Tamica Sears on Life, Lessons & Legacy

Tamica Sears shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Tamica, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What do you think is misunderstood about your business? 
People hear ‘fractional HR’ and think that means that it’s watered-down or part-time HR. Let me bust that myth wide open because it’s really not. I bring executive-level strategy, leadership coaching, and HR systems that support growth. The business model is incredibly efficient because it allows companies to have the expertise that they need without the expense of a full-time employee.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Tamica Sears, and I run Sears Coaching and along with my merry band of The Corporate Fixers, I do Fractional HR and Executive Coaching with a real focus on leadership development, and inclusion. We basically help build workplaces that don’t suck. While some other HR consultants act like compliance cops who just give you policies and tell you what posters you need in the breakroom, I’m here to help you build systems and teams that work. I believe in Human Resources being employee advocates. That means helping leaders lead better, making sure employees aren’t just surviving but thriving, and transforming HR into a strategic advantage instead of a necessary evil.
What makes my work different is that I don’t just talk about culture and leadership in theory and give vague recommendations. I love what I do so I go in with my sleeves rolled up and do the work. Right now, I’m focused on helping small businesses get out of messy, outdated systems, like inefficient PEOs that are draining their budgets, and into custom HR support that fits where they are and where they’re going. I’m also working on retreats, writing a new book, and continuing to run DisruptHR events in Phoenix and Tucson because I believe in shaking things up in this industry.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
My earliest memory of feeling powerful was when I had a boss who told me not to bring her problems or complaints without some possible solutions. I could have taken that as something mean or snarky, but for me, it was the first time someone expected me to not just survive my job, but to help shape it. It was the first time I realized I could make things better for myself and the people around me. That one expectation flipped a switch. I started changing broken processes, speaking up about gaps in leadership, and reimagining what work could look like. I sometimes wonder if the former boss who told me that regrets it because of all of the extra work that I caused, but once I got a taste of that kind of agency, there was no going back! That moment shaped how I lead, coach, and build cultures today.

When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
I stopped hiding my pain, literally, when I realized that pretending like I wasn’t in pain was killing me faster than the pain itself. I’ve lived with fibromyalgia for years, with chronic, daily pain that doesn’t go away, that people can’t see, and that most workplaces don’t understand. For a long time, I pushed through. I overworked, overdelivered, and kept my mouth shut. I thought if I worked hard enough, no one would notice I was hurting. But all that did was erase me.
My shift came when I realized that there was no strength in hiding my pain, the strength was in taking ownership of my pain. Wearing it, talking about it, and taking the time off when I needed it to replenish my energy. I had to understand that my pain didn’t make me less capable. If anything, it’s sharpened my empathy, my clarity, and my ability to spot toxic patterns from a mile away. It’s made me a better coach, a better advocate, and a better leader. I show up with pain, but I still show up and there is power in that. Not because I push through it like a martyr, but because I’ve built a life and a business where I don’t have to pretend it’s not there.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
Absolutely! The public version of me is me, there is no other me. I know that I’m not everyone’s cup of tea and I’m okay with that. I don’t shrink myself to make people comfortable, and I don’t code-switch just to fit into rooms I don’t even want to be in. What you see is what you get: someone who leads with honesty, truly cares about people, and isn’t afraid to call out bullshit when I see it. I spent years in corporate spaces trying to be palatable, trying to be the ‘right’ kind of professional, and all it did was exhaust me. Now, I show up as myself everywhere I go. I’m loud when I want to be, quiet when I need to be, direct, and deeply invested in building better workplaces. I’m super over pretending to be something or someone other than just me.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope the story people tell about me is that I didn’t just change the HR space, I flipped the script. I want people to say that I didn’t water myself down to fit into systems that weren’t built for me, but that I showed up exactly as I am and helped others do the same. I want people to say, ‘Because of Tamica, I stopped hiding. I started asking better questions. I believed I could lead without pretending to be someone else.’
I hope they say I fought for people, that I made the workplace less traumatic and more human. That I told the truth, even when it was uncomfortable. That I laughed loud, loved hard, and didn’t let the bullshit slide. I hope that people say that I left things better than I found them and brought other people with me as I did it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.searscoaching.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/searscoaching/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamicasears
• Other: www.disruptaz.com
  www.thecorporatefixers.com

Image Credits
Carlos Franco