How Tenacity Executive Coaching Became a Brand—and a Calling
“I loved my branding photo session. Alissa increased my confidence as an entrepreneur. Her photos made me feel and look even more like the boss!” That is what Pat Taylor Todd, Esq., PCC, SPHR, SHRM-SCP said about her branding session.
“I have always been an outlier. My family members are very hard workers, but no one went to college. I am a first-generation college grad. From the time I was in late elementary school, I made a personal plan to go to college. Being bused across my city for desegregation purposes, while not optimal, opened my eyes to other schools and opportunities.
For instance, I found out there was a prestigious public college preparatory high school, the Philadelphia High School for Girls, right in our neighborhood. Without even telling my mother, I applied and was accepted. I continued to surprise my family with my academic plans – first high school, then college, then law school.”
Being a self-starter became Pat’s way of life. “I worked hard at getting through college, paying my own way, and studying whenever and wherever I could. I chose to do whatever it took.”
To pay for college, Pat worked a variety of jobs, taking her weekly pay to the university business office and paying whatever she could toward her never-ending tuition balance. But working so many hours had a drawback. “Although I excelled in English and language arts, I had to take remedial math, which didn’t count toward graduation. My advisor told me I wouldn’t graduate until December 1988, but I had applied for and been accepted into law school for September of that year. I had to graduate with my class. I took extra classes to get out on time and kept working, breaking out in stress-induced eczema. But no matter, I told myself, ‘I can do it. I will get it done.’ And I did.”
An experience Pat had working at a retail shop led her towards labor and employment in law school. As a cashier, Pat was responsible for counting her drawer for deposit, but one evening, a visiting supervisor took cash out of her drawer, remarking she would put it back. “But she didn’t, and the next day, I was pulled into a meeting with the supervisor and the union representative and accused of stealing from my own drawer! From then on, I insisted on counting my drawer in front of my supervisor. That experience increased my interest in unions and employee law.”
Throughout Pat’s career, she used her advocacy skills. Eventually, she began to see a pattern: her concern for employee justice and spurring her colleagues to greater things emerged as a desire to become a coach. As she considered starting a coaching business, she remembered a moment in time from law school.
“During law school moot court, the premise for my case was a dispute over which of two possible statutes of limitations applied. I will always remember my oral argument. The volunteer judge asked me, ‘Why didn’t your client file his first appeal on time? And I rebutted, ‘That is irrelevant. He was entitled to rely on the later appeal deadline.” So, I won Best Oral Argument, and the judge said, ‘Wow, you’re quite tenacious!’ That word has stuck with me my whole career and inspired me to name my business Tenacity.
Tenacity Executive Coaching is for accomplished and emerging leaders who are talented but feel stuck and might even be on the verge of talking themselves out of their breakthrough. Coaching can change all that. What a difference a conversation can make!
For my rebranding session, I decided to update my look and wear my hair in braids. Alissa saw how the expression of my personal style and my strength as a coach worked together, and she produced pictures that authentically represent me. I am excited to use them on all my platforms and business cards. They are great!”