Today we’d like to introduce you to Stacy Murphy
Hi Stacy, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started my career as a commercial interior designer, creating workspaces for large corporations. What I have always loved about design is that it is the intersection of people and purpose. Asking who I was designing for and why fueled every conversation and project. Over the course of my 18 year career I have evolved from designer to senior leadership, managing teams and divisions. Whether designing or running a business, my throughline has always been people and purpose.
As my career has evolved I’ve redirected my energy towards service to others through my platform The Stacy Strategy, where I help women define their authentic selves in the workplace to advance their personal and professional development. I have been honored to speak at multiple universities, businesses, and national women’s organizations. Nothing gives me more joy than having a positive impact on others.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
When I decided I wanted to move beyond being an individual contributor into leadership, I struggled with hiring managers who were unwilling to give a younger female with a creative background a shot at advancement. While I had metrics of my business performance, and support from my own teams, when leadership roles became available I would be passed over time and time again for my male counterparts. Tired from hitting advancement road blocks, I worked on curating my personal brand and developing deep relationships with mentors and executives who would be willing to advocate for me in the room. Those efforts made all the difference in the evolution of my career, and the lessons learned became the core focus of my speaking engagements with students and professionals.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Following my speaking engagements over the past few years, I have been told many times that I should write a book about professional development. While the concept of becoming a published author is daunting, this year I decided to take the leap. The book is currently in progress and I have been meeting with publishers. The manuscript is set to be complete by June 2025 with a 2026 launch. If my upcoming book helped only one person improve their professional career, through leaning into their purpose or achieving their goals, it will be worth the effort. The foundation of my why is to have a meaningful life in the service of women in the workplace, empowering them to have authority over their careers and advancement.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love that Austin is for everyone, it’s a place that embraces the authentic self and encourages you to show up as you are. It’s a city of belonging, which the world so greatly needs right now. As for dislike, that’s easy – the traffic! Our infrastructure has not kept pace with our growth.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thestacystrategy.com
- Instagram: @thestacystrategy
Image Credits
These are all personal photos, no credit needs to be given.
