Today we’d like to introduce you to Lacey MacLeod.
Lacey, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have always had to pave my own path. I was married right after college and quickly found myself as a trailing spouse trying to secure a good job in my line of work year after year while my husband climbed the typical corporate ladder. I managed to always be growing by being transparent about my story and the fact that long-term loyalty as an employee would be impossible. I also made sure to provide immense value for whatever time I was with the company. This approach landed me with promotional opportunities every time I moved, and I found myself in an Executive role at a mid-sized company by the age of 30.
In order to continue to grow professionally, I was encouraged by many mentors to seek employment at a large corporation. I intentionally, if not begrudgingly, took a step back in responsibility to enter the corporate ranks at a Fortune 30 company. I was told point blank by many leaders at that company that I would need to bide my time in rising back into leadership. They were wrong. I was promoted 4 times in as many years, and was enjoying a fruitful corporate career. I let my results speak for me, genuinely tried to help as many people as I could, and push for change that modernized culture, best practices, and policies.
And then…another relocation came into our lives for my husband’s job. He received an offer we could not refuse, and the corporation I worked so hard for provided no flexibility in my location. Though many people worked remotely, I was not allowed to do so. They asked me to choose – them or my family. The choice was simple and also incredibly difficult. I chose my family. I resigned and told myself I would find another amazing corporate career. We moved to Chicago in the summer of 2019 and I did land another great corporate job by late fall. This time in private equity. Four months later, the pandemic hit and my company was impacted deeply. I was laid off. Well, let me expand upon that. I was asked to lay off everyone except about 30 people. I was handed a list of those who would stay employed and my boss left the room. I looked at the list and my name was NOT on it.
So there I was…quarantined at home with my 5 year old son, no family nearby, and my husband working ridiculous hours as an essential worker.
This seemingly low point actually created the space I needed to process all the changes that had occurred in my career over the past year. It was in these months that I knew I wanted to create a business that would help people through major changes in their career, whether they chose them or they were forced into them. In a few short weeks, the concept for Talent Uplifted came to life.
I founded Talent Uplifted in July 2020, right in the middle of a global pandemic. I knew that there were many people out there like me who were high performers being thrust into transformational change. I knew I had experience and skills that could help them. I knew I wanted to coach individuals and teams, just as I had in my career. I just needed to learn how to do that. So I ventured on a journey to do 2 things:
1) Learn how to build and grow a business.
2) Deepen my skills as a Coach.
A little over a year later, I can tell you that I proudly serve clients who are looking for a transformational performance coach. I have greater clarity, skill, and value to offer my clients. And my clients are those who **know** that inside of them is the ability to live the life they desire. We center our conversations around their career, and design that career to fit within the broader vision for their life.
I’m still learning, and I always will be. Entrepreneurship, just like coaching, is journey where the magic happens along the way instead of at the end. I am embracing the journey so that I can help others embrace theirs.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I doubt the road is smooth for anyone, and in my case the road was bumpy. Not only did I face challenges that are difficult to overcome (i.e. – why do you change jobs so often? why do you want to leave that amazing job for that one? Yes we know you are one of our best but we still can’t give you flexibility), but also I really didn’t have any role models. The women I knew who were successful in their careers did not have families.
The women I knew who leaned into their families, didn’t love their careers. No one in my family had a corporate job. I grew up in a small, midwestern town of 750 people. I didn’t even fly on an airplane, or see diversity until I was 16 years old. I simply didn’t know what was possible. And I couldn’t find any role models to show me the way.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Talent Uplifted?
Talent Uplifted provides transformational performance coaching. Through the use of assessments, visioning, strategizing, and action-oriented coaching, I help clients create clarity, remove the noise, and get into action that will move them toward the career and life they desire.
My experience leading corporate transformations taught me the power of combining change management techniques with the best practices in learning and development. I put these unique perspectives and skills together with coaching tools to help my clients reach peak performance (as define by them) without the burnout that is so often thrust upon us in a hustle culture. I believe there is a better, healthier way than the “hustle-grind-burnout” culture pressed upon us today.
If I could share 2 things with readers about Coaching, it would be this:
1) know that Coaching is not a course where knowledge will be shared with you. Coaching is an experience where the strength, beauty, and knowledge that is already inside of you comes to life and works for you.
2) if you don’t know where to start (or you don’t have a ton of money to spend), let Talent Uplifted help you create a clear starting line and a platform built for momentum through the Assess Your Energy Program. It’s affordable, accessible, and extremely IMPACTFUL. You can get started right now.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Resilience and courage are critical to happiness and satisfaction. Hard work is not a bad thing. In fact, it’s the best thing. It’s normal to experience challenges and emotions as humans. There is a place for those just as there is a place for results and special occasions worth celebrating.
Okay, those were 3 important lessons, but I have to share them all!
Pricing:
- You can get started with Coaching for just $750 through Assess Your Energy. If you mention this article, I will provide a special pricing of $500 for this program.
Contact Info:
- Email: lacey@talentuplifted.com
- Website: www.talentuplifted.com
- Instagram: @laceymmacleod
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/talentuplifted/
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/talent-uplifted/
Image Credits
Talent Uplifted LLC
