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Intro: Welcome to the Fast Leader Podcast, where we explore convenient yet effective shortcuts that will help you get ahead and move forward faster by becoming a better leader. And now here’s your host, customer and employee engagement expert and certified emotional intelligence practitioner, Jim Rembach.

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Jim Rembach:    Okay Fast Leader Legion, today, I’m so excited because I have somebody on the show who I’ve known for a longtime and here recently I’ve got to know even better and now you get to meet her too. Vicki Herell was born and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee as the youngest of 3 children and by a lot. Her brother was 20 years older than her and her sister was 13 years older. As the only child at home after the age of 5, Vicki spent her childhood watching and listening to sports with her father. His influence led her to wanting to have dream job with sports illustrator. She kept the books for the baseball team, wrestling team, all through high school and became a sports writer at her hometown newspaper as a sophomore and college. As the only female on a sports desk with 20 men, Vicki learn quickly not to be offended by colorful language and that she had to earn her way to become one of the guys.

Vicki Herrell:    At that time there were very few women in sports writing at all and she was thrilled to be a trailblazer for the women who do this job today. But the lure of politics and the huge time commitment in sports writing led her to an internship at the state of Tennessee legislature where she met her soon to be husband Charlie. Three kids later and a few moves led her to a job with TCS and it launched her into the contact center industry. Vicki is currently the executive director of the Quality Assurance and Training Connection and the society of work per planning professionals. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee with Charlie and her 3 kids are nearby and she’s blessed to have them close, Katie, Laura, and Michael. Vicki Herell are you ready to help us get over the hump?

Vicki Herrell:    Yes I am Jim. It’s great to be here. 

Jim Rembach:   I’m glad you’re here. I’ve given our listeners a little bit about you but can you tell us what your current passion is so that we can get to know you even better.

Vicki Herrell:    I love being the executive director of QATC and SWPP. That takes up most of my time these days. I do have lots of other passions that I’m involved with as well and I’m very involved with my church here in Nashville. And also love travelling, another one of my passions and try to do that as much as possible as well. Also very passionate about reading and I belong to a book club and try to read as much as I can as well. So lots of other things that I’m interested in.

Jim Rembach:    I know for me, I’ve seen you at several contact center industry events and I know you kind of get that travel thing in there when you’re also doing those particular events, how many about do you do a year?

Vicki Herrell:    I do a lot of traveling a year. I usually travel probably I would say 30-35 trips a year, so it’s quite a bit and go all over the world, telling everybody about call centers and having a little fun travel as well. 

Jim Rembach:    So I know you actually started the SWPP prior to starting the QATC and TCS for those that aren’t familiar was a software company that is now part of Aspec but they had a really strong presence in workforce management, scheduling and planning and those things, so when you start looking at that transition from being in a particular organization that has a product per se, maybe even doing some consulting and training around, but flipping into an association, how difficult was that transition to make?

Vicki Herrell:    It was really easy for me and the reason was that my position at TCS was a little bit different. I was the person who coordinated their User’s Forums and so I knew all the people who used our software they came to the user’s forums also with the person who coordinated site visits and references for our product, in that way I also knew all of our customers. And I had a personal relationship with many of those customers. I also had people that would spoke at the annual conferences, they use these forums that I had really good relationships with people we would travel around and do roadshows and I would meet our customers there as well. So, my job at TCS was really not selling at all and it really wasn’t products specific, it was more about relationships with the customers and that was an easy transition to SWPP and QATC. 

Jim Rembach:      You bring up a really good point, thank you for sharing that. And we talk about a lot on the Fast Leader show and I’d say it’s our core value type of message and that is the whole relationship piece.  You took this whole relationship element that you already had as part of your job and when you say it became an easy transition and you use that word relationships a few times it seems like really that’s what makes our life easy overall.

Vicki Herrell:    I think that that’s the most important thing to me is in my job and in my personal life is the relationships. I don’t really feel like in my job that I could do anything if I didn’t have relationships with the people that I work with. And even if they’re people in our associations that I don’t really know well, maybe can’t come to our annual conference or regional meeting or whatever, even if I have a relationship with them via e-mail I have a relationship with them and when I run in to people at this trade shows and they come up to me and they go, “I feel like I know you?” And I said the same thing back to them even though we’ve never met. We’ve had a relationship just through e-mail and our communication.

Jim Rembach:    And I know what relationships mean. We can have some one’s that bring us a lot of joy and we can have ones that bring us a lot of frustration, there’s power in all of that. One of the things that we also look at for power on the show is quotes because again they can do just that, they cause us to stop, think, make us more mindful and go in the right direction. Is there a quote that you can share with us that influences you?

Vicki Herrell:    I had a lot of discussion about this with myself as to what I really wanted to share here but the one quote that I use on a daily basis is Philippians 4:13 from the Bible. And it’s, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” And one of my favorite series of books is the Mitford Series by Jan Karon. It’s about a small town appeasable priest in the mountains of North Carolina, that’s one of his favorite things too and when they’re faced with some situation that they aren’t able to handle he and his wife look at each other and say, “Philippians 4:13 for Pete’s sake” that’s how I feel about it. When I’m faced with something that I don’t know what to do, I don’t know who I’m going to get through it that’s my quote right there, that’s my verse, so I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Jim Rembach:    Talking about strengthened oftentimes we have humps that he helped us get over others that help us and the relationships that we have to get over. Is there a time where you’ve had to get over the hump and it kind of changed your life’s direction that you share with us? 

