Influential Woman · Leadership Coaching
Tess Hobson
Founder/Coach, The Story Within
Minneapolis, MN 55414
Her Story
About Tess
My background is in higher education, where I earned both my master's and PhD. I spent years working in student services, mentoring and advising students, particularly those who were the first in their family to go to college and from underrepresented backgrounds. That experience really built my empathy and listening skills and gave me this deep desire to support people in becoming the best versions of themselves. I then taught leadership development in higher ed for about 5 years before transitioning to the federal government, where I coached and consulted senior leaders on leadership development. A little over a year ago, I lost that job for reasons beyond my control. Starting my own business was not something I ever thought I would do. It's scary, and there's uncertainty and risk involved that's not quite in line with my normal way of operating. But I knew I had gifts to offer the world and wanted to live out this mission of helping women really step into what they're capable of achieving and the impact they want to have. So I founded The Story Within Coaching in August of last year. Now I help emerging and mid-level women leaders grow the confidence, mindset, and tools needed to confidently step into bigger roles through one-on-one coaching, speaking engagements, workshops, and my women's leadership accelerator program.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Tess
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would say mostly people who supported me and influenced me. A big person I often attribute my success to is my granddad. He is still living, and he was sort of the first person who modeled empowering women. I remember when I was very young, probably in middle school, he would constantly be asking me about school, and as I kept getting older, he'd always be like, you know you're gonna get a PhD one day, right? When are you getting your PhD? He also always told me that he thought our world would be a better place if we had more women in positions of leadership. I think for someone growing up in his generation, that was such a cool perspective to be influenced by. At the time, I don't think I really realized that that was unique, but it sort of gave me this sense of being a high achiever and being ambitious, and that was good and normal for women. Of course, other family members too, but definitely my granddad.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say that, from my experience, what holds us back the most from achieving our potential is our own limiting beliefs about ourselves. The advice I would give is to have the courage to explore and unpack those for yourself and take the time to rewrite them into something more empowering. We all have very unique life stories, and whatever that is for you, your story has so much power and influence. Ground into what your story is without trying to be someone else.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges are that a lot of people call themselves coaches, and the industry itself can be very unregulated. It's not uncommon to wake up and go on a social media platform and see someone who became a coach overnight. I think that is a challenge in that it can sometimes get misunderstood, like what coaching actually is at its essence and core, what it was built to be. But I think there's also opportunity there, because it's becoming more and more known that coaching is a thing and what it kind of looks like, and the benefits that it has. I'm hearing more and more people talking about it, and more and more people looking for a coach or realizing that they could use coaching. So it's kind of a double-edged sword there.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
My core values are authenticity, empathy, equity, and adventure. I would say both personally and professionally.
Keep Exploring
More Influential Women · Minnesota
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.