A Career Forged Through Hard Work

Reflecting on a childhood that shaped both his outlook on life and his professional path, Tere says: “I could have ended up in jail if I had stayed where I was… or I could learn the value of hard work.”

He chose the latter, forging a successful career in the NSW club industry, candidly sharing his professional and personal journey in a new episode of the ClubLife Podcast released today.

Raised on sheep and cattle farms in regional NSW, Tere credits those early years with instilling the discipline that underpins his leadership today.

A shift in family circumstances saw him leave the land and enter the club industry, starting by washing glasses and cleaning ashtrays before working unpaid weekends simply to learn how to pour a beer.

“That went on for about two or three months and I use this story to all my staff now — not that we can do that anymore — but if you want something in life, hard work gets you there,” says Tere on the ClubLife Podcast.

“By me committing to doing that and learning to pour a beer, one of the staff at the time fell ill and they had no staff to fill a position, so I got my first paid shift pouring beers and I guess the rest is history.”

That determination to learn and improve would eventually see him propelled into club management, where he quickly discovered both the demands and the opportunities of the industry.

His first role at the Red Rock Bowling Club came with a steep learning curve, but also reinforced the importance of understanding every aspect of club operations.

“I think that’s the key to being a successful club manager — having a crack at every part of the business,” he says.

After a brief stint outside the industry, Tere returned to clubs, eventually taking on the CEO role at Cherry Street Sports Club in Ballina at a time when the business was facing significant financial and cultural challenges — but nothing that was insurmountable.

“We treat people with respect, give them a reason to come to our venue and give them a reason to come back,” he says.

That same mindset would go on to shape what Tere now considers the defining achievement of his career — the creation of Purple Friday.

First developed at Cherry Street following the tragic death of local woman Lindy Lucena in 2023, the initiative was built around raising awareness of domestic and family violence and supporting those affected.

What began as a local concept quickly gained momentum, with clubs recognising both the importance of the cause and the practical role they could play, culminating in the first state-wide Purple Friday in May this year.

What makes Tere’s contribution all the more remarkable is that, behind the scenes, he was navigating profound personal hardship. 

While his wife was undergoing treatment for an aggressive and rare form of brain cancer, he was faced with the unimaginable task of telling her that their son had lost his life in a truck accident.

Despite these hardships, he credits the support of his staff, the club industry and the wider community for helping him through.

“Our community support was phenomenal, that’s what got us through and that’s why I love our industry so much — that’s what kept me going,” he shares.

In a wide-ranging interview Tere also discusses the Club’s successful amalgamation with Club Lennox Sports, the enormous role the Club played during the 2022 floods and the club leader he turned to for support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Click on the link below to hear the full interview with Tere Sheehan in Episode 23 of the ClubLife Podcast, which is also available via ClubLIFE.com.au, Apple, Spotify and wherever else you get your podcasts.

If you have a suggestion on who might make an interesting guest for a future ClubLife Podcast episode, get in touch with the team by emailing [email protected].