Vicki Herrell:    You and I have discussed this Jim and talked about a little bit. In some people have met my daughter Lora, she’s 28 years old and she was born with the form of spina bifida, it’s called tethered spinal cord. When she was born there some issues that tell us some kind of little bit wrong physically. She has an MRI the next day and we started to get information about what was going on with her and it was a really scary time it was a time of not knowing what the future’s going to hold and it started at several years of a lot of doctor’s visits and a lot of diagnosis and re-diagnosis and all sorts of things. The whole process of dealing with all these I think changed me beyond measure because you have to learn to let go, you have to learn that you can’t control everything, you have to have faith in the doctors and the nurses and the other medical people, you have to trust your instincts, you have to know when you’re right and they’re wrong and you need a second opinion there’s so many pieces of something like that that all come together.

The biggest thing that came out of it was that out daughter was an amazing, young, adult women now I guess 28 I don’t know if that means she’s still young adult, but we learn not to tell her ever that she couldn’t do anything, even though she did have some physical limitations.  I will tell you the story of one time I didn’t think she could do something. I told her I didn’t think she could roller skate. We were at school party and it was a roller skating party and I told her I just didn’t think that she could do this, at that time she was using little arm crutches, well, she roller skated. After that I said no more I’m not going to tell you any other Tom that I don’t think you can do anything and if you can’t do anything, you’re going to find out on your own but I’m not going to tell you that. She’s very independent. She has a Master degree Baylor University. She works with underprivileged children now in a local high school helping them get access to college. She’s an amazing woman. But this whole experience of a child born with disabilities has changed everything about me and I think for the good, all of this for the good. 

Jim Rembach:    Thanks for sharing that story. I think you had even mentioned me I asked you a question about—I don’t know the exact context but you had mentioned something about—I don’t know Charlie takes care of that—but it was in regards to some of the things that you were referring to in with developing and helping the kids move forward. So, really it is helpful from a relationship perspective to work with others in there. So what was this Charlie meant to you and the things that you’ve had to go through?

Vicki Herrell:    My husband is just my rock, he really he. I’m more passionate person and a more—when things happen I kind of go off the deep sometimes thinking of everything that could happen, I’m always worst-case scenario, what going to happen? All that kind of thing. And he’s more a big picture kind of guy and he’s a calm guy. He always tells a story, he says, “So if you’re car gets on the railroad tracks and stalls and there’s a train coming, there’s three kinds of people and one is the kind of person who jumps out of the car runs away and second kind of person freezes and don’t do anything and third kind of person jumps out of the car but takes their keys because they know they’re going to get in the house with those keys, and he always says he’s the third kind of person. 

So that just tells you a little bit about him I know I’m at least the first kind of person who’s going to get out. I’m not going to freeze but I’m don’t know I can promise you that I’m going to take my keys with me. But he is just great in a situation that you need to be calm. He’s an attorney, so I think that helps in his profession as well. But he was always the one with Lora to say I’m not going to do it for you, you’re going to have to do it yourself. We’re going to make this girl as independent as we possibly can. And while sometimes it’s a mothers feeling that we want to help our kids whether they’re disable or not, he was always the one to say we’re not going to do this for her she’s going to do it for herself. We treated her just like any of the other two and I think that has a lot to do with where she is today. 

Jim Rembach:    I think you also shared with me, talking about Charlie and what you just shared in regards to helping them to build resilience, you got that same reinforcement from your father I think you said.

Vicki Herrell:    Yeah. My dad was a pretty amazing guy. He was 46 when I was born, so I guess he pretty much raised his kids and thought he was done and he’s got this other child he’s going to deal with. I hang out with him all the time and we had so much fun. He was just the kind of guy which when I was growing up this wasn’t true but he always tell me, didn’t matter that you’re female you can do anything that you put your mind to you can do anything that you want to do as long as you never give up, and that’s just the way he was. A lot of other girls that grew up when I did in the 70’s didn’t get that kind of encouragement, so I think that has a lot to do with how I am today as well, I did have person behind me saying you can do it, you can do it. 

Jim Rembach:    Sounds like Charlie’s reinforcing that as well.

Vicki Herrell:    Yes. Definitely. 

Jim Rembach:    When you start thinking about Katie and Michael, what would they be thinking as you’re telling a story about Lora? 

Vicki Herrell:    Both of them I think were participants in the whole process. One of the things that Katie remembers that so funny, Lora had quite a few hospital visits and surgeries and things when she was younger. Katie was 22 months older than she was and one of the things that she remembers more than anything is that when Lora were in the hospital she would get lots of presents, a lot of her friends from church and other friends would bring presents for Lora they also bring presents for Katie too and she remembers that. Michael didn’t remember a lot of the history years younger than Lora and by the time he has a lot of recollection she was probably not getting quite as much in the hospital and that kind of things. They are really close and always have been and have a kind of funny relationship now as adults, they insult each other but they’re all three are really close and I don’t know that at that point Michael had much of an impact on him it was kind of the norm, the way things were the way Lora were, they are all great friends now. 

