Robert F. Tom
Shareholder, Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC
What you would be surprised to know about me
I love bass fishing.
My Greatest Strength
I consider conscientiousness about the work I do to be my greatest strength. When you care about the work you do, you always treat it seriously and do the best job you can. Conscientiousness is something that shines through. Clients take notice, trust you, and feel comfortable leaving work in your hands, when they know that you will handle their matters with the same care and detail as if you were handling something for yourself.
Who Inspires Me
My mother and father. They are the most hard-working and determined people I know. To this day, my mother still gets up at the crack of dawn and sometimes works 12 or 13 hour days. My parents worked hard and sacrificed in order to provide the best for my brothers and me as we were growing up. They always did and still do put us before themselves.
My parents instilled in me the idea that very little in life is free. You have to work hard and be determined to achieve your goals. I owe where I am to my mother and father’s work ethic. My motivation and drive to do the best job I can comes from them.
Lessons I’ve Learned
Don’t let setbacks discourage you. Learn from them and push on. Hard work, determination and continued perseverance, despite setbacks, will separate you from the rest.
My Best Career Advice
Never give up on your goals, however unattainable they may seem. Goals are not reached overnight, but instead, one step at a time. Never be discouraged by mistakes or setbacks. Instead, realize that they are inevitable, everybody makes them, and that you learn the most from your mistakes.
My Favorite Quote
“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure… than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”
– Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt’s quote eloquently sums up my philosophy on success in life.
