Episode Details
Back to Episodes
“Get to know as many woman as possible who can lift you up and help you be confident in yourself” with Tracy Franz
Description
In this episode of Scale HER Up – The Female Entrepreneur Show, I’m joined by Tracy Franz of SmartPA, a business administration and performance specialist who has been running her own business for almost eight years. Tracy helps business owners streamline their operations, protect their time and spend more of their day doing work they actually enjoy.
Tracy shares the very personal, powerful story behind her business. She opens up about her experience with addiction, what life looked like at her lowest point and the hard work of getting clean and rebuilding from scratch. From there, she talks about the decision to create her own business rather than go back into traditional employment, and how that choice has changed her life, her confidence and her sense of purpose.
We dive into imposter syndrome – especially for women who didn’t take a straight-line path to where they are now – and the “who am I to…?” voice that can show up even when you’re great at what you do. Tracy talks about the danger signs of burnout, the pressure to say yes to everything as a service provider and the importance of putting boundaries, support and rest in place before your body forces you to stop.
Tracy also shares how she learned to look outside the box in business: saying yes to opportunities that felt a bit scary, tailoring services instead of trying to do everything for everyone, and using her own lived experience to connect with clients on a deeper level. Goal setting is a big part of that – not just big revenue targets, but personal goals about who she wants to be, how she wants to feel and the kind of role model she wants to be for the people around her.
Above all, this episode is about the power of women who lift other women up. Tracy talks about the women who believed in her when she didn’t yet believe in herself, the networks and friendships that have supported her through tough times and the importance of surrounding yourself with people who will remind you who you are when you forget.
This is an honest, hopeful conversation for anyone who’s had to restart, is battling imposter feelings or needs a reminder that your past does not disqualify you from building something brilliant.