Growing up, Mark Teague loved math and books, and now he’s turned those two passions into a book on lessons learned from a career in the financial world.
“A Working Man’s Guide: Strong Values, Strong Life, Strong Legacy” is a compilation of experiences and the lessons they taught him from both his career and his personal life, including his wife, Melissa, four children and 11 grandchildren. It was partly due to conversations with his family that led to Teague’s book emphasizing the working class, “the heart and strength of the nation.” Teague believes Americans have strayed from the working class ethos and hopes his “Working Man’s Guide” will lead them back.
“Our American culture needs a return to bedrock ideas that bring success,” he said. “This book is a roadmap to take the American working class to success and keep us there.”
Teague stresses three principles in his book: hard work, integrity and resilience. He knows what he’s talking about. After graduating from Bovina High School in 1982, Teague earned a bachelor’s degree in 1985 from what is now West Texas A&M University in Canyon, and a doctorate in agricultural economics in 1995 from Oklahoma State University.
He turned those degrees into a career that included stops at American Express, Toyota and Lexus Financial services, plus a private equity venture. A big lesson learned from his life experience is, “Those that live by traditional values have a better life, no doubt about it.”
By Loretta Fulton
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