Advocate for Yourself (as hard as you do for your clients)

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She’s a former social media director, turned influencer marketing strategist and talent manager… Molly Tracy opened her agency Vrai in April of 2019. Vrai classifies itself as a digital communication group for brands and babes with a point of view. Vrai stands for true and their mission is rooted in uplifting and amplifying female founded brands and voices so they can share their own truths. We are super excited to have Molly on the podcast today. Her story is so relatable and she’s so vulnerable on this episode and offered such good insights. I appreciate a woman who is willing to share their truth. So Molly, welcome to the podcast. Molly, it is so nice to have you on today as a fellow city girl, but from Chicago, or tuning in from Chicago at least. It’s so nice to have you on the show today. So thank you so much for joining us.

Molly Tracy:
Thank you for having me, Jessy. I’m so thrilled.

Jessy Grossman:
Yeah, absolutely. So first and foremost, you’re quarantining in Chicago, where are you from originally?

Molly Tracy:
I’m actually from Detroit originally. So I’ve been in Chicago for gosh, just about five years now.

Jessy Grossman:
So cool. I’m such if I love Chicago, you guys really know how to do the summer. You guys are like living your best lives during the summer.

Molly Tracy:
It’s three months a year that we really take ownership. You have to take advantage. But other than that, I’m looking out my window right now we have four inches of snow. So.

Jessy Grossman:
Just visualize sunshine and warm weather.

Molly Tracy:
Yes, Exactly.

Jessy Grossman:
Absolutely. It’s chilly here too in New York. But yeah, I love I love Chicago we had, I’m thinking back even to gosh, probably even like a couple years ago at this point. We had an in person event. Those are the only kinds two years ago.

Molly Tracy:
The good old days.

Jessy Grossman:
Yeah, the good old days in Chicago. We had one event there and we had like such a good turnout. And yeah. Tell me… Talk to us a little bit about your community in the influencer space in Chicago. What does influencer marketing look like out there?

Molly Tracy:
I’m so fortunate because influencer marketing, the space here is just it’s so great. Everybody here is so supportive of each other. I think it’s just like that Midwest niceness like radiates through this influencer community too. And everybody is very supportive. You know, people try to show up to people’s events when they can and just show love where they can and everybody here is just, they’re so nice, and they’re wonderful to work with. And I feel very, very fortunate that I get to weave my way into that community.

Jessy Grossman:
And so you’re from Detroit, originally? What brought you to Chicago? Was that personal life? Or was it work life?

