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
The most impactful thing my parents did for me was show me what hard work and dedication really meant.
I grew up in a nice home with successful parents. When they got divorced, we moved out of the home and into a two-bedroom apartment where I shared a room with my mom. I watched her start a brand new career as a bank teller and she supplemented that income with a night job selling shoes at Dillard’s. She did all of this to keep me and my brother in private school.
Her grit and perseverance allowed us to continue our schooling without skipping a beat. I admire her for putting her own wants aside to allow us to thrive. I knew if she could do it, I could do it too.
I worked all through college and over winter break my senior year, I had 3 jobs, including an unpaid internship. I knew I could do it because I watched my mom do the same thing.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: allit23
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afillmore/
- Twitter: allit23
Image Credits
CatMax Photos – headshot
