Walking the path of entrepreneurship means having many doors shut on our faces, especially as women. How do we rise through all these tough times and find success? Listen to another episode of the Exit Rich podcast as our special guestDr. Shellie Hipsky gives golden nuggets on successful entrepreneurship and leadership practices, and empowering women to follow their dreams. Dr. Shellie Hipsky is the CEO of Inspiring Lives International, the Executive Director of the Global Sisterhood, and the editor-in-chief of Inspiring Lives Magazine. She has also been honored with the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award for serving over 4,000 hours of Volunteer Service by the President of the United States in 2023! Along with her many other achievements, Dr. Shellie is a force to be reckoned with and we can’t wait to learn more about her on today’s show!

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Empowering Women To Follow Their Dreams: Successful Entrepreneurship And Leadership Practices With Dr. Shellie Hipsky

As always, we bring you valuable content, lots of golden nuggets, things that you can use in your business to grow your business exponentially. This episode is not going to be any different. Make sure you ask questions and comments because I do give out three of my chapters for anyone whose questions or comments we read aloud. I’m sure maybe Dr. Shellie can give three chapters of her book, which I didn’t ask her, so I just put it on the spot but I’m sure she will.

Absolutely.

We have this very special guest, Dr. Shellie Hipsky the CEO of Inspiring Lives International. Let me prepare you all. This is one of the longest bios I’ve ever seen because this woman has accomplished so much. Just fasten your seat belts and get ready for the ride. She is the Executive Director of the Global Sisterhood, which helps women and children around the world. She’s the Editor-in-Chief of Inspiring Lives Magazine, which I’m going to be on the cover. I’m excited about that.

The President of the United States of America honored Dr. Shellie in 2003 with the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award for over 4,000 hours of volunteer service. That worries me out just thinking about it. You ladies should all ask yourself, how much volunteering have you done? That’s a huge reward. In 2023, she was also named Top Inspirational CEO, and the International Business Excellence Award. She received the International Visionary Leadership Award. An award-winning author, she wrote thirteen books.

We’re at fifteen now.

I can’t keep up. She is an award-winning author. Her thirteenth book was Ball Gowns to Yoga Pants. I love that title. We are going to talk about her books here. The 14th book is Mom Magic Mompreneur. What’s the fifteenth book?

The fifteenth book was The Prescription for a Happy and Healthy Child. I wrote that with one of the top pediatricians in the world. I’ve done a lot in the area of working with women, entrepreneurship, and women empowerment. You don’t need to read that whole bio. Let’s just get into this.

I want to say a couple more things. Both were international bestsellers. She was the host of both Empowering Women Radio and Inspiring Lights with Dr. Shellie on NBC. She’s an international keynote speaker. I am too. We have that in common. She spoke at Harvard, Columbia, and Oxford. She’s the bomb. She filmed the docuseries, Making Of An Entrepreneur. She’s fabulous.

This is what I love the most. She is the Founder of the Global Sisterhood, a nonprofit. She specializes in coaching and inspiring women entrepreneurs and leaders internationally. That is a mouthful. You can go to the website and check it out. We’ll give out all of our information at the end of the show. Dr. Shellie, welcome to the show.

Thank you so much. I’m delighted to be here. When I met you at the WOIII Summit, the Powerful Women’s Summit, I just knew that we needed to connect up more because you are a dynamo and a powerhouse yourself.

Thank you very much. We’ll dive into that a little bit towards the end of the show, but that was a great event. Truly inspiring. What I want to know right now is, Dr. Shellie, what were you like as a little girl?

How young are we going back to? I was a naughty teenager. I have the Lifetime Achievement Award that I received from the President. I started volunteering as a very young girl because my parents were very involved in giving back to the community. I’ve always been this heart-centered kid. I loved my friends and my family, and I loved helping others. That’s always been in my heart.

That’s awesome. It starts at home. I do the same with my daughter as well. What’s your story? Do you have a story there? We all have a story. You help these inspiring women all over the world who have suffered horrible abuse and children as well. Does Dr. Shellie have a story?

It’s wonderful. I’m so glad about that. One of my turning points was when I was sixteen years old and I was raped by someone that I cared about. I was told this by my friends who were girls. I was sixteen and I was told that I wasn’t tied down so it wasn’t rape. They had all these things that would make it not be that type of a scenario. They told me over French fries and a Diet Coke at the local burger joint that I wasn’t, and that I needed to apologize to the person who had done this to me.

You needed to apologize. Are you kidding me?

I know. In their mind wasn’t, and then I went back to this man for a year and dated him, even though I had gone through so much trauma, which set me up for a lifetime of repeating a negative pattern with men. That, to me, was very impactful in being able to understand other women who have gone through different things. Maybe they’ve been perceived a certain way because of what they went through. They’ve had to deal with repercussions from financial, sexual, and emotional abuse, dealing with narcissists, all these types of people. I get it.

When they come in and we’re working with them through the Global Sisterhood, we’re helping them rise above their situation, or I’m working with them as a client, as a coaching situation. When they’ve got these fabulous businesses and they’re on the big screen and they’re on magazine covers, but there’s stuff, there’s junk still left inside them, I can relate.

Leadership Practices: When people who are struggling come in, we work with them through the Global Sisterhood. We’re helping them rise above their situation.

We’ll dive in a little bit more on that. That’s why you started the Global Women’s Sisterhood, which we’re going to talk more about later. I want to dive into your entrepreneurial mindset. What moment in your life led you to switch from being a professor who performed and volunteered to an award-winning entrepreneur?

