Tonya Thrash

I think a lot of my success has to do with the goals that I set for myself and looking at my parents, who were super pivotal in shaping who I am. My dad was an insurance agent for over 40 years, and I would follow him around and even worked for him during a couple of summers while I was going to college. Through that, I learned about client service, customer appreciation, how to run an office - just typical things that I had no idea were going to carry over later in life. My mom worked full-time but was also very involved in our church as a nursery coordinator. They were constantly busy, but they also did a lot of hospitality, had church groups over to our home, played dominoes and cards, and did a lot of volunteer service. So that basically came across as that's just the way you do life - you influence people and you allow people to influence you, you give and you get back. That's been a whole lifestyle for me, and I didn't realize until the last few years how blessed I was to see that modeled and how I'm able to just kind of adapt to different areas and get excited for new challenges. I've always been one of those people that if it scares me, I kind of want to try it.

I think the most important thing is to just be true to who you are and don't try to be something that you're not. If you're timid and cautious, don't go for some type of marketing or sales position unless you actually want to chase it and learn how to overcome your fears. It really depends on that person and what their goals are. But the key is to be true to who you are and keep it like that. Don't force yourself into a mold that doesn't fit unless you genuinely want to grow in that direction.

The knowledge base is number one - there's so much to know in the title industry. As the front office coordinator, I deal with a lot of different facets, but I don't deal with the in-depth information in title. So many people walk in the door or call with questions, and I try to protect the escrow officers and assistants behind me from as much as I can, but there's so much of it that I don't know. That's a struggle for me, not being able to answer those questions and having to pass them on. Another major challenge is just maintaining myself - regardless of what kind of day you're having, you always want to present as professional and welcoming, regardless of the person that walks in the door or the person on the phone and what their mood is. You have to project and present for the organization, and that's a definite challenge, but it's also an opportunity for self-improvement and for taking care of and checking in with your self-care.

Faith is absolutely foundational for me - I'm grounded in my faith and take that very seriously as a top priority. I'm the assistant director for my Bible study class, and I attend church twice on the weekends. Every day I'm listening to podcasts and having my own personal time, getting poured into from other people who don't even know it - different speakers, devotional teachers, and women of faith. Plus, I get that from my Bible study class where I have people that pour into me as well. You really can't have one without the other. Family is incredibly important to me - I left my career in the prison system after 10 years to raise my kids at home, and both of my daughters are very service-oriented now, which I'm proud of. Loyalty ranks way up there for me. Even now at the title office, I'm constantly pulling from my old real estate buddies to bring them business, and I love to keep ties from people that I've come across in life, whether I've learned from them or poured into them. I still have a lot of friends that I made over 20 years ago at workplaces. That mentor-mentee relationship and those friendships are top-notch important in any facet of life. Integrity is also key - you have to be true to who you are and present yourself professionally regardless of circumstances.