The Bobby Bones Show - Four Decades and Counting

Episode Date: May 16, 2023

Meet Terri Weldon, who has been working for Express Employment Professionals for over 40 years. She shares her secrets to long term professional happiness - ones that can apply to any workplace.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed human. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me. Clivert Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits,

my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

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It's for Vietnam. They're pouring patrons all over here. Freedom for Vietnam! There's a fire coming to this country and it's going to burn out everything. Listen to Saigon on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On a recent episode of the podcast Money and Wealth with John Hobriant, I sit down with Tiffany the budgetista Aliche to talk about what it really takes to take control of your money.

What would that look like in our families if everyone was able to pass on wealth to the people when they're no longer here? We break down budgeting, financial disdain. discipline and how to build real wealth, starting with the mindset shifts too many of us were never, ever taught. If you've ever felt you didn't get the memo on money, this conversation is for you to hear more. Listen to Money and Wealth with John Hope Bryant from the Black Effect Network on the I'd Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Well, I think it's a cliche. You stay at a job if you really have passion for what you're doing. If you have a passion, if you enjoy it. It also is the company itself, their passion, and what their mission is. It's really

fun to come in every day. I'm Terry Weldon, the senior vice president of support services at Express. Do you have any nicknames at work? Most of the time they call me T-dub, or every now and then they call me things that I can't repeat. That's Terry Weldon, aka T-dub. And, and And despite her youthful voice and sprightliness, Terry has been with the company for a long time. Having worked with the founder of Express before the company was even a glimmer in his entrepreneurial eye, Terry has been here since the very beginning. So as Express celebrates its 40th year in business, we thought, who better to talk to for this episode of On the Job than T-dub herself

to get some insight into the work that goes on behind the scenes? And maybe, if we're lucky, Terry can give us some tips on how to keep showing up day after day with the same level of passion she so obviously has for her job. Despite being here longer than Justin Bieber or Taylor Swift have been alive. When you put it that way, that's a really long time, but I have been at it for four decades, yes. My office specifically is a little bit of a mess. It's a fun place. It's full of pictures.

it's full of a lot of work. And our department kind of runs the same way. You've got controlled chaos over there. Yes, controlled chaos. There's a stack of papers, but you always know where what you need is exactly where you want it. Terry Weldon wears many hats at Express. But her primary goal is to support the hundreds of franchises spread around the world.

In other words, she's home base, mission control. And our franchises and all of their staff, work so very hard every day. We have that opportunity to stand behind them and support them by providing them information, answers, but sometimes it's just a matter of holding their hand and making them feel confident, making them feel comfortable, making sure that they feel like they know what they're talking about. Overall, we say we provide hope, and it truly is.

We provide hope to people every day. Another part of Terry's job is cutting checks, which might sound like a tedious administrative task until you hear Terry talk about it. Every employee that comes through here, we play a part in making sure that they get a paycheck every week. That is truly amazing when you realize that we are putting nearly 600,000 people to work a year. How huge is that when you realize the life? that one single individual is even impacting. So a paycheck is not just a piece of paper to you?

Oh, absolutely not. A paycheck makes people happy. A paycheck gives them a way to support their family. It provides freedom. We've blessed so many lives, but in turn, what we've really received is the blessing ourselves. Even though Terry has been an express for the full 40 years that they've been in operation, she admits that when she first took the job,

she had no plan to make this her life's work. In fact, when I actually started Express, I was pregnant, and I didn't really have any goal of something I wanted to do. I like numbers, I like the accounting, and I love people. So I had the opportunity to start with this company doing bits and pieces, doing odd jobs here and there. So I was really part-time and really had no idea

where this company was going, what it was going to be, but was willing to follow the leaders and felt that they had a vision and they knew what they were doing and I could buy in to what this company stands for and the mission. And a lot's happened between now and then.

A lot has happened between my starting until where I am today. The company's changed, people changed, our cultures changed, the environment's changed, and through all that, life changes in 40 years, four decades, as was mentioned earlier, a lot changes. So no, Terry didn't plan it all out. She just showed up on day one, excited to work, and then she did that again and again and again and again. and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again again and again again and again again again and again again. We'll be back with Terry Weldon after the break. A strong work ethic takes pride in a job well done. This is the kind of person you need. Express employment professionals can help because in good times or bad we understand how critical it is to manage your business today with the right workforce. We offer hiring solutions to fit changing demands. Express knows jobs.

