Let me introduce myself
Hello! This site is new and I may be new to you also. I’m potentially popping up in your feed and inbox, so let me tell you a little bit about who I am and why I’m here. My name is Stacey, and I’m a suburban wife, mother of two, pet-mom to two Shih Tzus, and self-proclaimed geek and decorating hobbyist. It’s been a winding road to get here, and I’m excited to share a snapshot of my journey with you.
Growing up in a small Texas town, life often felt like it was on slow-motion, and I always had a sense of being a little out of sync. I started college while still in high school, moved about 90 minutes away to finish college, and graduated at 20. I was in a real rush to be an independent adult. (Note: Do not recommend.)
Eager to dive into my chosen field, I started part-time work right out of high school. Then, I leaped into a full-time role while still juggling college… only to discover the reality didn’t quite match the dream. So I found myself starting my dream search over at age 20.
Within two years, I fell into consulting.
(That is another story for another day.)
Fast forward a dozen or so years, and I found myself at the helm of a successful boutique consulting firm with a fantastic team. Professionally, it was incredibly fulfilling. However, as a single mom, the long hours meant I was constantly torn between being CEO and the parent I wanted to be, leaving little room for other aspects of my life. Without looking back, I returned to corporate life to gain better work-life balance.
Personally, I did well. I built a family that I adore.
Professionally, I was fortunate to be part of some truly unique, once-in-a-lifetime projects. These experiences allowed me to develop a diverse skillset across various industries and specializations. While some roles were more rewarding than others, I always took away valuable lessons, which propelled me forward until my last corporate position.
Two years ago I was in a senior leadership position with a comfortable salary and bonus plan. Life seemed like it was going great.
But this nagging headache came on and just would not let go.
A week later I made an appointment with my doctor.
Two weeks later I asked for a leave from work to focus on finding out what was going on.
Three weeks later I had my last day at that job so I could stop traveling and crazy work hours to focus on myself.
A couple of weeks into my healthcare journey, the lack of freedom to just do what I needed to do started to get to me. When I ran my own firm, no one would have ever had to resign from the company to go take care of their health. I regretted giving up the freedom of business ownership.
My husband and I then started a family business. We agreed to a one-year pilot to build our business plan and get things off the ground while I search for a diagnosis and proper treatment. Just over eight months later, root cause was sorted out and my headache finally ended. Relieved, I started to re-assemble normal life.
The family business was not taking off the way we had hoped, so I started looking for full-time work again. OH, how the market has changed! If you’re in the market now, you know what I’m talking about. Getting a job is not like it has EVER been before. Nothing seems to work, it’s hard, and it seems to defy logic. I bet many of you can relate.
After a bad in-person interview where someone made way too much of my years of experience, I reached a breaking point. I’m honestly not THAT old!
I would rather spend my time helping people.
My biggest lesson learned career-wise is that I think like a consultant, and that’s why I’ve been agile in supporting companies across industries and functions. I’m opening my consultant toolbox to teach you how to problem solve like a consultant.
Much of my experience is from global IT transformation, sales transformation, or M&A programs – big, complex problems. The common themes break down simply and apply across industries, and you can do it too! I have a lot to share, and we’re going to have so much fun improving things together.
So that’s how Strategic Stacey was born.
I want to help you succeed, and I have knowledge and expertise to share. I’m starting here with this website, which will contain blog posts, a newsletter, and links to our more interactive elements.
We are opening a community called The Collective where members can come together to talk, to learn, to participate in webinars, weekly chats, and more. We are also launching The Strategy Hub, a library of sorts where we will host templates, workbooks, courses, and other ways to collaborate and support one another in sharing best practices, lessons learned, and ways to succeed at work.
I hope you’ll join us on this journey and take part in it!
Strategically Yours,
