Mom: Ann Brooks on What They Don’t Teach You in Business School
Feb 11, 2025
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Ann Brooks, a seasoned expert with nearly 40 years in sales and leadership, shares invaluable insights on navigating the corporate world. She discusses building high-performing teams and the balance between support and accountability. Ann reflects on her early career at Xerox and the challenges of being a primary breadwinner in a male-dominated environment. Personal stories filled with humor and resilience emphasize the importance of cultural identity, hard work, and leading with integrity in both life and business.
The importance of customer care and transparent communication is emphasized as a vital strategy for building long-term business relationships.
Family influence, especially from a maternal figure, plays a crucial role in shaping work ethics and leadership philosophies.
A strong sense of teamwork and engagement within a family fosters values of hard work, dedication, and resilience in professional pursuits.
Transitioning into entrepreneurship highlights the need for nurturing customer relationships while creating a supportive workplace culture.
Deep dives
The Importance of Client Care
Taking care of customers is emphasized as a cornerstone for building loyalty in business. Regular client reviews and transparent communication about investments and cash flow are crucial for fostering trust. This hands-on approach leads to a depth of loyalty from clients, demonstrating that attentive service can significantly enhance business relationships. The speaker underlines the success of this method as a repeatable process that yields long-term benefits.
Influence of Family on Career
The speaker discusses the profound influence of family, particularly a maternal figure, on their understanding of work and leadership. The mother’s management experience, having been a primary breadwinner and successful entrepreneur, instilled values of integrity and team building. This familial background served as a foundational influence on the speaker's own career, shaping their approach to leadership and how they connect with others in a professional setting. It highlights the essence of learning from family experiences and the importance of mentorship.
Memories of Growing Up
The speaker reflects on growing up in an environment rich with family values, sports, and community involvement. Shared experiences, including coaching and attending sports events, fostered a strong sense of teamwork and camaraderie within the family. These memories not only characterized their childhood but also played a pivotal role in shaping their perspective on hard work and dedication. The narrative paints a picture of a close-knit family that actively engaged in each other's lives.
Career Challenges and Transitions
The speaker recounts the challenges faced while transitioning from a successful corporate role back into the demanding world of sales. They faced skepticism and pressure when tasked with managing a difficult territory that had been neglected. However, their commitment to customer service and process improvement led to a successful turnaround of the territory, reflecting resilience and adaptability. This experience teaches the value of perseverance and strategic action in overcoming professional hurdles.
Culture of Team Building
Creating a cohesive and supportive team culture is stressed as vital for any successful business. The speaker highlights the significance of nurturing relationships within the workplace, where enjoying each other's company fosters a collaborative environment. The balance of professionalism and personal connection is crucial for maintaining high spirits and productivity among employees. An emphasis on this culture leads to unmatched loyalty and performance from team members.
Embracing Entrepreneurship
The transition to owning an insurance agency marks a significant turning point, reflecting a desire for greater flexibility and control. Buying the agency not only represented an entrepreneurial leap but also came with the responsibility of managing people and processes. The speaker emphasizes the importance of maintaining customer relationships while fostering an empathetic workplace environment. This experience showcases the challenges and rewards inherent in entrepreneurship.
Navigating Life Changes
Life events, including family transitions and health challenges, underscore the importance of resilience and adaptability. The impact of these changes shapes both personal and professional priorities, guiding decisions towards fulfilling responsibilities toward family. The passage of time fosters adaptability in the face of changing circumstances. This evolving perspective invites reflection on the balance between career ambitions and family commitments.
This week, I sit down with someone who’s had an enormous impact on my life—my mom, Ann Brooks. She’s built an exceptional career spanning nearly 40 years in sales, leadership, and entrepreneurship, working for Xerox, Haworth, and Allstate before becoming a financial advisor. As the primary breadwinner for our family, she’s learned what it takes to manage high-performing teams, create scalable systems, and lead with integrity. Beyond business, this conversation is personal. My mom taught me some of the most valuable lessons I use every day—how to build teams, how to sell in a way that feels good for everyone, and how to lead with character. If you’ve ever wondered where my mindset on work and leadership comes from, this episode is a window into that foundation. Whether you call her Ann or Mom, I think you’ll learn something from her story. Let’s get to it!
In this episode:
(00:00) - Intro
(03:29) - How Ann became a Georgia Bulldogs fan
(08:49) - Growing up in Georgia
(10:26) - Family dynamics and sports
(15:47) - Cultural heritage and identity
(22:25) - On working very early in life
(23:49) - Key learnings from Ann's early career
(25:11) - The value of hard work early in life
(28:46) - How Ann ended up working at Xerox
(32:46) - Cultural identity as an immigrant
(41:30) - The hard truth about sales
(43:13) - How Ann and her husband met and the importance of their partnership
(46:52) - The transition to Hayworth
(48:47) - Managing teams and building relationships
(52:58) - Balancing family and career
(57:44) - Navigating a male-dominated industry
(01:03:41) - Ann's philosophy on bringing a team together
(01:08:09) - On standards of excellence
(01:16:05) - Evaluating the real cost of opportunities
(01:19:48) - Embracing entrepreneurship
(01:21:56) - The first day at the new agency
(01:24:09) - How Ann changed the trajectory of her business
(01:27:47) - Selling the business
(01:35:55) - Working on a business vs working in the business
(01:38:46) - What drew Ann to the financial industry
