Meet Tracy Hill | Entrepreneur, Educational Psychologist, Writer and Inventor

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

Hi Tracy, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I am definitely a risk taker. Most people are risk aversive. I am not. I believe that you have to endure some amount of risk in order to be successful and achieve what you want to achieve. If I had not taken risk, my current company would not have grown from making $25k the first year to over $500,000 three years later. That more than 1,200%! That’s right more than a thousand percent growth in three years.

However, sometimes you have to be willing to lose when you take risks…

I’ve had a few businesses over the past five years – Centered CBD, a counseling practice, a digital magazine, patents, and property owner. Not every business has been successful. But I think the most important thing to learn is when to say “when” or “IQP.”

Some entrepreneur’s dig their heels in and won’t let go of a sinking business. One of my strengths is knowing when to throw in the towel. It’s not quitting. It’s making good business decisions. There is a huge difference. I don’t believe in quitting or giving up. But I do believe in knowing when something isn’t working and having the humility to say “okay, maybe this was not the best business decision. Time to close up shop and move on to the next proposition.”

My grandfather taught me eons ago, never play with money you don’t have. That can put people in a pickle if they want to be an entrepreneur. I took his advice though. I saved and saved and took advantage of every grant, free advice, free anything I could get my hands on. I bought a small property when I was just 23. I turned that property over and made more money and did that several times to accumulate some money in the bank. When I felt I was ready – BAM!

I also put a lot of stock into mentors. I know what I don’t know and having a mentor or two is invaluable to learning what you don’t know and getting sound advice from experienced mentors. If you’re starting off, get a mentor (free) from SCORE. It’s a national organization and worth every free penny you spend on the mentor they pair you with.

So what are you waiting for? Go out and find your passion, make it happen and live your life your own way!

What should our readers know about your business?
My parents were entrepreneurs so I have it in my blood. My father owned the strangest companies (i.e., refrigeration warehouse, scuba shop, property, etc.) all while working full time as an attorney. My mother owned her own store – one of the first in it’s kind back in the day. So talking shop (business) every night at dinner was par for the course. My father always wanted me to be an attorney, but I decided to pursue my passion helping others through psychology.

I’ve changed employment but have always owned my own practice. Three years ago, I gave up the employment and went full time for me – earning more money than I ever had, enjoy a better quality of life and work with amazing employees. The first year was tough but again, I had the support of my partner to cushion the financial stress. By year two, I was sailing solo.

I believe in myself. There’s this thing recently about energy and throwing out manifestations and things will come to you if you think they will. Horsehocky! Things happen if you make them happen. Self talk is critical but only if it goes hand in hand with effort. Hard work, common sense, high resilience and good work ethic. I will say that what sets my practice apart from so many others is my ethical standards. My father taught me that. It’s not worth being unethical in any way. What goes around comes around. I treat my employees and patients as I would my dear friends – with honesty, professionalism and high moral and ethical standards.

Centered CBD began during the pandemic because many patients were terrified to leave their homes to get their psychopharm medicines. So I partnered with a local farm in Colorado (two of my children live there) and Centered CBD was born. It’s my new baby and I think everyone should try it. My son says it gives him the best golf game ever 😉 More focus and less anxiety.

What else do you want to know?

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My city in Pennsylvania has so much going on all the time. First, enjoying the beautiful area by car or motorcycle or bicycle. Then some good meals at some of my favorite restaurants or a delicious meal on our expansive outdoor patio. My partner is an amazing chef!

We have water sports, ski sports – just about everything in between. One of my favorite museums is the new Industrial Museum but taking the catwalk at the Steel Stacks is super fun, too.

I host an Airbnb in my town, and I”m always amazed at the reasons people stay with us. Our home is kind of off the beaten track but people have opened our eyes to so many things to do nearby that we didn’t know about. We’re newbies to the Valley – so we’re still learning. Oh and I should mention – since this is about entrepreneurship, my Airbnb generates the income for my property taxes, so that’s always great 😉

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Ahh I said this in the previous slide. Yes, mentors are key. SCORE and also the Small Business Administration. Both offer free advice, help you with so many things it’s hard to list here.

However, support from family and friends is critical. Oftentimes, my family and friends think I’m crazy – as I sit here in the Dominican Republic for a month – doing the things I do. Yet, they wholeheartedly support me and without that, I think it’s more difficult. Yes, you do the work and you do it mostly by yourself. But everyone needs a cheerleader on the side to some degree.

My kids are my cheer squad and my inspiration in everything I do.

Website: www.centeredcbd.us www.centerstreetcenter.com mgsproductsllc.com

Instagram: @centered_cbd @tehillphd

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyehillphd/

Twitter: tehillphd