Member Spotlight: Tracey Gutierrez
I reached a breaking point in my career and personal life. I had “made it” professionally and was running a large team after climbing the corporate ladder and working my butt off for almost 20 years, most of that in advertising sales. A tremendous amount of stress came with that responsibility; I had 2 young kids and I hardly ever saw them or my husband, who also worked long hours. I had no hobbies to speak of, or time for anything outside of work and I was far from feeling strong and healthy. Bottomline- I felt like a complete failure on both the home and career fronts.
Confused and really stuck, I sought help from a life coach who helped me realize that I would be happier leading a life more aligned with what I valued most in life, which included spending more time with my family, less stress, more focus on my health, and generally, "balance," which we all know can be so very elusive!
One of the first things that my coach and I worked on together was to figure out what areas of my life I was most unhappy with, and from there, we were able to identify steps that I could take each week to help me make forward progress and improve my life. When you make incremental progress like this, it doesn’t always feel like it’s making a difference, but over time, you can truly transform your life for the better.
One of the biggest changes I made was professionally. Looking to find a more meaningful career that would give me more flexibility and time with my kids, I took the bold step to enroll in a professional coaching certification class. The following year, I left my corporate job to dedicate my life to helping others find meaning and purpose in their lives, both personally and professionally. I have never looked back!
I help women and men pursue a career change that will bring them the happiness they deserve, creating amazing, unique, fulfilling lives for themselves and their families. I work with people at three different stages:
1) I love helping people connect with a sense of purpose and design their dream careers. This is my true calling and I could do this all day long!
2) Once they have figured out what they really want to do with their career, I provide help with the mechanics of the job search, such as resume and LinkedIn coaching, interview skills and salary negotiation.
3) For folks who enjoy their work but are feeling stuck in their jobs because they haven't progressed in the way they would have liked, I provide career strategy coaching on how to get to the next level.
One of my friends told me about The Co-Co when it had just opened and it sounded right up my alley! I didn't join at first because I had just invested in redecorating my home office, and didn't want to admit to myself how much I actually disliked working from home! As much as I loved my office, I really craved the energy of other people. I also love to network and have "colleagues" to talk to and build camaraderie with, which I could not remotely replicate at home. I went to the open house that The Co-Co had earlier in the year and absolutely loved everything about it, but I was having a hard time deciding and just kept putting it off and fantasizing about it. But then early on during the pandemic, I participated in my neighbor Alexandra Carter's virtual book launch through The Co-Co and enjoyed it so much that I decided it was time to join! I'm so happy that I did... I just wish I hadn't waited so long!
I love the energy of other people busy at work, soaking in all of their motivation and ambition and making things happen. It inspires me to be my best and bring my A game to my work. It has really helped my business by giving me an intrinsic network of professionals with whom I can brainstorm and share best practices. I have only been a member of The Co-Co for a short time but already I feel tremendously supported by the management team, and have met some amazing women. I'm so thrilled to be part of this amazing group!