Kc Rossi 0:00
My guest today is Sheria Stallings. Sheria is the founder and managing director of she soars, a transformational leadership and professional development organization that helps women identify blind spots that create barriers to their success. I loved my time with Sheria, because we go into some of the key elements that I believe most leaders and entrepreneurs struggle with and what to do about it. So we really talk about the memo the world needs right now. And boy does it need it. The number one mindset shift to squash perfectionism, because we know that perfectionism can hold us back from our true brilliance, it can put us in that procrastination mode. And it also gives a very unfulfilling life in the end, because we're never good enough. So we're gonna dive deep into that the biggest stumbling block to prospecting, and what to do about it. And when I'm talking about prospecting, we're going to talk about sales, and why people are so stuck in regard to this many people how to overcome stumbling blocks that really get in the way of your confidence. So you can kind of start to see a theme here of what we're talking about. And then the most beautiful thing is really the power of giving back in your business. So I really felt like Sheria took us to church, and I hope you do too. I hope that you get a spark of inspiration, and maybe just a new aha moment that will give you some momentum this week. Enjoy.
Kc Rossi 1:40
Are you ready to scale your business in a way that's aligned with your soul, and profitable? I'm Kc Rossi, a Business and Leadership Coach. I've been a full time entrepreneur for 30 years and love business. I help conscious leaders increase their impact and optimize their lives. Join me each week for tips and deep conversations on cultivating confidence, increasing your visibility, elevating your vibration, and leading with purpose without burning out. Let's go.
Sheria Stallings 2:13
Sheria it's so nice to see you again.
Sheria Stallings 2:16
Thank you. Thank you so much Kc for inviting me. I'm so excited.
Kc Rossi 2:23
You are a wealth of information. I want to first dive right into your motto "She laughs, She plays, She thrives, She soars." Tell us a little bit about what that means to you and why it is your motto.
Sheria Stallings 2:37
Ever since I was a young woman, very young. My nickname I've always been known as a cheerleader. And within my church actually coined me cheerleader for Christ, but cheerleader and one of the things that I tell people about being a cheerleader is not just about the rah rah and excitement and to booster ego, cheerleaders actually share and root inspire, motivate the winner in the person, they see the potential, even if it isn't displayed on the scoreboard. If you are at a sports game, you will see the cheerleader just like just rooting for their team, even if they're losing horribly, because basically they're saying, You are our winner. We're cheering for the greatness in you. Even if the scoreboard has not manifested itself yet, so let the world get the memo and realize what you are made of. And so I am a realist optimist. I am a lover of people. And so that's where that cheerleader come from. So she laughs She plays she thrives. She's sore. I want women to know, entrepreneurs to know, you go out there, you have a good time, but that you work hard, but remember to play, and to laugh, and to let your hair down and a why you got to have that balance.
Kc Rossi 4:11
Absolutely. I really appreciate that. And when I look at those four statements, I feel like the she plays is oftentimes where high achieving female entrepreneurs get stuck. And I would love it if you could share some tips on how to loosen the grip of perfectionism, loosen that need to just work and grind and perform. So we can just allow that spirit to come up and allow ourselves to play?
Sheria Stallings 4:45
I think first everything goes back to the wire and really taking a step back to the intention. The intention while we are really doing a thing. What was that aha moment meant, that said, I can go out, I can just take this leap of faith, I can jump, I have something to offer the world, when we remember why we are doing a thing to either bring convenience to someone to help someone to solve someone's problems and issues, then we take the focus off of ourselves, our shortcoming, what we may check off as failure, which I do like to say is a quote that comes from Thomas Edison that says, "I am not a failure, I just found 10,000 ways that do not work." And so when we realize and remember that, although yes, we want to be successful, we want to be financially free, we want to develop wealth, right? Of course, we want to be able to sustain ourselves. But really the intention and a why comes from us wanting to be a blessing, and to support other people to solve their problems that we have a gift, a talent and ability that we want to offer the world and to make it a better place, or at least to enhance our community and the world around us. And then when we remember that, stay there, we can have fun in the process. Okay, see, we can enjoy the journey. And really let I hear that and not get stuck, not get stuck. If we think something is not moving fast enough.
Kc Rossi 6:36
Yeah
Sheria Stallings 6:36
We're right where we supposed to be.
Kc Rossi 6:38
It's really taking the focus off of ourselves and putting it on the people we serve. What inspired you Sheria to take your idea and turn it into an income generator that has wide spreading impact?
