Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Our mission is simple: to inspire Christians like you to fully commit their lives to Christ—at home, in the workplace, and in every relationship. Through stories of real people living out their faith in the daily marketplace, we explore how leading with love can transform workplaces and lives.
Thanks for watching and listening to the when love leads podcast. You'll be hearing today from some of our special guests as they share with you stories of faith at work. You can help more people find out about the podcast by liking us on social media pages like Facebook and LinkedIn. Now join us as we explore people of faith at work.
Speaker 2:We're talking today with, Lou Ann Tucker. So, Lou Ann, tell us about yourself if you would, and welcome.
Speaker 3:Thank you. Yes. So I am a recent retiree from PwC, Price Warehouse Coopers, been in the Charlotte market here all my entire career. And then prior to that, lived in Charlotte, grew up in Charlotte, moved here in the first grade, went to school at UNC Chapel Hill, ran into a guy here in Charlotte, One of my first weekends that I had returned to Charlotte to start work. And, we kinda hit it off pretty well and continued to do so for a year and a half or so, and then we're married.
Speaker 3:And that's my husband, Mark. We have two children, two grown adult children. One works in, the legal profession here in Charlotte and the other is at a construction company, recently married. So we have young adults in our lives and also, aging parents as well that we help as, continue to care for them as they've cared for us over the our lifetimes. I feel very blessed that I grew up in a family that was faith focused, faith filled, very strong church attendees.
Speaker 3:We went to Southern Baptist Church my entire life, learned a certain way of experiencing faith and continued to grow and mature in my faith as I moved away from that particular way of worship and intermingling life with others.
Speaker 4:Well, if you're thinking back on your career now, Lou Anne, can you think of times in which you really felt like the scriptures, the bible, impacted the way that you behaved at work?
Speaker 3:So that is a hard question. I think that we all know that God is with us in our interactions and and Christ is a part of our interactions because that's who he's part of who we are, but you're not looking for it in the workplace like you're looking for it elsewhere. Yeah. I I worked in an organization that had you know, one of our key, you know, values was care and care for our people. And so as I thought about, you know, the reason I stayed thirty five years in culture was because it really aligned well with who I was that we are here to care for others.
Speaker 3:And, you know, I used to say to young people that would talk to me about whether, you know, they wanted to leave the organization, and it was kinda like, well, you know, I'm not really super passionate about auditing or accounting in particular, you know, the debit sequel, the credits, and that's all great, but it doesn't really float my boat a lot. But I'm super passionate about interacting with people. And I think about, you know, the debits and the credits, the auditing was just a platform by which you show up every day and you have the opportunity to impact other people's lives. And for me point. That's really what it was.
Speaker 3:You know, I I I was pretty good at accounting, so that was helpful that the platform worked for me, but, but it was also, again, just a platform. And how could you interact and, and minister to others in the life that they were leading and walking through at that time. And, you know, there would be situations that as they would arise, you know, how I responded was impactful, particularly as I became more senior in the organization and had more influence on others. It did definitely give me more of a platform, a larger platform to be able to, maybe surprise people in that how much I cared for them. Not just as an employee that was gonna show up and do the work the next day, but as a person that really cared about your health, if they were going through a health crisis or their family that they have had a special needs child, you know, within their family or, you know, a loss that they may have experienced.
Speaker 3:And and those were the moments when you could really reach out and just have a a moment where I showed my care for them individually. And I think that probably impacted people more than I actually knew at the time.
Speaker 4:Any specific examples where you feel like your faith directly impacted somebody in the workplace?
Speaker 3:So having recently retired, I received a lot of notes and cards and letters from people that, you know, gave me an insight into maybe the impact I had on them and didn't know it at the time. I was, very involved in our recruiting over the years. And if I saw a candidate that had an extracurricular activity that I could knew was a faith based organization, I would ask them that. And and but I would also tell them that I too was a believer, and I wanted to encourage them that wherever they went to work, they could take their faith into the workplace. And, recently, I had a young I know had been a believer, and, you know, we've always shared that conversation.
