We were lucky to catch up with T K Bradford recently and have shared our conversation below.

T K, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When you were first starting out, did you join a firm or start your own?

I started out by joining a firm. I did this because I believed at the time that it would be the best way for me to break into the business world, and I didn’t come from a background where I had extensive knowledge about owning, starting, or purchasing a business. Looking back, I definitely believed that this was the right way for me to go, because this path opened up so many opportunities for me that have extended through my entire life.

I always knew that I wanted to be a professional/ businessman. Let me take a moment here to interject something that I have learned to be true that I didn’t realize that I was doing when I made the decisions that I made. When you truly want something, and you can believe it because you can see it – you can actually visualize it, the universe will lead you to it. Now a little more detail about how joining a firm. I had recently left a position in retail, so at the time, I was out of work. I had a chance meeting with a gentleman at a teller machine. He was about my age and we started talking, and when I asked him what he did, he told me that he was a stockbroker. This was definitely something that I had thought about doing in my course of deciding what I wanted to do as a businessman. He told me that his company, E.F. Hutton was hiring at the time and, that I should come up and apply.

Not long after that, I did go up to the 49th floor of the US Steel Building wearing what when I look back now, was one of the tackiest suits that you could possibly own, but it was popular at the time. It was a Robin egg blue, polyester three piece suit with cuffed bell bottom pants. If you’ve seen the movie ‘Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy’, then you would have a spot on visual of what I might have been wearing. I’m very good with matching clothing and styles, so I had it paired with a white shirt, and an orange/ blue/white tie. I was pretty sharp – for the times, and In my head!!

I didn’t realize it at the time. But when I walked into the EF Hutton office everyone kind of stared at me -like they had never seen a person of color before. I later learned that they were staring at me because they thought that I was a professional athlete, because those were the only people of color that ever stepped foot in the doors of a major brokerage firm in the City of Pittsburgh.

There was a little bench seat right inside of the doorway, and. I just sat down there to wait for someone to come over and talk to me. Someone did come over and ask me if they could help me, and I told them that I was interested in a position there as a stockbroker. The young lady said OK, and just have a seat.
The person who I met at the ATM, and who had actually told me about the position, happened to not be in the office that day, so I didn’t recognize one single person. 2 1/2 hours later., I am still sitting in that same spot. Reading every magazine on the table next to my chair. After about an hour and a half, I’m starting to get agitated because I’m a relatively impatient person to begin with, and I’m a big fan of Time Management. It occurred to me that maybe they had never seen an African American applying for a position as a stockbroker, and so they didn’t know what to do with me. About three weeks after starting at E F Hutton, I learned that I was spot on with my assumption, learning that I was only the third ever African American to become a stockbroker in the City of Pittsburgh. The other two were basically plants by their prospective companies to attract other professional athletes to place their money with their firms.

So, after approximately 2 hours had passed, some other gentlemen came in the door. It was obvious that they worked there. They were rather red faced, boisterous, and reeked of alcohol. They greeted me and went about their way. About thirty minutes later, one of the gentlemen came up to me as I will still seated in the chair, and said “hi, my name is Eric. What can I do for you”? I told him that I was interested in becoming a stockbroker. Without hesitation, he said “sure, come back to my office”. We talked for 25 or 30 minutes, and he asked me a lot of questions. Understand now, this is one of the people who came in the door as I was sitting waiting, who was red faced, glassy eyed, boisterous, and reeked of alcohol. After another 30 minutes of questioning and just conversing, Eric said “Let’s do this”, and he told me to come back in two weeks because he was going to be on vacation, and he needed to get corporate approval, and to order my training materials.
I came back two weeks later, went to the 49th floor of the US Steel building, went through the doors of E. F Hutton, asked to see Eric, and was again seated in the same spot. Eric came over to greet me, and was somewhat puzzled to see me. I needed to remind him that we had a meeting two weeks prior. As it turns out, Eric was so drunk, that he didn’t even remember hiring me! (I soon learned after about two weeks of working there that ‘drinking your lunch’ was pretty routine with about half of the office). However, Eric being a man of his word had me fill out an application, hired me on the spot, ordered my training materials and told me my start date!

