Testimonials
Media and Public-Speaking Coaching
Tracey helped me equip myself with the tools I needed to walk into high-stakes, high-stress situations and handle whatever was thrown at me during media, podcast, and television interviews to promote my book. Not only did she help me home in on clear, crisp takeaways, she helped me build my confidence while looking at the mindset I was bringing to my interviews. She blew me away several times with her uncanny ability to put her thumb on what was holding me back.
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Tracey also gave me ample opportunity to practice and try different things with the messaging and offered valuable feedback. She was a wonderful thought partner in hammering out what I really wanted to say. It was clear, actionable support.
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Finally, Tracey was very present with me as a whole person. I liked her right off the bat. She is confident in who she is and such a straight shooter. I thought, ‘This woman is not going to mess around.’ I always felt safe working with her. You can feel that this is her life’s work and that she really cares about her clients.
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— Executive Coach, Award-winning Author
I would describe what Tracey did for me as magic. In just two hours, she completely transformed my self-confidence and communication style and gave me the ability to trust myself. She was able to help me identify what my strengths are and distill it down, which was a massive unlock for my work and career.
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I came in with what I would call ‘media trauma’ after a bad experience. I was terrified to talk to journalists because I was convinced they were trying to trip me up and get me say something wrong. I had to rebuild my ability to show up. Now I can speak on a stage, do a podcast, or be in any kind of interview setting and show up as my full self. I learned that when I slow down and choose my words, they come out the way I want them to. Tracey flipped on a light switch for me and she did it fast. I don’t know how she did it,
but I am in awe.
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— Talent Agent
There’s no one in the coaching space other than Tracey who I can rely on to tap into the root of a problem and address it with a holistic approach. My artists always leave a session with her feeling that they’ve grown and learned something about themselves — and not that they’ve just been told how to answer a question.
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I’ve been working with Tracey for years, but a recent experience has really shown me just how much she is capable of. I had an artist come in with immense talent, but so terrified and inexperienced with social or professional interactions, let alone real interviews. Tracey was able to form a connection — and more importantly build trust — from Day One. She identified immediately that the artist would benefit from ongoing sessions. The time invested has been more than worth it, as she has taken this artist from fear of a simple Zoom with the record label to being able to conquer live interviews. It’s been an absolutely transformative experience — “night and day” doesn’t even begin to cover it.
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The compassion, commitment, and truly tailored approach that Tracey brings to her coaching honestly changed this person’s life, and has positioned them to succeed professionally in a way that we didn’t know was possible.
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— V.P. Publicity, Major Record Label
I engaged Tracey to help me prepare to speak on a panel and attend several events promoting my latest project. I have typically been very nervous doing things like this, but not only did I survive, I actually enjoyed it! Before the panel, I felt her presence and had her voice in my ear telling me that I can take my time and think about what I want to say.
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It would be impossible to express my gratitude to Tracey. She honestly changed my life. It sounds dramatic but it is true. I know she isn’t a therapist, but so much of what we’ve done has resonated that way for me. She helped me begin to untangle from the negative voice that I have had about how I present to the world. I broke through some serious barriers that I’ve had for a very long time. Truly life-changing and I am forever grateful.
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— Interior Designer/Owner
We were looking for a top-notch media trainer to prepare our client for an hour-long interview with an NBC anchor and needed to help him bring out the emotional, human element of his story.
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Tracey is a uniquely talented and empathic coach. She effectively uses her experience as a reporter to home in on the right questions and follow-up questions to ask in practice interviews. She delivers feedback in a way where the listener can take it in and use it to make their answers the best they can be. She is respectful of boundaries and limitations and guidance (from lawyers) yet she stands firm in her own convictions for how difficult questions should be answered.
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Tracey and her assistant, Tiffany, are excellent communicators in prepping for training sessions allowing everyone involved to feel supported. Our client was completely transformed as a speaker over the course of our three sessions. I have told several people about Tracey already!
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— Senior Vice President, major communications agency
I hire Tracey because she is highly effective. I have worked with other media coaches in the past who take a more cookie-cutter approach (PowerPoint slides) to media training and it doesn’t work. Business leaders want someone who can speak their language and Tracey does it fluently.
