From CEO to Coach: Becca Pearce's Journey Through Job Loss, Brain Tumor, and Finding Purpose

Host Dave Roberts introduces the Teaching Journeys podcast and interviews Becca Pearce, a former Maryland state exchange CEO appointed in 2011 to implement the Affordable Care Act. Becca describes building the agency from nothing, enrolling 300,000 previously uninsured people, then losing her job publicly after an IT system failure, which shattered her identity. Fourteen months later she learned she had a ping-pong-ball-sized brain tumor, underwent a 12-hour surgery, and faced major recovery, which deepened her understanding of vulnerability and prompted her to reassess success and balance. She discusses her book, You Don’t Have to Achieve to be Loved, and explains her coaching approach, emphasizing that time is life’s key nonrenewable resource.

Becca's Bio and Contact Information

Becca Pearce understands firsthand how hard change can be Two life-altering events forced her to realize that what she once wanted no longer felt right. The resulting journey reshaped her path, upending everything she had believed about success and happiness.

Over the last twelve years, Becca has learned the value of vulnerability, the importance of optimism and the imperative to find the life you want to live now because we're never promised tomorrow. A former CEO and state official, she is now the president of Extend Coaching & Consulting, a firm dedicated to helping people find the courage to live the life they've been dreaming of.

Connect with Becca:

Website: morebeccaopearce.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beccapearce/

To connect with Dave, go to davidrobertsmsw.com