Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tracey Zhang. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Tracey, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think it takes to be successful?
Success is often associated with a long list of accomplishments in life, but I believe it’s not just about how perfectly you’ve done things. It’s more about the lessons you learn from failure and how quickly you can pick yourself up and keep moving forward. Many of my clients struggle with anxiety and fear of uncertainty and failure when they try to reach their goals. They carry the weight of past experiences, making it difficult to progress. The key is to heal, learn, and let go as fast as possible, as that’s what increases your chances of achieving success.
This principle also resonates with my personal experience. Before starting my own business, I worked for ten years as a headhunter and in sales. Both roles involved dealing with numerous frustrations, rejections, and disappointments. I distinctly remember that our win rate in sales was only 2% at that time. This meant that out of every 100 calls we made to potential clients, only 2 would end up purchasing the product. The remaining 98% of the time, we faced defeat and rejection. Our clients were often high-level executives from well-known law firms and private equity companies, with busy schedules. If we failed to effectively communicate the value of our products within the limited time they gave us, they would move on without a second thought. It became crucial not to dwell on regrets and rejections. Instead, we had to learn from our mistakes, improve our approach, and swiftly move on to the next client. This constant cycle of rejection and learning built my inner strength and resilience. Through these experiences, I discovered how to interpret rejections and failures in a way that helped me grow and ultimately become more successful.
To bounce back faster and stronger from failure, it’s essential to adopt a new perspective. This is precisely what I coach my clients on—helping them shift their mindset when it comes to rejections and regrets. Many people take rejection personally, believing they’ve done something wrong or that they’re not good enough. These limiting beliefs keep them trapped in fear. One of the most powerful beliefs they can develop is that rejection is not a personal attack; it’s simply a mismatch or an indication that the other person wasn’t ready for what they had to offer. Once they embrace this new perspective and reframe their circumstances, they can overcome failures, grow stronger, and move closer to achieving success.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m a personal growth coach who helps aspiring millennials cultivate unwavering faith in themselves so that they can effortlessly manifest fulfillment in all areas of their lives. A significant aspect of my coaching is the transformative process called “Build Your Inner Strength.” Through this practice, individuals learn to reclaim their personal power, tune into their inner voice, and generate a feeling of certainty in themselves when nothing in the environment supports them.
My journey as a coach began during a transformative period in Vancouver, where I underwent a spiritual awakening and inner transformation. It was during this time that I discovered my true calling and completed a 6-month life coaching training program at Rhodes Wellness College—an ICF-accredited course. Since then, I’ve guided nearly 100 individuals on a one-on-one basis, helping them cultivate inner strength and create deep fulfillment.
A significant portion of my coaching expertise stems from my personal life experiences. Approximately six years ago, I encountered profound losses, including a divorce, the passing of a family member, financial setbacks, and relocating to a new country without family or friends. However, it was also during this rock bottom period that I embarked on a journey of deep introspection and inner work, which ultimately led to my personal growth and resilience. I vividly remember a dear friend sharing an insightful perspective during the darkest moments of my life—the struggles I faced were preparing me to assist others in navigating similar challenges.
I used to hold a negative view of myself and the world, feeling undeserving of the good things in my life. I struggled a lot with insecurities and constantly sought validation and attention from others. Moreover, I was driven by an unwavering desire for external accomplishments, aiming to validate myself in the eyes of others and fulfill society’s expectations. Yet, regardless of the extent of my pursuit, a persistent emptiness remained in the depths of my heart. In retrospect, I am grateful that my life underwent upheaval, as it compelled me to embark on a journey of self-discovery.
Over the past six years, I have wholeheartedly dedicated myself to cultivating self-worth in my own life, resulting in newfound joy, freedom, and fulfillment beyond my expectations. Through nurturing my own inner strength, I have risen from rock bottom, where I lost everything, to where I am now—a place of personal freedom, the ability to pursue my dreams, live wherever I choose, and foster meaningful connections. I am incredibly passionate about helping others achieve the same level of personal growth and empowerment.
