I Live The Western Lifestyle

I LIVE THE WESTERN LIFESTYLE

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS WITH C JASON SPENCE

What is your occupation?

Professional Auctioneer specializing in competitive livestock and real estate auctions. I’ve had the good fortune to use the talents that God gave me – a great voice and good humor to glorify him along the way. The auction business has taken me across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Netherlands, Australia and South Africa.

Flashback to when you were 10 years old. What do you want to be when you grow up?

Being an auctioneer has been my passion for most of my life. I stayed focused and developed a career that I absolutely love. It wasn’t an easy road. Early on it kept me free of assets and time, however, now I am fortunate to have a schedule that I direct and the best clientele.

What are some causes you care about?

I am very dedicated to youth programs that involve livestock. Stock shows have been a part of my life for over 40 years. Had it not been for these events, lessons learned and the relationships built, I would have been hard pressed to find a more real world model for what life brings. As a way of giving back, over the past five years I have donated high-end custom-made boots to various causes raising over $250,000 for charities.

How do you want people to remember you?

I want them to realize that without God in your life, the long term will be one out of making the sale forever, that’s the reason that I start every sale with a prayer. Although we are in a competitive industry, I want people to realize that our job as parents and leaders is not just to get to the backdrop but to teach our kids that the most important lesson is how to get to the Pearly Gates.

What do you think are the best skills that you bring to your job?

Quintessentially, my best skills are product knowledge and the ability to read the crowd. You can’t sell when you know nothing about the product and you can’t sell to a person that can’t relate you.

What publications do you regularly read?

Word of the Day from Bob Gass Ministries, Trade-A-Plane, Purple Circle, Showtimes and my favorite -- Western Ag Life!

What is your greatest fear?

Whataburger and Blue Bell Ice Cream are both taken over by the government…it would be a sad, sad day in Texas.

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

Teddy Roosevelt. His writings are amazing and his life was certainly never boring. I had the opportunity to hold a pair of his spurs before they were purchased by the Smithsonian, it was one of the greatest days of my life. My favorite quote of his is, “Bodily vigor is good, and vigor of intellect is even better, but far above both is character”.

What’s a typical day for you?

I am awake just after 5 am. I start the day by reading my daily devotional, the business reports and checking the markets next, I start with emails and then take my youngest to school. Breakfast is quick and then it's off to office where I try to keep track of all of the projects. The key time for most calls is between 9 and 11, as I can catch most people regardless of time zones. Lunch varies but is never the same, afterward I am back at the office trying to focus on upcoming sales. At 5 I try to pick Spencer up from school and we go to the barn so he can ride his horse, Smart Colonel (I really like that name) and then back to house for supper. Bedtime for Spencer and phone calls for me until 9 where I usually read until 10:30. It is hard to slow down mentally but anything over 6 hours rest is a win. I try to pray when I go to bed and when I awake.

Would you rather live on a farm or a ranch?

I have had to good fortune to live on both. This best to describe them: “They were hot, dry and dusty in the summer and cold, windy and dusty in the winter. I lived in the three different cities and they were all worse than living in the country”.

What are you happiest doing, when you are not working?

Alone: The most calm and pristine time for me is an early morning flight in my Cessna 210 when the sun is peaking over the clouds with smooth air it is a rare opportunity to take in God’s works. Family: My two boys, Gage 15 and Spencer 7, have the most fun giving commentaries about life events, making up our own lyrics to songs and debating the rivalries between Texas Tech and Texas A&M. If it involves fly fishing, Gage is superior and rest of us “beat the water with our fish sticks,” is as one guide described us.

Why do you live the, #westernaglife?

Ãnimo! from Spanish culture which translates to the “spirit that drives your passion”. My life is my career --- selling livestock and promoting youth, I couldn’t think of a more rewarding way to go thru life. I am not sitting behind a computer screen clicking, I am sitting behind a microphone selling to real people.