“I enjoy being out and talking to people and learning about new businesses,” says Tracy Marcus, Leeds branch manager for BancorpSouth.

Tracy Marcus acknowledges that the public has “a lot of misconceptions” about banks, most of which are related to trust.

“In the current economic environment, people are leery of banks, and it’s a trust issue,” she said.  “As recently as 2005, when I started in management, it wasn’t that way.  Gaining trust is the number-one thing you have to overcome now.  Safety is important to people.  They wonder if their money is safe, and they want to feel that it is.  In the past, people used to have confidence in FDIC insurance, but over the past few years, people are not even confident of that any more.”

As manager of BancorpSouth’s Leeds branch, for Marcus, a North Carolina native and mother of three who holds a degree in economics, addressing those concerns is all in a day’s work.   She explained this week why she’s confident asking customers to do business with her financial institution, while also addressing such lighter topics as what she enjoys most about motherhood and why she has an aversion to bubble gum.

About BancorpSouth:  “It’s 136 years old, which means it’s been a bank since the 1880s.  Longevity is a big part of our company’s story.  It had the same CEO since it went public in the early 1980s until last year, and it always paid dividends, even during the economic downturns since 2008.  I feel that we do inspire trust and confidence, and it’s why I feel comfortable getting people to bank with us.”

Her favorite part of her job:  “Being out and talking to people and learning about new businesses.”

How she describes herself:  “A bit reserved.  I enjoy being out and talking to people, but I’m still a little shy.”

Her favorite indulgence:  “All things chocolate, especially Ghiradelli dark chocolate caramel squares.”

Her favorite guilty pleasure:  “Reality TV cooking shows, such as ‘Chopped,’ ‘Master Chef,’ and ‘Top Chef.’”

Her favorite amusement park ride:  “Good old fashioned roller coasters.”

The person she most admires:  “I know this is weird, but Joan of Arc. She believed that she was following God’s orders and did so to her death. She faced all odds in a time when it was not acceptable for women to have a voice and be heard, but she was a leader.”

The best advice she ever received:  “No one has to ever upset you, hurt your feelings, or let you down.  Your perception of what someone says or does is what hurts your feelings or makes you mad or lets you down.  Change your perception, and you are always in control.”

Her greatest fear:  “Spiders.”

What makes her laugh:  “My kids.  Every day.  I never wanted kids until a couple of years after my husband and I got married, but once I had one, it was great.”

The best part of being a mom:  “I love it all.  I even love it when they wake up in the middle of the night.  It may be exhausting, but being a working mom and not having a lot of time, I look at it as more time that I get to spend with them.”

If she could change one thing about the world:  “I’d like to see people be more accepting of each other.  Some people live in their own little bubble and if anyone doesn’t fit into it, they’re not willing to let them fit.  I believe it’s a Christian teaching that you should be accepting of people.  You can say people aren’t living up to Biblical standards and still accept them as a person.  That applies to a person’s economic status, family status, political status – everything.”

Her personal style:  “I like to think it’s laid-back, although I’m at the age where I try not to dress too laid-back.  Is there such a thing as casual conservative?”

Her favorite leisure activities:  “Growing up in North Carolina, I love hiking and camping, but I don’t do it as much as I used to.  Since leaving the mountains, I’ve never gotten used to the heat.”

Something an acquaintance might be surprised to know about her:  “Bubble gum makes me physically ill.”

If stranded on a desert island with one book, one magazine, one CD, and one meal:  “The Bible’s automatically there – it’s a guidebook for life.  The magazine would be Natural Health.  The CD would be Nora Jones, although that’s kind of relaxing, and if I was on a desert island, I might not need to relax.  I’d probably still go with that, though.  The meal would be steak, prime rib or rib eye.  I love a good medium rare steak.  I don’t even need a potato.”