Molly Tracy:
It was work life. Yes. So I have sort of a long story to get me to Chicago. So I grew up in Michigan, I went to school in Michigan, and I moved to New York right after graduation. I was a journalism major and I at that time wanted to write for Cosmo was what my goal and my dream was thinking back like, this is the time during The Hills when you know, LC was working at Teen Vogue. And I was like, that’s what I want to do. So I moved to New York without a job, because I was you know, 21 and adventurous and thought I had it all together. And then moved to New York at a time when, you know, the magazine industry was really kind of shrinking, right? I mean, print magazines were sort of on the outs and digital was starting to take space and I went you know, an informational interview with an informational interview and it was just like a sea of empty desks when I would walk into offices and it was kind of a realization of like, oh, okay, this might not be, you know, the path that you should be taking. So I actually my first sort of foray into social media, which is where I sort of started my career was I got a position at Bliss Skincare HQ. Everybody knows Bliss and loves Bliss. I actually got a position there as an HR assistant. And they kind of threw social media on my desk and said, Hey, we heard about this thing called Twitter, we need to start, you know, tweeting, do you want to do that? For us? It’s like, sure. To me, I felt like social media was sort of like small format writing, right? You know, it’s like writing an article, and 140 characters. And so I loved it. But this was back when I mean, we were taking, we were keeping track of impressions on like Excel sheets, I mean, platforms didn’t even exist to help measure success on any of those platforms at the time. So I did that for about a year, and I loved it. And then I moved to Charleston, South Carolina, and took a job there with a local boutique to run their e-commerce site and their social media platforms, which was super fun, and was actually kind of like my first foray into influencer marketing. Back then it was just, you know, a bunch of college women who were willing to post a code for free product, which was wonderful. You know, this is prior to blogs really taking off. And that was sort of, I mean, I guess that was back in like 2012. So blogs, were really just kind of like getting their start on the scene. And then I ended up moving to Chicago to work for an agency here. It was a public relations agency to head up their social media division, and did that for a couple of years and loved it. And then bloggers kind of came onto the scene. And our PR team didn’t really know what to do with bloggers, right. Like they couldn’t really decide is this social media? Because that’s when Instagram is really starting to take off. Or is this PR, because technically, it’s digital and blog. And we sort of kind of came to the realization that bloggers didn’t really have… our PR team didn’t really understand social media metrics, right? They didn’t understand engagement numbers, and they didn’t understand, well, gosh, swipe ups didn’t even exist back then. But they really didn’t have an idea of, you know, audience metrics. And that’s really where like, social came into play. So I sort of took that blogger and influencer wing underneath my department. And that’s kind of where I fell in love with that whole industry. I just thought it was like, the coolest thing that you could, you know, you didn’t have to be a magazine to talk about a product or you didn’t have to have a, you know, a digital… a dot com to talk about… And express your opinions and share what you love with the world. I just always thought that was so interesting that women could do this on their own and have, you know, some ownership in it. And it was like, it’s so funny, because I always think of influencer marketing as kind of like, it is just word of mouth marketing, right? It’s just New Age word of mouth marketing. So I kind of fell in love with that.

Jessy Grossman:
And so cut to today. I love hearing everybody’s journey into the influencer space because everyone’s path is different. You’ve lived in different cities, you’ve held different roles, different titles, and you’ve sort of found your way to where you are today. So tell us about your company now. I want to hear all about it and sort of like your specialty with how you work with influencers.

Molly Tracy:
Yeah, so I started Vrai in April 2019. And we are a digital communication group that works with I like to say brands and babes in the digital space. So we are all female founded, we work with all female founded brands, and then all of our influencers are also females as well. That’s something that I’m incredibly passionate about is just, you know, working with women and giving them a platform to share their voice and share their passions and their truth, Vrai and itself means truth in French. And so I just really believe and uplifting women and giving them to power to share their stories. So we work on both sides of the coin. We work with brands on their influencer marketing strategy. And then I also manage a roster of eight different women right now too. And it’s just something talent management was something that I had gotten into right before I started my own agency. That for me, was sort of like my light bulb of Oh, this is what I definitely want to be doing. Right It was something where I could work directly with a female one on one and I felt like everything. It felt like such a more powerful connection to me than working with sort of like these massive corporations that I was working with at my old agency right it was every brand deal that I brought in was directly effective to them like that paid for I don’t know like their family vacation that summer or every brand deal was money and their kids college fund or it just felt so much more personal to me and I just crave like that, that connection especially with with females and that female energy and so that’s where I really found that my passion is has been sort of flourished with it and Vrai is working on this talent management side of things because I just love to be able to give women that platform.

Jessy Grossman:
Well, you’re speaking you’re like preaching to the choir here, because it’s all about supporting women. What do you find is the best way to empower the women that you work with? What have you said? What strategies have you taken to really like, get them confident, and therefore, you know, have them produce like the best work possible that they are able to produce?

Molly Tracy:
I feel like most of the women that are coming to me for management, really struggle with the negotiation side of things, right, I think women in general have a hard time advocating for our own worth. myself included, I mean, I’ve definitely have worked through in my entrepreneurial journey, trying to figure out how do I advocate for my own work, right, like, I’m so great at doing that for the women that I have on my roster and for my brands that I represent, but we can sometimes struggle with that internally. And so I think it’s really empowering women to sort of step into their own journeys and, and advocate their worth for them. I think, you know, a lot of the times we secure brand deals that my girls are like, wow, I would have never thought to ask for that amount. Like, that’s just, you know, so out of my realm, and I’m like, but that’s what you’re worth, you know, that’s the type of content that you produce the connection that you have with your audience, you know, the conversion and sell through rate that you’re able to put forth and partnerships. This is what you’re worth, and this is what you need to be asking for. But sometimes people just need an advocate on their in their corner to push that through.

