We were lucky to catch up with Paula Shepherd recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Paula, thanks for joining us today. Can you tell us about an important lesson you learned while working at a prior job?

The most important lesson I’ve learned that has supported me in my business is to stay steadfast in your vision and let the “how” unfold.

In 2013 I made a decision to relocate from Central Maryland to Austin, Texas. There were several challenges – 1) My position could not be performed remotely. Remote work and virtual teams were not as readily available then as they are now, and despite my best efforts I could not find a way to stay with my company and 2) the Austin office did not have positions available. I was devastated because I loved my job and my team, but I knew moving to Austin supported my future vision.

My chances looked bleak for a while, but Instead of giving up, I made it known to anyone that would listen that I wanted to stay with the company. Within a few weeks our HR manager shared that our Director had just been promoted and one of the programs in his portfolio was in Austin. Within a few weeks of approaching him about my desire to stay with the company, I was interviewing by phone for a brand new position being posted.

Had I waited for every detail to be available to me before taking bold action toward my vision, I’m certain it wouldn’t have unfolded the way it did.

Paula, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

For most of my career I worked in technology leading teams and large-scale projects. Except I didn’t have a technical degree and that became a barrier for growth in many ways for me. The pivotal moment for me was when I was was passed over to a role and told “no offense, but you’re not technical.” There is a before and after that moment. Before that moment, I didn’t want to rock the boat because I didn’t have the years of experience or technical degrees that my colleagues did. Instead I worked hard to get certifications, raised my hand to lead initiatives that required time outside my normal work hours, and tried desperately to get noticed and earn the privilege to speak up and be heard.

And every time I did it felt like I was hiding more and more of who I am. The more I tried to stay quiet, the less engaged I felt in the conversation. There were times I didn’t feel like I belonged.

So I started to get curious, talking to team members, listening to and addressing their concerns, and connecting with them in ways they hadn’t experienced before at work.

After nearly two decades in operations, program management and project management leadership roles with non-profit organizations and Fortune 500 companiesI left to pursue my dream of helping businesses create a culture that encourage teams to communicate and operate in dynamic ways resulting in

➡️ Improved performance fueled by open discussion;
➡️ More engaged, dynamic teams;
➡️ Increase in innovative ideas and strategic thinking
➡️ Reduction in absenteeism;
➡️ Significant decreases in turnover; and
➡️ Greater profitability and customer success

Most people start with what isn’t working, adjust processes and layer in complex strategies, but my approach is much more holistic. We begin with people first and identify any barriers in the relationships first.

It’s been incredible working with organizations and people to be stronger leaders, better managers, not to mention grow and retain team members.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

When you come from a traditional career, you become accustomed to reactivity. For example, responding to emails and chat messages right away OR for many reaching a goal and quickly moving to the next one. As a business owner I’ve had to decondition myself from my people pleasing tendencies as a high achiever. It’s been crucial for me to assess and redefine what work looks like now and set standards and boundaries for myself so I don’t lead myself on a pathway to burnout. That’s a place I’d been many times before in my career.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Being a business owner means you must be resilient. I’m not sure there’s been a single day when I haven’t had to bounce back from an unexpected challenge. It’s simply part of the daily journey.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thecourageblueprint.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/befearlesswithPaula
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/befearlesswithpaula/
• Other: Speaking Website www.paulashepherdspeaks.com

Image Credits
Enid Jones