Authority Magazine: 5 Things They Forgot To Mention In College

Know when to say no, know when to say yes.

We are starting a new interview series about the world of entrepreneurship beyond the classroom — a realm where theory meets grit, and education meets real-world challenges. We want to hear about critical business wisdom that often goes unspoken in academic settings. I had the honor of interviewing Tracy McHugh.

Tracy was raised in the suburbs of New Jersey. From an early age, school wasn’t where she excelled, or her interests lay. As an adult, she realized she loves to learn and take classes, but it was the being talked at vs. experiencing things she didn’t love as well as learning about theories instead of real-life skills to help pick a career and flourish in adulthood.

Thanks for being part of this series. Let’s jump in and focus on your early years. Can you share who was your biggest influence when you were young and provide specific examples of what you learned from them that helped shape who you’ve become and how you live your life today?

First and foremost, my parents. They gave me life, my basic needs and then some, and I was provided education, guidance, and love.

But thinking out of the box, I would say Lucille Ball was my biggest influence as a child but wasn’t aware at the time that she was so influential. When I was little, we would watch reruns of I Love Lucy over and over again. Most little kids around my age had teen bop magazine posters up around their room of the cutest tween actor. I on the other hand had posters, plaques, and memorabilia around my room of Lucille Ball.

She was a boss before women bosses were a thing. Not only did she prove you could do it all, but you could be hilarious, goofy, beautiful, smart, driven, a perfectionist, and so many other things, all at once. When there were rumors that her husband was cheating on her and was an alcoholic, she didn’t just fall in line. She knew her worth and what she would tolerate, she stood up for herself and stood on her own two feet when the world was watching something so private. Upon their divorce, Lucy bought Desi out of their production company, Desilu, and ran it herself for many years thereafter.

As a kid, I was very shy. It took me to high school to come out of my shell. When I realized I had decent comedic timing and could use that to my advantage, it was what I led with in many aspects of my life. Humor has made me feel good and made lasting memories of laughing until we cried. But humor has also helped in tricky moments when you may not know what to say, how to convey something or get out of a sticky situation.

Check out the rest of the Authority Magazine Interview.