We were lucky to catch up with Stephanie Vigil recently and have shared our conversation below.

Stephanie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I have always been in awe of a fast talking auctioneer that encourages people to raise their paddle for a good cause. They’ve been known to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars in a matter of minutes.

I emceed numerous charity events, working side by side with auctioneers, during my decades as a TV News Anchor. I remember telling one of them, “When I grow up I want to be like you”.

I still haven’t grown up, but earlier this year I enrolled at the Western College of Auctioneering in Bozeman, MT and have never looked back.

Practicing tongue twisters daily was so fun and funny! I could feel my brain engaging while I’d laugh so hard botching phrases like “Round the Rough and Rugged Rock the Ragged Rascal Ran. Chanting stimulates my brain and I enjoy the challenge of making sure I’m making sense.

The art of chanting sounds different depending on what you are selling. Car and livestock auctioneers have a much faster chant. Benefit auctioneers, like myself, don’t chant as fast. People in the audience like us to speak clearly and want to know how much they are buying an item for.

The skills needed to be an Auctioneer is the ability to command a room, effective communication, and believe in the organization you are representing. You need to practice keeping an audience engaged and present. You need to be able to allow them to have an experience, feel the pressure of the moment, and the opportunity they have to make a difference in the lives of others by bidding and winning fabulous prizes and trips. The chant comes in time and with lots of practice.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

There is nothing more important to me than making a difference in this world. I’ve spent decades as a journalist listening and reporting on the stories of others. I have witnessed heartbreak, agony, defeat and sheer terror on people’s faces. I’ve also seen triumph, elation, redemption and resurrection. Transitioning from news anchor- to- auctioneer felt natural. Now, I can turn my attention to helping organizations reach their goals while knowing that many burdens can be eased through the generosity of others.

Everyone Needs a Hand Up

I am proud to say I have the best mentor in the country who has taught me more that the art of auctioneering. She has opened my eyes to the world of “auctiontaining”. Letitia Frye, is a powerhouse in our profession. She’s Auctiontaineer to Presidents of the United States, and many A-List celebrities, and well known charities. She has served our industry well for more than two decades because of her generous heart and willingness to help others.

She has mentored many new to the industry and has catapulted them into the a realm many never realized existed. Tish and I talk weekly and each time I hang up the phone I know I have someone who cares about my success and wants to see me serve this industry well. She focuses on the heart of an organization and why it’s important for those seated at the table to understand the cause, and it’s effects. She’s filled with passion and emotion and she has given me the “special sauce” to make an event more and more successful, year after year.

An Auctiontainer understands all aspects of the special evening because they have worked with their clients every step of the way. I could not have asked for a bigger blessing in my life, at this stage of my life, than to have Tish say “yes” to spending time with me to teach me all aspects of this amazing profession.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I’d always dreamt of being a journalist. As a young kid, I’d watch the news while others my age were watching cartoons. I realized my dream a couple of years after college and lived the dream of being a tv reporter/anchor for more than two decades.

But, like anything, the want and need for more over time became evident.

I’d dabble in small business, go back to school to receive my master’s degree and offer my help to others. But the longing to be in California near my two sons, the one’s I had very little time with when they were young, caused me to take a closer look at my life… and that is when the BIG change occurred.

The tide turned and in the blink of an eye, I changed course. I quit my job after 25 years at one tv station in Washington, dissolved my second marriage, and moved to San Diego. Three life changing moves that put me on a new path.

At first I delved into the world of pickleball apparel, only to realize it’s a grind I didn’t have the stamina for. Then, I remembered my love for helping others and the respect I had for Auctioneers. I remember the moment I made my $500 deposit to the Western College of Auctioneering college in January. It was then I knew my pivot was about to take me on a tremendous new journey, and it has.

Today, I am both an Auctioneer and Ringman. I have had the privilege of meeting some of the greatest in the industry in just a matter of months. My years of emceeing events and galas has helped me tremendously. Auctioneering is an action- packed job that allows you travel, meet amazingly generous people, and keep your mind sharp all while raising money for worthy organizations.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson we all need to “unlearn” is don’t let fear paralyze you.

“Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse that the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God and with eternity”. _ Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

This is one of my most favorite books, given to me by my son. Don’t let fear stand in the way of realizing your dreams. It’s a beautiful world with many magnificent lessons to learn. Enjoy the journey and find your Personal Legend.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.vglauctions.com
• Instagram: vglauctions
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-vigil-245211b/