Sheria Stallings 6:54
Well, what's interesting is, I started working within I could go all the way down as a as a young girl things that I've been involved in, but I'll start here in my church, I was a part of I was the president and chairperson of the a group called Young Women Christian Council, YWCC. And you know what happens? You do well, then they promote you and elevate you and give you much more responsibility. Always. So then I became the chair person over the district, which is 15 churches, where I would go there and help women pretty much like setup set up their women's auxiliaries, or administrates. But then I started to look at that I didn't want to be limited within those four walls. And so my my background, I have 25 years of business development, experience, sales, marketing, prospecting, and I looked at marrying the two, how do I create something that deals with the total woman so that she can lead personally, professionally, spiritually, financially, and that is how she sews was birthed. I created it. So I can come outside of the four walls and introduce it pretty much to to the world and impact women every everywhere.
Kc Rossi 8:25
Yes. You mentioned prospecting. And I am curious, what do you think the biggest stumbling block is when it comes to prospecting for women entrepreneurs.
Sheria Stallings 8:37
That they don't do it.
Kc Rossi 8:40
Plain and simple.
Sheria Stallings 8:42
And I'll go further. Because usually, people have this philosophy that if we build it, then they're going to come. But then sometimes we are in a market that is so saturated - how do Sheria standout how do Kc standout in a world of podcasters in the business that she's doing, to say, Hey, look at me, I'm over here. I think that we built it and we think like, oh, I'm going to put out one post or put something on on social media and everyone's going to come flocking through. I eat builds business is unique. Each service or product that a person provide is different from the next. And they you really have to sit down to put a process together. Do you really know the steps from the initial inquiry until you actually get the order? Or or that person becomes a client? Do you have steps that allow you to get leads and then qualify them and turn them into prospects? Do you even know how much time it takes, and what does that translate in the form of revenue? In terms of, you know, in terms of that process, which I like to call it? Oh, from the initial inquiry to you get the actual order. So going back to your question, Casey, I don't think a lot of women and people in business that they actually prospect that they actually, if they created this t shirt business, that they actually have a system, other than having a pop up shop, or something sure to actually, how do I get these leads? And how do I qualify the what are the steps to qualify them? What questions do I ask to know that, Okay, it's time to move this person along to the next step. And the sales process, or this is my heart stop? Because I don't want every client I don't want, we can't access 100% of the people. It's not going to buy from our business, but there are clients that we may even have to say no to they may not be a good fit for us. But do we know that client persona, and task is what we're going after?
Kc Rossi 11:23
Yes! And what are some of your favorite ways to facilitate the buyers journey?
Sheria Stallings 11:30
I actually do a workshop where actually teach and teach how to set up a how to put a process to, to put a process together in terms of what do let's give it a persona. Who is their client? What is the what are the ages? Education? What? Where are they right now today? What, what how you get it? Where are they when they're receiving your information media that teach them how to put that profile together? If they're brand new in this market? What questions would they be asking? And what should you be answering to familiarize them with your line of work? And to let them know what is your competitive edge? What is your differential advantage that sets you apart from the other? How do you enhance the customers experience? So that they will want to give you a try?
Kc Rossi 12:33
Mm hmm. Yes, I think education is so very important. And you're excellent at marketing, I love that you already promoted our pre show, which was really fun to see on Facebook. And so I'm wondering how you utilize marketing to promote your business?
Sheria Stallings 12:53
So I do, I do several things. And I know, I have to tell you this, that, um, I had my challenges as well, when most of the work that I've done in my career was brick and mortar, I'm speaking in facilities at conferences, I'm getting on planes, I'm going to this location, I'm going to that state, and then the pandemic hit. And I had to even rebrand and take a step back in terms of how I market on social media. And even today, as I'm going through this process, I found that the work that I do, I'm not in the real world, but in physical spaces did not match and still does not match how I look in May or appear on in, in the digital, you know, how I look at a physical does that match how I look in the digital social media world, even though I you know, even from my background, my business, I'm bringing over six figures, right? But you wouldn't be able to tell it that I'm speaking and I'm going all over the world. So I had to look at this pandemic, mainly look at okay, Sheria you have to do a different type of marketing, because now the space that you operating is operated in, doesn't exist anymore, at least now for these these two years. And I had to start to re I reshaped shape my curriculum so that it can exist in a virtual platform. And now that the world is pretty much opening up, I know that I will never totally go back I will I will always have a hybrid environment. But I had to learn how to pivot and marketing. So although I may do market segmenting, and you know, looking at where my client and my potential customers are, I had to marry how I do that in a digital virtual world, which is totally different. Then How may I will use a CRM system, things like that. But I had to marry the two because the world has changed.
