A CEO Edition Conversation featuring CEO, Debbie Garcia
Some careers unfold in a straight line.
Others are shaped by interruption, pressure, and moments that force you to start again before you feel ready.
In this CEO Edition of Events: Demystified, I spoke with Debbie Garcia, CEO and Founder of Virsitour, about what it means to rebuild when the path you were on disappears.
This is not a conversation about scaling something that was already working.
It is about making decisions in uncertainty.Because when stability is removed, what remains is not your title or your plan.
It is your ability to adapt, to think differently, and to lead from a place that is no longer theoretical.
Listen to the full episode now on Spotify
Don’t Be the Worst Boss You’ve Ever Had
Leadership is often shaped long before you ever step into the role.
Not by training.
But by experience.
And sometimes, the most defining experiences come from environments that show you exactly what leadership should not look like.
Debbie’s journey reflects that tension.
Working under pressure, navigating unsupportive leadership, and experiencing what it feels like to operate without clarity or balance created a reference point.Not for replication.
But for change.
“If I am to be the worst boss I’ve ever had, if I am to work for myself, then I better be in charge of my own schedule and make decisions that support my goals.”
That statement shifts leadership away from authority and into accountability.
Because the reality is simple.
When you lead, you are not just managing outcomes.
You are shaping environments.
And those environments either support people or slowly exhaust them.Choosing to lead differently requires awareness.
It requires discipline.
And it requires the willingness to break patterns that are easy to carry forward.
When Your Career Disappears Overnight
There are moments that divide a career into before and after.
Not gradually.
But instantly.
For Debbie, that moment came when everything stopped.
The job, the income, the structure she had built her life around.
“When the pandemic hit… I had lost my full-time job… I lost all my commission.”
And in that moment, the question was no longer about growth.
It was about survival.
What do you build when what you relied on no longer exists
What do you do when there is no clear next step
Reinvention does not start with certainty.
It starts with necessity.
What stands out in this part of the conversation is not just resilience.
It is the speed at which reality can change.
And the weight of having to respond to that change while still carrying responsibility for others.
Family.
Clients.
A future that is suddenly unclear.
This is where leadership becomes real.
Not in planning.
But in response.
The Mic Drop Moment
“Being busy doesn’t make you better. It just makes you more tired.”
Sustainability is the real advantage.
Clarity in how you work is what protects it.
That shift is subtle, but it changes everything. Because it moves leadership away from constant motion and toward intentional design. It challenges the belief that more effort creates better results, and replaces it with the understanding that structure, boundaries, and self awareness are what actually make performance last.
What This Episode Reveals About Leadership and Sustainability
There is a deeper layer to this conversation that goes beyond disruption and rebuilding.
It is about sustainability.
The events industry has normalized intensity.
Long hours.
Constant pressure.
A pace that rarely slows down.
But normalization does not make something sustainable.
Debbie speaks to that reality with clarity.
“Being busy doesn’t make you better. It just makes you more tired.”
That statement challenges one of the most accepted ideas in the industry.
That doing more equals achieving more.
In reality, constant busyness often signals something else.
A lack of systems.
Unclear priorities.
An environment that depends on overextension to function.
Sustainable leadership requires a different approach.
It requires boundaries.
It requires structure.
It requires the willingness to prioritize long term performance over short term output.
Because without that, burnout is not an exception.
It is inevitable.
If you are navigating change, rethinking your direction, or rebuilding after disruption, this episode offers a perspective that is both honest and necessary.
Watch the entire episode now on YouTube
Listen to the full episode now on Spotify
About the Guest: Debbie Garcia
Debbie Garcia is the CEO and Founder of Virsitour, a platform designed to modernize how events are managed and executed. She is known for her grounded approach to leadership, shaped by firsthand experience navigating disruption, outdated systems, and high pressure environments in the events industry.
Through her work, Debbie focuses on building solutions that improve efficiency, reduce friction, and create more sustainable ways of working. Her leadership centers on self awareness, intentional culture, and designing systems that support both performance and people.
Where to Find Joe:
Company Website: Virsitour
LinkedIn: Debbie Garcia
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Original Podcast Music written and produced by Fable Score Music.
“Events: demystified” Podcast is brought to you by Tree-Fan Events Productions LLC, a leading woman-owned boutique event planning and production agency offering a comprehensive approach to event management and production, with a focus on enhancing the attendee experience with the #FIT4EVENTS framework for a holistic event cycle in order to create memorable events.
Check out Anca’s latest speaking on AI & AV #fit4events resilience & performance topics. For booking Anca to speak, visit her speaker’s website.
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