Speaker 3:He only worked with us for four years, but he called and let me know how impactful I had been to he and his wife when they came to town because I had inquired of where are you going to church, have you joined a church. Let me tell you about one that has a great leader here in Charlotte. Yeah, I think you might engage there. And that became a very important part of their, their time in Charlotte for four years. They were involved in a church, a local church, and that had been a very important part of their time here in Charlotte and how thankful he was for that.
Speaker 3:You know, it was just a connect. I like making connections. I like putting people together. I like, you know, sharing my knowledge of Charlotte. Haven't been here so long.
Speaker 3:So I didn't think anything of it at the time, but, but I also, in reflecting back now felt, wow, that that made bigger impact than I would have ever known. But I did try, I think, as I had the opportunity with individuals, particularly new hires that were, you know, early in their careers to try and encourage that if I knew they were believers, that they would have a home, they would have a place, they could share their faith and live their life the way they wanted to as believers, as Christians in the marketplace Mhmm. And not feel like they couldn't.
Speaker 2:Lou Anne, as you're at the end of your working career business career, what what advice would you give that 22, 20 three year old, beginning accountants? What advice would you give them knowing now what you didn't know then?
Speaker 3:Interesting question. Envisioning a young man that I knew, you had grown up in Charlotte and the church that I've been part of. And, you know, the balance of being able to work a lot of hours, honor your family commitments, engage in your church life. As I think back to mine, I probably I gave more of my time to my organization than, I did my church during those early years in particular around raising children, etcetera. So I probably you know, it's very faithful on a Sunday morning, but I wasn't doing some of the extra Bible study opportunities and things such as that.
Speaker 3:So to prioritize that in your life, I think would be, you know, probably allowed some of that, you know, secondary other than Sunday morning, involvement wane a bit during those years. But in the marketplace, to know that there are a lot of believers and we don't walk around with it, you know, across our jerseys, etcetera, but that there are a lot of believers and when you have conversations to indicate that, you know, your child's in a Christian school or that you don't work on Sunday mornings is, you know, kinda sacred time for you and your family. There are ways for your others to know, what's important and what you value and to not be afraid to share that. And so many times when I did, it was an opening and a doorway that we ended up having a really meaningful conversation as opposed to just the surface conversations that we so often have.
Speaker 4:On a Sunday morning, we also we often talk about things like, only God could have done that, or or we we consider that that was a a really big happening, and that was obviously a work of God. Can you think back on any times when you might have said that about your work, environment or your work life?
Speaker 3:Interestingly, if I think of that, it probably immediately, some of the things that would come to mind for me, Rick, are when it was really difficult. You know, we were in a really challenging situation, in our work, client work. It has some unhappy campers. Didn't like the accounting answer that, that I really wanted. I felt like there are many times, and I could look back on, you know, one in particular where it was really difficult.
Speaker 3:I think I was in the feeble position one night. I was thinking, this is really not gonna last. Well, this is how it works out. But it was super stressful. And at that point in time, people came around.
Speaker 3:There was support. Knowing that the team around me supported me, it felt like God's hand was in that. But when I needed the most, one, I had a very supportive husband that, you know, wrapped me up and let me know that we're gonna get through this and just care about the things for me that I wouldn't have to worry about while I I did the work side of our lives. But there was always just that knowing that God was in control of it all. And sometimes I would see it even when it was things that I thought I wanted, like a client situation that I wanted to be a part of, and then I wasn't.
Speaker 3:And then when I saw it go bad, it was like, oh, God saved me from that. Right? I could see some happening along the the years of of a promotion you might have want I might have wanted and didn't get. But in in, you know, as the time looked back, you could see the framing of it from God's perspective. It it made total sense.
