From Fairways to Fashion to Publishing and HR Leadership Insights – Interview with Stacey Soans
- 6 days ago
- 6 min read
Stacey Soans is a professional golfer, published author, Human Resources Business Partner, and professional model whose career spans sports, business, leadership, and fashion. As the author of Fairways and Femininity, she explores the intersection of performance, personal branding, women's empowerment, and professional success.
In this interview, Stacey shares insights from her unique journey across professional golf, corporate leadership, modeling, and writing. She discusses the lessons that have shaped her approach to resilience, self-discipline, leadership development, and building a multifaceted career in today's evolving professional landscape.
Stacey Soans, HR Leader, Golfer, Professional Model and Published Author
What inspired you to write Fairways and Femininity, and how has your dual background in professional golf and modeling shaped the message of the book?
Fairways and Femininity was inspired by my experience navigating two highly visible and often misunderstood industries: professional golf and professional modeling. Throughout my career, I noticed that women are frequently encouraged to choose between strength and femininity, ambition and authenticity, leadership and grace. My own journey taught me that these qualities can coexist.
As a professional golfer, I learned discipline, resilience, mental toughness, and the importance of performing under pressure. As a professional model, I developed confidence, personal branding skills, and an understanding of how presence influences opportunity. Together, these experiences shaped my perspective on leadership, self-development, and professional success.
The book explores how women can leverage their unique strengths while building meaningful careers, whether in sports, business, entrepreneurship, or creative industries. Ultimately, Fairways and Femininity is about redefining success on your own terms and embracing both excellence and authenticity without compromise.
"You do not have to sacrifice your identity to achieve your ambitions."
How has the discipline and focus required in professional golf influenced your approach to leadership and performance in the corporate world?
Professional golf teaches lessons that directly translate to corporate leadership and business performance. Unlike team sports, golf requires personal accountability. Every result reflects your preparation, mindset, and decision-making.
One of the most valuable lessons I carried into the corporate world is the ability to remain composed under pressure. In both business and golf, outcomes are rarely determined by a single moment. Success comes from consistency, strategic thinking, and the ability to recover quickly from setbacks.
As a Human Resources Business Partner and leadership professional, I apply the same principles to organizational performance. Strong leaders understand that resilience matters more than perfection. They focus on long-term results rather than short-term distractions and maintain discipline even when challenges arise.
Golf also taught me the importance of continuous improvement. The best athletes and business leaders never stop refining their skills. That growth mindset has been a defining factor throughout my career across human resources, sports, private equity, and leadership development.
In the modeling industry, presence and confidence are key. What lessons from that experience have you applied to navigating male-dominated corporate sectors?
Modeling taught me that confidence is often communicated long before you speak. Presence, professionalism, and self-awareness can influence how others perceive your credibility and leadership potential.
In male-dominated corporate environments, I learned the importance of owning your expertise without feeling the need to constantly justify it. Confidence is not about being the loudest person in the room; it is about being prepared, informed, and comfortable standing behind your decisions.
The modeling industry also reinforced the value of personal branding. Every professional develops a reputation based on consistency, reliability, and how they show up for opportunities. This principle applies equally in corporate leadership, private equity, human resources, and executive environments.
Most importantly, modeling taught me resilience. Rejection is part of the industry, and learning not to internalize every setback became a valuable skill in business. Success often belongs to those who remain focused on their long-term vision despite temporary obstacles.
What is one common misconception about professional modeling or golf that you believe more people should understand?
One of the biggest misconceptions about both professional modeling and professional golf is that success comes primarily from talent or appearance. In reality, both careers demand exceptional discipline, consistency, and mental resilience.
Professional golf requires years of technical development, strategic decision-making, and psychological endurance. Likewise, professional modeling involves far more than photographs and runway appearances. Models are entrepreneurs who manage their personal brand, maintain professional relationships, travel extensively, adapt to changing market demands, and consistently perform under pressure.
People often see the final result without recognizing the preparation behind it. Whether preparing for a tournament, a campaign shoot, or a business presentation, success is built through repetition, practice, and professionalism.
The common denominator across all high-performance industries is not talent alone. It is the ability to remain committed to excellence long after the initial excitement has faded.
