In honor of Women’s History Month (March 2021), Tracy Wood shares some women that have inspired her personally and professionally.
While Tracy has never met Rosa Parks personally, Parks’s strength and courage have inspired Tracy throughout her life. “It takes courage to be a great leader. Sometimes it takes so much courage that you are risking your livelihood,” said Tracy. Parks took action, and Tracy acknowledges that sometimes as a leader, you have to take action, even when it’s difficult.
Brené Brown’s phrase “Clear is kind” serves as an inspiration for Tracy as she makes difficult decisions in a male-dominated industry as a woman of color. She loves this quote because it shows how standing up for what you believe in a clear and kind way can make a difference.
For the first time ever, our country has a woman serving as Vice President. “It warms my heart that girls of all colors can see a woman having a seat at the table,” said Tracy. She is encouraged because Vice President Harris shows how far we have come as a country. “I look forward to telling my grandchildren that I got to watch our country’s first female Vice-President be inaugurated in January 2021,” said Tracy.
Tangela is an entrepreneur in the Chattanooga area. “She spends a lot of time coaching leaders and strengthening the presence of diversity and equity,” said Tracy.
Some of the other women Tracy shared about as her inspiration were Meghan Markle and Oprah Winfrey, two women of color who have made history in their own spheres of influence.
“Women are making a difference,” said Tracy. “Women are advancing in our communities, our country, and it is a great time for dreams to come true. Women moving through history is just another example of going from Grave to Great.”
