TRACIE GUY-DECKER
More Meaning. More Compassion. More Fun.
ABOUT TRACIE
What I do
My clients hire me for a variety of services.
I oversee the creation of fundraising appeals, donor communications, and marketing efforts, from strategy to copywriting to execution.
I develop and/or deliver curricula and workshops on race and racism, antisemitism, Jewish spiritual practices, the effects of intergenerational trauma, or a combination of the above.
I consult on brand management for diverse organizations from nonprofits to small businesses to pharma giants.
I create images and illustrations to honor a moment, an idea, a feeling.
The through-line for everything I do is this:
More meaning: greater understanding of ourselves and the world + a deeper connection to what matters
More compassion: an abiding care for everyone's humanity, including our own
More fun: taking our work seriously, but not ourselves
Who I am
I’m a nerd. Or, if you’re feeling fancy, I’m an intellectual.
I know a lot about a lot of things, in part because I am in love with learning. But what I know doesn’t matter. Not really.
What matters is what I believe:
I believe people are more important than ideas.
I believe all human beings are worthy of love, respect, and kindness.
I believe in exercise.
I believe in holding multiple truths.
I believe in laughter and joy.
I believe vulnerability is sexy.
I believe race is a construct but racism is all too real.
I believe if I stop growing and learning, I’ll die.
I’m a reader and I’m a writer.
I love well-told stories. I love how metaphors make the abstract concrete. I love clear and powerful prose: the way its rhythms and cadence teach us, move us, help us grow.
I’m a doodler.
I don’t believe you when you say you can’t draw. We can all draw. The process matters as much as (more than?) the product. Don’t want to call yourself an artist? I get it, you're a doodler, too.
I’m a friend.
Finding real connection with other human beings is the highlight of my life. hint, hint
Looking for the old-fashioned bio? Here: Tracie Guy-Decker is a writer and consultant based in Baltimore, Maryland. Between 2020 and 2023, Tracie was a senior partner with Joyous Justice, LLC, where she helped develop and co-facilitated online courses and other programming about oppression, privilege, anti-Black racism, antisemitism, and wellness. In that role, Tracie was one half of the podcast Jews Talk Racial Justice with April and Tracie, now called the Joyous Justice podcast. Prior to Joyous Justice, Tracie was the deputy director of the Jewish Museum of Maryland, where she worked both to make the museum more representative of diverse Jewish experiences and to make the campus a place of belonging for all Baltimoreans and visitors. Her career has included stints in higher education both as a marketer and a fundraiser and in non-profits from university publishers to community centers. She is an active volunteer leader with Jews United for Justice, and was the recipient of their Heschel Vision Award in 2023. Tracie attended the Divinity School of the University of Chicago for a masters degree and PhD coursework, and Oberlin College for her undergraduate studies.
Want the actual resume? There's also the one over at LinkedIn.
My WHY and WHY ME?
I must admit, I didn’t dream of being a consultant/copywriter/strategist/facilitator/podcast host/doodler when I was a kid (I mean, I did dream of being a doodler, but not like this, and there was no such thing as podcasts when I was a kid, but still). This constellation that is me and my current efforts is the result of a circuitous path forged by curiosity, passion, a smattering of talent, and occasional shiny-idea-chasing. And why; a consistent and powerful why.
My why is as singular as my roles are multiple: I want to leave the world better, more whole, and more well-understood than it was when I found it.
Sometimes that why manifests in helping individuals understand societal and psychological structures that shape them. Other times it manifests as telling stories that help nonprofits or social good enterprises engage their stakeholders. Still other times, my why takes shape in helping organizations use human and other resources more efficiently and effectively so that the team and the team members can thrive.
I started with my why, because in many ways, it is the answer to the question why me? When your consultant / copywriter / strategist / facilitator / podcast host / doodler does what she does to make the world better, more whole, and more well-understood, you can trust she’s working with you “for the right reasons.”
But there are many do-gooders out there. Other answers to why me? include:
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Because I have so many slashes in my title, I bring a lot of perspectives to every opportunity. My experience and expertise in diverse fields make me a creative (and effective) storyteller, problem-solver, strategist, and project manager.
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I’m quick, effective, and a team-player. Especially as a writer, I welcome direction and critique, and also love collaborating.
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My curiosity makes me a fast learner. My empathy makes me a patient teacher.
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I take my work very seriously. I try hard never to take myself that way.
How I work
I like to meet with a potential client for a conversation to talk through their goals and how I can help. From there I put together a proposal with a clear scope of work and compensation arrangement to which we can both agree.
I try to meet the client where they are. Some of my clients put me on retainer for a specific number of hours in a month. Others prefer a project rate. Still others have me bill hourly on a monthly or bi-weekly basis.