We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tabatha Jones. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tabatha below.
Hi Tabatha, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?
I’ll start with a little backstory. I had been in corporate for nearly 30 years, climbing the ladder, doing the things I was supposed to do, and achieving “success.” Of all the things I did while leading large technical teams, the thing I loved the most was helping others understand their value, build their confidence, grow as leaders, and go after the promotions they desired. Bear in mind, my teams produced millions of dollars for a multi-billion dollar company, and I drove innovation and automation like no one had before me, but for me, it was all about the people and the impact I had on them.
Fast forward to November 2018. I was 48, a Senior Director, and I was sitting in the audience at a women’s conference in Rancho Santa Fe, California (outside of San Diego). As I was listening to the speakers, this little voice in my head kept saying, “Why aren’t you doing this yet?” “Why aren’t you up there?” I told myself so many things (imposter syndrome at its finest): They have PhDs, they’ve worked all over the world, they’re so put together… After the conference, the voice didn’t go away.
I decided to dabble in coaching and started working on my Life Coaching certificate, hired a coach to help me start my biz, and coached clients after my work hours. I LOVED IT!
Fast forward to November 2019, we had been going through a major reorg that started earlier in 2019, and no matter how hard I tried, how much I spoke up, how much data I shared, I wasn’t aligned with the leadership style of the team and found that I was being forced to play small (essentially I was promoted in title and demoted in scope), hide who I was and comply because, as painful as that was, complying was the least painful option. Every time I thought things were going to change, they didn’t. Promises were made and broken, trust was never really there… it just wasn’t for me any longer. I decided it was time to resign and start coaching full-time. The entire team was officially reorged in January of 2020, then in March of 2020, that little pandemic hit, so I decided I needed to wait a bit. I planned to settle my team in, set them up for success, and prepare for my exit.
I turned 50 in October of 2020 and realized that if I didn’t leave the company soon, I never would, and that would leave me always wondering “what if” and possibly living with a lot of regret. In December of 2020, I mapped my timeline and planned my exit… right after bonus payout and my stock options vesting. In early March, I gave notice (my boss was on video and actually choked on her water), and April 2nd, 2021, was my last day of work.
It was scary AF.
My friends and husband thought I was nuts—leaving a multiple 6-figure salary isn’t something many people will do, even if they are miserable.
My employees cried.
I cried.
It was a huge risk walking away from the “stability” of my corporate life, a business I knew, and people I loved while sacrificing an amazing salary and benefits plan.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I got into Career Growth Coaching for Corporate Gen-X Female Leaders because I want to help women achieve their career goals while there’s still plenty of time to do it. Whether she’s seeking a new job, a promotion, or to become a more confident and successful leader, I’ve got her covered.
Gen-X women bring so much value and experience to the workplace but tend to hold back and play small when it comes to sharing our value, talking about our accomplishments, and interviewing. We’re from a generation where confidence is often confused with being cocky or bitchy, and it’s painful when we don’t move forward in interviews as a result of holding back. Growing up, many of us heard “just keep your head down and work hard. You’ll get that promotion.” The truth is, that’s not how it works.
I want women to understand how to show up as their best, most confident version of themselves so they can have important conversations with their leaders, lead their teams authentically, and compete against millennials for open roles or get those big promotions they desire.
I’m different because I have actually walked the walk. I’m not coaching based on theory or schooling; I’m coaching based on my own experience and success in Corporate where I coached hundreds of employees and colleagues and now coach clients using similar techniques and strategies. Also, I was a female leader in tech, so kind of a unicorn.
I’ve personally advocated for myself, which led to 3 promotions.
I’ve negotiated my pay multiple times.
I know how to keep a team engaged when they are scattered across the country; my team sat across around 40 states, and I had vendors in other countries.
I know what hiring managers want to hear because I was one.
I understand imposter syndrome, which impacts about 90% of the women I work with, and I teach strategies to overcome it.
I’ve had difficult conversations and asked for what I deserved many times throughout my career.
I know what a respected, successful leader looks like and how they manage their time and people in a way that sets everyone up for more success. I also know what holds these leaders back and prevents them from getting where they want to go.
I’m not afraid to try new things and encourage my clients to do the same. ChatGPT is something recent I’ve been experimenting with and sharing with my clients (we’re older than Google, we can figure anything out).
My superpower is confidence-building, which is pivotal to the success of every client.
Services: Note all Coaching is on Zoom, so clients are across the US.
1:1 Career Growth Coaching (Promotions, Job Change, Career Transition, Leadership)
Group Coaching – 4-Week Career Accelerator Mastermind
Resume Writing and Strategy
Public Speaking and Corporate Team Training
I’m most proud of the fact that 100% of my clients experience increased confidence, which translates into their job interviews, promotions, and leadership growth. I want my potential clients and followers to know that I’m fun, kind, honest, and will lead you toward your goals in a way that isn’t overwhelming… and if your goal changes along the way, that’s okay too.
I’m most proud of the fact that 100% of my clients experience increased confidence, which translates into their job interviews, promotions, and leadership growth. I want my potential clients and followers to know that I’m fun, kind, honest, and will lead you toward your goals in a way that isn’t overwhelming…and if your goal changes along the way, that’s ok too.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
The best source of new clients for me is referrals. Clients who have worked for me are truly my best marketers. Once they understand how I can help them achieve their outcomes faster, they are able to share their stories and experience, which inspires others to say “I’ll have what she’s having” and they give me a call. Referrals have also led to speaking engagements and small group sessions at corporations.
Any advice for managing a team?
Based on my corporate experience, the best way to manage a team and maintain morale is to start with the basics: building the relationship, staying engaged, and communication. These are pivotal to your success as a leader in your business, just as they are in corporate. Once you’ve spent time building and nurturing the relationship, you gain trust very easily, and trust is the secret sauce! Trust is required in order for a leader to confidently delegate.
Consistent and clear communication is also required, and when there’s trust, people aren’t defensive when hard conversations or uncomfortable feedback have to be given. It helps your team be open to what you have to say. A lot of leaders miss the importance of building the relationship and are confused and frustrated, which leads to micromanaging, unhealthy relationships, high turnover, unhappy leaders, and unhappy employees. It also leads to a lot of wasted time. A team that trusts their leader to always have their back will go out of their way to hit goals, drive innovation, and care more about the greater good of the team and business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tabathajones.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coach_tabatha/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tabatha-jones-4485854/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TabathaGenXCoach/
- Join my FREE Facebook Group for Gen-X Job Seekers: https://www.facebook.
com/groups/genxcareeradvancers
Image Credits
Credit to Pam Bennett-SoPamSocials on IG (with the exception of my speaking into a microphone)