Tess Cox & Chelsea Cox Gillman on Transformative Decisions in Business and Life

Tess Cox & Chelsea Cox Gillman of TC&A

Can you start by telling us a bit about yourself and your journey as a leader in your industry?

TC&A was created in 2013. We began working as a mother/daughter team in 2017. Our leadership journey has evolved over the years as we’ve continued to develop our executive one-on-one leadership coaching, team building, seminars and retreats. We have a combined over 50 years of experience in building teams globally as Tess was a leadership coach and consultant serving large public organizations and, I, Chelsea, was a hotelier working with some of the most iconic and revered hotels in the U.S.

What specific experiences or decisions in your journey do you believe have shaped your approach to business and leadership?

The Growth Mindset concept has provided the greatest influence in our decision-making. Our ability to have an open mindset, a willingness to learn, change and grow has influenced our decisions that work best for our clients and for us as an organization. Being lifelong learners continues to serve us well.

Can you share a story of a pivotal moment in your career that led to a significant transformation in your business or personal life?

This 2023 year has been a significant growth experience as we have lead our business through a time of motherhood for the second time for myself and being a new grandmother for Tess for the third time.

Family is one of our most important values and the opportunity to spend time with family when it is growing and changing has required our mindset to stay open, adaptable and willing to change expectations and time frames personally and professionally.

Our work is our purpose, we know this to be true, it is also our legacy.

What factors did you consider when making that critical decision, and how did you weigh the potential risks and rewards?

The value of supporting our families is extremely important to us. What we find encouraging is that we are able to serve our clients within a three day window during the week. This allows for the rest of the week to be clear for us to work in different areas of the business and take care of our family as well.

Most recently, we were asked to lead a seminar in Las Vegas, Nevada. We were able to fulfill our opportunity by a family member joining us to support in helping with the baby. The experience was gratifying and encouraging to us and we continue to bring family members and caretakers with us to seminars.

We know there have been sacrifices in our choice to prioritize family. Yet we are of the mindset that sometimes we do need to slow down to gain more clarity and ultimately have even better, more sustainable outcomes. We can already feel the momentum building for 2024, so we are excited to see how we can continue to make family a priority while also being of service to others.

What challenges did you face during this transformative period, and how did you overcome them?

There were many challenges and complexities to overcome, just as we all experience in work and life. We find going back to the “Growth Mindset” supports our ability to be creative with solutions to any challenge that arises. We coach intentional communication and apply this to our everyday interactions. We understand that life and work have their complexities and can be overcome when there is a mindset of gratitude and looking for the positive outcomes. When we are self-aware and intentional with our actions we can always trust the outcome that is on the other side, and oftentimes it’s even greater than we could have imagined in the first place.

Looking back, what advice would you give to your younger self at that time, or to entrepreneurs and business leaders who might find themselves in a similar situation?

When we seek to release control of an outcome with a person, situation or challenge and embrace being a learner in all things and situations, it is easier to accept the outcome. It doesn’t mean accepting an outcome is easy, it does mean, accepting an outcome when we are trusting that “good” is working on our behalf, it is possible to find acceptance and move forward.

How has that pivotal moment influenced the way you make decisions today, and what lasting impact has it had on your business?

When we are consistent in making our decisions based on our values, we are able to incorporate our “growth mindset” for learning something more. As we learn, it gives us the ability to be more adaptable and accepting of our outcomes. With this mindset, we are able to pivot and move forward on behalf of our clients and business. We have experienced a highly transitional year with gratitude and positivity. As we bring the 2023 year to a close and reflect on this past year, we have everything we need to continue our thriving business. We’ve been consistent in our relationships both professionally and personally and look forward to building what is already on our schedule for 2024 New Year.

In your opinion, how important is it for entrepreneurs and business leaders to have these transformative moments, and how can they best prepare for and learn from them?

The very nature of being human is unpredictable. We have found our Leadership Blueprint to be foundational for us: First, we lead with our character. The integrity of who we are. We build upon our character with our individual and team competencies that complement our leadership coaching and the work we provide for our clients in person and behind the scenes. We constantly work on being consistent in our work, which builds trust with our clients and businesses. We are curious within the relationships we create and find our business thrives with the strengths of our relationships. Our Leadership Blueprint provides us the energy we need and the confidence to continue moving forward and growing our business. We are grateful for our journey. It has taught us more about ourselves than any other business we could imagine being a part of.