Tess Cox and Chelsea Cox Gillman: A Mother-Daughter Duo Coaching Executives and Teams Toward Stronger Leadership

Tess Cox‘s professional journey began in the nonprofit sector, where she worked before pursuing graduate studies. During this period, she met a professor who would become a pivotal figure in her career. He owned a successful consulting, business, and coaching company and invited Tess to join him. Together, they worked tirelessly coaching nurses, hospital staff, upper management, and doctors at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage. The experience honed Tess’s skills and prepared her for the next chapter of her career.

When the opportunity arose, they transitioned to CA Technologies in New York City, where they continued to coach executives and travel the world to coach their teams in Singapore and Europe. During this time, Tess fully embraced the coaching mindset and process. Meanwhile, Chelsea was working in the hotel industry in New York City, and they were able to spend cherished moments together every couple of weeks.

When Tess Cox completed her contract with her previous business partner, she started Tess Cox and Associates (TC&A), which has been flourishing for ten years.

When her daughter Chelsea Cox Gillman and her then-fiancé moved from New York to Tennessee to manage hotels and Airbnb, they eventually made their way to California, where Tess had already founded TC&A. Tess realized that she needed support and turned to Chelsea.

Initially, Chelsea started working on social media, but soon she was in the background learning the coaching style and process used by TC&A. As time passed, Chelsea discovered that she had a gift for coaching and a talent for management. They quickly found that they were compatible in building out more of the business process.

Tess had always dreamed of having her children involved in her business, and when Chelsea showed interest and talent in building out resources and coaching, it was a natural, organic relationship that they both thoroughly enjoyed. Together, they continue to work toward their shared passion, mentoring and building leadership capacity.

At the heart of TC&A’s coaching practice is a commitment to transforming executives and teams into better leaders by changing their mindset and behavior. Through their leadership coaching, Tess, and Chelsea focus on developing self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, and relationships to create strong leaders. Their goal is not only to strengthen relationships within organizations but also to foster personal growth and a positive mindset.

Central to TC&A’s approach is its emphasis on communication. They work closely with teams to facilitate cross-functional communication and decision-making and to create a culture that promotes growth and positivity. As relationships strengthen and team members see positive outcomes from their efforts, buy-in gradually grows, and the culture starts to shift.

Their coaching process has proven to be highly effective, with many clients testifying that it has helped them not only in their professional roles and responsibilities but also in their personal lives.

Tess strongly believes that leading oneself is about taking responsibility and being accountable. She has developed the five C’s – character, competence, consistency, creativity, and confidence – which form the foundation for leading oneself.

Tess emphasizes the importance of building relationships and creativity while remaining consistent with habits and competencies. In line with this belief, Tess has co-authored a book called The Leadership Blueprint: Becoming the Architect of Your Life and Work. This book is based on the five C’s and serves as a useful tool for individuals to lead themselves. While the book can be used on its own, coaching can be helpful in applying these concepts to real-life situations.

Tess also notes that the five C’s can be useful during challenging times, such as dealing with grief. These principles help individuals identify where they can focus their energy and give themselves permission to take the time they need. By internalizing the five C’s and using them as a guide, individuals can take control of their lives and lead themselves to success.

Tess and Chelsea are strong advocates for women pursuing their dreams and creating meaningful lives for themselves. They believe that it is crucial for women to surround themselves with good people and seek out the support they need to bring their ideas to life.

Ultimately, they believe that women are worthy of everything they desire to create in work and life and should give themselves permission to say, “I’m worth it.”