Many clients I worked with strive to build a fulfilling career, business, or relationship. However, pursuing these goals often brings self-doubt, anxiety, confusion, and fear of uncertainty and failure. The underlying issue is a shared sense of unworthiness. We often attach our self-worth to external circumstances or rely on validation from others. However, true self-worth emerges from an unwavering faith in ourselves, independent of external factors or outcomes. It is a grounding force that originates from within. With my coaching, I help my clients cultivate self-worth and self-belief by building their inner strength. We focus on observing emotions with acceptance and compassion, responding wisely and compassionately to experiences, and taking thoughtful and courageous actions toward their goals.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
My answer might not be what most people expect. I don’t have a set formula for finding new clients. In my seven years of sales experience, I initially spent a lot of time chasing clients and following up to close deals. However, I soon realized that a more effective approach is to create value for people and let that value attract clients. When you genuinely care about others and focus on adding value to their lives, new clients naturally come to your business. It’s all about having the right mindset, beliefs, and attitudes.
When I first started coaching, my training program assigned me the task of coaching three people for three sessions. While many of my classmates chose to work with friends or family members, I wanted to challenge myself by reaching out to strangers. So, I posted about my coaching services on platforms like Reddit, Facebook, and Craigslist. To my surprise, I received a positive response from many people who were open to my coaching. In just a month, I coached twenty individuals one-on-one, and one of them became my first paying client. I don’t suggest that everyone should follow the same steps, as each person’s journey is unique. However, what I’ve learned is that when you align yourself with your purpose, put in the effort to develop your skills and step outside of your comfort zone to help others, opportunities arise automatically.
Finding new clients also requires ongoing creativity. Simply repeating the same strategies won’t yield different results. After initially acquiring clients through platforms like Reddit and Facebook groups, I discovered that reposting the same content didn’t attract as many new people. It was a reminder that I needed to think outside the box and try something new. So, I started a blog and joined a personal branding community. Through these channels, I received requests for coaching from readers of my blog and referrals from other creators and business owners in the same community.
It’s a continuous, creative process. When you feel that you’re not getting enough new clients, it’s a signal to try new approaches. There’s no single resource that guarantees a constant stream of new clients. However, as long as you keep growing, learning, and providing value to your clients, new prospects will naturally be drawn to you. Stepping out of your comfort zone and creating fresh ways to connect with your audience will ultimately attract new clients to your business.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I used to believe that the best way to help those struggling in their lives was to offer advice and tell them what to do. However, since entering the coaching field, I’ve come to realize that the most important thing we need to unlearn is our own judgments and opinions. It’s crucial to respect the client’s values, and beliefs, and to be patient listeners who guide them in finding their own answers. People are not broken and don’t need to be fixed.
There’s an old proverb that says, “Instead of giving you a fish, I’d rather teach you how to fish.” If I were to add to that proverb, I would say that learning how to fish is not enough. It’s also essential to know where to find fish. Regardless of how skilled you become at fishing, if there are no fish in the pond, you’ll come away empty-handed. The final step is to recognize what kind of fish you desire and whether the ones you catch truly satisfy your preferences. This is precisely what fulfillment entails. Sometimes, we become adept at fishing by learning from others or following their advice, and we find ourselves at a pond teeming with fish. We catch an abundance of fish to take home. However, it becomes disheartening if we realize those fish aren’t what we wanted or liked.
To find fulfillment in our lives, we need to open ourselves up to new experiences and a professional who can guide us through inner work to find the answers within ourselves. Once we complete this process, we’ll intuitively know what’s best for us and where to find it.
That’s why, in my coaching practice, I follow the 20/80 rule, allowing the client to talk 80% of the time. This requires active listening and mindfulness. It demands letting go of control, judgments, and opinions, and sometimes relying more on intuition than analytical thinking. When I adopted this approach, my curiosity flourished, and I discovered how effortlessly I could come up with powerful questions that guided my clients to develop new perspectives. Often, the answers they generated for themselves surprised and amazed me. That’s when I know my clients are making progress.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://traceyzhang.com/