Jessy Grossman:
Do you feel like you’re getting through to them? Like, do you feel like if we were to conduct an exercise with them, where you could just say like, Alright, just for fun, like, I want to see if you’re now able to really advocate for yourself. And do you think that they would be able to do it?

Molly Tracy:
I think on some levels, yes. I think the growth that I’ve seen in my clients, since I’ve started working with them, it’s just been really exponential. For me. It’s also difficult because this industry is a bit of a wild wild west, right? I feel like a lot of people are sort of like tossing out rights and kind of hoping for the best and hoping that a brand says yes, right?

Jessy Grossman:
I asked because I don’t know, I just had a conversation with somebody the other day we were talking about and I’d love to hear your opinion on this. We were talking about how the best influencer manager relationships are true partnerships. I definitely believe that there is no way that one person can be good at everything. And so there is absolutely you know, it’s likely that an influencer would ultimately need people on their team to be able to support the incredible business that they created. Because they’re entrepreneurs, right, first and foremost. But I just.. back to that partnership piece. I just believe that, like if you can’t advocate for yourself, like your own business, like how can somebody else do it for you, I totally get that, you know, you’re negotiate… as a manager, you have so much knowledge, because you are negotiating so many deals. And so you just you know, you have this sort of level set of, you know, well this type of brand pay generally pays a bit more this type of brand generally doesn’t pay. And if I get an inquiry from a Gmail account, I’m never gonna amount to anything. Like, you know, you have these like intrinsic things that you absolutely are going to bring to the table that make your value high and that increase your value and make you integral to their team. But I this is such an important topic to discuss. Because as women, we have to be our own biggest advocate, cheerleader and champion because there are other people that can do it. But if you can’t do it, how would you expect anybody else to, I’d love to hear your thoughts on that, whether it’s related to your clients, but even just for like you as a business owner, if you even want to make it personal. You know, what do you think gets in our way? And how can we as women do better to be able to champion for ourselves?

Molly Tracy:
Yeah, it’s interesting. You bring that up because I am working with a business coach right now because that’s some… you know, as an entrepreneur, which I this isn’t something that I feel like somebody really told me a lot, or really gave me an insight on before I started this journey is that coming from an agency where you have an entire team around you that can sort of, you know, pat you on the back and say you did a great job. And we’re really proud of the work that you’re doing. And I was used to leading an entire team, right? So I was always sort of in a leadership position, and I had people underneath me looking up to me for my guidance, but when you step in into an entrepreneurial role, you really have to be your own cheerleader, right, you know, are in a position where you have to have the confidence and the sense of self worth, and the sense of value to talk yourself up. And as women that can be really hard, right? because I think a lot of times we’re conditioned to, to not do that, and to not feel like we’re, you know, almost showboating a little bit. And I still find it very difficult to kind of pat myself on the back. I mean, you know, January, this month was my best best month for me in business to date, which is fantastic. But I don’t even think that I’ve given myself the moment to really sit in that and celebrate that. And I agree, I think as women, we have a really hard time advocating for ourselves. And that is something that I talked about with my, with my clients often of, you know, I do have to have got checks with them, sometimes, and say, like, you know, if this partnership is coming in lower than what we had at like expected, then then we pass on it, because you’re worth more than that. And we have to know that there’s another opportunity coming in the pipeline, that’s gonna understand what you bring to the table. But, you know, it’s hard to do that, as women, sometimes we’re just thankful for any experience that comes our way and that we feel like we should be grateful for that. And I think one of the most powerful things that you could do is, pass on an opportunity that doesn’t, you know, fit your, your journey or fit your your principles.