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She acutely understands what makes executives tick and uses that to help them understand how to be more effective communicators. Simply put, she knows how to manage challenging leaders. I have seen the benefits of Tracey’s coaching with my clients as soon as they do their first interview post-training.
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The client is more confident with talking points, they speak more concisely than they did before, and they understand the goal of each interview more clearly. I absolutely would recommend Tracey. I’ve spent hours working with her on the client prep side and am always impressed with how thorough she is, how much she understands each unique situation, and how she adapts to meet the challenges of each client.
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— Mike Stommel, co-founder Lucky Break PR
My experience of working with Tracey as a coach was excellent! She made me feel comfortable and allowed me to be vulnerable without judgement or criticism. She created a ‘safe’ space for me to tackle something that has always been mortifying for me (public speaking) and somehow convinced me that it was something that I could do and actually be good at! I felt challenged, but also that I was in good hands. Tracey came in knowing everything about our company and was very clear on what our objectives were and how to pursue them. As we continued through our sessions, I felt more and more confident and adept. At first Tracey made me feel safe and later, accomplished. What was most valuable from our work was learning to believe in myself. That I don’t have to ‘try’ to be interesting or ‘try’ to impress people. I also learned that public speaking is a skill that can be learned and honed and perfected.
I would definitely recommend Tracey to others who are looking for a systematic, approachable way of interacting with the media or speaking in public. She completely demystifies the experience and through much patience and handholding, shows you that you CAN do this – you just need to work at it a little.
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— Dan H., Entreprenuer/Founder
When I was CMO at a large gaming company, Tracey was recommended by our external PR agency to prepare our C-suite executives to speak confidently and competently about our company, which was going through a major brand revolution.
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That’s where I really saw her ability to connect with speakers across a spectrum: men, women, those who were seasoned speakers and those who were not. The feedback I received across the board was that everyone found their session very empowering and impactful. That speaks to a higher level of talent and is what makes Tracey unique.
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She is really able to get to the heart of what is holding someone back from speaking confidently. She works with some of the most famous people on the planet, people who are celebrated, who have access to money, fame, and notoriety, and yet who are painfully shy.
In our first meeting, Tracey said, ‘We can come up with talking points. I can help everyone be more succinct and deliver their message in a clearer way, but so can a lot of media trainers. What’s important is building natural confidence.’ She coached our team to be able to speak from the heart, not just recite memorized talking points. It’s about transforming an executive’s ability to communicate with authority about a topic they already know inside and out. And for women at an executive level, that’s the final layer of what’s holding the most accomplished and charismatic female leaders back. Tracey’s ability to unlock that is key.
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— Krystal Hauserman, Global CMO & Advisor
“Tracey helped me identify the core issues I had around public speaking. Not just dealing with the symptoms, but addressing the underlying causes, which was a lot more beneficial than just upping my skillset with exercises. She is not your typical public-speaking coach. My expectations of what I thought I was getting versus what I got were very surprising. She never said, ‘You need a lot of work.’ I think a lot of executives are Type A people. We want to fix it! Instead she helped me lean into my unique and authentic voice and stop trying to speak how I think other people expect me to speak. I now realize my own voice is enough. I have permission to be myself.”
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— A. Wilson, Creative Executive
Tracey helped me prepare for a panel I was speaking on. I was expecting the session to be a bit sterile, like a presentation, but it felt more like therapy. Tracey helped me identify some of the fears I had around public speaking and things that have affected me. I felt seen and understood in a way I hadn’t expected. Once we talked through the emotional blocks, I was able to think clearly about the main points I wanted to get across on the panel. Once it started, I wasn’t nervous and was able to hit all my points. I felt natural, comfortable, and prepared. I couldn’t have done it without Tracey’s help and guidance.
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— B.H., Account Executive, major global production company
My experience working with Tracey was, first of all, humbling. Secondly, it was massively informative. It helped me gain perspective on not only myself, but more importantly, how to project myself so that others can best understand me and my work. Before working with Tracey, I wasn’t representing myself in the best way I could. I felt a mixture of arrogance and insecurity. This was partly due to the fact that I’ve been carrying my story for so long and was very protective of it. It took Tracey asking one question to completely disarm me. From that point on, we established trust, which then helped me uncover the best way to tell my story.
