From Vision to Reality: The She Built It® Story

Speaker 1: [Music] I'm Melanie bar welcome back to the shilp podcast your go-to place to empower you to live the life and business that you crave I'm here to talk about everything from Having the courage to make life and career leaps to the details of how to lead effectively create successful teams Implement strategies for growth and Infuse Tech Innovation I'm here to celebrate your wins and navigate through your challenges I live in the city now but I grew up in a town of a thousand people I've navigated major life leaps a senior level corporate career worked in professional sports and now as a successful entrepreneur who loves business technology family and making meaningful connections with you and the Sheil it Community I also love a good workout and dose of selfcare magic happens when we focus on the part of ourselves and our business that brings us joy so turn up the audio open your favorite Notes app grab your favorite drink and here we go hi I'm Melanie bar your host of the Sheil it podcast today I'm doing something a little different and taking you behind the scenes of my journey in building Sheil it I'm sharing the ups and downs some of the lessons that I've learned and how I stay motivated and overcome challenges whether you're an entrepreneur aspiring business owner or just curious about the story behind she built it I hope this episode gives you valuable insights and perhaps a bit of inspiration for your own Journey let's start from the beginning she bu it was created due to my years of navigating the corporate landscape entrepreneurial and nonprofit life I love our twins so much and spent a lot of time with them in the nursery in the early days I soon realized which I knew would happen but not exactly how it would happen that my life completely changed in an instant the twins needed me and I love being with them but I also had to be true to myself and who I am as a person I went from being out at meetings and to sitting in a nursery all day loving watching our twins change it grow but also longing for an intellectual conversation and the thrill of pitching ideas building offerings closing business and the feeling of professional success many of you who have been listeners for years know this and obsessed with inspiring women to go further in their lives and career I Look to empowering women when I'm making big leaps in my life how are they doing it what is keeping them mentally and physically fit and motivated and I hope to do the same for you I'm here in your corner cheering you on and telling you can do this even on the challenging days it's hard I know but don't stop believing that you can it all starts with a small leap the small leaps lead to the big ones and I know this can be challenging to think when you're looking at a mountain she built it was built out of a desire to create a platform where you could gain and share your knowledge stories inspiration and find resources to build the businesses and life that you truly want like any new Venture the early days were filled with challenges from finding the right people to join my team to figuring out how to get our message out there it was definitely a learning process there were many moments when I questioned if I was on the right path a couple of things I learned I L building long-term relationships with team members I value relationships tremendously it was difficult for me in the beginning when team members would change admittedly I would Panic a bit thinking how am I going to get new team members up to speed on our process and operations would they be as good as the team members I had before and would they enjoy being here what I learned is that with each team member change it brought A New Perspective a fresh energy and new ideas so while I continue to be grateful for the team members I've worked with for years I'm less worried and more confident today about team turnover I'm also much better at finding the right team members who are excited to be here and who is as interested as I am about building sustainable company cultures this didn't happen overnight though throughout our grow there were exciting moments like our first sponsor our first event with a large brand or our very first well-known guest on the podcast and the first time we received an email from a listener saying how much our content had helped them those moments kept me going I love your rates and reviews on Apple podcast and on all our other platforms I share your reviews often on social I also love meeting people at events and meetings and dinner parties who say I love your podcast when I had no idea they were a listener look for these moments in your business if you are feeling unsure at times go back to the clients that you have served the big sales you have made the great teams that you have built focus on those times the positive energy will get you through and keep you motivated and moving forward over the years there have been several ups and downs one of the toughest challenges and I know it was for many was when we had to Pivot our business model it was a challenging time and I wasn't sure if we would make it through like many we've made several switches some worked and some didn't but we kept trying different approaches until it proves successful I learned that setbacks are often opportunities and disguise if we approach it this way instead of looking at it as a roadblock it's amazing how we come out on the other side business vendor and tech reviews for example to make sure that you have the right tools to run your business and personal life efficiently as a busy working mom of twins I sincerely value efficiency these things can be challenging to do but are also so important business and offerings are changing so quickly and while All Tech and vendor changes should be well thought out Tech and vendor reviews per Department are great every so often to help make sure you and your team have the best tools to run your business and personal life result resiliency has been key building she built it has taught me to be more patient flexible and persistent people often ask me how I say motivated for me it's all about the why I'm obsessed with empowering women since my day is helping to build the women's organization when I worked at Dodger Stadium to a board seat at stepup Women's Network to building the Sheil dip podcast and Sheil dip media sharing your voice and knowledge through podcasting and knowing that what we do by managing your podcast or when you listen to the she built it podcast keeps me going what in your business and life does that for you what keeps you going as a mom of twins someone who travels often and is growing she built a media and podcast I could not do it all without my daily practices either through Google Docs or pen and paper depending on how long my list is it varies I write out my list of must dos at night for the day before not as a form of stress but my mind finds a way to work through them as I sleep and I wake up ready the next morning to take on the day whether it's focused or completing a specific project or connecting with someone new and also make sure to celebrate the small ones they lead to the big ones don't forget to celebrate them all having a strong support system has also been so important surrounding myself with people who believe in the mission of she built it and who give honest advice not just what you want to hear and encouragement and sometimes a much-needed reality check has been invaluable we're always facing new challenges especially as we grow and expand right now it's all about scaling up while maintaining the quality and authenticity that I value in my communication with you and our Community Values my approach to overcoming challenges is as difficult as this can be at times to try to stay open-minded and proactive instead of seeing problems as insurmountable I break things down the smaller parts so it's not so overwhelming I try to have the confidence to know that I can get through this and I try to see challenges as a puzzle to solve I also love continuous learning and as challenging as this can be too I try not to be too afraid of making mistakes the think is how we learn if we're making mistakes it means we're moving forward if we're moving forward we're making progress and progress makes all the difference in scaling a successful life and business as we look to the Future I'm excited about the possibilities and I hope you are too in your life and business it's never too late to follow your business dreams and it's okay to make changes along the way there's still so much more that I want to achieve through Sheil it and I'm grateful to be on this journey with you building she built it has been an incredible journey filled with both highs and lows I hope my story inspires you to keep pushing forward no matter what challenges and opportunities you're facing I'd love to hear from you what challeng ches have you faced in your journey and how have you overcome them share your thoughts and stories in the comments or reach out to me directly at hello shea.com if you enjoyed this episode please subscribe to the Sheila podcast and leave a quick written review your support helps us reach more people and continue bringing you valuable content thank you for joining me and remember no matter where you are on your journey you have the power to build the life and business that you want until next time Feel the fear and make your leap anyway thank you for joining us today I'd love to hear from you reach out to me at hello Sheil it.com on our Sheil it website or @ Sheil it on social thank you to my editor Rich draino who always makes us sound good until next time let nothing stop you from experiencing the life and business that you crave [Music]