Having built successful careers across HR, sports, and fashion, what have these diverse industries taught you about self-discipline that most people overlook?
Many people associate self-discipline with motivation, but the two are very different. Motivation is temporary. Self-discipline is what sustains progress when motivation disappears.
Working across human resources, professional golf, modeling, and corporate leadership has shown me that successful individuals create systems rather than relying on inspiration. They establish habits, maintain routines, and consistently execute regardless of external circumstances.
Another overlooked aspect of self-discipline is patience. In today's environment, people often expect immediate results. However, meaningful career growth, leadership development, athletic performance, and personal branding are all long-term investments.
The most successful professionals understand that excellence is rarely built through dramatic breakthroughs. It is created through small, consistent actions repeated over time.
Self-discipline is ultimately the ability to honor your commitments long after the excitement of setting a goal has passed.
How do you balance the creative demands of modeling and writing with the structured environment of engineering and private equity?
Many people view creativity and structure as opposites, but I see them as complementary strengths. My experience across modeling, writing, engineering-related environments, and private equity has shown me that innovation often thrives within disciplined frameworks.
Creative work requires imagination, storytelling, and vision. Structured environments require analysis, strategy, and execution. The ability to move between both worlds has become one of my greatest professional advantages.
Modeling and writing allow me to explore ideas, communicate messages, and connect with audiences. Meanwhile, corporate environments reinforce the importance of planning, accountability, and measurable outcomes.
The balance comes from understanding which mindset a particular situation requires. Some challenges demand creativity, while others require rigorous analysis. The most effective leaders know how to adapt between the two.
I believe future leadership will increasingly belong to professionals who can combine strategic thinking with creativity, because modern business challenges require both innovation and execution.
When you look back at your journey as an athlete, what is the most important lesson from the green that you still carry into your leadership coaching today?
The most important lesson golf taught me is that setbacks are inevitable, but how you respond determines your future performance.
Every golfer experiences difficult rounds, missed opportunities, and unexpected challenges. The athletes who succeed are not those who avoid mistakes but those who recover quickly and remain focused on the next shot.
This principle applies directly to leadership coaching and professional development. Leaders will face setbacks, difficult decisions, and periods of uncertainty. What separates effective leaders is their ability to maintain perspective and continue moving forward.
I often remind clients that dwelling on mistakes rarely improves outcomes. Reflection is valuable, but resilience is what creates momentum.
Golf taught me that confidence is not the absence of failure. Confidence is trusting yourself to perform again after failure. That lesson remains central to my approach to leadership, career growth, and performance coaching.
What does empowerment look like in practice when you are helping others bridge the gap between their athletic or creative passions and their professional goals?
Empowerment begins with helping people recognize that their experiences are more transferable than they realize. Athletes, creatives, and professionals often underestimate the value of the skills they have already developed.
For example, athletes possess resilience, discipline, adaptability, and performance management skills. Creative professionals often excel in communication, innovation, storytelling, and personal branding. These capabilities are highly valuable in leadership and corporate environments.
My role is to help individuals identify these strengths and position them strategically. Empowerment is not simply about motivation; it is about creating practical pathways for growth.
I encourage people to stop viewing their passions as separate from their careers. Instead, they should look for opportunities where those experiences can strengthen their professional identity and leadership potential.
The goal is to help people build careers that reflect both their capabilities and their passions rather than feeling forced to choose between them.
If readers could take away one lesson from your unique journey across the corporate, athletic, and creative industries, what would you want it to be?
The most important lesson is that your career does not have to fit into a single category. Some of the most rewarding opportunities emerge when you embrace multiple dimensions of your identity rather than limiting yourself to one path.
Throughout my journey as a professional golfer, model, author, and Human Resources Business Partner, I have learned that success is rarely linear. The skills developed in one industry often become valuable assets in another.
Too often, people feel pressure to choose between creativity and business, athletics and leadership, or personal passions and professional goals. My experience has shown that these worlds can complement one another when approached strategically.
I hope readers leave with the confidence to pursue excellence across multiple areas of their lives while remaining authentic to who they are.
Success is not about fitting into someone else's definition of achievement. It is about creating a life and career that aligns with your values, strengths, and long-term vision.
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