We had the good fortune of connecting with Tracy McHugh and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tracy, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?

I always like to start things off with a quote, so I chose that as my first question. When I was little, one of my favorite movies was Fried Green Tomatoes with Kathy Bates and Jessica Tandy. I don’t know why, it wasn’t a kid friendly sort of film. It did have a power-house cast and I like to think little Tracy appreciated that.

The quote from that movie that always stuck with me was:

“A heart can be broken, but it will keep on beating just the same.”

It sounds like a sad quote when you read it. To me though, I saw it as uplifting and inspirational. It could mean heartache from a loss or a breakup. But it could also mean when things don’t work out in your favor, life keeps moving on and you need to do the same. You don’t get to pick your struggles, you do however get to pick your response.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?

Nope. I definitely wouldn’t call my journey easy. But as it was quoted in a movie I saw, “life isn’t supposed to be easy but it is supposed to be worth it”. All the bumps and turns make the sweet that much sweeter.

After I graduated from college I traveled through Europe and the US. I visited 11 countries, 14 international cities and 17 states. When I returned and started looking for work it was around the 2008 recession and made it difficult to find work. I joined Americorps down in Miami, which was such an amazing experience professionally and personally. I met a lot of great people that I still keep in touch with.

At the beginning of my professional journey, I was so focused on finding work and building my career that I didn’t focus on passions or creative ventures. My initial thought was I would go into sales in the entertainment industry and that would be how I would fuse my profession and creative ambitions. Enough time passed and the competition for jobs became fiercer. It became near impossible to transition over to the entertainment industry, but I was missing a creative outlet. So during the pandemic I created a blog to share my travel experiences and photos. I also started a networking group for women from different creative backgrounds (acting, writing, directing, dance, art, etc.) to connect, collaborate, and receive feedback. That group has transitioned into a weekly creative writing group that is still going strong 2.5 years later.

In 2023 I have been hitting blogging hard and completely revamped my website and content. That may not sound like a lot but I have no background in marketing or website design, so at times it was overwhelming. I started networking with other bloggers and taking trainings for working on SEO. I am also looking into starting an event planning business. I have spent so many years working in corporations, which was a great foundation but with the current state of the job market I want to be able to own and control my career. It will also give me the flexibility to work from anywhere and focus some time on passion projections.

For the remaining questions from Tracy’s time with ShoutoutLA, check out the rest of the interview.