We caught up with the brilliant and insightful She Keene a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

She, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

The biggest risk I’ve taken, for sure, is embarking upon a business that I have ZERO experience or knowledge of. I spent more than 20 years building a career in a highly technical field working on classified and Secret programs for the Department of Defense. Now, I’m a mixed media artist creating art and art-inspired gifts that are in more than 150 shops across the US, Canada, and the UK.

I taught myself how to create mixed media art by “doing”. I took a few online classes, watched so many videos, and spent countless hours practicing various techniques. I started creating art pieces to sell, and people bought them! Because I’m an entrepreneur at heart, I immediately started thinking about how I could transform my art into a business. Over the course of a few years, I crafted a business where I create and sell my original art, and also create art-inspired products from each piece. Along with my original art, I now offer mugs, greeting cards, journals, art prints, and stickers.

Trying to build a profitable business in an industry that I have very little knowledge of is challenging (that’s an understatement.) Every single day, I encounter multiple things that I have no idea how to accomplish. I constantly google, watch YouTube videos, and ask questions. I am now a member of the Greeting Card Association, I know how to design mugs and journals using Photoshop, and my products are in more than 130 shops across the US, Canada, and the UK. It’s still a risky business, but I’m slowly making it a success!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is She (short for Sheila) and I am the creative force behind “Redefining She.” For more than 20+ years, I was a Robotics & Software Engineer for the Dept of Defense working on Classified and Secret weapon system programs. I always knew I wanted to retire early so I could create a “Chapter 2” and fortunately, I was able to do just that when I was 50! I am no longer an engineer using primarily the “left side” of my brain. I am now an artist-for-change using BOTH sides of my brain. I create mixed media art and art-inspired products that empowHER Girls and Women to be brazen and make HERstory.

My previous career was in a very male-dominated field, so more often than not, I was the only Woman in the conference room. I know what it feels like to be dismissed simply because you are a Woman. I know what it feels like to be underestimated. I know what it feels like to be judged more for the way you look versus the talents you possess. I was a single Mom to a daughter for more than 20 years, so I know how hard it is to raise Girls in a world where we still value and judge Girls and Boys quite differently. These experiences shaped me into who I am today. So, when I created my Chapter 2, I had some definite, meaningful goals in mind.

♀️♀️ I want to change the way the world views & treats Girls and Women.
♀️♀️ I want to change the way some Girls and Women view themselves!
♀️♀️ I want to SLAM the world with HERstory… because our stories, Womens’ and Girls’ stories, are not told often enough.

That’s why I include a slightly hidden date in each design and every product I create that highlights a REMARKABLE Woman or Girl. Not only do you get a unique piece of art or art-inspired gift, but you also learn about HERstory. Each piece has either a QR code to scan, or a short blurb about a remarkable, gutsy Woman. So many Women came before us, leading the way and fighting for our rights. I intend on enlightening the world about these Women.

Is there a mission driving your creative journey?

I knew from the beginning that I didn’t want to be an artist, I wanted to be an artist-for-change. I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to show Girls and Women that they could be ANYTHING. I wanted Girls and Women to know that THEY were the only ones who had the right to create their path in life. I wanted to highlight the inequalities that still exist in the world. As stated earlier:

♀️♀️ I want to change the way the world views & treats Girls and Women.
♀️♀️ I want to change the way some Girls and Women view themselves!
♀️♀️ I want to SLAM the world with HERstory… because our stories, Womens’ and Girls’ stories, are not told often enough.

Did you know that in our History and Social Science educational curriculum that we teach our children from Kindergarten through 12th grade, for every 3 Men mentioned, only 1 Woman is mentioned? And, of those mentions, 53% cite Women in a domestic role. No wonder young Girls often feel “less than”. We should teach our children history AND HERstory. Things like this fuel me to keep doing what I’m doing.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I recently rebranded my business. I was at a point where I felt like I had outgrown my current branding. When I started my business, I was primarily focused on young Girls and Teens. As I grew the business, I started offering more products for Women. My branding no longer matched my audience. So, I pivoted.

Rebranding is HARD. Trying to make the perfect decision on colors, names, fonts, etc is overwhelming. Fortunately, I had a team of talented Women helping me along the way. I just launched the new look/feel and business name “Redefining She”, and am so happy with the results. “Redefining She” is all about busting stereotypical gender roles and empoweHERing Women and Girls to define their own roles in life. It’s about Women and Girls being brazen and bold. And, it’s about spreading HERstory.

Sometimes pivoting is hard and scary, but oh so necessary.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://redefiningshe.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redefiningshe/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/redefiningshe
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/she-keene-790128111/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK4OwH-Og1uO8_YNDj6qdEg
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@redefiningshe

Image Credits
Anna Daniels Photography Jessica Whitley Photography