Jim Rembach:    Thanks for sharing that. Listening to you I started thinking about several things. First of all, you know my kids now being girl-boy-boy being 12-10 and 7 they say things to each other too so I guess maybe there’s some comfort in knowing that it never ends. 

Vicki Herrell:    No it does not ever end. I could have told you that from a being at dinner with Lora and Michael last night for his birthday. 

Jim Rembach:    And the other thing is that talking about normal—you know my wife was in a car accident when she was 8 years old, she’s been in a wheelchair ever since and that my kids she carried them had C section, all three of them, they don’t see mom as being any different than any other mom. You’re talking about normal, normal is whatever you make it to be. 

Vicki Herrell:    Exactly. Lora gets a little frustrated sometimes when people stare at her and a lot of times kids do that cause I guess I don’t know what to think but she’s become to people who know her they don’t see a wheelchair at all they just see Lora. She has so many friends and so many kids that she’s mentored in and things like that to them they don’t see the wheelchair, they just see Lora. And so I think sometimes it’s a process her when she sees people looking at her wheelchair because she doesn’t even think about it like that anymore.

Jim Rembach:    My wife, I’m not going to give away her age but I’m 47 but my kids notice other people looking at my wife and my wife doesn’t even notice it anymore. She will notice that there’s some kids—it seems like there’s a kind of like an age when ** about 18-24 months right in that two year old range they want to play with her chair they want to come and touch the wheels, play with the brakes and that kind of stuff but other than that she really doesn’t notice it anymore. 

Vicki Herrell:    We have my great nephew here at Christmas time and he’s just turned five yesterday and the most thing he want to do while I was here was ride in Lora’s wheelchair. So he would sit in the den in front of the TV and Lora will get out of her wheelchair and then Grant would sit in the wheelchair. So that was his most fun thing that he did while he was here. 

Jim Rembach:    I could relate to that too cause my kids, specially my daughter and she’s 12, like to ride around the house with mom’s chair when mom gets out, so they think that’s funny. So in know we talked about the two association that you’re running and all the things that you’re doing with regards to church but when you start thinking about some of your goals, what are they?

Vicki Herrell:    A lot of my goals don’t have to do with business per se I have a lot of goals personally that I want to try to be a better person and I want to try to worry less and I want to try to be positive more and things like that but I feel like the personal goals that have all help me in business. So I don’t feel like I have to have so many business goals as I need to have personal goals that will stretch me and that in turn will affect all areas of my life including my business is that make sense? 

Jim Rembach:    It does. And the Fast Leader legion wishes you the very best. Now before we move on let’s get a quick word from our sponsor. 

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Jim Rembach:    Alright here we go Fast Leader listeners it’s time for the Hump Day Hoedown. Okay Vicki the Hump Day Hoedown?

Vicki Herrell:    I guess I am as great as I’m ever going to be. 

Jim Rembach:    What do you think is holding you back from being an even better leader today?

Vicki Herrell:    Worrying.

Jim Rembach:    What is the best leadership advice you have ever received. 

Vicki Herrell:    It’s a quote again my husband gave it to me it’s actually from Ronald Regan: “The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things he is the one who gets the people to do the greatest things.” 

Jim Rembach:    What is one of your secrets that you believe contributes to your success?

Vicki Herrell:    I’m a really good writer and a really good listener and a really good talker. 

Jim Rembach:    What do you feel is one of your best tools that helps you lead in business or life? 

Vicki Herrell:    My smile and my friendly personality.

Jim Rembach:    What would be one book, it could be from any genre, that you’d recommend to our listeners?

Vicki Herrell:    That’s a hard one for me. I think it might be Knock ‘Em Dead which is a book about how to look for a job.

Jim Rembach:    Okay Fast Leader listeners you can find links to that and other bonus information from today show by going to fastleader. net/Vicki Harrell. Okay Vicki this is my last Hump Day Hoedown question: Imagine you were given the opportunity to go back to the age of 25 and you’ve been given the opportunity to take the knowledge and skills that you have now back with you but you can’t take everything you can only choose one, what skill or piece of knowledge would you take back with you and why?

Vicki Herrell:    I would take my public speaking skills that I did not have at 25 and use them at 25.

Jim Rembach:    Vicki it was an honor to spend time with you today can you please share with the Fast Leader Legion how they can connect with you?

Vicki Herrell:    You can reach me via email at vicki.herrell@swpp.org or vicki.herrell@qatc.org I’m on LinkedIn, we also have SWPP links on Facebook and on LinkedIn and Twitter. 

Jim Rembach:    Vicki Herrell thank you for sharing your knowledge and wisdom, the Fast Leader legion honors you and thanks you for helping us get over the hump. 

Thank you for joining me on the Fast Leader show today. For recaps, links from every show, special offers and access to download and subscribe, if you haven’t already, head on over the fastleader.net so we can help you move onward and upward faster.

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