Not only would I recommend her to artists, musicians, actors, and people in the entertainment industry, I would actually recommend Tracey Pepper to every single person out there. Everyone could benefit from having a better understanding of how to present themselves. Her experience is invaluable and her work is incredibly impactful and important. The biggest CEOs in the world can take her insight and use it.
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—Forest Blakk, platinum-selling recording artist
When I first met Tracey, I didn’t know what to expect. My management thought it was important to meet with her to receive media training, and I soon found out why. She’s so incredible at what she does. In our first session I felt so comfortable I completely poured my heart and soul out and told her my entire life story. What I respect the most about Tracey is that she never shared what I told her in confidence with anyone. The trust she maintains with her clients is truly hard to find.
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What I value most about our work together is gaining the agency to my own story and experiences. I gained a newfound control and confidence over who I am and how
I perceive myself.
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— Lupita Infante, Grammy-nominated recording artist
Tracey is an immensely talented and intuitive person with the ability to help performers hone in on how to speak about themselves and their artistry, which can be very hard for
many to do.
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Always my go-to, Tracey is a sounding board when I need someone from the outside to assess how an artist’s story might play in the public eye. She is fantastic and her judgement is always spot on.
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Tracey has helped many of my artists over the years really learn how to speak confidently and assuredly about what makes them them and actually enjoy doing interviews in the process.
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— Senior V.P. of Publicity, major record label
Working with Tracey has been an incredible experience. I came to her initially to help with my professional communication skills as I was having difficulty speaking and presenting in meetings and I became overwhelmed easily. Tracey helped me realize that there were deeper emotions at play that were preventing me from being my best self, and so our sessions became a hybrid of communication training and life coaching. She prompted me to examine my personal saboteurs and how they inhibit my professional growth, and together we began to untangle the fear that stood in my way.
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Tracey also helped me prepare for job interviews by reframing how I approached the conversation. Rather than rehearsing a script, she helped me “zoom out” and see the bigger picture of who I am and what message I wanted to convey — and reminded me how great I am! Tracey gave me the confidence I desperately needed to rediscover my true self. And, I got the job!
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I would absolutely recommend Tracey’s services to anyone struggling with communication. I used to believe communicating in my personal and professional life were two different skills, and Tracey helped me realize that I already possessed all the tools to succeed professionally — I just had to rediscover them. Having her as a partner in exploring these issues made me feel supported and safe.
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— M.R., Senior Account Director
My experience with Tracey was excellent from start to finish. I felt respected and engaged.
I found her to be genuine and focused on getting results for my specific needs, while providing a practical perspective on my insecurities. I would recommend
Tracey without reservation.
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— J.E.
Tracey Pepper is our go-to source for media training needs! She is highly skilled at working with all ranges of artists from seasoned legacy acts needing a refresher to new artists looking to figure out their first interviews. She is extremely skilled at getting to know an artist’s possible hesitancies toward interviews by taking time to talk to them about their fears and underlying worries about speaking to the press. She is one of the best in the industry
and truly unparalleled.
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— Major record label publicist
Executive and Life Coaching
My experience working with Tracey has been truly life changing. My business has grown exponentially, as well as my personal life and relationship with myself. I feel so much more clarity around communication and boundary-setting and I’m finally equipped with the tools to prioritize myself and my own dreams. I don’t know where I would be without the work we have done together. I would absolutely recommend Tracey. She is a gift and such a great coach. For people looking to really commit to personal and professional growth
she is a great guide.
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— Casey Kalmenson, musician, producer
I have trusted Tracey to help my clients for many, many years, and it was finally time to enlist her expertise to guide me through a challenging growth spurt in my own career. Turning the focus to yourself can be an incredibly uncomfortable experience, but with Tracey’s kind and supportive encouragement, it was just the opposite. It was liberating.
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That is not to say she didn’t challenge me. She carefully listened and pointed out common themes and threads in our conversations, which ultimately brought the roots of my fears and anxiety to the surface so that I could acknowledge and sit with them. Then she taught me the tools to address those fears and make positive breakthroughs so that I could let go of old habits and set a path for growth.
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If you are looking to break out of your comfort zone or create a path to the career or life you have been dreaming of, I highly recommend you enlist Tracey immediately. I could not be more grateful for how she has enriched my daily life.
