The Director of Ticketing at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts in San Antonio, Texas, loves to be around water. Here, she reflects on her love for family, driving a really cool car and how INTIX has shaped her career.
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What is the quality you like most in a person?
Being forthright, being honest about each situation in their life and being able to empathize with others.
What is the quality you most like in a colleague?
That I can look to them for assistance, that they are going to help and protect.
What qualities are important to you in a leader?
Honesty and being ethical. They should be honest about who they are and know where they stand.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My husband. We’ve stood beside each other through a whole lot. We’ve fought over the years, but we always come back and say, “You are the most important thing to me."
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
My kids are really cool. They are good kids. My marriage is also a great accomplishment. Professionally, it is the group and the network that I have developed in the industry. It’s not really me because this industry is so friendly, but putting myself out there so I can get to know everyone has been an achievement. Sometimes it’s so easy to focus on what you need to do that day instead of creating a network.
Where would you most like to live?
I want to be on water, whether it’s a beach or the lake. I just want to have a porch where I can sit and hear the sounds of the water. It’s not really a city or a place, but I would never permanently leave Texas.
What is your most treasured possession?
It’s not a possession, but the most precious things are my friends and people I know who care about me. If I had to say a possession, I have a really cool car. It’s a 1976 MGB. It’s red right now but I’m going to make it maroon like it was.
What do you value most in your friends?
There are a lot of things that I value in a friend, including that they love me enough to protect me. Sometimes I can be too open and easily taken advantage of because I am a service type person. My very dearest friends are the ones that protect me from myself and from the way others can sometimes overstep boundaries.
What’s the best live event you’ve ever seen and why?
I really like Michael Bublé. I’ve been to three or four of his shows. They are all similar, so the first one was my favorite.
What is your favorite song artist of all time and why?
My favorite performer is my son. He’s 18 and he is going to study voice. I think he has a beautiful voice and I love hearing it.
What is your favorite place to visit or place you’d love to visit and why?
We used to have a beach house that my grandfather built. It was a one-room shack and it was disgusting, but part of what I liked about it was that it was like disappearing completely. There was no phone, no cell service and it barely had electricity. It was dreamy and held many memories.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I like to play the piano with my son, catch up on my TV shows, crochet and drive my car.
What brings you the most joy or greatest meaning in life?
I am a Christian and that brings me both the most sorrow and most joy at the same time.
Why are you a member of INTIX?
When I first joined, it was because I got to go on a trip somewhere, but now it is because of the networking. I think the conference sessions are important and provide a lot of information.
What do you get from INTIX?
I would not have stayed in ticketing without INTIX. In my first year, there were very few people who could advise me on my job. I had part-time people who had never been in ticketing either, and we were in a small town. I have had a successful career thanks to INTIX.
How do you use INTIX?
The conference is an opportunity to take a break and look at everything that is new in the industry. During the year, I use INTIX as an opportunity to reach out, get information and be involved in the committees. Ultimately, it’s my industry resource because we are a small career field.
What does INTIX give you that is different from everything else you are doing?
Our industry is not very specific in a lot of ways. We are not just customer service, leadership, management, arts or sports. Most of us are running our own business within a larger business and it’s not as well understood by other people. A doctor has other doctors in that same area that they can talk to, lawyers, engineers and retail workers do too. However, there are not many people out there who are selling tickets, trying to run a CRM or doing database work, so INTIX gives me with the connections I need to do my work well.
What is your most memorable career moment?
Being named Ticketing Professional of the Year by INTIX.
What is your most memorable INTIX moment?
I chaired the conference in San Antonio. To be honest, I was very scared. I knew we were ready and that we would get it done, but it was a big responsibility. That whole week, I was on top of things. Instead of being upset and scared, people were so nice and encouraging. I loved the whole experience of seeing everyone come together to help each other. I was smiling from ear-to-ear all week long. It was wonderful.
Is there anything I haven’t asked you that defines you as a professional or a person?
People see me as a big talker, but when I am completely on my own time, I am quiet. That would surprise a lot of people who know me.
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