We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shelbi Neely. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shelbi below.

Shelbi, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you as a business owner?

One of my very first jobs was at a Chick-Fil-A when I was fourteen years old and it completely shaped the way I view the food service industry. If you’ve ever been to a Chick-Fil-A you know that they don’t play when it comes to quality service. It’s deeply ingrained in their foundation as a company and a high standard they have set. When I became a manager around the age of sixteen there, I learned the ins and outs of Chick-Fil-A and became greatly appreciative of their standard. Even though it’s a quick service establishment, they prioritize dining with them to be an experience. We truly cared for the guest’s entire experience while with us. I did not realize what I was doing in my teen years, but I have carried their standard with me since then. Focusing on the product and the guests are two of my main business values. Success in my eyes is not only based on delicious food, but it’s rooted on the guest’s entire experience from the moment they walk in to the moment walk out. Guests should have our full attention while with us as well as making sure we deliver a quality food product to create an exceptional experience with us. While working at Chick-Fil-A in some of my formative years, it established in me a servant’s heart and capacity. As business owners, particularly in the food service industry, they may be with us for a short time, but we have the opportunity to bring wholehearted light to their day by being of service to them.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am originally from Memphis, TN born into a family owned barbecue business known as Neely’s Bar-B-Que. I never anticipated taking over my parent’s restaurant growing up. I went to the University of Tennessee for Early Childhood Education and have worked in that sector in Nashville, TN for years until I suddenly had vision and desire to revitalize my parent’s business. As I got older I began to see the sacrifice and dedication my parents needed to have in order for the business to succeed for over twenty years in a competitive market. I realized that if I did nothing, all of that dedication and hard work would end with the two of them. Memphis barbecue is amazingly delicious, but this journey in the business is about more than the food for me. It’s about legacy and standing on something that is bigger than myself. As a legacy barbecue business owner, I strive for each person I come into contact with to feel loved and seen while enjoying delicious Memphis-style barbecue with a twist.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

When going into this business I did not anticipate so much fear. As small children, we hear about being afraid of things here and there, but as we get older we rarely hear about this crippling and paralyzing fear that can occur as you move through life. In my business development phase, I had to confront fear head on or I would’ve remained this woman with vision too afraid to take a step. I learned that one of the only ways to challenge fear to is do the thing you’re afraid of with wisdom. I had to decide that fear would not hold me back from doing this business and that I would take the faith steps while shaking in my boots. I had to remind myself of the truth and gird myself with it so that I could move forward. The only way to get to the place of doing new and unseen things is by doing the hard and, sometimes scary, things. I began to take small steps and what I found is that on the other side of conquering those fears is freedom.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

When going into this business, I immediately felt very secure in the idea that I would have all the pieces before making a move. I thought I would have an abundance of confirmation before needing to make a decision. I felt that I needed that security. However, what I discovered about myself was that when I didn’t have that security, fear and doubt would onset. As I spent time unpacking this, I began to understand that desiring security can sometimes really mean the desire for control. As a business owner, I will not always have all the information upfront. I learned to surrender that need to control because anything at any time can pop up, and there is no way to know everything that will come when running a food business. I had to learn that I could trust myself to make big decisions and when unplanned variables occur, that I have all I need within to make the next best decision.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @neelysnashville | @shelbineely

Image Credits
Zoe McDowell