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— Director of Communications, major live music entertainment company
I came to Tracey to help me reframe my outdated bio, but within a few minutes of connecting it became clear that we’d be doing much more than that. Beyond the practical skills she leverages, Tracey is also a tremendously powerful ‘active listener.’ I am garrulous and sometimes convoluted in my expression and she was able to fully absorb everything I was saying and then expertly point to the salient aspects. Her meaningful insights sparked profound shifts in my perception. Tracey embodies tremendous wisdom that invites unexpected breakthroughs.
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During our session I felt completely safe to be vulnerable. This is always important in coaching, but Tracey exudes a natural empathy that feels deeply authentic; it’s so evident that she is passionate about what she does. Her positive energy sparked enthusiasm in me. I felt supported and empowered to come to my own truths. I have worked with many top-tier professionals, Tracey is next-level terrific.
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I gained so much value from our work together. Over the course of our sessions I had breakthrough after breakthrough, which added up to a truly life-altering experience. I came away having shed old stories about myself and my work. I feel revitalized and ready to embark on my next chapter with clarity and purpose.
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I would one thousand percent recommend Tracey to others looking for a coach (and I already have!!) Her compassion and curiosity allow her to extract the best in each of us. It’s deep work and yet with Tracey it feels playful and effortless. Her practice is valuable beyond the specific silos she typically reaches. I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t benefit from working with her. She’s the real deal.
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— Melissa Unger, Founder & Creative Director of Seymour Projects
I came to Tracey feeling lost, stuck, hopeless, and trapped. I’m going to be honest — I wasn’t really sure this coaching thing would work. But Tracey met me exactly where I was, every session, without judgment, holding space and asking me questions that opened up a door of curiosity that seemed to have been nailed shut somewhere along the way.
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Within only a few short months of working with Tracey, I made MASSIVE changes in my life that were in alignment with who I was and wanted to be.
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These changes filled me with hope, possibility, excitement, and direction. If you are struggling in any area of your life, Tracey has the gifts to get you not only unstuck but excited about what’s to come.
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— Deanna N.
Last year I found my dream job during the middle of a pandemic. Or I should say, it found me. You’d think being approached by a recruiter for a job that seems tailor-made for you would be an easy decision, right? Except it wasn’t. I had a ton of career-associated mental baggage to sort through. Enter Tracey Pepper Coaching. During my sessions, Tracey helped me unpack and discard all the stuff I was holding on to. Think of her as Marie Kondo for your psyche. Tracey’s sessions left me feeling powerful and in control — even joyful. She gently yet firmly showed me how to identify my saboteurs and deal with them. Even when I was feeling 90% confident, something would inevitably pop up, and the skills she taught helped me deal with unexpected setbacks in record time.
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I highly recommend Tracey as a coach because she’s freakishly intuitive and will help you work out things you haven’t yet put a name to. Yes, that can be uncomfortable, but it is also so exhilarating. And — she really, truly cares.
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Ten months into my “dream job” I received a major promotion, and now a year later, I am happier than I ever thought possible. I had so many hurdles to clear between the approach and the job offer/acceptance, and I doubt that I could have arrived there without Tracey. I’m so grateful she showed up with her kind (and badass) coaching when she did. I will be eternally grateful to her.
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— Laura C.
During my personal coaching sessions with Tracey, I always feel encouraged, heard, and, above all, safe. She builds trust so there is room for me to explore, ask questions, think deeply, and be vulnerable, which is not easy to do.
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Tracey’s supportive and kind approach to coaching also extends between sessions, so I can put my learnings into practice in various aspects of my life, from my job search to my relationships (with others and myself). Working together leads to a lot of clarity and self-understanding, and I’m deeply appreciative.
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— Lauren Gniazdowski, start-up executive
I came to Tracey in a state of paralysis. I didn’t like the career I was in, and people kept telling me the career I wanted would be “impossible” to attain. Working with Tracey helped me not only get back into the career I want, but to go beyond my old beliefs. She’s helped me understand that, as a creative person, I’m not a machine. That I need to think about and work with my true self — the person inside, with all her complicated thoughts and emotions — to do the things I want to do. If this sounds like a bunch of woo woo nonsense, it’s because Tracey is so good at what she does I can’t even articulate it myself. And I’m a writer!
So let me put it this way: I just trust Tracey. I put myself in her capable, metaphorical hands. And then I go do things that everyone told me were impossible.
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— Deanna Kizis, editor and author