Embracing Agility, Your Strengths, and Boundaries in the Hospitality Industry with Tracy Judge

Tracy Judge has made big strides in redefining how talent is sourced, connected, and developed in the business events industry. She’s the founder and chief connector at Soundings, a talent platform for businesses seeking skilled professionals in event planning, social media management, and more. Recognized by numerous prestigious organizations, Tracy's impact in the industry is noticeable. Today, she sits down with us to share her career journey, the evolution of her business, and her thoughts on adaptability in an ever-changing world.

Tracy Judge on Rising to the Stage

It was just five years ago that Tracy had her first ever podcast interview with Amani. Back then, the thought of public speaking was scary. Fast-forward to today, and Tracy has since presented to audiences of thousands and embraced each speaking engagement with confidence. Yet, she gets candid and admits to still feeling the pre-speech jitters right before she goes on stage. We appreciated Tracy’s vulnerability!

Building a Community-Focused Business Model

Tracy’s business, Soundings, is a talent platform tailored to the business events industry. Soundings started with a core service, Soundings Connect, which connects organizations with freelance and contract talent, focusing on experience, personality, and strengths. Then, during the pandemic, Tracy launched Soundings Thrive, a community platform aimed at providing education and support to professionals who found themselves without work in a disrupted market.

Today, Soundings also includes Soundings Elevate, a coaching program designed to help event professionals navigate their careers through personalized coaching and group sessions. Tracy's aim is to foster a community where freelance talent can continue developing their skills and enjoy benefits they might not otherwise have as independent contractors.

Adapting and Thriving Amid Industry Disruption

The COVID-19 pandemic brought huge shifts to the events industry, forcing Tracy and her team to quickly make decisions to keep Soundings afloat. She recalls feeling a “do or die” urgency, and with a small, agile team, they quickly identified a new demand for virtual event support.

Agility is huge here. In the challenging times of the pandemic, Soundings’ ability to adapt quickly helped them expand their services and reinforce the sense of community that their talent needed. For Tracy, it was all about asking: “What is needed in the market right now?” and then answering that need, even when the answer wasn't immediately clear.

The Future of Soundings: Authenticity, Community, and Agility

As Soundings continues to grow, Tracy's focus is on staying true to the company's values while keeping up with the fast-paced changes in technology and market demands. Authenticity is at the core of Soundings’ operations. They want to not only match talent to customer needs but also make sure that the customer is a good fit for the talent. This people-centered approach sets Soundings apart from traditional staffing firms.

Embracing Agility in a Rapidly Evolving Industry

Tracy points out that technology and customer needs are constantly evolving. Agility, she explains, is about being able to move quickly and pivot as demands shift, particularly with the rise of AI. In the post-COVID world, the events industry is experiencing a shift in priorities, making agility a necessary skill for professionals who want to be competitive.

Agile Hiring: Building Flexible and Efficient Teams

Tracy also shared her enthusiasm for “agile talent strategy,” a forward-thinking approach to hiring and team-building. Organizations need to prioritize agility, which means hiring talent who can adapt quickly and who may even work in roles outside their traditional job descriptions. Tracy shared one of her favorite examples of agile hiring: a registration coordinator brought onto a project with a limited budget who, thanks to mentorship and skill development, not only completed the project but went on to land a full-time role at another company.

Setting Boundaries in Preventing Burnout

Tracy shared her experience with burnout before she learned to set boundaries. She didn’t learn to set boundaries until about two years ago, but once she did it changed everything. She encourages her team to set three specific boundaries every quarter, which can help them feel more in control of their time and responsibilities.

Finding Your Strengths for Career Success

When asked what topic she could speak on endlessly, Tracy explained how passionate she is about understanding and leveraging your strengths. Tracy’s passion for this subject has inspired her to guide people in recognizing their core competencies and using them to shape rewarding careers. By allowing people to understand and lean into their strengths, she’s seen transformative shifts in careers.

Turning Strengths into Self-Care Tools

Tracy explained how often, strengths like empathy, responsibility, and achievement can become weaknesses if they aren’t balanced with boundaries. Professionals might feel compelled to go above and beyond, sometimes to their own detriment, because they empathize with others’ struggles or feel responsible for the outcome. Tracy advocates for flipping this mindset: if your strength is achieving, for example, use that skill to reach personal goals like spending more time with family.

Connect with Tracy Judge

🔗 Connect with Tracy Judge at Soundings