Meet Audrey Books, BASF’s Membership Director
By Kathleen Guthrie Woods
Kathleen Guthrie Woods is a long-time contributor to San Francisco Attorney magazine. Previous articles include “Lauding Law Academy’s 25 Years of Success” (Summer 2022) and “How to Become a Superior Court Judge” (Winter 2022).
Prior to joining BASF’s staff as Membership Director in June 2023, Audrey Brooks spent eight years working in luxury retail fine jewelry, working her way up to a leadership position in which she oversaw the retail team. She had the privilege of helping the business grow—from two stores to twenty.
“The skills and goals are almost exactly the same as BASF,” she says, with strong communication skills being foundational. In addition to getting creative about how to increase the value of membership, she will articulate that value to current and prospective members. Audrey also takes seriously her role as the “face” of the organization, serving as the point person between BASF and individuals and firms. It all comes down to “serving a client base, getting people what they need, making sure they are being taken care of, and promoting sustainable growth.”
We welcome Audrey and wish her much success. Here are her answers to our questions:
BASF: What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
AB: The first time I took on a people-management role, my manager gave me Danny Meyer’s Setting the Table. He told me that a manager’s job is to serve my team so that my team can serve our clients. This advice has stuck with me to this day, through every people management position I’ve held.
BASF: When life gets tough, how do you pick yourself up?
AB: I spend time with my dogs! I have a three-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (pandemic pup) named Bella and an eight-year-old Chihuahua mix (Muttville foster-fail) named Pepa. I love taking them on off-leash walks at Fort Funston and Esplanade Beach.
BASF: Can you share a little-known fact about you?
AB: I’m a huge K-pop fan! My favorite groups are NewJeans, Twice, and Red Velvet, though my love doesn’t end there. If there are any Bunnies, Onces, or ReVeluvs out there, let me know!
BASF: What do you feel is your greatest achievement?
AB: This is not an achievement, per se, but I’m proud of my love of languages. I’m only fluent in English and Spanish, but can understand Portuguese and (most) Italian. I’ve studied various other languages and am currently working on my Korean for an upcoming trip to Seoul.
BASF: What advice would you give to your younger self?
AB: I’d give advice to my 23-year-old self, who had just moved back to Baltimore from Madrid. She had an MA in Spanish and a BA in Spanish & Women’s Studies and no idea what to “do” with her degrees. She was worried that her degrees weren’t as “practical” as her peers’ degrees and that she’d have difficulty parlaying them into a job. I’d tell her that she can relax—that she has a fascinating career ahead of her. All she needs to do is continue saying “yes” to the next opportunities that seem exciting and challenging. And it isn’t what you know, but what you’re willing to learn.
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