We were lucky to catch up with Tracy Borreson recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Tracy, thanks for joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.
I’ve heard that people won’t take a risk until it’s more uncomfortable to stay where you are. This is definitely true for me.
When I created my business, I thought it would always be something I did on the side. An outlet for my desire to see people grow and succeed. But after I went back to work after having my son – he’s now 5 – work just didn’t feel the same. Which was confusing for me…because when I left, I LOVED my job. But when I went back, all I could think about was how, as a time trade, I would rather spend time with my son than doing my VP, Sales & Marketing job.
But I also knew that stay-at-home-mom wasn’t in the cards for me (god bless the mom’s who can do that!) So I needed to do SOMETHING meaningful in terms of work, but I didn’t know what that was. And I knew that, so long as I was working full time, I’d never be able to figure it out.
So, I quit.
And I started exploring. I talked to a LOT of people. Small business owners, consultants, coaches. Anyone who would share their journey with me. And I started to learn the differences between the things I CAN do and the things I WANT to do. The things that feel like I’m really making a contribution to the world,
For me, that’s manifested in working with entrepreneurs and small businesses to optimize the people in the marketing and sales functions to create marketing and sales teams that truly WORK to generate sales. To keep awesome businesses doing awesome things in business, and paying their employees.
It took some time. And it’s still in progress. But at least now I’m paying attention to what’s important to me, and not just executing someone else’s agenda.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I never had one space where I belonged when I was growing up. I always flitted between a whole bunch of spaces.
This may not seem relevant, but give it a minute ;)
I wasn’t a cool kid by any stretch of the imagination. BUT, I was on the sports teams (basketball and volleyball), and the cool kids were on the sports teams, so I fit in ENOUGH to be “safe”. I wasn’t an artist, but I did paint watercolor and dance. So, I fit in ENOUGH there as well, although I was never a top performer. I primarily identified as a “nerd”; I loved school and I learned all the things that I could; so much so that I took an EXTRA Academic Challenge class “for fun”. That made me fit in with the academics ENOUGH, but I was the only one who traded study time for softball practice.
I never 100% fit into any of those predefined categories. Which also meant that I never had a place where I could be myself 100%. I could be ONE specific part of myself at a time. I couldn’t bring my interesting science factoid to the basketball team. I couldn’t be in the school musical, because basketball practices and musical rehearsals were at exactly the same time. I couldn’t turn off my artistic side in my IB classes, and it showed in my grades compared to my classmates who focused solely on academics.
And so, I got good at being who I needed to be in any given space. A Jack-of-All Trades per se; if each “trade” is a part of my identity.
But when I became a mom, I looked at this path and compared it to what I want for my astounding multi-dimensional son. I realized how often I had to hide the pieces of myself growing up; and while that made me a “master of disguise”, I don’t want my son to have to hide any piece of himself EVER. I might be able to “fit in” anywhere, but I never had a place to belong. And all I want my son to feel is that he belongs, no matter what.
He deserves it. And I deserve it.
So not only do I strive to create space for my son to accomplish that, but for ALL people.
The corporate work environment is historically one where people leave their personal brand at the door. All those amazing multi-dimensional pieces that make a human unique. I strive to bring that BACK to the workplace, and empower people to build relationships based on who they truly are, while capitalizing on their unique genius to contribute to organizations in ways only they uniquely can.
Togetherness based on Uniqueness is kind of my thing.
And it’s available for sales people and marketing staff. So why deprive them any longer?
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
One of the lessons I had to unlearn was that “full time” = 40 hours a week.
In corporate life, this is just an expectation. So when I entered entrepreneurship, I used to always say I worked “part-time” because I only worked 25 hours a week (that’s all that’s available to me while my son isn’t in school for a full day).
But when I left corporate, I told myself that I could make the same amount of money working 25 hours a week.
And why CAN’T a full-time job only take 25 hours a week, if we’re being really productive with our time.
The thing is, it CAN.
I just needed to change my mindset.
So now, I tell people I work full-time, 25 hours a week. Because honestly, I get WAY more done now in 25 hours a week, with the right intention, than I ever did working 40, 50, 60 hours a week in corporate.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Ooh, I believe in a good pivot :)
I think innovative businesses are constantly pivoting…not completely changing who they are, but adjusting what they do to better serve the market based on new information.
The biggest pivot I’ve made was transitioning from 1:1 coaching into a community-based model. The reason behind it was something I learned in a course I took: The 7 Days to Passion Clarity Challenge.
I learned that I’m all about Collective Contribution. Which means I contribute, yes, but that others are also expected to contribute THEIR unique genius as well. And that can only happen in community.
I launched the Your Business Peeps Community in 2021 and now, we are at 146 members actively supporting each other in growing their digital presence in an authentic way. And I love it. 
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tlbcoaching.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracyborreson11/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tracy.l.borreson/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandsthatspeak/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TBorreson11
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClPHMpKPG27OvQKGqBMU4nA
- Other: https://www.yourbusinesspeeps.com/share/V0J-6OxkPVsS2LrY?utm_source=manual