Community Highlights: Meet Tamica Sears of Sears Coaching

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tamica Sears.

Hi Tamica, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story? 
I started my HR journey several years ago as a Personnel Clerk back in Boston, Massachusetts. I was lucky that my sister got me an after-school job while I was in high school which put me on a path that led me to a career that I truly enjoy. When I moved to Arizona in 2001, once I got settled I was then fortunate enough to have a boss that did an amazing job training and mentoring me. I was a handful; when I think back, I don’t know how she had the patience!

One thing that she drilled into me was to always look for solutions and improvements. I think that once I was given the opportunity to look at processes and policies more critically, it helped me move my career forward because I started to ask about and care about the why. That, of course, elevated my thinking, and I began to have a more holistic, strategic, and employee-focused view of Human Resources.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I can say without a doubt that it has not been a smooth road. I didn’t complete college right out of high school; I went to work, and for several years, I didn’t really move up. While I thought that was what was holding me back, it was actually my lack of confidence and the shame that I felt over being a teenage mom and college dropout that was actually getting in my way.

I had a hairpin trigger and would get really upset if someone insinuated that I was stupid. It took a lot of mentoring and therapy to get me out of my own way. Once I was able to get myself under control, I started to have some upward momentum. I then eventually was able to work for a company that had tuition reimbursement, so I was able to go back to school and actually finish this time.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a Fractional HR leader and Executive Coach. I help small businesses get big results by providing and implementing HR strategies and interventions, along with training, coaching, and developing their leaders. When I work with organizations, I partner with HR professionals to help them gain the necessary tools and skills to provide business partner-level strategic support for their companies. If the company doesn’t have HR, I get things started and build a team.

A big part of the support that I provide is training and developing leaders. What sets me apart is that I focus on results. When developing leaders, I focus on not just the initial training but also on providing coaching and support to make sure that the learning sticks. I have a signature group coaching program that helps managers move from just managing their teams to leading and coaching their teams to success.

We set goals at the start of the program that show how the change in leadership behavior directly impacts business objectives. I have the same focus when I’m doing Fractional or HR Consulting work. I don’t just advise; I work with companies to get things done. For me, that’s the fun part, working through problems, implementing them, and measuring the results. I’m a firm believer in employee advocacy, which goes against how most HR professionals are perceived.

When working with companies, I help them understand how the workforce has changed and what they need to do to keep up so that they can attract and retain top talent. Much of that is creating a culture that is at the opposite end of the spectrum than what they are used to. The culture that I bring to organizations is people over profits, psychological safety, and of course, measurable results.

I’m also part of the DisruptHR team that brought the very first DisruptHR event to Tucson in April and will be taking over DisruptHR Phoenix in October. If you don’t know what DisruptHR is, you’re missing out! We are building an awesome community of HR and business leaders who discuss things like innovation and the future of work. These events have Ignite-style presentations, networking, professional development, and NO SELLING.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I like the weather and the fact that there are so many dog-friendly restaurants. What I like least is, of course, the weather when it is triple digits.

Pricing:

• Group Transforming Leadership Program-$2700/6 month program
• 1:1 Executive Coaching-$15,000/6 month program
• Fractional HR Support-$2500-10,000 a month
• Leadership Workshops-$5-15k per session

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.searscoaching.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamicasears

Image Credits
@PhoenixBusinessRadioX