We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tresa Halbrooks. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tresa below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Tresa 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?
Before launching my company, I spent 11 years working in the NFL. And now, many people ask me what the biggest takeaway was from working in professional sports for over a decade. And that’s easy… understanding what a solid work ethic looks like and having a sports-minded philosophy about running a business. What is a sports-minded philosophy? It’s the ability to think like a champion whether you’re on the football field, in a cubicle or in the boardroom. It’s the desire to be your best through pure determination, grit and tenacity. You don’t give up and you don’t settle for second. You strive to be the best.
Professional athletes are willing to work harder than anyone else in order to win, period. They have an incredible work ethic. They don’t slack off. They don’t make comfortable, easy choices. They don’t settle for status quo or accept a mediocre performance. The daily pursuit for excellence is their foundation. After all, they don’t distribute “Participation Awards” on Sundays. The best team, who believe in themselves, trust their teammates and have the right game plan, can win on any given Sunday. At the beginning of each season, any of the 32 teams can become champions. That’s what the game is all about… the pursuit of excellence. It was contagious then, and still drives me today.
Early on, I remember being very impressed that these young men were on time, prepared and ready for their early morning meetings at 7:00am, regardless of the crazy Nashville traffic or weather. What I later found out was that the reason they were on time was because they were financially penalized for every minute they were late. Well that nips that in the bud, doesn’t it? As you might imagine, professional sports is a very serious business. But wait…. Shouldn’t we treat all of our businesses that way? Is it only professional sports that should expect excellence or top performance? Shouldn’t we all strive to be at the top of our game?
Not long ago, I had a conversation with a young associate on my team as we discussed the reason a mistake was made on a project. The point of the discussion was to figure out why it happened so that we could identify it and correct it moving forward. I went on to describe how pro sports teams review their mistakes each week in a classroom setting as a position group. They watch game film, reviewing each play along with the successes and dissecting each mistake over and over again, in order to correct their mistakes, improve and make it right the next time.
The young colleague asked, “You mean their coach points out someone’s mistake in front of the other team members?”
“Yes, they do,” I answered. “In fact, they have the mistakes on film and can rewind it as many times as necessary to get their point across and find a solution.”
“Wow. That’s harsh. I can’t imagine that kind of culture,” she stated.
I went on to explain that it’s not personal, it’s business. It’s not about calling someone out to embarrass them or knock them down, it’s about fine tuning their execution in order to be their best. We all make mistakes, no matter the industry, but you have to correct those mistakes as quickly and efficiently as possible in order to perform at the highest level. These guys have thick skin and reviewing mistakes is just part of perfecting their skill to be their best. Don’t we all want to perform our best at our job?
Part of the winning formula is not shying away from conversations about how we can improve, even if it’s immediately identifying why a mistake was made in order to correct it. Feedback is key to perfecting your game plan for success. We need to reset our thinking to see feedback, good or bad, as an opportunity to perfect our skills, learn and improve.
That sports-minded philosophy became ingrained into my day-to-day work ethic, even as a business owner today. And my hope is to see more young professionals adopt a sports-minded philosophy in their daily work and attitude in order to perform at their highest level, no matter what industry they are in. You don’t have to be a professional athlete, or even a sports fan, to be a champion in your own workplace. The power of a positive attitude and willingness to learn will get you far. Let the mindset of a champion become more ingrained into your daily business lives and workplaces and you’ll be amazed at the results.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
In 2012, I launched LEGACY Consulting, PR & Events, a boutique firm that focuses on celebrity and high-profile clients ranging from professional athletes and entertainers to corporate entities, small business and non-profit organizations.
I’ve been blessed to have played a role in some of Nashville’s most impressive public relations efforts and prestigious events for over two decades. It’s been an honor to have spent my career working with some of the most talented and illustrious personalities in the sports and entertainment field to make a difference in the lives of others. Making a difference is what LEGACY stands for.
But I’ll give you a little background on my career path before I started my company.
I began my career working at an advertising agency before moving on to retail giant – Service Merchandise, where I gained a real understanding of what corporate philanthropy was — long before it became an expectation in corporate America. I then began working for one of the largest entertainment companies in the country, Gaylord Entertainment, assisting with PR, planning various corporate events and corporate philanthropy.
Then I was approached by the Tennessee Titans NFL team and worked for the franchise for 11 years. I was not only responsible for the players’ image, community appearances, special events and foundation efforts, but I also served as the team’s non-profit, community and league liaison. I planned and produced team special events as well as events for the Tennessee Titans Women’s Association.