Kc Rossi 15:08
It's so amazing how that forced many business owners if not all, to relook at their offerings, how they show up and to tweak. It's such a good lesson to be resilient and know when to pivot. But I really love that you said that you're not going to ever go back even though the world is opening up, that you'll always have that hybrid aspect, which I think is really smart. We know when we diversify our offerings, that we're much more protected as an entrepreneur to have a sustainable success. So that's amazing. You talked about public speaking I know that was a turning a tremendous part of your business before and I know that it's incorporated in now. One of the things that I see with the women that listen and that I help a big stumbling block is competence when it comes to public speaking doing live streams Could you share what's helped you be the powerhouse that you are?
Sheria Stallings 16:05
I had some insecurities I think like maybe most of the woman and and I'll share it and hopefully others relate. Every time I will look at myself and pictures when I'm like oh, I don't like that pic George kind of did my hair this way. That doesn't look right all look. And I realized that I did not have those hangups totally I did not have those hangups. When I got on stage, I had those hangups, when it came to an environment like this. And then I had to tell myself Sheria, you talk to people every single day, and this is what they see. And this is what they love. Now, in this environment, it's just you staring back at yourself, you get to see now you're in an environment where you get to see what other people say. And it was like, you know, it's not that bad. And I just had to do it. And when I really had to think about why I was not on the platform in this digital space early and I was doing everything on a stage, so to speak, or a platform was really because once again, going back to your what we originally talked about, I made it about me! How do I look, oh my goodness, I don't like that, oh, look, I I made it about me, I started going inward, and picking up my own personal flaws or what I felt should be better. And then I'll do this, I'll tweak that. And then I'll go on a digital in a virtual space where I'm live on camera. So once again, I had to get out of myself out of my own head and ego and realize that you're here to help other people once again is not about you. And that's what helped me I went back to why do you need to do this. So are you going to just stay, you're going to take a step back and wait for the world to open back up. It'll never be the same. You have to pivot, you have you have to pivot.
Kc Rossi 18:22
And perspective is what I'm hearing as well as Sheria is, is shifting our perspective once again, to those that we serve and breaking out of our own mind our own ego. And I think the other key thing is waiting until there's something like better, like our hair is better, our voice is better. We've lost x pounds, whatever it is, whatever the holdbacks that we do to ourselves, when we're looking at ourselves. If we just act now knowing that we do have a message and people are waiting to hear from it and and really taking that pressure off our self. Talk to us a little bit about the role of give back in she soars?
Sheria Stallings 19:02
It is imperative. The the give back. The give back for everyone is is something that I teach in, in dealing with relationships. I have a workshop called the new economy where we deal with relational brilliance. And it is so important that as we're moving up in this world, in the need to be successful as we have a desire to connect and collaborate, that we always remember to reach back because there are another group of women who share those same insecurities that we overcame. There is another group of women. That is that they're waking up up and say, I want to start this business, or I'm looking for this mentor of Casey, I always like to say that there is not a woman on this earth. And I mean this, that I have not been able to identify with. Either she represents where I am right now. So that we have that peer connection, she could either represent where I used to be, which makes it so much important, why I need to reach back to help pull her further, she can represent where I aspire to be. So I look at this person, as a mentor, and I may glean from them so I can, you know, boost myself so I can be a better person or build a better business or better bread, or she represents where I could have been, hmm. Which I say if it wasn't for God's grace and mercy, she represents where I could have been, which then allows me to lead with empathy, and to lead with compassion, which then compels me to go back and to reach back to say, we're going to cut through these weeds, we're going to make it through.
Sheria Stallings 21:37
That's gorgeous. What a power pole perspective, I also feel that aspect of being able to self identify, but I never really thought about that fourth piece of this is where I could have been. And so that just really hit me that's really impactful. And I love the part that that can cultivate empathy and compassion and actually give us some momentum in our leadership.
Sheria Stallings 22:08
And what in what way? Give give me some more with that? Yeah, cuz I can go anywhere. That's
Kc Rossi 22:14
Yes, absolutely. I just, you know, when when we can see someone that has struggled with insecurities like we've had, whether it's been with perfectionism, or things that like we've been talking about, and the aspiring to who we want to be like, Wow, I really love what they're doing in the world. I love their give back. I love how eloquently they speak. You know, those are really easy to grasp. But we when we see a woman that's maybe struggling, and really, in a challenge, to raise herself up, that part of self identifying of wow, that could have been me, if there wasn't this fork in the road if there wasn't this woman that reached back if there wasn't this strong faith or foundation that I'm standing on. And I think that for me, it gives that kind of circle of impact is, okay, how does this now ignite my role as a leader? How can I amplify my message to touch all different people in a way that they can hear the message because this is something I've personally struggled with is we don't realize all the different things that we have put into our bag of education. And I think meeting people where they are, so it's extremely effective. That's a gift. So talk to me a little bit about your thoughts on that.
