Your Next Chapter Podcast Episode 58 - Shelli Warren - The Corporate To Business Leap
"I loved it until I didn’t anymore” is the way Shelli described her feelings about her corporate career with Proctor and Gamble. By all measurements, it had been a very successful experience, with Shelli rising to the top with her leadership, project management, event planning and teaching skills. But it was time for a change. Her own Next Chapter was looming and so she began to lay the foundation for her new direction 2 years before she actually took early retirement at 52.
"I understood my strengths, my ability to be memorable, to add value, to lead and guide, but it took another 18 months before I was comfortable referencing my P&G experience. I initially thought I needed a clean break, but with the help of my own coach I began to see I was being stubborn, wanting to build a whole new brand when there was ample credibility waiting to be leveraged. Letting go of this resistance has allowed me to create several income streams through both freelance work and She Connex”.
Shelli is now at the helm of an empowering, successful business, SheConnex and in this wholehearted conversation, she talks freely about how she built her brand, her community, her services and her cashflow with classic networking, connection, events and on and offline marketing.
Play Episode
Show Notes
Women often have the desire to expand their businesses, but can lack the confidence – networking is a key way of encouraging growth through connection.
You must start with the decision – the decision to “put yourself out there”, to become visible in your marketplace. Then come the actions to bring this intention to life.
Buckle in! Be bold and brave… self-promotion can be uncomfortable, but it’s necessary to build your business and change lives.
Don’t be afraid to change tack and niche down when it becomes obvious that what you are doing is no longer aligned. Shelli closed down a large private Facebook group when she realised a great many of the members were no longer a match for where she was taking the She Connex Brand. It was a tough decision that many people did not understand at the time ie: it looked successful by the “numbers” measurement. But the result of that strong decision? A new, smaller, but far more engaged and resonant group.
Be vocal about your services – you must actively invite people to work with you, to invest in your programs. It is human nature to retain the status quo, and we must encourage people to step forward – we cannot just rely on our website to do the work for us.
If you’re using a newsletter in your business (and I hope you are!), track how it is serving you and make any changes you need to. Shelli was sending a substantial newsletter once a month and it was very popular, but it was not growing her business and so she restructured it. She knew self-promotion was as important as education and so began to showcase her She Connex events, programs and the results her clients were experiencing and sending a shorter newsletter out weekly instead and this decision had a significant positive impact on her enquiries.
Personal growth never stops – “at 55 I thought I was all grown up”, but I cannot believe how much I have expanded, learned and grown since I started this new chapter in my life”.
Consider starting your day with a Podcast – “I listen whilst I’m doing my hair and makeup – it’s a great way to begin my day”. I couldn’t agree more – I often listen to Podcasts whilst I’m getting ready, doing housework, driving and lots of others times too. And if you’re not yet a subscriber of Your Next Chapter yet, may I encourage you to do so – more subscribers really helps the Podcast become more visible on iTunes and I’d love more women to tap into these stories of possibility and the “how to’s”.
If you’re not sleeping well, if you’re feeling unfulfilled and telling yourself you “should be happy and grateful”, then you’re ready for an encore, you’re destined for something else. Take the chance.
About the speaker
Fempowered by Purpose to assist women in creating an Encore Career that allows them to play to their strengths.
As a former corporate leader with 25 years’ experience leading technical teams, teaching leadership skills, delivering multi-million dollar technical projects, and introduce a leadership college that spanned across 3 levels, Shelli now coaches business women who desire more out their careers.
Shelli is the woman behind the brand, SheConnex, a top-notch women’s group where women come together to gain skills, ideas, connections, and collaborations to help them reach their career and business goals.
She teaches women how to be memorable for all the right reasons. Both on-line and in-person so they can find (or create) the work that they love that converts to promotions, collaborations, customers, credibility, and respect.
SheConnex offers a safe haven for women who are ready for change yet who are struggling with self-doubt. Beliefs that the job they currently have is “as good as it gets,” are shattered when they meet other women who are creating a life by design that includes worthwhile work in an Encore Career. Make new business connexions by attending the popular in-person events and joining the inclusive on line community.
Share the love
We hope you liked this episode and found it useful to your business (and you!) If you loved what you heard, we’d love your support either from a review on iTunes or a social media share.
Reviews are greatly appreciated and super helpful in spreading the word to other Your Next Chapter women. Thank you!