It wasn’t always an easy road, there have been speed bumps and detours along the way, but the path led me to exactly where I’m supposed to be. Helping our clients realize their dreams and creating a legacy for themselves. By doing that, we’re creating our own legacy.
As for what I’m excited to be working on…. we just wrapped up the PR for the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix in Nashville and 2024 is going to be an amazing year as Nashville will now host the championship race finale of the season for INDYCAR. We are planning a new high-end celebrity event for one of our favorite clients – Kevin Carter of CBS Sports Network and we always love working with music artists on their PR and media campaigns as well as various non-profits to help them raise money and awareness. There’s never a dull moment at LEGACY and we’re blessed to love what we do.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The three qualities that I think have allowed me to be where I am? First, I’d say my faith plays the biggest part in this equation as God has a plan for all of us. I’ve been blessed to do what I love and be on this incredible adventure.
Beyond that, and trying not to sound like a broken record here, but having a strong work ethic, confidence in your abilities and paying attention to detail.
First, I always encourage our young team members to develop and embrace a strong work ethic and have that sports-minded philosophy I mentioned. You can be your company’s MVP. The first step is to reset your thinking, then commit to a solid work ethic. Be eager and willing to learn and stay motivated to be your best. You can create your own game plan and find a winning formula for success if you have the passion and desire to do so. It’s really up to you.
As for confidence, that’s a little harder to teach. I grew up singing on stage which developed my confidence early on.
But, I had an unusual circumstance my freshman year in college that taught me a powerful lesson. I witnessed a one-car accident, nothing major – he just ran into a retaining wall. I stopped, got out of the car and asked if they needed help. I gave them my contact information, as a good Samaritan, in case they needed a witness for insurance purposes. A few weeks later, I get a notice that being sued for causing his accident. I had no idea what to do. I had no money for a lawyer and I hadn’t been in an accident. After talking to my parents, I decided the case was so ridiculous, that I’d just represent myself as my own attorney. Looking back now, I’m still surprised at that decision, but it turned out to be a good one…. and a valuable learning lesson.
As a 19-year old, and the only female in the room, I wanted to take control over the situation and demonstrate my case to the judge that I had not been in the accident, nor did I cause it. Sure, I was intimidated that I was going up against his lawyer, I had no witnesses and no idea how this was going to turn out, but I was determined to get to the truth. I had drawn a map of the area and street, how his accident happened, you name it. At one point, I even put his 10-year-old-son on the stand, who was in the car during the accident, to make him explain to the court what had happened. I reminded him that it was a crime to lie under oath. As the tears started, I told him not to look at his father, to only look at me and he slowly began to tell the truth.
I won the case and the guy had to pay all court costs. It didn’t cost me a penny. I stood up for myself and it paid off. That experience was invaluable to me as I faced many days ahead, being the only female in the room during my time in the NFL, and I remember how it felt to win.
And let’s not forget about the importance of paying attention to details. As an event producer, we often say that the “devil is in the details.” Every small thing matters, and you can’t let anything drop through the cracks. You have to think of everything. When you have a lot to juggle, it is so easy to forget something that you’re supposed to do in the hustle and bustle of life if you don’t make a note of it. The rule in my office is to write it down on a small notebook that you always keep with you. You can organize it or transfer the task to your phone or online calendar later but write it down when you think of it. Being organized isn’t difficult if you plan for it, and it definitely is an asset in the workplace to help you stand out from the crowd.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
First, my parents were small business owners and taught us the power of hard work. But the best thing my parents did for me (and my brother) was to repeatedly inform us, throughout our youth, that we turned 18-years-old, we’d better have a plan.
We laugh about it as a family now, but they would say things like “When you’re 18 and on your own, you can stay out as long as you want…. but while you’re living under our roof, you better follow our rules,” And then the next statement would be “When you’re 18″…. and so on and so on. We realized after so many years of hearing that 18 was the age of independence, that we’d better have our act together. My folks say now that wasn’t really their intention, but that’s what we heard. I started working at 14 years old and had a continuous job throughout high school and college. I was part of a work program in high school that allowed me to get off at 1:00pm to go to my job as a bank teller. I was always working and saving money. I went to college and immediately moved to Nashville to pursue my dreams, always working.
For some reason, that’s not the case these days. Young adults live with their parents into their 20’s, 30’s, etc. and getting a job to support yourself or contribute to your wants and needs seems optional, but not required. I think that’s what’s impacting our young adults today where they don’t understand the importance of work ethic and hustling to get ahead. Success is not given to you; you have to earn it. For those who really want to be successful, they don’t accept the status quo. They will be first to arrive, last to leave and work harder than anyone else. That’s the qualities I look for when hiring and hope to see more of in today’s young workforce.
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