Jessy Grossman:
100%, there’s so much power, power in no, there’s power in passing. And, and you know what, I’ll tell you that when I used to manage talent, so much more often than not, when we would have the guts to do that, because we felt like it was the right decision. We were being low balled or like a number of different reasons why we should say no, so much more often than not those people, those same people would come back and say, all right, how about this instead. Do you find the same thing?

Molly Tracy:
A lot of times, yes. right? Which is wonderful. And then we can move forward. And everybody feels good about a partnership. But sometimes if it doesn’t, again, like it’s not the right fit, I am just like somebody that believes that things come to you and away from you as they should. And so walking away is just opening up the door for a new opportunity. That’s, that’s a better fit for you. But yeah, oh my gosh, Jessy, I feel like we can talk all day about like, knowing your value and worth, because it’s just, it’s a journey that I’ve just had been working on, you know, the last six months of just really trying to hold that on myself. Because I just, I firmly believe something that I’ve really tried to work on is that I should be advocating for myself as hard as I am for my clients, right, and that I can’t give up my best self unless I am of my best self. Which is kind of cheesy, I guess. But truly, like, I just I feel like it’s like a practice what you preach sort of situation sometimes. But women, we just we have a hard time doing that. It’s easier for us to, you know, step into that role for someone else than for ourselves. But it’s so important.

Jessy Grossman:
One thousand percent. I agree with you, I’ve experienced the same thing. And so like, kudos to you for taking such a huge step. And like getting a business coach even like that’s wonderful. And like worth taking a moment to say like, hell yeah, I’m doing that for myself. And like, yeah, I should, and I’m happy and I’m proud of myself for obviously, you know, recognizing that there is work to be done. And I’m worth that, right. And so what was your journey to that? Like, where did you find this person? How long were you wanting the support? And what are your goals for working with a business coach?

Molly Tracy:
Yeah, so my coach is actually was connected to a client, I met her at an event and she just has like, she’s just has the best energy. She’s somebody that you just meet and that you are just like, Oh, she’s got it. You know, like, she just has radiates like positivity. And she’s so empowering. And I just felt like the first we met for drinks first, and I remember leaving that meeting being like, wow, that 30 minutes was life changing for me. But I think there’s just you know, like I said, there’s a lot of self doubt that comes with being an entrepreneurial preneur and starting your own business, right. I can I really do that. And I think starting that business… you know, a year prior to COVID. I mean, I think everyone would be lying if they said they didn’t have moments of self doubt, you know, creators or agents or agency owners would… I mean, I think we’ve all had moments as this year where we’ve said, you know, is this the right path for me? Or am I providing enough value to my client? I think, especially as a talent manager, you know, a lot of brands and agencies pulled budget last year on partnerships. And so everybody struggled on that end. And so feeling like, you know, you’re not providing enough consistent work, it can spiral easily to say, like, am I actually good at this job? And do I provide enough value? And am I worthy of success? And those are all sort of small self doubts. And so working with my business coach, shout out today, ha, somewhere in between, she’s wonderful. She really works on mindset, you know, she really makes you understand to how you can find value outside of work. And that you shouldn’t find value within yourself outside of, you know, work successes, and that, you know, how can you stay in your moments of self worth? It’s easy to do that when everything is, you know, on the up and up, right, when you’re busy. And when you are bringing in client partnerships that you feel like things are, you know, flowing. But there’s gonna be moments where that isn’t happening. Hello, 2020. So how do you stay in that moment of self worth, and value in those sort of like pits that are bound to happen when you’re on the solo entrepreneur journey.

Jessy Grossman:
Definitely, if you could, in a year from now, look back on your work together and say, like, Wow, I’ve really grown. I feel like this was absolutely worth its weight in gold, this experience of working with this business coach, like, Where do you want to be whether it’s personally or in your business, and about a year from now?

