Modern civilization goes through phases of good and bad regardless of the era. In 2023, economic instability has once again become palpable in the United States. Bank crashes, tech industry layoffs, and inflation is leaving the workforce worried and hoping no one will notice their concerns. Career coach Tammy Alvarez remembers when she was part of that group, but the seasoned C-level executive has learned that becoming an active part of the solution keeps you employed.
Taking appropriate career risks makes you more successful than following the flow. It also keeps you from tirelessly building a career that you are dissatisfied with in the end. Having spent the majority of her corporate career as a C-level executive on Wall Street, Alvarez and her team handled the disasters others ran from, and she enjoyed the complexities that work brought her. Whether it be the 2008 financial crisis, 9/11, or other unexpected historical events, she knew how to lead her team as a transformational expert and enjoyed getting things done, until she didn't.
There are executives just like Tammy, some managing thousands of people across multiple countries who can feel themselves hitting a dead end. Their passion being replaced by monotony and Sunday morning anxiety about the thought of the coming week. Worse still, the dread of job insecurity looms large over many. As big banks take tumbles and bloodletting begins at corporate giants, should we bury our heads in the hopes we’ll be spared the axe?
“During times of crisis, of which there are many, and everyone else is hiding under their desks, this is the time to surge” says Alvarez, “This is the best time to take your career to the next level and take your leadership to the next level. You should step up and be willing to take risks around the responsibilites that everyone else is too afraid to take. Then, you make a name for yourself, build your brand, your career grows, and your team comes with you.”
Tammy wanted to escape the corporate grind that was crushing her and find something more fulfilling. At the time, she wasn’t sure what that would be, but soon found herself drawn toward entrepreneurship and moving abroad. This intuitive decision was the foundation that her company Career Winners Circle was built upon.
Career Winners Circle is a premier coaching and advising firm that works with mid to senior level executives. The company strengthens executives’ current career strategies, and empowers them to become better leaders with better business results. Tammy and her team of coaches does this by being advice driven. Other coaches prefer general encouragement, but Tammy has always been a no-nonsense woman. She climbed the corporate ladder by observing colleagues and noting what behavior she should avoid.
As a result, Tammy’s personal experiences and insight are woven into the way she and her team coaches. They give clear input on what clients must improve to accomplish their goals, and most importantly, they give them ways to do that. Through homework assignments, performance tracking on dashboards, and highly specific goal setting, Career Winners Circle has a defined system to client success. Their framework is built on reusability, efficiency, and visibility.
Although CWC has multiple coaches, Alvarez still works with private clients that are very senior professionals. One of which has been seeing her for four years. The client was working at a company they felt very dedicated to and Tammy helped them understand why the organization was hurting their career and how to leave it. Without her help, the executive might have spent several years translating what was wrong before really taking action. Which shows just how big a difference coaching makes when done right.
A coach’s highest responsibility with their clients is becoming an accountability partner that will not only cheer you on, but also demands action; “Books and training are built for the masses, but coaching is built for you,” says Tammy Alvarez.
Tammy herself used coaches and mentors along her own career path to build knowledge quickly and access an outside perspective. She believes everyone needs a coach and this is shown across every industry. Athletes, entrepreneurs, musicians, and so many more flourish when given personalized support. This is why she works with executives that are at the same level she once was. She knows the nooks and crannies of their situation and empathizes with the fact that the higher position you’re in, the need for external support increases. Receiving biased input because of your seniority never helps C-levels grow and is an uncomfortable exchange when internal employees are hearing the intimate problems of a manager's life.
Your career is incredibly influential to other aspects of your life . Whether it’s prospering or failing, it can define your entire existence. Even when people want to escape the nine-to-five life, they still crave purpose that’s usually found through work. No matter the kind of person you are or what kind of lifestyle you live, your career should reflect these priorities. If it does, work and family life will be much more fulfilling and you’ll be doing something that lights you up each day. Many believe that following your dreams is impossible, but what if it all starts with one coaching session?
“Our careers and how we show up at work has such an impact on our overall lives, which is why I tell my clients to treat their career like a business. When you do that, you show up differently and you make different decisions. Most of the time people have the answers, but they don’t know how to access or apply them, so that's really where Career Winners Circle steps in to help,” says Tammy Alvarez.
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Name: Tammy Alvarez
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