
Tracy Petrucci

Tracy Petrucci Class of 2007
Global Business Marketing Track
Business Owner
Petrucci Marketing
Please briefly describe your career path since leaving CSUSM
I basically fell into my own business on accident. I was helping my mom in her business
throughout college and afterwards, and got some side projects through that which led
to more referrals which led to me growing an agency over the years.
Please tell us about your current organization
I have a digital marketing agency with 8 team members. We specialize in Facebook ads,
social media management, email marketing, and influencer relations.


Please tell us about your role
I am the CEO and my role has evolved a lot mostly in the last two years as I shifted
from doing a lot of actual project work to managing a team and training, trying to
get the things from inside my head out into a tangible format they can learn from.
This has been a hard shift because I don't have a background in this and I often miss
sitting and quietly working on Facebook ads. However it's great learning and growing
and always being challenged. I like to create a culture where everyone is appreciated
and we have a really down to earth team so there is no drama and just good people
doing good work.
What is your favorite part of your job
The most rewarding part of my job is seeing results come in from our attention to
detail. We are really thoughtful in our approach with small businesses, and we are
often fixing the work of other companies who are less "boutique". To see the amount
of money being spent on ads with the lack of creativity always frustrates me. To get
our hands in and turn things around, helping these business owners stay viable and
thrive, is a great feeling.
Do you have any advice for students or alumni
People always ask me how I "made it" and all I can say is it's really hard work. I've
made sacrifices, and still do, that I'm not even proud of. I have no concept of self
care or a work life balance, but I'm aware of that and trying to figure out how to
work that in. I got where I am by doing a lot of learning for very little money. It
gave me experience, it got me connected, it gave me clarity on my strengths and weaknesses,
and ultimately led to my success. A lot of people say they won't do work if it's not
this perfect condition. Perfect client, perfect amount of money, and so forth. That's
totally fine and I respect people who have the freedom to set those boundaries. I
had to do what I had to do, and that included taking less than ideal projects. I'd
never have it any other way because through that I was always busy, always working,
and always growing. And guess what? Now I can say no to whatever I want if it's not
a right fit, and believe me, I do!