About Career Upside: A Career Coaching Story
Career & Executive Coaching in Atlanta
Background
In the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia, Todd McCarty navigated his childhood with curiosity and a little luck. A 1989 graduate of Brookwood High School in Gwinnett County, Todd found himself at a crossroads, unsure of which path to take in college. His journey led him to the University of Georgia (UGA), where, despite initial uncertainties about his major, he dabbled in an eclectic mix of subjects—from Psychology to Meteorology, then Marketing and Broadcast News, before finally settling on Advertising. His academic journey, while diverse, miraculously did not extend his college years or add to his tuition burden because he was fortunate to have an academic advisor who helped him avoid financial pitfalls.College & Job Experience
In 1993, Todd graduated with a bachelor's in Journalism from UGA's prestigious Grady College. He also happened to watch the movie “Dave” and was inspired by the speech given by actor Kevin Kline, playing the role of the President, about the power of helping someone find a job to bring meaning to their life. His career then took him on a three-decade-long voyage through the marketing departments of five Fortune 500 companies. Throughout these years, Todd sharpened his skills in honing value propositions and targeting the right audience, gaining a rich perspective that would later prove invaluable in his career coaching endeavors. The marketing landscape transformed dramatically during Todd's career, shifting from traditional analog methods to the complex digital frameworks of today. Navigating this volatile field, Todd faced numerous challenges, including five layoffs—some due to economic downturns and others attributed to mismatches in personality, fit, and company culture. During this time, he honed his personal brand and became an informal career coach for those in transition.Credentials
Career Upside works with business leaders, executives, and other individuals to uncover their unique strengths, improve their performance, and achieve more success in their work and personal lives.
We Believe That You Have Unique Strengths
Career Upside
Executive & Career Coaching
Scientifically proven to boost employment successes and opportunities.
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20+ years of executive and career coaching
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Birkman Certified Professional
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Emory Executive Coaching Diploma
Experienced Leader with Fortune 500 Companies
Coach & Marketer
In 2017, after being let go from NCR in 2016 and armed with a wealth of experience and a passion for guiding others, Todd founded Career Upside and WSI Marketing Upside. Through this venture, he aimed to impart his deep understanding of the job market and career navigation to help individuals adapt and thrive professionally, just as he had learned to adapt in his career. Todd's journey from a clueless high school graduate to a seasoned marketing expert and a compassionate career coach encapsulates a story of resilience, adaptability, and unwavering determination. Todd now leverages his marketing experience to help people treat themselves like a product and develop their value proposition while also helping them to promote themselves and tell their stories to advance in their careers.
Beliefs & Self Awareness
Todd is convinced that a profound lack of self-awareness is a significant issue plaguing many, particularly high school and college students. They struggle to grasp their personalities, strengths, and weaknesses at a critical time when they are just beginning to navigate the complex landscape of life's possibilities. Furthermore, they lack data about their personality, needs, interests, and workstyles, which makes it difficult to make an informed decision. Todd believes his life's mission is to guide these individuals—students, parents, mid-career professionals, and executives alike—toward a deeper understanding of their aspirations and purpose. His goal is to lead them into careers that are not just jobs but fulfilling life paths.Beliefs & Leadership
Furthermore, Todd is passionate about transforming leadership dynamics within organizations. He focuses on team building, not just as a facilitator, but as a strategist who molds marketing leaders to unite under a shared vision and mission. He ensures that these teams operate in environments where roles are clearly defined and psychological safety is paramount, fostering a culture of trust and clear communication. Todd believes this is essential for any organization aiming to thrive in today’s competitive landscape. In 2016, Todd led his team to a 95% engagement rating by leveraging the Birkman Method assessment, and he believes the assessment can bring tremendous value to leaders and teams to perform better, understand stress, and leverage team strengths.
Testimonials
"Five years ago, I was going through a career transition and wanted help to do a deep review and evaluation of not only my skills and experience but applying those skills to new career opportunities. Todd was instrumental in helping me review not only what I thought were my career skills, but he was able to pull out my interests and passions about work and use them as the inputs to guide my career. The approach, structure and process Todd had me follow was exactly what I wanted. I strongly recommend Todd for anyone in need of personal professional coaching."
Wayne Emerson, Senior Account Executive, Advance Travel and Tourism
"Working with Todd was tremendously beneficial, especially because he helped me in multiple ways. What started as a successful marketing endeavor, quickly morphed into an exercise which helped me personally develop as a leader, manager, and a person. His approachable, inquisitive, and collaborative approach helped our organization laser in on the vision, strategy, and tactics needed to help us succeed. He developed rapport at every level of our organization and his business acumen earned him great respect."
Rick McDonald, President, FSL Group
"Socrates said, 'To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom.' Uncovering that self-knowledge has been a critical element of my professional (and personal) success. Here's an analogy -- I would never approach a business problem without doing all my research. Likewise, how could I address my career success without understanding the biggest component - myself. I've completed numerous self-reviews and cognitive assessments over my long career, but Todd's more comprehensive approach to understanding core personality drivers helped me focus my passion and harness my strengths. This more balanced approach has helped me understand how I work most effectively, how I can collaborate best within teams, and in what kinds of organizations and cultures I'll thrive. In short, it felt like having blinders removed. Maybe Socrates was right after all this time -- Highly recommend for both individuals and teams."
George Buckley, Director – Demand Generation, Change Healthcare
