Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Traci Thomas

We recently had the chance to connect with Traci Thomas and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Traci, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
I am the mother of twins, I call them the Mini Stacks, and I never post them on social media. I am so proud of them and I don’t share them with the world. They are smart, funny, and really interesting people. And while it is too soon to know for sure, they seem like they might even have decent politics. I’m not sure I would say that I’m building them, but in some ways I am, in a less literal sense of the word.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am Traci Thomas and I am a professional reader/online book person. I host the book podcast The Stacks as my main gig, and then I do a lot of other book related things. I write a column, I go on NPR to talk books each month, I have a newsletter called Unstacked, and host author talks and panels. I started the podcast in 2018, and now it is all these things and more. If you love books, The Stacks universe is a place for you.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My dad. He always believed in my ability to talk and argue. He knew I was a born with a critical eye and encouraged me to have strong opinions, as long as I could back them up. I’m not sure he could see the path I’ve taken, but he knew that my big mouth was going to take me places. He thought I’d be a lawyer, and if I wasn’t so set on doing anything but what he suggested, he maybe could’ve been right.

What’s something you changed your mind about after failing hard?
I used to think failing was the worst thing ever, but after failing a few times I realized that failing was far from the worst thing ever. I realized failing was so totally normal, and it was silly to ever get down on myself for trying and not getting there. Everyone fails. It is the least big deal in the grand scheme of life.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes to an extent. I don’t share a lot of my personal life on social media, like my kids. But what I do share, I share with authenticity. I sometimes make myself a little nicer than I am with my closest friends. I can be very direct and harsh, and some people aren’t ready for that, so I do try and keep that in check. But, mostly, I am who I am.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
My family, my friends, my community, my beliefs, my opinions, and of course myself. I am so much more than my job and my things. I would hate my life if that weren’t true.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestackspod/
• Other: The podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ANOw4YOd7suJrKkt1Xg2s
  Substack: https://tracithomas.substack.com/