Today we’d like to introduce you to Terri Crook.
Terri, before we jump into specific questions about your work, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
When I was a little girl, I was fascinated by Lucille Ball and Carol Burnette. Their energy and humor always brought a smile to my face. I was amazed by how Carol Burnette connected with the audience before each show. I wanted to do the same and vowed somehow this would be my future. I didn’t quite know how it would come about, but the dream remained in my heart. Upon completing college at Florida State University, I needed to pay my student loans, so I got a job with the Federal Government. Often, I wanted to quit, especially after I paid off my student loans.
Many great opportunities came, such as being trained under Vinnette Carroll, the first African- American Woman to direct on Broadway and becoming one of Les Brown’s Platinum Speakers. But quitting wasn’t an option as I could hear my mom saying, “Don’t you quit that good government job with benefits,” so, I didn’t. Then one day, I got a call that mom had cancer in her right femur bone that led to receiving a prosthesis and eventually amputation. Later she was diagnosed with breast cancer which led to a heart attack—having that “good government job” allowed me to travel to Columbus, Georgia from Florida and provide needed support. The family was again devastated when dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer and dementia. That “good government job” allowed me to be there for both of them. He passed away in 2005 and mom in 2016. That same year I retired and moved to Atlanta. At 58 years of age, I found myself staring in the mirror wondering about my next. I knew what my dreams had always been but my question was it too late? I thought about my parents being in their 40’s when they got their college degrees; my dad being the oldest army boxer to have ever won an Olympic Gold Medal at age 31, and Lucille Ball being in her 40’s when she and her husband created their television company Desilu Productions. The answer then became clear, “No, it’s only halftime Terri, you are still in the game!” I published a book, It’s Only Halftime, Your Playbook to Your Second Win(d) and have been traveling doing workshops and speeches promoting the “halftime” lifestyle, helping people over 40 not to look at their age or circumstance as limiting; and guiding them in putting together a Game Plan to get off the bench and back in the game. I have created a TV show that will be coming out in 2021. NO, it is NOT too late to live your dreams!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The road hasn’t always been smooth. I have run into roadblocks. Aside from my parents’ health challenges, my biggest block came in 2008. I had gotten a promotion to relocate to Atlanta. Being so excited, I started celebrating before I crossed the goal line. I purchased the largest Mercedes, where my mom said I looked like a dot in it. I purchased the property in Atlanta to build a home and the government was going to pay my moving expenses but the problem was, I couldn’t sell the home I owned in Florida and because of the bubble bursting, my home no longer carried the same value it had previously. Therefore, I was being required to bring so much to the table which I couldn’t. I had just about every credit card that was maxed, trying to pay two mortgages.
Not to mention bad investments. The government said since I couldn’t move, I had to go back to the position I had and train the person that took over for me. So, I found myself sitting in the office of a bankruptcy attorney trying to figure out how did I get here and wondering what others thought. I had prided myself on having it together. I was the “go-to” person in my family and was proud I could help others. A friend suggested I work out something with my creditors on my own rather than filing bankruptcy. So I began my quest to do so and repositioned myself to stay on track. I rented a two-bedroom condo and told all of my friends. I was in “rehab.” Do not call me about a sale. I only went to the mall when I needed to get something I needed not wanted and would park near the door to get it. When I retired in 2016, I had paid off all of my debt and only had appropriate debt such as a mortgage on a home purchased in Atlanta for retirement. The bottom line, instead of worrying about how others viewed me, I focused on how I viewed myself. I set small goals and once I met them, I would check them off and create more goals—all fueling my confidence. Before retirement, I ended up getting another position which was two steps higher than the position I lost. Yes, I got up from that powerful block, stayed in the game and completed a game-winning score!
We’d love to hear more about your work.
As a Speaker and Founder of Happy Place Leadership and Chief Executive Officer of A Legal Crook Productions, Inc. I am transforming the lives of women globally by empowering them to get their second win (d). Many women have given up on their dreams because they think they have gotten too old to pursue. At 61 years young, I am pursuing my dreams and living the “It’s only halftime” lifestyle. Telling and showing them what different looks like. Regardless of the blocks received in life, as a Career Coach, I am helping people to accomplish immeasurable goals and tap into their limitless potential by redesigning a plan to move out of their comfort zone and into their calling zone. If you need a speaker that will make you think, be transparent and move you to action, I’m the one you need. You need someone to do a workshop to show you how to move into action. I am it! As an Emcee and Event Host, I bring the “WOW” factor, creating unforgettable experiences. I keep the program moving with interactive activities, laughter and spontaneity. People may not remember the food and the flowers but they will never forget the experience with me as the EMCEE, Speaker and Workshop Presenter. Want to get started on your Game Plan, go to Amazon.com and purchase my book, It’s Only Halftime, Your Playbook to Your Second Win(d). It’s Time to be the Quarterback of Your Life!!
What does success mean to you?
Success for me is believing in your gifts and allowing your gifts to believe in you without allowing the expectations of others to counter. Once you fully understand the power of your gifts, believe in them and allow them to manifest to their full potential, you have then succeeded in being successful.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.terricrook.com
- Email: terri@terricrook.com
- Facebook: @TerriCrookmedia
- Twitter: @TerriCrook5
- Instagram: @Terri.Crook
Image Credit:
Terri speaking at the Women of Color Empowerment Conference in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (Photo by David Muir of DavidiPhoto Inc.)
Terri emceeing at the Women of Color Empowerment Conference in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (Photo by David Muir of DavidiPhoto Inc.)
Headshot Photo – second attached is by Slingshot Photos www.SlingshotsPhotography.com
The beach photo is by Joni Jones Harris, Miami, Florida. No other credits needed for remaining photos.
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