E 35 Tracey Jones shares how to apply the lessons from a mentor for tremendous results

Rod sits down with Tremendous Tracey Jones.  

Author of eight books and counting, Dr. Tracey C. Jones is a motivational speaker, business leadership resource, and president of Tremendous Leadership - a company that offers you the very best books, resources and programs to cultivate your professional and personal development. 

Tracy’s story is really the beginning of a beautiful love story. Her Father and mentor, motivational speaker Charlie “Tremendous” Jones, always talked about how he hit the trifecta when he met her mother, got involved in the insurance industry and found Christ. His love for his family and his work provided Tracy with a lifelong example of great leadership which she strives to uphold to this day.  Tracy describes her childhood as a cross between bootcamp and a sitcom. Her father was an incredibly driven individual with a great sense of humor. For him, everything had a purpose and more than that, it had to be fun!  She grew up believing work was a vacation because if you love what you do your work is a joy.  She recalls that her vacations often consisted of packing up in an RV and going around to speaking engagements for her father. If they weren’t on the road traveling to speaking engagements, there were many other things to do such as get a job, work in the yard or play.  Watching TV was not an option because they were locked up in the attic! 

Tracy grew up listening to other great mentors as well.  Zig Zigler, Ted Blanchard and Norman Vincent Peale all influenced her and so many others in her industry because they bring value to the table and their stories are triumphant.  Listening to these stories and those of her father taught her life was never easy. Tracy’s father taught self-efficacy, resilience, tenacity, and adaptive capacity. He encouraged her to “go out and earn [her] stripes” and often reminded her that “Life is great, but it is what you make of it” and “It doesn’t matter what life throws at you it is how you respond to it”.

With these ideals in mind Tracey decided she wanted to serve her country.  She went into the Airforce academy and graduated as a Lieutenant who then got trained to work on fighter jets- F15 & 16s.

After the military Tracey moved to Austin, Texas to work in the high tech field.  She worked for a Fortune 100 company with a great leadership but after a couple of years, she realized that everything is the same.  Even though she was out of the bureaucracy of the government, so many of the same people, problems, and processes hadn’t changed.  She was looking for something more.  Tracey moved to St Louis to work in defense contracting. She was excited to blend her Fortune 100 edge with her love for the military.  Two years into it, the same issues arose.  She knew she needed to make a change and do something that was going to make a difference.  

Tracey always knew there was something more for her.  Growing up around entrepreneurs she knew that someday she would love to do her own thing. Her father always told her you have two choices:  work for yourself or work for someone else.  As long as you work for someone else there will always be the bureaucratic side to things.  It wasn’t until her father’s failing health that she told him she was going to come back and run the family business. 

After the break Rod and Tracey discuss how you sell yourself and business. Hint: Repeat business and ask for referrals! 

Rod and Tracey close out the show with a bonus section talking about her new book - Igniting the greatness within - SPARK.  Singularity Persistence Advocate  Resource  Knowledge.  Don’t miss it!