WADE STEPHENS, 39
Manager of commercial and industrial business, Lard Oil Co.
Sales may very well be in Wade Stephens’ blood: ExxonMobil Lubricant & Specialties honored him as Sales Manager of the Year for the Gulf Coast District in 2013. He has led Lard Oil through an impressive period of growth, managing five company acquisitions since 2006 and expanding commercial and industrial business every year, sending the company onto the elite list of the largest privately held businesses in Baton Rouge.
Inspiring book: Taking People with You
Successful people surround themselves with the best and the brightest and inspire them to work together towards a common goal.
Major professional accomplishments: Distributor Sales Manager of the Year, ExxonMobil Lubricants and Specialties; ExxonMobil Distributor Circle of Excellence; Council Member of Certified Lubrication Specialists; managed five company acquisitions since 2006
Volunteer and community involvement: Active member, First United Methodist Church Baton Rouge; Louisiana Tech University Alumni Board; member, Alpha Strategic Partners; Parents Guild, Episcopal High School; past board member, Elan Vitale Montessori School; Heritage Ranch; company investor/member, Baton Rouge Area Chamber; member, Livingston Parish Chamber of Commerce company; member, ABC Pelican Chapter member; member, Louisiana Chemical Industry Alliance
PROFESSIONAL
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? baseball player
What was your first job, and what did you learn from it? Cutting grass. Responsibility, organization, and sweat equity
What is your favorite place for a business lunch in Baton Rouge? Sullivans
What do you consider your greatest achievement? My 7 year-old daughter, Ella Virginia Stephens
The old saying goes, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Specifically, what are you “being” to make Baton Rouge better? Being involved in organizations that make a difference in our community.
What ritual do you do to get pumped up before a big meeting, presentation or pitch? Nothing specific. I’m naturally a high energy person. There is nothing better than cutting a mutually beneficial deal.
What has been the most fulfilling moment in your career so far? Top Forty Under 40 of course!
What was your professional aha moment? When I chose to leave a great organization like ExxonMobil and join a local company in Lard Oil Co. (an ExxonMobil distributor) to make the Baton Rouge area my home.
How many times will you try something before admitting it doesn’t work? I say three; my wife says that’s a lie.
What is your best productivity hack? Tackle the one thing that is the hardest thing to do first. I think the saying is, “eat the frog first.”
What did you learn the hard way? Shut up and listen.
What does your job entail that would shock customers or clients if they knew about it? Climbing inside dirty oil tanks with a rag and a squeegee. Have done it more than once.
What’s a weird rule at your job that you know is only there because someone was dumb enough to do it in the first place? Don’t throw coffee stirrers down the kitchen drain.
TECHNOLOGY
Mac or PC? Mac for play, PC for work.
What’s your preferred mode of communication: text or phone call? Phone call. I get too many emails and texts.
How low will you allow your remaining battery life to get (in %) before you have an anxiety attack? 10%
How many unread messages are in your inbox right now? Usually between 30 and 150.
What app gets you through the day? Since it’s football season, the ESPN app is most popular now.
Are you quick to adapt to new tech, or did you hang on to that flip phone way after it became obsolete? Quick! I love new technology.
PERSONALITY
How many times do you hit the snooze button? 2
Breakfast at home? Breakfast on the go? Breakfast at your desk? No breakfast at all? On the go!
Is the glass half empty or half full? What’s in the glass? Half empty. I need a refill. Makers and a splash of soda water.
If you could build a statue downtown, who or what would it represent? I’d rather spend the money on traffic improvements.
What’s your motto? Get up to bat and take your cuts. Have the will to succeed.
When did you realize you had grown up? When my daughter said, “Daddy you have a big bald spot!”
Which historical figure do you most identify with? Ronald Reagan. Peace through strength.
Which living person do you most admire? My father. He sacrificed so that my brother and I could have every opportunity for success.
What is your greatest extravagance? I don’t own anything extravagant … yet.
What trend do you really wish would come back? Parachute pants.
If you could choose your age forever, what age would you choose and why? Age 4, because I was a chick magnet. Hasn’t been the same since.
What is your favorite journey? The Journey from 1981 that had Steve Perry as the lead singer. “Don’t Stop Believin’.”
On what occasion do you lie? Salesmen don’t lie.
What is your greatest regret? No regrets. All my mistakes have been great learning experiences.
When and where were you happiest? The day my daughter was born. Women’s Hospital March 20, 2007.
Which talent or superpower would you most like to have and why? Easy: to be able to sing, even just a little.
If you worked for the CIA and needed a top-secret alias, what would yours be? Elwood Blues
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Better …Â nah …Â make that MORE hair.
What’s your most treasured possession? My grill.
If you could live anywhere on this planet and take everything that you love with you, where would you choose to live and why? San Diego. I have bad allergies and the weather is perfect there.
What do you most value in your friends? Loyalty.
What do you miss most about the ’90s? Seinfeld.
If you had to be a teacher of something, what would you teach? Chemistry. I’m a chemical engineer.
What is your theme song? “”Soul Man,” by Jake and Elwood Blues.
Who would play you in a movie? Vince Vaughn, because he can be funny and serious.
If you could go back in time 20 years, what advice would you give yourself? Don’t sweat the small stuff and read more.
What useless piece of information will you never forget? Johnny’s Pizza from my hometown in Bastrop: 318-281-5528.
What makes you laugh every time you think about it? My dog sniffing my daughter her first day home from the hospital when she was born.
Who’s the most famous celebrity you’ve ever met? Terry Bradshaw. Four Super Bowl rings and a Louisiana Tech alumnus.
LOOKING AHEAD
What’s the next challenge you have planned? Write a book.
Three things on your bucket list: Write a book, read the Bible from start to finish and walk my daughter down the aisle at her wedding.
If you have children, what concerns you most about the future they will inherit? Having to deal with the increasing number of people that are the result a failed educational system and having to deal with the repercussions of an enormous national debt.
What would be your advice for future Forty Under 40 honorees? Surround yourself with smart people you can trust.
Do you plan to be in the Capital Region five years from now? Yes
Why have you chosen to make your home in the Capital Region? Good food, good friends, and the opportunity to make a difference.
Have you peaked, or do you think you’ll still have it when we launch our hypothetical “Forty Over 40” awards years from now? Like Lt. Col. Frank Slade said in the movie Scent of a Woman: I’m just getting’ warmed up.
