Tracy J. Edmonds
“You can't have career rediscovery without doing the work of personal rediscovery.” - Tracy J. Edmonds
The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to reflect, realign goals and take a new personal or professional direction. That is why, throughout January, Herd Strategies is highlighting people who help others rediscover their passions and purpose. Tracy J. Edmonds, author and entrepreneur, pulls from her own experiences in corporate America to help other women find the courage necessary to own their worth and shape their careers.
Tracy J. Edmonds is the owner and CEO of TJE Coaching & Consulting, LLC, where she serves as principal strategist, executive coach and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) strategist. She has over 30 years of corporate experience, from HR to operations to program management, including serving as Chief Diversity Officer at Anthem, Inc. Consequently, Tracy brings strong business and leadership perspectives to both DEI conversations and the executive coaching she provides for primarily minority women. Tracy is also an author and speaker on the topics of diversity, inclusion, authenticity and leadership. In 2021, she released her book, “Wild Hair: A Courageous Woman’s Guide to a Bold and Authentic Career,” which achieved Amazon's international bestseller status. In her book, Tracy shares the lessons she learned during her corporate career, instilling in readers the skills, insights and capabilities to create careers they love.
Tracy’s role in coaching others to find their purpose may never have come to be without her own rediscovery journey. Two years ago, when plans to transition to a new corporate role fell through, Tracy took it as a sign to reflect on what truly motivated her and what legacy she wanted to leave from this next stage in her career and life. Ultimately, she decided to pursue her purpose: empower and enable more women to create successful careers driven by the center of who they are and their authentic skills, talents and styles. Tracy began building her business and writing her book toward that end.
Authenticity is at the forefront of Tracy’s philosophy. She holds that self-honesty is the first and most essential step toward discovering our true purpose and capabilities, as it requires us to continuously look inward to identify our needs, wants and dreams. “When we do this work of continuous rediscovery, we're able to understand the blueprint of who we are, what we do incredibly well and our unique impact on teams, organizations and the world,” Tracy shared. “Having this knowledge gives us a foundation to dream big and achieve those dreams.” With so much possibility for fear to stunt our work of personal truth-telling, she warned against setting our sights too low that we limit ourselves and our unique capabilities.
A defining aspect of Tracy’s work is to help women identify their own truths in terms of identity, purpose or career goals. “We can't address things that we won't call out into the light,” she noted. “I also work with my clients on understanding their unique leadership brand: who they are, what they do like no one else and how their authenticity can make a difference in their career, teams, or organizations. I make sure each of my clients can fully own who they are and the difference they make in the world.” These realizations are key to attracting organizations and roles that align perfectly with their talents and aspirations.
Often, women – especially women of color – are not validated for who they are and what they uniquely bring to their work. As a result, consistently and confidently being authentic at work requires dedication. Tracy shared her four key steps:
Be completely self-honest about your capabilities, contributions and goals
Take one step toward your goals
Practice – take another step
Be resilient and find your supporters
Tracy’s book outlines how to differentiate between what you are simply capable of and what will help you live your purpose. Finding your passion involves asking yourself and others you trust what energizes you or puts you in the zone. “This is your passion,” Tracy emphasized. “Everything else is just work.”
To keep up with Tracy, connect with her on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Find her book on her website or through Amazon.
