ProRodeo Sports News - January 26, 2018

do things that I can’t do. Together we can do great things.” I know I can do some things that a rodeo background person can’t do, they just haven’t had the experiences. But, I also know I don’t have rodeo experiences, so I realize that I have that need. I have no doubt that together we can do great things in the coming years. What’s your vision to make the PRCA bigger and better, including expanding its reach internationally? This starts with us jointly developing a longer-term vision together that grows the sport. That is about this listening tour, it’s about working with the staff, it’s about us doing some great things together. We have to continue to expand the customer experience in partnership with the committees, both physically and digitally. Digital is becoming an increasingly important part of that experience. We have to have web properties that people can use on their phones when they are at the rodeo, so it makes the physical experience better. But then when fans are away from rodeo, it gives us a way to keep them engaged in the sport with amazing content. That’s a big, important piece for me as we move forward overall, and I think expanding the reach of rodeo and the Western lifestyle, which is really appealing to broad, cross sections of people globally, is also important to focus on. There are also great growth opportunities in our existing markets. If you look at rodeos per capita, in our country, it is heavily weighted to the West. We have great opportunities to grow rodeo in our home base, but also, the work we are doing with Mexico and Brazil and continuing to expand. The reason those things are important is because as you increase your fan base, you increase your ability to drive revenue. This provides even more opportunities for our membership and sponsors. You’ve said you want input from members. How do you plan on going about that? I already started. I went to the Cowboy Downhill (in Steamboat Springs, Colo., Jan. 15) before I even started the job, and the reason I went there was to begin to hear from people. After I accepted the job offer, I interviewed every one of our board members, who represent large groups of the membership, to hear directly from them. I’ve also had individual emails that I have received, and even a letter written by a caring member. The process has begun. As we move forward, one of the things I’m going to ask the staff to think about is as we develop our broader growth initiatives, I want us to find a way to solicit

see in society today where we spend more time talking about what makes us different. Let’s focus on what we can agree on and go do it better than anyone else. I think that’s what made our country great and is what will continue to make this organization thrive. Explain how your business background benefits the PRCA? I worked for two great companies that had phenomenal brands, IBM and Caterpillar, and I had the responsibility to grow the brand of Caterpillar as a Chief Marketing Officer. In partnership with this team, we have to figure out how to keep growing the PRCA brand, a great historical organization that we are humbled to serve. Again, I talked about unity, but one of the challenges in business is bringing people around a common purpose and that’s what I did for my career. I think I can help the PRCA with that. The other thing that’s unique about the PRCA is that it’s everything from individual families, who are involved either as contestants or contractors, to massive companies that are sponsors. Caterpillar had independent businesses that owned their dealerships, and we also worked with strong, successful fortune 500 companies. My experience spans those types of issues. A lot of the work that we did around strategy and taking the business to the next level of profitability, that’s what I want to seek out. The PRCA is really a collection of businesses in that same way. I will look to leverage my relationships and experience as a NASCAR sponsor, working with ad agencies, developing shows and exhibits, driving licensed merchandise, digital businesses, etc. The focus is clearly to drive growth for the benefit of our membership. What was it like growing up in rural America? I grew up in Morton, Ill. Morton has about 13,000 people, and I think the values in small towns are really, really powerful, those things about faith, family, friends and working hard. I think for me, one of the great things as a parent raising children in a small town was really good because there’s a different accountability because everybody knows what you are doing. As a teenager we might not have appreciated it, but as a parent it was phenomenal. Morton is the Pumpkin Capital of the World and has an amazing harvest festival that is worth attending. I feel extraordinarily blessed to have grown up in a small town and have the work ethic that it produced.

How important is faith to you?

input – maybe digitally – as to what those things might be. This is a member-driven organization and I want people to feel like they have an opportunity to provide input. What are some of the experiences you are looking forward to in your first year? For me, it’s really about attending rodeos, being with the

I probably am always thinking about, “Am I living up to it?” I get inspiration from many quotes, but I think the core verse for me and my family is, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” - Joshua 24:15. That really is how we try to evaluate and think of things. My son-in-law sent me an email about a month ago and it was really powerful. An excerpt from it reads: When I say, “I’m a Christian,” I’m not shouting, “I am saved!” I’m whispering, “I get

George Taylor and wife, Chris (middle). Top left, Taylor’s daughter Whitney with husband, Andrew, and son, Gage. Bottom left, Taylor’s son, Cameron. Top right, Taylor’s daughter Courtney with husband, Brad, and daugh- ters Emma (left) and Lylah. Bottom right, Aspen. Photos courtesy Taylor family

lost sometimes, that’s why I chose this way.” When I say, “I’m a Christian,” I don’t speak with human pride. I’m confessing that I stumble needing God to be my guide. When I say, “I’m a Christian,” I’m not trying to be strong. I’m professing that I’m weak and pray for strength to carry on. Faith is something that’s very important to me and my family, and we strive to live with its core values every day.

membership and working

together to unify the organization. A risk for the PRCA and any organization is that they can become fractured if they don’t have a unifying, shared purpose. I’m really excited toward a goal that wins the hearts and minds of membership such that it begins to grow again. To be successful we cannot fall into the trap that we

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