We were lucky to catch up with Shell Roth (they, them) recently and have shared our conversation below.
Shell , appreciate you joining us today. Risk taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.
About 4 years ago I decided to shift gears and “come out” as a transgender person and author my 4th book titled “Dont Call Me Ma’am” This was a huge risk as I decided it was time to shift from working with companies on how to use social media to sharing my lived experience and changing the world one pronoun at a time. The risk was twofold in leaving a business that had served me well for 15 years, and also the risk of sharing my gender identity with the world. How would I now be preceived? Would my clients abandon me? Would people be interested in learning about what it means to be a trans person and why pronouns are so important to self identity? Well, fast forward to today, and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. It took a while to gain traction but now I am a sought after speaker/trainer and I work with companies on defining what it means to be nonbinary as well as how to incorporate gender inclusive language with customers and employees. With my 5th book, “A Field Guide to Gender Neutral Language”, I present this material to companies worldwide and incorporate this content with my story of coming out as a transgender person. I also became a partner with www.diversitycrew.com, a DEI training and consulting company who “creates equity for an incredible tapestry of humans” The bottom line is I realized it’s not about me, it’s about MAKING A DIFFERENCE. This work has been so rewarding and to know I am contributing to help change perceptions, well it doesnt get any better. All proceeds from sales of my books as well as speaking and training engagements go to a Houston based nonprofit, understandinggay.org, that helps keep LGBTQ+ kids off the street.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I started my career as a teacher, guidance counselor and principal, after obtaining two Masters degrees. When I left education, I decided I wanted to go into sales and I spent many a year with Fortune 500 companies successfully doing just that. After getting fired, I decided to start my own company and spent 15 years helping businesses use social media for marketing growth. This was a rewarding path, however, I realized it was time to shift gears and make a difference by sharing my story of being a transgender person and why gender inclusive language is so important. For the last 4 years I have been working through Diversity Crew out of Dallas TX to present my lived experience as a transgender nonbinary person, along with how to use gender inclusive language, to companies throughout the world. This work has been a true game changer for me and the clients I serve. There is no better feeling than knowing I am making a difference for employees, customers, parents and children both through the work I do and through the monetary proceeds I share with an LGBTQ+ nonprofit in Houston, TX.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
The best source of new clients is existing clients. I think it’s very important to stay in constant communication with existing clients as word of mouth, no doubt, has been the source of new clients for me. I use email marketing and social media to share what my clients are interested in. Repurposing the content from my email newsletter on social media business pages and groups keeps the conversation going and keeps me top of mind for business referrals.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
Since my business was teaching others how to use social media to grow their brand, I realized how important it is to build community virtually. Social media is an amazing marketing platform for sharing what’s important to your audience (and btw, if you dont know what your audience wants to hear from you, ASK THEM! (Do a survey, send out a newsletter asking multiple choice questions etc.) Once you know what’s important to them, start the conversation. It’s a two way street not one way, so make sure to ENGAGE on social media. Your goal is to get interaction via Likes, Comments and Shares and build relationships. Start with your contact list, even if it’s just 10 people and their your friends and family, you have to start where you are. It comes downto word of mouth referrals, staying top of mind with folks, adding value and building ongoing relationships.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://springboardworks.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpringboardWorks
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shellroth/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/springboardw
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/springboardw
- Other: https://diversitycrew.com/ Partner at Diversity Crew https://amazon.com/author/shelleyroth