Molly Tracy:
Yeah, funny, you asked that, because I was just doing some manifestations the other day, um, I really want to be in a place where I’m firm on the value that I bring value is something that I come back to often it’s, you know, something that I want to make sure that I’m showing up in valuable ways for my clients, and in my relationships, whether platonic or not, I really want to feel strong in my convictions and feel that, you know, I can negotiate a rate for myself just as firmly as I can renegotiate a rate for my clients. Um, and I keep.. you know, my sort of word for this year that I’ve… you know, instead of centering myself round is lightness. I feel like there is… you know, just a lot of heavy feelings in 2020. I think everybody experienced that. And so, I’m really trying to focus on, you know, relinquishing some of that self doubt that I’ve had in my business and relinquishing some of those feelings of unworthiness, and just come to a place of lightness and abundance and know that, you know, I have a purpose and what I’m doing, and I’ve defined what that purpose is, which I think it’s so important for everyone to be grounded in that and to, you know, have inspired action around that, in terms of trying to reach your goals. So, um, yeah, I think in terms of what I’m hoping for next year, is that I really just feel very grounded in what I’m doing, and that I feel like my value is there, and it isn’t tied to successes. My value is so much more beyond, you know, a number on a spreadsheet.

Jessy Grossman:
Absolutely, And to just like, be able to truly believe that because it is one thing like, let’s be real, it’s one thing to like, cerebrally know that and want to feel that. But as women, or just as entrepreneurs are all of the above just as human beings, it’s so hard to like, when it’s really quiet at night, and you’re just sitting with yourself like knowing Do I really believe that? Or is there some doubt that’s like creeping up in my mind, and I appreciate you being so candid with us and I appreciate I know everybody listening does too. I it’s been this really interesting. year, for sure for everybody, but my observation has been like, there hasn’t at least in WIIM, like people haven’t really been vulnerable about how difficult 2020 was. I am so happy that we can say like, yeah, our industry is pretty pandemic proof and like, certainly on the comeback and things like that, but like so many women that I know have, like been displaced, have lost jobs. have like, and even if they’ve kept their job like parison, like the whole world is changed. And like, I as an entrepreneur myself, like, there, it’s scary going through a pandemic and a year, like we had, being a business owner for so many reasons. And so I applaud you for just even being like, open about that. And like, there is such a more universal experience. And I think anybody realizes, I think it just takes more people to talk about it. And like, I hope that we can have a safe space to be able to do so because I do think it’s really important. And to your point to it’s like, a lot of these feelings that we have are universal, and it was before we had them before 2020 even happened, right? And oh my god, it’s not even 2020 anymore. And isn’t that the point? Right? Like, we still have those feelings, this is something that it doesn’t even have to do with the economy or the, you know, save of politics, etc, etc. So, yeah, I just think that it’s like, it’s a very part like, isn’t it? Like, it’s a very personal journey? And it’s a life journey, too. Right? Like, yeah, I mean, you fought I’m so grateful that you found a great business coach that you really jived with. Because I don’t know having… even just investing in somebody who’s going to help you and your business can be a hurdle. That’s why even asked is like, how long are you looking to hire this person? Like, what ultimately got you there? Was it? Did It wasn’t anything in particular? Or did you find that process easy to make the leap and invest in somebody who’s going to invest in you, like, even just getting that person talk about that a little more?

