Tyrone Bufkin is a student of many trades but a master of one: life & business results. Tyrone Bufkin believes getting results is a team sport, and to know how to help, he learns a little about a lot. He loves working out long-term strategic solutions and figuring out how all the pieces fit together. To achieve results, Tyrone is willing to be an advisor, a leader, a coordinator, or the person doing the thankless menial work.
Tyrone Bufkin is and has always been an entrepreneur. Tyrone never noticed the lack of resources in his youth because his dreams were too big. Tyrone's hard-working single mother also raised his older brother and, later in life, his younger sister. Tyrone's mother worked long hours to pay the bills but often came up short, so Tyrone began his hustle. As a cute little kid around 13 years old, Tyrone would hit the street asking strangers for money. Panhandling was Tyrone's introduction to sales and marketing. Tyrone learned to understand and accept rejection, money management, and the importance of appearance.
At 15, Tyrone decided to earn money instead of asking for handouts. Shortly after making this decision, God ( or whatever you choose to call Him) created an opportunity. While walking home from school, Tyrone overheard an owner of a peanut company and his employee arguing just outside the store. As Tyrone got closer, the owner yelled, "You know what? That's it. I'm firing you!" And the employee walked off with fury. Tyrone grabbed this opportunity and approached the owner, saying, "Looks like you need a new employee! I can start working today."
The owner smiled and responded, "I'm afraid you're too young," and turned to walk back into his store. Tyrone brushed off the rejection and followed the owner inside to continue the conversation. The owner thought it over and eventually agreed to hire Tyrone on a trial basis. Tyrone's goal was simple; he would outwork every employee the owner had. This strategy worked too well; within a few weeks, the owner cut Tyrone's hours because they were producing too much too fast.
Tyrone bought a ticket to a Saints game during his first day off. He noticed that there was not a person currently selling peanuts in the Superdome. So Tyrone negotiated with the owner to buy his surplus peanuts if he would restore his original hours. Tyrone then sold the purchased peanuts at the Superdome for double the cost, the birth of Tyrone's first business. Once Tyrone succeeded at the Superdome, he expanded to sell peanuts at other events, such as the Jazz Fest and Mardi Gras parades. Don't worry; Tyrone rarely missed a day in school, although this was when he began questioning the practicality of the information.
What kept Tyrone in school was the desire not to achieve any stereotypes of black men at the time. He didn't want to have children at the young age, be arrested, deemed lazy, or be a high school dropout. While the education he was forced to learn seemed useless, Tyrone realized there was another form of education that could be cashed in immediately and it was free. People had such knowledge and experience and were willing to share it. The right information at the right time was the key to getting anything.
Since the first job, Tyrone held two or three positions at a time in the workforce. Over the years Tyrone has held more than 37 different volunteer, employment, and equity positions in manufacturing, retail, financial services, hospitality, professional services, music entertainment, transportation, technology, and economic development. Some may call Tyrone a workaholic but he just says work feeds his love for learning and progress. One of the critical truths that Tyrone learned during this period of life was that you cannot get through life alone. Though Tyrone grew up lacking resources, he was never without love and mentorship, especially from his mother, his beloved guardians at Boys Hope Girls Hope, and his God-parents.
It took a long time, many mistakes, and multiple mentors for Tyrone to figure out what we wanted to do with his professional life. After having so many jobs at such a young age, he was able to determine that what he loved was figuring out how businesses work. What makes them fail or succeed? It was interesting to find out that the old guy telling stories by the water cooler and consistently missing deadlines turned out to be the lynchpin keeping the business moving forward. Or the quiet and unassuming customer who didn't say a word during their experience but is the very reason the business goes under.
Today, Tyrone is married to an unbelievably strong woman named Kayla Bufkin. He describes her as the missing link that unlocked the desire for God-like love. Tyrone strives to live a fulfilled life by helping people in life and business who assist people with their products. Tyrone feels called to create, design, assist and grow various companies that provide more value to their customers than what the customer pays for. Tyrone has a passion for working with entrepreneurs and a love of making life better for someone through an idea transformed into action. While Tyrone is not an expert, he has adopted a single belief that has driven his entire life; " I never give up! I may back up, but I never back down. I always find a way to succeed because I don't know how to quit."
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Awards & Certifications:
"Tyrone's outgoing hospitality and willingness to go above and beyond speaks volumes. I have enjoyed working along side him over these past two years in Sales and can't wait to see where his future leads him. He's handled all the "exciting" changes we've faced with a positive attitude and is not afraid to push boundaries. His involvement in the community is a great representation of LBA culture. The team is incredibly lucky to have him, and I'm so thankful for everything he's done for the property and the team." -Joseph Richard, Feb 2025
Experience:
Community Involvement:
Kayla Bufkin, Administrative Assistant
I have a bio; trust me, it's good, but I still need to write it. It will be 50-75 words long. I will detail in one sentence my role within the company. I will express my brand. I'll let you know what makes me unique. I'll tell you about my big goals and aspirations. I'll list 2-3 most impressive and relevant achievements. I'll close with an offer to contact me.
Random Fun Fact:
Kelli Landry, Software Developer
I have a bio; trust me, it's good, but I still need to write it. It will be 50-75 words long. I will detail in one sentence my role within the company. I will express my brand. I'll let you know what makes me unique. I'll tell you about my big goals and aspirations. I'll list 2-3 most impressive and relevant achievements. I'll close with an offer to contact me.
Random Fun Fact:
Dominique Bufkin, Writer
I have a bio; trust me, it's good, but I still need to write it. It will be 50-75 words long. I will detail in one sentence my role within the company. I will express my brand. I'll let you know what makes me unique. I'll tell you about my big goals and aspirations. I'll list 2-3 most impressive and relevant achievements. I'll close with an offer to contact me.
Random Fun Fact: