"Fires, Spiders and Bears, Oh My!" Looking Back at 30 Years of Writing Bail with Joyce & Jim Alexander

 

Joyce and Jim have been married for over 30 years.  From the very beginning it just made sense.  Something about their personalities just fit together.  He was the yin to her yang.  His love of risk, complemented her pursuit for stability;  his spontaneity, complemented her thoughtfulness and pragmatism. And together they had a thirst for life and adventure that would be a guiding light for their lives.

The first part of their adventure did not start in bail, but rather in the restaurant business.  Joyce owned and ran a bar and grill, and after marrying Jim, they both ran it together.  Until, one day, there was a fire and the bar and grill burned to the ground.  While most people would be at a loss after the destruction of their business and livelihood, Jim and Joyce saw it as an opportunity to do something new.  Jim suggested that they pursue a career in writing bail bonds.

People get into the bail bond industry for numerous reasons.  Joyce and Jim Alexander, did it for the adventure.  From the very beginning of their relationship it has been one adventure after another.  Since Jim was the risk taker, he led the way.  Joyce being the careful one, she made sure they did it the right way, followed the rules and took care of their clients to the best of their ability.

Before Jim and Joyce could start writing bail they needed to be licensed.  While they were waiting to get in front of the bail bond board, Joyce had the unfortunate circumstance of being bitten by a brown recluse spider.  She was admitted to the hospital for 10 days while she recovered.  During this time, the Bail Bond Board scheduled Joyce's licensing hearing while she was still in the hospital.  So Joyce negotiated a 3-hour hall pass from her doctor to go home, change out of her hospital gown, and attend the BBB hearing.  A long story short…Joyce got her license, spider bite and all.

In the beginning Joyce and Jim knew very little about bail, but that did not  stop them.  Jim and Joyce had a couple friends who were bondsmen and those friends told them a lot about the industry.  The good and the bad.  Early on, Joyce and Jim sought to treat their clients with respect.  They always declined to discuss their clients with others.  They felt the men and women who were caught up in the criminal justice system should be given support and have their privacy respected to allow them to regroup and successfully navigate the system.  

Their thirst for adventure was not quenched by starting a new career writing bail bonds.  Joyce and Jim continued to seek out new challenges.  At at age of 58 Joyce obtained her college degree.  Joyce and Jim also have taken their sense of adventure on the road with dozens of RV trips across the country. 

Everyone refers to them as Mamma Joyce and Pappa Jim.  They have developed life long ties to clients and have bailed out the children and grandchildren of those clients they bailed out and helped get back on track when they first started in the business.  

Joyce credits her longevity, professionalism, and honest approach to the business to the Professional Bondsmen of Texas.  A long-time member, Joyce reminisced how older bondsmen would take her and Jim under their  wing and teach them how to be successful in the business.  They taught her how to do things the right way.  Hard work, honesty, and no cutting corners She felt that these valuable lessons and opportunities to interact and learn from experienced bondsmen were invaluable.  Even today she feels it is important for every Texas bondsman, new and experienced, young and old, to join the state association; to share their experiences and knowledge with the next generation of bondsmen so that the bail industry continues to grow in the best way possible.

Fast forward 30 years, thousands of bonds written, Joyce and Jim are finally stepping back and retiring.  They have become well known legends in PBT, Wise County, and across the State of Texas in the bail world.  Good honest people who worked hard to make the bail industry better for everyone.

From fires to spider bites Joyce and Jim’s adventure in bail has been anything but boring.  Joyce says that they will always look back fondly on their career as Texas Bondsmen.  But now, that adventure is coming to a close, and they are ready for the next adventure.

Joyce and Jim Alexander are once again starting over.  We wish them the best as they look for their next challenge and the new adventures that will come with it.

        The Professional Bondsmen of Texas