Books Behind the Business — August 26

EnviTrace's' CEO Tracy "Trais" Kliphuis took the mic on August 26, 2025 at Books Behind the Business, a new Santa Fe series which connects local leaders to the community through the books that shaped their thinking and leadership.

Trais presented Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity (2017) by Kim Scott — a practical playbook for leaders who wanted to build high-performing teams while keeping empathy and integrity at the center of how they managed and gave feedback. Radical Candor emphasizes two core behaviors: "Care Personally" and "Challenge Directly," and offers concrete techniques for delivering honest feedback that helps teams grow without eroding trust.

"I think everybody at any point in their (leadership) journey would benefit from reading this book if you haven't already," shared Kliphuis. "The whole idea of avoiding Scott's concept of 'ruinous empathy' can benefit any business owner."

Trais was joined by fellow woman in leadership, Angelica Maestas of Builders VC and HealthInno, who presented Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday.

Highlights:

• Attendees received actionable advice from local leadership that they could apply immediately to team management, hiring, and performance conversations.

• Attendees networked with Santa Fe leaders, investors, founders, and practitioners who care about building resilient organizations.

Event details & RSVP

• What: Books Behind the Business: Conversation and short presentations from the City of Santa Fe
• When: August 26, 2025 (see the event page for time and ticket details)
• Where: Santa Fe, NM, USA

Event listing & tickets: Books Behind the Business — Santa Fe Public Library event page