Speaker 3:I would have missed other things in my life that were more important. Is I like to also think of I think our lives are like a beautiful piece of fabric that God's looking down and it's beautiful. Sometimes we're looking up from the bottom and it's really ugly if it's got all reds and the barren side of it. Right? But the top side is beautiful.
Speaker 3:And and God looks down and sees our lives a lot differently than the way we see it at that time. But I think with time and perspective, you kinda can sometimes speak in from the top and say, that's why it worked out that way. It was really the way it was supposed to be as opposed to how it felt in the moment. So I have seen some of that. I think as I think back on those really difficult challenging times when, when the clients weren't happy or the team was, you know, not, perhaps we'd had people leave, etcetera.
Speaker 3:So there was time frames that were more difficult than others, and I always felt that God was gonna see me through that.
Speaker 2:Lou Anne, what would your advice be to a, young Christian front end of their career, concerned about in the the times in which we live, vocal or reserved they needed to be about being a Christian and, you know, big companies with big, programs about how what you can and can't say, and maybe they're fearful. You obviously threaded the needle pretty well if you stayed thirty five years. So, what would your advice
Speaker 3:be
Speaker 2:to them?
Speaker 3:I do think it it you know, bring in your whole self. You know, you were hired to be your whole self in in whatever organization you're in, and that is a part of who you are. Bringing that to bear, I think, is is wanted from your employer. And if you have those conversations, there your faith friends will start to develop. You'll you'll develop your faith friends and the people that you'll start to create those alliances with people that you can share things that are challenging and and get their Christian perspective on it perhaps and create a board of advisors around you that will give you support when you run into things that that are difficult.
Speaker 3:I had that with, you know, a partner that I think you may have spoken with on the podcast previously, a gentleman here in town, Mark Musa. And, you know, knowing that that I had, you know, he he had an office next to mine for for two decades. And I always knew that we would have a conversation that was of of value and of meaning that would have the right perspective on a difficult situation. Finding those believers in your organization are important so that you don't feel like you're an island. If you keep Christ and your love of God first and then your love of other people, you should be able to fit in anywhere.
Speaker 3:If you love other people genuinely and you care for them, you will be able to fit in anywhere. And, again, if you show them that you love them, that's very attractive. And I think you'll fit in with others and be able to minister to others in a way that will allow you to share your faith.
Speaker 2:What what about the mid career person who has established the beachhead of their career and they're having success. And they're moving into a role that is beginning to involve more mentoring and bringing young people along professionally, as well as naturally the overflow of that if you really love them is personal as well. Any advice for somebody navigating that transition and how to do that? What maybe is instinctive and what is on the other hand, counterintuitive about how you how you thread that needle?
Speaker 3:In in most organizations, as you progress, you do become the mentor. Sometimes you're a difference between being a manager and a mentor. And sometimes you're wearing both hats. And that is threading the needle of how do you become someone's friend per se that shows care and concern as well as still being their, you know, lack of a better word, boss. It goes back again on the inside of you, do you really care for this person?
Speaker 3:You can pretend, but people know when you're a pretender. So do you really have a care and concern for this person? I think, again, to be good at what you do, you do need to develop and mentor others. You know, within the accounting profession, it is very much that type of arrangement where you are helping the person that came in right behind you and you're continuing to coach and lead and development. So it's it's a a mentorship, type of profession.
Speaker 3:So I think, you know, if that's not coming naturally to you, then, you know, maybe there is some, involvement of others of of how is there are there certain people that maybe you align better in how you can can do that and being able to, provide them your insights. Part of it is just being nice to people of, you know, helping them grow and develop and become better people in their roles. Yes. I do think some people are better or are just naturally better at it. You know, I'm I'm married to a self professed introvert and he still mentors others in a way that's probably more aligned with other self professed introverts, you know, that, appreciate his tone and his manner and his approach.
Speaker 3:So sometimes it's either finding those people that you align best with and how you can mentor those. And then also recognizing who are who is this person across from me? And what do they need versus what am I providing? And how to align those together better.
