Meet Gwendolyn J. Tucker | Leadership Strategist and Published Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Gwendolyn J. Tucker and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gwendolyn J., we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
After completing 25 years working in publicly traded paper manufacturing companies, I got the opportunity of a lifetime: I joined my husband in the business he started. It was the perfect match: new marriage and new career path.

In many ways it was like taking a leap off a high cliff, but, thankfully, I didn’t hit rock bottom. I’m still here to tell about it.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
What I am most excited about is that I get to work with leaders and teams to help them be their absolute best. I have been able to transfer and translate valuable lessons learned from my time in publicly traded companies to empower leaders to build high performing teams.

The transition from employee to entrepreneur was definitely not easy. I knew how to work, but I had to learn how to make our business work. Being your own boss is desirable but can be challenging, especially finding and keeping profitable customers. But I wouldn’t take anything for this journey. The things I’ve learned, the people I’ve met and with whom I’ve had the honor of teaming, have been nothing short of amazing.

Reaffirming that I am on the right track, even when things didn’t/don’t work out as planned, is what has kept me pushing forward. The fact that I get to do it with my husband who is also my business partner, has made the load lighter.

My mission in life is to leave each person and place better then I found them. My focus is to live into that mission each day, and I get to do it working with our clients.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The first stop would be A Tour of Possibilities to uncover the history and hidden gems in our fair City. We would have to take a trip to the top of Bass Pro to get a panoramic view of Memphis and the tri-State area. We’d definitely stop in to Hope Church Memphis for Sunday Worship and do lunch at Coastal.

You can’t come to Memphis without visiting Elvis and taking a tour of Graceland. If the weather permits, a brisk walk around Shelby Farms will get the blood pumping and you enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Before leaving town, we’d invite friends and family over to top off a memorable visit. On the way to the airport, my friend would have to try some of Kaye’s Pints and Scoops.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Wow, where do I begin? I am very fortunate to have mentors and sponsors and coaches who guided me to where I am today. My accounting teacher Dr. Sandra Pettis whet my appetite to pursue my degree in Accounting, Dr. T. C. Committee for recommending me for my first job as a co-op at Scott Paper; Don McLaughlin, my first boss out of college who hired me at St. Regis; Bruce Patterson, mentor, sponsor and coach at Champion Paper Company. My husband Ricky L. Tucker. And I definitely cannot forget what my parents instilled in me to get where I am today. Even though they have passed on, part of them still lives on through me. Their imprint in my life is unforgettable.

Website: https://www.rixinternational.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gwendolynjtucker/

Other: https://www.leaderwholeads.com/
https://books.google.com/books/about/Called_to_Lead.html?id=eZKt0AEACAAJ

https://www.gwendolynjtucker.com/podcasts

Image Credits
Jamien Sills