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Nea l Gondr an
S
ometimes when the best
laid plans go awry, you
realize that maybe they weren’t
the best for you anyway. Or
maybe you just weren’t able to
see other possibilities at the time.
That’s what happened to
Texas native Neal Gondran,
national sales manager for BEST
Promotions USA, LLC (UPIC:
bestusa). Born and raised in
Austin and Corpus Christi, he
grew up hunting and fishing with
a deep love for the outdoors and
a desire to protect wildlife.
“I received a degree in
criminology from Texas A&M at
Corpus Christi and wanted to
stay in the region as I pursued
the job I really wanted, as a
game warden for Texas Parks
and Wildlife,” Gondran says.
However, getting a job as a game
warden proved difficult and he
settled for doing investigative
work for Child Protective
Services (CPS) while waiting for
an opportunity.
“One of the most important
lessons I learned was that,
regardless of how good you are
at your job, if you don’t love
it, you will never be satisfied,”
says Gondran. “I got a lot of
satisfaction protecting children
and putting a handful of people
in prison who egregiously
violated said children, but the
work was taking a significant
toll on my mind and body. I was
detailed and thorough in my
work, which led me to climb the
ranks quickly. I was very good,
but I did not love the work I was
doing, even though I was doing a
lot of people a lot of good.”
After a couple years of being
unsuccessful in getting hired
as a game warden, Gondran
acknowledged that CPS was not
a long-term career option for
him and it was time to make a
change. “At the time, I was dating
a girl in the Dallas area who was
a family friend of Mike Hicks,
owner of BEST Promotions [in
nearby Balch Springs, Texas].
Neal Gondran’s
first career choice
didn’t work out,
but maybe that
was for the best.
by
Julie Richie
The Courage To Change Course
Gondran and his wife,
Erica, celebrating their
wedding in Mexico.
106
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DECEMBER 2016
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