Sheria Stallings 23:39
Yes, thank you for even clarifying that for me even even further. And I actually start to get excited. Because, once again, it goes back to being intentional. And I have this other saying that I use for mission actually for some young girls that that that I will work with. And the mission is to be intentional about the choices you make, and to be intentional about the relationships that you build. So with that, it first starts with me. So when it comes to reaching back, we actually have to be intentional. This in the same way we do our prospecting. And the same way we do our marketing if I say or every Wednesday between the hours of eight and 11 I'm going to do some cold calls or I'm going to do some posting on social media I'm going to do some reels on your whatever marketing is the same way that I have to be intentional on Okay, based on my product and my the services that I offer based on the type of business that I have or that I'm that I've created. Who can benefit from that hole? Actually what pool of people or in this case since I worked in mainly women that I can look back and reach out to. So what I've done within she sores is that I scaled down some of the work that I that the work and the classes that I do my main target audience I deal with adult women I deal with professionals I deal for entrepreneurs I'm and quote I do corporate leadership I do I work at Unilever platforms, universities, nonprofits. And so but I scaled down my curriculum, to bring it to high schools, I even went a step further. And I went to group homes, oh, cool girls, who, in the facility, don't have their parents anymore, that society sort of kind of have written off or forgotten about where the odds are against them.
Sheria Stallings 25:55
And so, I have gone back into those places to change the mindset, why they are still young, and said that you are more than the worst thing that has ever happened to you.
Kc Rossi 26:14
That's exciting.
Sheria Stallings 26:15
And this environment, do not, is not. And I know that you want it to be better. But even this too, shall pass. And you're going to get through this. And so that same workshops that I bring to schools, and universities, for young people who are achieving an overachiever, and they want this thing to go to, you know, go to their next, I have now intentionally placed myself in an environment with a group of young women, young girls, who may be losing hope to say, You have me as a resource. And let and when I did it, I did it free of charge.
Kc Rossi 27:08
Amazing.
Kc Rossi 27:09
Sheria Do you think that that is the way of the future? Do you see other successful entrepreneurs doing something similar? As to what you just mentioned, too?
Sheria Stallings 27:22
I do I do. There's a song that says what the world needs now is love sweet love?
Kc Rossi 27:32
Oh, yeah.
Sheria Stallings 27:32
It never it never gets old. It never gets old. People feel fulfilled. When they're giving back. When you look and see that you have enhanced somebody's life. It starts out with you thinking Kc, that you're doing it for them. But in the midst of it all. You a light bulb go off and you realize that you needed it. That is making me better. I'm more compassionate. I'm more empathetic. It makes me more loving of people. And it increases my faith in the greater good. In humanity.
Kc Rossi 28:28
Yes. Oh my gosh. It's like 360 healing. And it's just this continuous loop of giving, receiving, giving, receiving. I for one am inspired I can see why you are termed cheerleader. I feel like I've been to church and I'm excited to take it into my own life and implement it. Honestly, I can see why you help girls and women soar. So thank you Sheria so much for being here. How can people learn more about you?
Sheria Stallings 28:57
Please connect with me on Facebook, she sores. Also my instagram handle is she soars LLC. You can if you want to just, you can hit me up in my DM My website is she soars.com. Please connect with me if you have any questions, if you want to collaborate. I am here and look out for different workshops that we're offering. And yes, I'm just excited. I love to meet people. Let me know what what your thoughts are? What's your feedback, even on this podcast that we're having here? I would love to hear from each and every one of you. Thank you. Thank you so much Kc for your time. I really appreciate it.
Kc Rossi 29:42
I appreciate you. I'll make sure to share those links in the show notes so people can easily navigate and until next time, my friend breathe joy.
Kc Rossi 29:51
Thank you. Thank you.
Kc Rossi 29:53
Thanks so much for hanging out with me today. It means the world to me that you tune in to women developing brilliance. The spirit of business remember to subscribe and if you'd like you can always leave review at www.lovethe podcast.com/brilliance. Until next week...breathe joy.
