GAZELLE MAGAZINE Vol. 1, Issue 1 | Page 30

ADR
IAN
BRACY

Gazelle 14 Spring 25-48_Gazelle Magazine 4/17/14 8:15 PM Page 28

From Football
to Female
Empowerment

YWCA CEO FINDS JOY
IN INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENTS

“When you see that you’re breaking
the cycle of poverty, or someone
who is homeless can now afford to
get her own apartment - it’s joy.
That’s just pure joy.“
­

f

ive­years­ago,­Adrian­Bracy­thought­she­had
it­ all­ figured­ out.­ She­ had­ spent­ the­ last
twenty­years­charting­a­clear­career­path­in­finance­with­the­NFL,­and­was­serving­as­the­chief
financial­officer­for­the­Arizona­Cardinals.­But­something­wasn’t­quite­right­-­and­it­hadn’t­been­for­a­while.­
“It­wasn’t­like­I­woke­up­one­morning­and­said
‘I’ve­ had­ enough,’”­ said­ the­ fifty-three-year-old.­ She
was­two­years­into­a­job­that­simply­wasn’t­fulfilling­her
desires­anymore.­It­was­time­for­a­change,­but­after­two
decades­of­building­a­career­in­her­trained­field­of­finance
(and­reaping­the­rewards),­was­she­ready­to­accept­change?
After­receiving­her­MBA­from­Nova­Southeastern­University,­the
Miami­native­worked­as­a­tax­controller­for­the­Miami­Dolphins,­and
later,­for­twelve­years­as­the­vice­president­of­finance­for­the­St.­Louis
Rams.­It­was­while­with­the­Rams­in­2005,­that­she­experienced­her
first­internal­career­shift.­Her­feelings­led­her­to­explore­the­possibility
of­opening­a­spa,­and­when­the­opportunity­came­up­in­Phoenix,­Arizona,­she­interpreted­it­as­a­sign.­

By ERIN WILLIAMS

28

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