Career Path of an Owner at CEA Strategies
Tracy's career journey began in journalism at Cal Poly, but a pivot to public relations at UCLA, followed by agency work in Los Angeles, provided "a broad understanding of the communications function". This experience, combined with entrepreneurial spirit, led to starting their own agency, a stint in corporate communications, and ultimately, the founding of CEA Strategies, focusing on "strategic communications, public relations, engagement, and advocacy" on the central coast.
Public Relations, Strategic Communications, Entrepreneurship, Agency vs. Corporate, Career Pivoting
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Tracy Campbell
Principal / Owner
CEA Strategies
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA
Leadership Certification, UCLA Anderson School of Management
Creative Writing, Journalism
Consulting & Related Professional Services, Advertising, Communications & Marketing
Entrepreneurship and Business Owner
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Tracy's career began in journalism, showcasing the value of diverse starting points.
2. Her experience in agency public relations provided broad exposure to various sectors and communication functions.
3. Tracy's entrepreneurial spirit led her to start her own agency and transition between agency and corporate roles, highlighting the diverse career paths available in communications.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college? Did you have any internships or jobs before your current role as principal?
My career started in journalism at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. I originally wanted to be a broadcast reporter or anchor, but realized early on that would be a difficult challenge at the time. So, once I graduated from Cal Poly, I went to UCLA and got my public relations credential.
From there, I went into agency public relations, which I highly recommend for a lot of new talent. I started my career with agencies across Los Angeles, doing high tech, consumer product, events, and healthcare. It gave me a broad understanding of the communications function and access to many clients in different assignments.
I worked through agencies until I decided to try it on my own. I'm an entrepreneur by trade, so I started my own agency. I landed a very large client in healthcare, and they hired me to go internal in corporate. My background is a mix of agency and corporate.
I did corporate for about 20 years and am now back on the central coast, in the beautiful area of San Luis Obispo, with my own agency called CEA Strategies. Our focus is strategic communications, public relations, engagement, and advocacy. It's a little bit of everything, but a lot of being an entrepreneur and taking advantage of opportunities as they presented.