Molly Tracy:
Yeah, I mean, self work is always scary, right? I mean, I feel like anytime that you are forced to sort of look internally and confront some of these self doubts that you have, it’s, I mean, that’s difficult work, right? And it is work just like you were saying, you know, do we really believe these things, at the end of the day, when I’m lying in bed, do I really believe that I am, you know, worthy and valuable. And, you know, that takes active work for you to stay in that mindset. It’s not something that comes naturally to me all the time. And I think working with my business coaches, she’s given me really great tangible tools to kind of check myself really, right. And just remember that, like, I am valuable, my clients are happy, which is funny, I’ll say, I says women, sometimes, you know, I just had a client resign the other day that I was, you know, pretty nervous about, I think that everybody always gets nervous when contract resign, time comes up, right? And I was pretty nervous coming into the conversation, I just like, couldn’t really quite get a read on, you know, if they were thrilled about how the partnership was going, etc. And they had nothing but amazing, wonderful, glowing things to say. And they ended up signing on for an entire year. And I just at the end of the conversation, I was like, Oh, my gosh, like I, you know, fretted over this for days and was nervous about how it was going to go. And they had wonderful things to say about me and about our partnership. And, you know, they definitely doubted the value that I brought to them. And it was just one of those things where I think as women, like, we’re just harder on ourselves. And we need to be truly, I mean, much ourselves that we need to be, and that if we actually sort of took a step back and did an evaluation, and talk to our partners and our colleagues, but they would have they don’t have that same self doubt about us that we have about ourselves. Right?

Jessy Grossman:
And so where do you think like, even in that scenario, like where… there’s so many women who are listening, right now, we can totally relate, whether it’s like, it’s a client of some sort, that they’re like, sitting there being like, Oh, my gosh, like, is this going okay? And so, that is such a real conversation. I appreciate this. Like, where do you like, were you touching base with that person? Often? Like, where do you think that doubt was coming from?

Molly Tracy:
Yeah. Um, yes, I mean, we have we have bi-weekly calls. And I think it just… you know, every client is different, right? And my energy is, I have very personal relationships with all of my clients, especially on the talent side of things. I mean, I send you know, birthday cards to their kids, like, I know where they’re going on vacation. Like we’re very good. We have texting relationships, we’re incredibly close. I really like to see myself as you know, a business partner to them. I’m a part of their team. As opposed to you know, some managers I feel like kind of have a more distant relationship. And I just, you know, didn’t really feel like we everybody’s a little bit different. Everyone manages their business different, right? And she was somebody that felt like we hadn’t quite cracked that yet. And so all of this sort of kind of crept in of like, Well, does she like me? Does she like my working style? Do we have great work? Like, do we have cohesive working styles. And it was really just a moment of like, everybody works differently. And everyone’s personality is different. And, but for me, I just was, it was a bit of an easy spiral for me to think, you know, oh, maybe she doesn’t feel like I’m doing a great job for her. But she was more than happy. She was thrilled with the work that I was doing. So, again, I think sometimes we’re, we women can can be over thinkers, and sometimes we’re harder on ourselves than we really need to be.

Jessy Grossman:
And so I guess I’m, I guess, I’m wondering, like, you know, moving forward, like, how could it for people who are listening who are like, Oh, my God, I can totally relate to that, like, how can we avoid that happening again, because like, if everybody, everybody does have different communication styles and different ways of working, and like some people, or some people might be like, Yeah, she does a kick ass job for me. But like, I don’t know, business’s business. And I don’t necessarily want to mix it so much and become so buddy, buddy, but like, they’re perfectly happy with the work that you’re doing and love the relationship and want to continue it. But like, you need to get what you need out of that relationship as well. And so like, I’m curious, like, do you have any thoughts on, like, how to get what you need? And that sort of relationship to feel that, like confident that things are okay. When it’s not necessarily being communicated in the way that you’re used to?

Molly Tracy:
Yeah, I mean, I think sometimes, which is like, a wild concept for us women sometimes, but asking, right, asking for what you need or asking, you know, in that situation, like, on some of those bi-weekly calls that we have, how are things going? How do you feel that the relationship is, is working for you? Are there any adjustments that you need to see from BMI? And is there anything that you’re not getting from me, or anything that you need more from me, I think, you know, these are all things that we can sometimes be hesitant to ask, because we also don’t want to see, I don’t know, pushy, or we don’t want to feel that we’re demanding too much from them. Because technically, you know, you work for that, right? And so you want to be as less of a burden as you can on them. But we have to remember that those questions only better the client relationship, right? And so if you feel like you’re not getting, you know, feedback that you need from them, ask, ask for it. I’ve always found that people are more receptive to questions that you might assume that they would be.

