Today we’d like to introduce you to Tracy Borreson
Hi Tracy, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Well. I imagine everyone has a long story, so I’ll start at the beginning, which wasn’t all that remarkable. I was raised in a traditional household (dad went to work and mom stayed home), with two younger sisters. After years of coaching I would learn that the arrival of those sisters created a narrative for me about not being good enough, which created good and bad experiences in my schooling and competitive sports career.
Skip to university, where I played basketball, was an honors student, and almost ended it one night after missing an English final exam. I really had no idea where I wanted to go, so I floated into Business School, choosing Marketing as a major. After graduation, I floated into corporate with a role in events. I got to meet Cindy Crawford, but spent most of my time being bored. I also floated into my first marriage.
I bounced around marketing agencies after that, trying to find a place I felt I fit. That wasn’t it. So, I tried MarTech. And that wasn’t quite it either. I finally got to the place, both in my marriage and my career, where I realized I wasn’t being my authentic self for the majority of the time. And I could have kept going with that version of life, which probably looked pretty good from the outside. Except I decided not to.
I left my marriage. Best decision ever.
Then I left my corporate job. Second best decision ever.
And went on my journey of self discovery. And what did I find, you may ask?
I found my love of people. Leadership and helping people succeed (authentically) became my jam.
I found my voice. Both in personal and professional relationships. Which led me to my current partner and into a professional marketing advising career that I love.
I found myself. I reconnected with the things that light me up, and I found ways to incorporate them into both my personal life and work.
And the journey is just beginning :)
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Heck no it hasn’t been a smooth road. In fact, I wish more people talked about how bumpy it gets. I think my biggest struggles were tied into being around the wrong people. People who I couldn’t be my authentic self around, and people who were only cheering for me to succeed if it was on THEIR terms. One of the most difficult things was peeling away all the layers of other people’s expectations to find what I really cared about. But the work is SO worth it.
To overcome the struggles though, you have to take risks. I think that’s something about my character that really helped me along the way; I’m not afraid to take risks, especially when it feels like you have nothing to lose. Or that staying where you are actually is what feels like losing.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
TLB Coaching & Events operates with authenticity at the core, helping individuals and organizations tap into the things that are uniquely awesome about them, and finding ways to share that with the world. Where most marketing is focused on trying to get people to do something, we’re all about building brand communities of people who all want to go to the same place together, and finding ways to do that which ALSO generate business revenue. It is possible, when that’s what you’re intentionally looking for :)
What am I most proud of? One, that the company has taken on many identities over the years but continues to remain true to my core values: authenticity and community. And I’m also proud that I’ve let it naturally evolve. I feel like most companies die because they can’t evolve, so this is something I’m super proud of.
What people should know about TLB Coaching is that here, we do things differently. You won’t find any carbon copies here. No duplicates. No cookie cutters. Only brand advocates who can see the best in your brand, and believe in you standing out from the crowd to do what you’re here to do.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Covid-19 really changed everything for me. It was the catalyst to leave corporate, after realizing for the first time that the work environment I was choosing to be in was a bad decision every day. I knew at that time that I could stay there forever, with a solid income and job security, but I would also never reach my potential. I chose my potential.
I also learned that people can work from anywhere. And the most productive work comes from being a balanced human. When I was going into the office every day, dropping my son off at day care as early as possible, picking him up as late as possible, working into the evenings, I wasn’t able to bring my best self to anything I was doing. Now. I get to take the time I need (and deserve) to create that balance, making me a better coach, better mom, and better partner.
Pricing:
- All Custom
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tlbcoaching.com/
- Twitter: https://x.com/TBorreson11
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClPHMpKPG27OvQKGqBMU4nA
Image Credits
Carlee Pilla Photography, BBoddy Photography, Fred Smith