The first few years were good – after I survived the first six months Coming from a steel mill family in western Pennsylvania didn’t prepare me for the other world where people had lots and lots of money. For the first six months I was very intimidated by the entire experience, and it was tough for me to get started because I was so concerned about making the wrong decision for my clients. I had total paralysis by analysis. It took me awhile to realize that many of these people expected to lose the money that they had invested because they knew that the stock market was volatile, but they understood the risk. It really threw me for a loop for a while until I understood that. Some of my clients could lose millions of dollars, and not be affected by it. Whereas where I come from, if someone lost $500, it may have possibly meant not having the mortgage or rent paid, food for the family, or potentially having your utilities turned off. Once I got over that fear, I was totally comfortable, and was able to gr0w a nice business and reputation. Understand, I was actually only there for two years because the opportunity came along for me to purchase a corporation – which I did.

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

Over twenty-five years of successful experience in Business Management, Business Consulting, and Marketing. President of The Bradford Group of Companies, LLC, which consist of The Bradford Group Financial Service Company, The Bradford Group, a company that specializes in consulting to non-profit organizations, and for-profit companies of fifty employees or less, World Leadership and Personal Growth Institute, a company that specializes in empowering people to increase their Human Potential and quality of life through Personal Leadership Development, and Bradford Property Division, a property investment and management company.

COO of Premier Counseling LLC.

The Bradford Group of Companies has offices in Pittsburgh PA and Columbia SC.

Over twenty years 0f served as Chairman, President, Executive Board Member, or Consultant to various organizations including Boy Scouts of America, Parent Community School Council (Pittsburgh Public Schools), and many others. Former member, Board Chair or President of many other organizations in Western Pennsylvania and the South Carolina Midlands area. Currently a member of the advisory board for The McNair Institute for Entrepreneurship and Free Enterprise, as well as The Diversity Consortium.

In addition to serving as Board Chair for non-profit organizations, I’ve worked with United Way of Allegheny County in various capacities for over fifteen years. A Master Consultant for P.A.C.E. (Program to Aid Citizen Enterprise), and a member of P.A.C.E.’s Executive Coaching Team. Consultant for the Robert Morris University and Bayer Centers Non-profit Leadership Institutes’, Managing for Excellence Initiative, and is listed in the Leader-to-Leader Institutes National Directory (formerly the Drucker Foundations National directory). Founding member and past President of Toastmaster International Chapter 1104, and a former member of the National Speakers Association, Pittsburgh, PA Chapter.

I’ve worked in various industries and businesses. Most of which I was recruited to because of my successful track record in sales. Currently I am President of The Bradford Group of Companies, LLC, which consist of The Bradford Group Financial Service Company, The Bradford Group, a company that specializes in consulting to non-profit organizations, and for-profit companies of fifty employees or less, World Leadership and Personal Growth Institute, a company that specializes in empowering people to increase their Human Potential and quality of life through Personal Leadership Development, and Bradford Property Division, a property investment and management company.

COO of Premier Counseling LLC which was founded to provide mental health counseling for Seniors throughout the state of South Carolina, and a new Child and Adolescent Division was added, as well as expansion into North Carolina in the fourth quarter of 2023.

All companies offer a variety of products and services to meet the needs of each businesses core constituencies. All organizations set themselves apart by providing high levels of service which means prompt and professional follow up and proactive independent problem solving.

I’m probably most proud of all of the ‘new to entrepreneurship’ entrepreneurs that I’ve previously and currently have been able to mentor. I didn’t have that luxury when I purchased my first corporation at the age of 26.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

1. Genuinely concerned about solving your customers/patients’ problems.

2. Plain and simple……consistent, persistent follow up and BOTG – Boots on the Ground! This is how all entrepreneurs have become successful from the beginning of time, and will be to the end of time.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

1. Jonathan Livingston Seagull

2. The Power of Positive Thinking – Dr. Norman Vincent Peale

3. How to Win Friends and Influence People – Dale Carnegie

4. Who moved the Cheese

5 Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive – Harvey McKay

6. Anything by Earl Nightingale

7. Anything by Simon Sinek

8. Les Brown – You’ve Got to be Hungry

9. Books by Zig Ziglar

10 . Psychology of Selling – Brian Tracey

Contact Info:

• Website: thebradfordgroupfinancialservice.com
• Instagram: bradford.tk
• Facebook: The Bradford Group financial Service Company
• Linkedin: T K (Tim) Bradford