Jessy Grossman:
Hundred percent, people love getting asked questions for the most part, as long as they’re like, you know, they’re thoughtful questions. And they’re, they’re rooted in progress, right? It’s like, yeah, I want us to be great partners with each other. And you’re saying everything that I believe as well, which is like being in business with someone, whether they’re, it’s an influencer manager or a brand and strategist, it’s a partnership when it’s most successful. And so it’s and it’s, it should be an equal partnership, everyone is hustling as just as hard as the other and working just as hard as the other person on the other side of that equation. So communication, absolutely. And just knowing even that, like, what you feel that you need out of that relationship is valid. And it’s worth asking for. I think that’s huge. I have loved this conversation so much. And I, we’ve been doing something fun on the show lately, where it’s great to learn about your business and all of that. I feel like we’ve gotten a little more personal, which is awesome. And I’d love to have a little bit more fun too. So we have a few questions that we’re gonna send your way. Don’t even think about them. First thing that comes to your mind when I asked you, are you ready?

Molly Tracy:
I’m ready.

Jessy Grossman:
Okay, what is your favorite food?

Molly Tracy:
Oatmeal, banana and peanut butter.

Jessy Grossman:
Ooh, I love the specificity. Favorite social platform?

Molly Tracy:
TikTok, but I don’t have an account. I’m just a lurker.

Jessy Grossman:
Favorite color?

Molly Tracy:
A blush pink. It’s bright colors.

Jessy Grossman:
I love the specific answers. What is your favorite vacation spot?

Molly Tracy:
Um, I went to Bali in 2019, pre COVID, all of that good stuff. And it was just the most amazing experience highly recommend to anybody.

Jessy Grossman:
Oh my god, I need to see pictures later. Okay. Best age to be?

Molly Tracy:
25 for so many reasons,

Jessy Grossman:
Love it. And best part of your job?

Molly Tracy:
The women I work with. I’m like…, so incredibly grateful for the women that I get to interact with every single day and I will say like, I just have to know this. industry in general, like I wake up every day, so thrilled to know that I work in an industry that is dominated by boss women. Every person that I email is a woman. And I love that. And who else can say that?

Jessy Grossman:
It’s rare in other industries, we are blessed to work in an industry where there’s such bomb women, just like you, who you get to, like, work with and be successful with together support each other. It’s the best. I’ve been so happy to have you on the show today. Molly, you’ve been such a great guest. One last question. Before we go. What do you wish someone had told your younger self that would have given you a professional or a personal advantage today?

Molly Tracy:
Don’t be afraid of scary steps. I think, you know, my journey into opening my agency came very fast and furious. I wasn’t necessarily ready to leave the agency that I was at. But I just was at a moment where I knew that I wanted to explore this talent management side of things. And so I you know, when online launched Now see, and I was in business Two weeks later, trying to get clients on my roster. And I think that that was you know, it wasn’t something where I even had a business plan. And it wasn’t thinking about it for years. I mean, it was very spur of the moment. And so, which is very unlike me, I usually am like very tactical, take time to make decisions. But I would say yes, step into decisions fast and furious, and pivot once you’re in there, right? Not every business needs to have a full fledged plan to start, its get started, pivot, make mistakes, rewrite those mistakes, and keep it moving.

Jessy Grossman:
I love that I have a feeling that our listeners are definitely going to want to reach out connect with you. What’s the best way for our listeners to find you and to learn more?

Molly Tracy:
Sure, We’re at vraidigital.com. That’s V R A I Digital dot com. Same thing on IG and then you can always shoot me an email if you want to. It’s just molly@vraidigital.com. I’d love to chat.

Jessy Grossman:
Amazing. We’re going to link all that in the show notes. Molly, you’re the best. And I’m so grateful that you have this conversation with us today.

Molly Tracy:
Jessy, this was so fun. Thank you so much for having me.