Speaker 4:That's an excellent point, Lou Anne. Too often, we don't realize that not everybody is like us. I can think of many times where I wish I had had understood, been a little more empathetic toward, someone who was across the table from me or even walking beside me for that matter.
Speaker 2:Lou Anne, you were in a industry known for really long hours, and grinding it out. How did you structure your life in a way that you had time for spiritual disciplines beyond Sunday morning, reading the scriptures, prayer, intentional friendships, and things like that?
Speaker 3:Well, my first and foremost, I always give a lot of credit to my husband who did step you know, take a step back from his career in order to be a stay at home dad. That allowed me to to to, spend more time outside of our home than I would have otherwise, which was helpful to me, not only as a professional, but also as an individual to have the time to invest in either myself in ways and in others. And so I think, you know, having a partner with me along the way to do that was super important. It's priorities and, you know, there's different seasons along the way and how much your children need you at a certain point in time, making sure you're prioritizing the people in your life that need you the most to that certain point in time, continuing to do that. And there was years where you didn't have a lot of sleep, getting up early, whether to, you know, work out or to join a Bible study, quite frankly, left you tired most of the time.
Speaker 3:But trying to work through that and balance it all, I think everyone has a different capacity for that and and what renews you and and gives you energy versus what takes your energy. So I'm trying to be focused on what was what was giving and taking and also, you know, making sure that I didn't, leave others behind in that regard. I'm not sure I did that very well honestly in hindsight, but, yeah, probably if you heard my husband speak, he might say something different from what I did. My thought I was very out of balance at certain points, but, you know, we tried to to actually, honor one another and and the things he needed and the breaks he needed, and the capacity he needed for things such that, we balanced it out together.
Speaker 4:A word that seems to come up a lot these days with a this quest for happiness. How many times in your career did you feel like you were really happy?
Speaker 3:So when I think about happiness, I get very comfortable in in whatever situation I'm in usually and can make the best of it. So I don't stop and ponder my happiness a whole lot. That's a really good question, Rick. You know, I think I've always had an underlying happiness that it just exists within me. I enjoy simple things and I think that keeps me happy.
Speaker 4:How often in your career do you feel like you were satisfied?
Speaker 3:I'd say for the majority, if not all of my career, I felt very satisfied. And as I had done reflection upon, you know, exiting my career, again, as I said earlier, I was a good accountant, but I wasn't like super passionate about accounting and auditing. So my satisfaction again came from growing and developing, doing a job well. The things that gave me satisfaction were that we executed and delivered and did high quality work and all along the way had team members that were growing and developing and becoming young adults. Most of the time they start with us when it's their first job out of college, watching them evolve and become the people they are.
Speaker 3:I was with a friend this weekend who ended up she was a college friend of mine. She married a gentleman that worked with me for a period of time. And he was just a I mean, he he got he almost got fired, like, three times when he was with us because he he you know, his car got stolen, work I think it was repossessed. Like, all these things were happening. I was laughing about that.
Speaker 3:I was like, I couldn't believe you dated him and ended up marrying him, but a lot of potential in young people, they're finding their way. And at that young age, they do need some encouragement, some focus, helping them see, like, this is how things work and how you operate, how you work together with others in a different way. How you show up and sit in front of a laptop for ten, twelve, fourteen hours a day. Like, that's kind of a hard thing for a lot of people. I have to just do it because I've always done it.
Speaker 3:But seeing people grow and develop in that, I think along the way is is probably giving me a lot of satisfaction and how to help them, you know, become those adults that you want your friend marry, in which he did. In this case, you know, laugh we laughed about it. It's a very, a time in life where people are developing and growing. And again, working together in an environment where there's a lot of long hours, there's a lot of close community, ensuring that everyone's, getting along and, you know, working together and pulling their weight. A lot of opportunity for conflict, how you resolve it and work together, as a team, I think is, you know, a lot of lessons to be learned there and and how you live your life together with others in harmony.
