Episode 43:
Aaron “A.J.” Jack is responsible for marketing, sales and business development for Argent’s entire 12-state footprint. He spent 5 years as vice president, director of development and marketing of Argent’s Oklahoma City-based group, Heritage Trust Company, before being named Chief Development Officer for Argent in January 2018.
Prior to joining the organization, A.J. spent 12 years in various sales and upper-management positions for Pfizer, Inc. Along with winning multiple awards, he spearheaded initiatives designed to enhance leadership roles, improve diversity and inclusion and maximize employee engagement.
A graduate of Texas A&M University, A.J. served as a two-time captain on the men’s basketball team and holds several athletic honors. A.J. is been extremely active in the Oklahoma City community. He has served on several boards, including the All Sports Association, Downtown Club and the Isaiah Stone Foundation. He is a proud graduate of Leadership Oklahoma City Class 33 and participates on the board of advisors for the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce on behalf of Heritage.
A.J. and his wife, Allison, enjoy spending time with their 3 boys – Bowman, Lincoln, and Barrett. They are members at St. Luke’s United Methodist in downtown Oklahoma City. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, playing golf and adding to his beginner’s wine collection.
What you’ll learn about in this episode:
- How the mission at Heritage spoke to Aaron and led his career path in an entirely different direction than it had been going before
- Why the service aspect of helping families with manage and administer their financial assets appealed to Aaron
- What gave Aaron confidence that he could excel despite having no knowledge of the trust business prior to his time at Heritage
- The importance of taking that initial leap of faith when you believe you’re making the right move
- How his training and experience in an entirely different industry prepared Aaron for the business side of his new role with Heritage
- The role the location, Oklahoma City, played in Aaron’s ability to make connections and develop the visibility necessary to succeed
- The importance of bringing what you have to offer to the table in everything you do
- Why you must acknowledge that there is always room to improve and seek out those improvements to move forward, build relationships, and ultimately earn the trust
- Lessons Aaron has learned that have helped him not only improve but that has also helped him avoid repeating the mistakes of others
- The way Aaron’s history of dealing with changes as an athlete prepared him for dealing with changes in the business
- The three abilities that helped Aaron get up to speed in his new roles quickly while establishing trust with the people he was now working with
- Why humility is so important in business and the difference between confidence and cockiness – and why it’s so important
- Why Aaron believes conversations, actual face-to-face conversations or, when not possible, over the phone are so much more meaningful than text messages or emails
- The reason Aaron believes service, serving families in his community, is the core of what he does
