Meet Tracy Green

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tracy Green a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Tracy, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?
I love being the only one in the room that looks like me! Because it means I am special, I love being different! I love being confident I know who I am, and it exudes all over me! I know if one door closes, oh well, your loss another one will open. I’ve had to have that mind set to succeed in life and to get where I am today! I hear a lot of black people say I can never do that because of my skin color, or I can never do this because I am not white and that just shocks me because I’m a black woman that owns a Military store! I never look at myself as a color but as “the content of my character”. We all bleed red!

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
My Name is Tracy Green, I am the owner and founder of Legends Military Store for God and Country, I lived in Paris, France, for seven years, working at Louis Vuitton on the Champs-Elysée. After leaving Paris, I joined luxury watch company Rolex at its corporate office on Fifth Avenue in New York City.

One day, I had an epiphany. “From the express bus into Manhattan, I could see all the vendors set up on the sidewalk by Central Park and thought ‘I bet they are making a killing selling to these tourists!’ Soon after, I left Rolex and began selling jewelry on the streets of New York. In Harlem, a gentleman convinced me to sell at the VA hospital in Montrose, NY. I have now been selling items to military veterans for over 10 years.

In 2019 My husband William a USMC veteran, and I, began selling at the VA hospital in Phoenix, AZ. When Covid hit, we were no longer able to sell at the VA hospital. Then, in 2021 we found a vacant space right across the street from the VA. It was perfect!

We are all about giving back to the community and its veterans. The store has hundreds of items, many customizable, and also displays many artifacts, educating visitors on U.S. military history.

Legends Military Store for God and Country has become a gathering place for veterans and their families, who gather for camaraderie and healing. We also call it the veterans candy store because there is a section in the store dedicated to each branch of service that has hats, pins, patches, t-shirts and more so if that army guy comes in we got a section just for him! The store also connects vets with information about benefits, lawyers, shelter, and other needed resources. We provide for homeless veterans whether it be with clothing or information for caseworkers and/or housing. We also donate military clothing and surplus to the reservation and various charities.

We have parties for Veteran’s Day, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Memorial Day, with live music, raffles, vendors, Pageants and goody bags and BBQ food for Veterans. William barbecues and veterans always eat for free.

We also sponsor a Radio Show Called the Legends Military Hour where we have veterans come on and share their stories so our listeners can have more of an appreciation for those who served.

This store is a place of camaraderie and healing. We have prayer meetings every Tuesday after the store closes at 6 p.m. to give thanks and to pray for anyone who decides to join us. We have seen many miracles here. Our vision is to listen, and our mission is to serve those who served.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I loved working for myself and with that I recognized that when you love what you do, you will be 1. Consistent- I would book my appointments and get myself to work every day. I would get all my buying done and I would make sure I would always be the first vendor at every location so I would have the prime setup space, that means even if I have to be at the hospital at 2 am!

2. Have Faith- I believed no matter what obstacles came my way the Lord would see me through them. and He sure did! there were times when I would travel so far and would make no money, but then someone would show up and give me a location to try last minute and I would be able to get in and make all my money back plus more. Or when my car started to swerve out of control on the highway down in the middle of a snowstorm and when I called out to God, He put my car straight and back in order.

3. Always be Thankful. When I sold on my little kiosk at the VA hospitals some people would look down on me and say, ” why would you want that job?” and I would think they were crazy for asking me something like that because for me this was a great job! I set my own schedule, I made my own money, and I could travel anywhere in the U.S That had a VA. I also loved meeting and speaking and selling to the veterans and employees. I am so thankful for those great experiences and all the people I’ve met along the way (the good and the bad).

I had to do #4. that’s Goals. My goal was to have a store right next to the VA! and sure enough it happened. We are literally across the street from the phoenix VA in Arizona.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
I had great parents my dad owned several fabric stores and properties, and my mom owned a party planning business. Before I knew of them being business owners, I remember being in the 1st grade and buying candy and selling it to my classmates and that day when my mom picked me up from school, I told her “I made 98 cents!” And she said, “you made 98 cents in profit” and I looked up in awe and said to myself “profit” in wonder. After that day my candy sales business grew, and I knew I would be in business for myself one day. I always loved to sell. My parents taught me from an early age how to give back change without using a calculator, how to greet customers, how to take orders, and keep the store tidy, that gave me a sense a responsibility. And I looked at my parents with pride in all the hard work they had to do to become successful.

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