Speaker 2:People probably had that conversation with both of our wives at some point. Yeah. Married him. Lou Anne, when do you most enjoy God?
Speaker 3:Yeah. I enjoy God when I'm with others and we understand and feel and know that we both enjoy God and that we both know God. It creates a lasting friendship and knowledge of one another that just makes you closer, than your friends that you don't share that with. And I I I enjoy God being in my relationships.
Speaker 2:I've never asked anybody that question. So so thanks for being my my crash test dummy on that.
Speaker 3:Interesting question. I wanna reflect on that probably with my one of my faith friends that I meet, you know, at 6AM for a walk every day.
Speaker 4:Is there one thing that you might wish you had done differently over the course of your career?
Speaker 3:As I reflected on some of our conversations that we would have today, I think I recognized that having grown up in a Southern Baptist community, things we talked about were sharing your faith meant you verbalized it. You know, back in the day when you rode on the airplane, it was like, I wonder who I'll sit beside because you didn't put your earbuds in. You actually talked to somebody beside you. And I saw it, you know, this is the person that God has put beside me in this plane to tell him about Jesus. That was my way of thinking based on the way I had grown up.
Speaker 3:That's how you share your faith. And I have thought about my career and did I share my faith throughout my career, you know, when I when I put it through that lens, I don't think I did. I didn't tell others about Jesus and his plan of salvation and how he died on the cross for your sins because that doesn't usually come through in a conversation with your everyday engagement. But what I've reflected on is that I did share my faith and that I share who I am and my faith is part of who I am. So did I do that enough?
Speaker 3:Sometimes I wonder if I did that enough. And I don't know that I'll ever know that because I didn't see it. As I was sharing my faith, I was sharing who I am. But maybe others saw it and neither that when they saw it and felt it and, and they impacted them and didn't know it.
Speaker 4:Certainly, as we, read through the scriptures, we see that Jesus' presence was often enough.
Speaker 3:Mhmm.
Speaker 4:So I thank you for demonstrating that. Bill's got a friend.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah.
Speaker 3:I know.
Speaker 4:And, as his as his little granddaughter
Speaker 3:Just got up from a
Speaker 2:nap. Asleep.
Speaker 4:Finally, somebody intelligent has arrived.
Speaker 3:Good. Yes. Aw.
Speaker 4:Any anything else, you can just hesitate to share anything you'd like to share?
Speaker 3:You know, I, at one point in time, had a job offer outside of PwC, and I felt like it was more it was more money and less hours. So it seemed like a pretty easy decision to make. And, it was probably I was five years into my career, and I was praying about it and I went to sleep that night and I said, you know, God, if this is for me to stay, just you gotta let me know. And, kinda going back to my earlier comments, I I dreamed that night that I was sharing my faith with one of the individuals that I worked with, a woman about the same level as me, age wise, etcetera. And this is gonna be hard because now I'm gonna have to work more.
Speaker 3:You know, I was gonna have a much more difficult longer hour career. But because of that, I always felt like this is where God wanted me to be. I felt that I was called to stay and to shine my light, whatever that may be or look and feel like, over that time frame of being at PwC. And I never had another unsolicited job offer. And I guess I always felt satisfied and happy in in my work and in my life that I didn't feel like that ever needed to change after that.
Speaker 3:Because of that, I felt secure, and that was where I was supposed to be.
Speaker 4:Thank you, Lou Anne. You've been incredibly kind with your time and and just sharing a little bit of your life story, and it's a it's a joy, to be with you today.
Speaker 3:Well, thank you. It's,
Speaker 1:Thanks for watching and listening to the When Love Leads podcast. You'll be hearing today from some of our special guests as they share with you stories of faith at work. You can help more people find out about the podcast by liking us on social media pages like Facebook and LinkedIn. Now join us as we explore people of faith at work.