Get to know Express. Go to Expresspros.com to find a location near you. We're back speaking with Express Employment Professionals' very own Terry Weldon, whose work ethic and dedication leaves me feeling like a lazy bum. What is your response to someone that says, oh my gosh, you've been at the same job for 40 years. That must be so boring. It never gets boring. People are people and people are changing constantly. And no, it's never boring. It's a puzzle. It's a continuing, ongoing puzzle that you get to try to put together. But it goes beyond simply not being boring. For Terry, there's a special power that comes with stability. There's a peace of mind, a sense.

sense of security that allows her to be a source of support for her family. She is happy being the safe harbor, or better yet, the solid rock for the more adventurous types to leap from. A lot of my family, they're true risk takers, and I'll push them every day to do that. Don't look back, try something, take that, what do you have to lose? but I enjoy exactly where I'm at and giving somebody else that opportunity, I guess makes me feel good.

And then, of course, there are the relationships that she's built with her coworkers over the years. So there's the relationships, it's the arguing, being part of a team, and you know your team inside and out, and they know you,

which helps us to forgive each other's flaws when you know them so well and you know their background and you know who they are, what they are, what they're doing, and why. Yeah, what you're talking about sounds a lot more like unconditional love, where you're not always happy with each other on a moment-by-moment basis, but in the long run, you're there. Absolutely.

We describe our department as family and brothers and sisters. So brothers and sisters fight, but when somebody outside wants to mess with you, you know somebody always has your back and taking care of you. So in a sense, it is a work family. And you spend more time at work than you do at home, so you might as well have that relationship and have that family feeling. Did you ever feel like sticking with this job

for as long as you have that you missed other opportunities? Every now and then when you're sitting alone and you're thinking about where you've been and what you've done your entire life, There comes a time when you wonder, was there something else out there? Did I miss something? Should I have tried something else? And it comes back every time to me.

Doing what you love and enjoying it is not worth my time to second guess. I've done this. I'm happy. My family's happy. We're working with an organization that provides people hope. So there's times that you think about that and you turn around and say, No, what else could I have done that would have been this fulfilling. So now I don't have regrets at all.

Have you dreamed of, fantasized, feared that day when they bring a cake to your desk? Yes. You always wonder what that day looks like and when they're going to say, you've been here long enough. You need to go find something else to do. Do I fear it? I don't believe I fear it. It's a pattern of life. It's something that I'm ready to do.

Ready. That's a poor choice of words. I'm okay with being able to do that. And yes, someday they'll come and say, you're just too old here, Terry. But they'll say it more politically correct. But yes, there'll be a day that they'll come. And hopefully I will have made that decision first

or it'll be a conversation or a collaboration of what that looks like. Any idea what Terry's going to do after Express? My granddaughter shows cattle, and I only have one. She's not going to be young forever. So whatever she needs, whatever she wants, I want to be there to support her. I want to help her grow into a lovely young woman. So you're going to be a co-rancher. I will be her helper, let's put it that way.

A lot of shoveling. Oh, yes, there's a lot of shoveling. when she lets you do it. But yes, surely she can find a job for me. Well, Terry, I know you're pretty happy over there at Express. But if you ever want to switch it up, I think you've got a bright future in podcast. I'm still nervous.

For on the job, I'm Avery Thompson. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey

or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it.

Listen to The Clifford show on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. If you're watching the latest season of the Real House Wights of Atlanta, you already know, there's a lot to break down. Norsha accusing Kelly of sleeping with a merry man. They holding Kay Michelle back from fighting Drew. Pinky has financial issues.

On the podcast, Reality with the King, I, Carlos King, recap the biggest moments from your favorite reality shows, including the Real House Wise franchise, the drama, the alliances, and the T everybody's talking about. To hear this and more, listen to Reality with the King on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is Saigon, the story of my family and of the country that shaped us. From IHeart Podcasts, Saigon. You don't think I'm serious about a free Vietnam?

One city, a divided country, and the war that tore America apart. This is for Vietnam. They're pouring patrols all over here. Freedom for Vietnam! There's a fire coming to this country, and it's going to burn out everything. Listen to Saigon. on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.