There was a moment when I met a woman who had an inspirational story. I was talking to her and we got her story out of her, and we were emotional about it. We went into writing this Common Threads trilogy. We wrote a book, and it then foray into a television show. The reason that I became a businesswoman, Michelle, is there are all of those oh-crap moments when you’re an entrepreneur.

There was that moment when I was getting ready to film this in a beautiful, multimillion-dollar NBC studio. I had the sponsorship lined up. I was ready to go. I had people coming in from all over the world to be on the television show. I had been doing all this pro bono work. I was speaking on stages and making things happen for this company that said that they were going to sponsor it.

A week before, I got a phone call from the company that promised they were sponsoring the television show. They said, “Dr. Shellie, I’m so sorry, but we’re not sure that we’re going to get our return on investment on this television show. We are going to drop it.” This was after I had done all this work for free for them. I was like, “Oh, crap.”

Everybody was coming in, it was happening. The train had left the station. I went to the competition bank because it was a bank that was going to be sponsoring it. I went to the competition bank. I sat down, I explained the story, and I said, “I’ve got these people flying in from all over the world. I need to tell their stories.” I knew that once those stories got out into the world, there was going to be a huge impact. What she said to me was, “I think that you are now going to be a businesswoman.” I was like, “What?”

I was a professor of my head. I had been doing that for many years. She said, “We are cutting you your first big line of business credit.” I was like, “I can do this.” I went in the next week, I wrote the check, handed it over to the studio, and we filmed the thirteen episodes of Inspiring Lives with Dr. Shellie. The rest is history. It spiraled and caught this momentum. It was so amazing to get those stories out into the world. Since then, I’ve interviewed over 1,000 women internationally on their stories and how they created their lives from often, very difficult places.

Do you guys still have the TV and the radio show?

That’s a very interesting question because I was just approached by Theresa Goss. You know TGo, I’m sure. We are looking into reviving the Inspiring Lives of Dr. Shellie television show. I’m very excited about that. That should be coming up here in 2024.

There are so many questions. You’ve written extensively on the topic of Common Threads. That’s one book I didn’t mention. What’s the name of that book?

Common Threads. That’s a trilogy. That is Inspiration, Empowerment, and Balance in the three books. I found those to be the common themes that women were looking at when I did my Empowering Women Radio show, which was on 120 radio stations throughout the world.

What are those common threads that can be applied to aspiring entrepreneurs?

I’m going to foray into another book if you don’t mind. In Ball Gowns to Yoga Pants: Entrepreneurial Secrets for Creating Your Dream Business and Brand, we dive deep into those success secrets so that you can get branding done your way and attract the right clients and customers to your businesses. As a business owner, if you don’t have the right clients and customers, then you’re not going to be making the money that you need to make.

Let’s name three of those secrets quickly.

Number four in the book is Dr. Shellie’s Success Secret. It’s not who and what you know, it’s who trusts, respects, and relates to you. When you’re putting out your message, make sure that your message is one that those people that you are trying to have, be your clients, can relate to you on that topic. Number two, be authentic in your leadership and marketing will attract the right clients and customers. Entrepreneurs must buckle up for the rollercoaster ride of emotions. I know that you’ve been through that, Michelle.

That’s my favorite one. If I can have my team put that one in the comments. Say that one more time, Shellie.

Entrepreneurs must be prepared to buckle up for the roller coaster ride of emotions.

If you’re weak and you don’t like roller coasters, entrepreneurship might not be for you. I educate my clients all the time because we do M&A, and we specialize in buying, selling, fixing, and growing companies. I always tell my clients, “Don’t worry about that roller coaster ride with the buyers because it’s going to be up and down. You think you got a deal, you don’t have a deal. We’re going to pump it up, be back together again, and make something happen here.” It is a rollercoaster ride. You have to toughen up, buckle up, and realize it’s not definite. Just because somebody says no or just like you, your deal falls apart. You can find somebody else. When one door shuts, another one opens.

It turned out that that door shutting, opened up a whole world of entrepreneurship for me. I wasn’t thinking I could, would, or should do that at that point in my life. I had a cushy job at a university. I was doing great and I love my students. By having that door shut on my face, it felt like a slam. It entered this whole new season of my life where I took control and I was able to go out there and make it happen for myself and for those that I serve.

That brings me to a profound question that everyone, not just entrepreneurs, not just women but men too should always ask themselves, “Why is this happening for me and not to me?” This came from Tony Robbins, but everybody always asks, “Why is this happening to me?” You’re in the victim state. You’re in the victim mentality.

What you should be asking for is, “Why is this happening for me? What’s the next door that’s going to open? What are the opportunities that can come out of this?” When one door shuts, another door always opens. I encourage everybody to always ask. It’s not happening to you. Ask why it is happening for you. We have some questions already coming up here. Emily says, “Can you tell us about a mentor with a significant impact on your career?” You named one already.

Strangely enough, both of them are up in heaven right now. Klarel and the other one that I want to mention was Dr. Jim Henderson. He was the dean at the school that I was at when I was an undergrad. I went through a really difficult time in my life and he picked up that phone. He didn’t know me that well at that time, but he knew that I was a leader at heart. He said, “Put everything in a U-Haul. Get back here to Pittsburgh. We’ll worry about the job and the schooling when you get here.” He helped me to create a position for myself here in Pittsburgh when I needed to get away.

There seems to be a common thread too, Michelle, with women having to pivot and men. Entrepreneurs have to pivot. We have to look and see what we can do next that is a little different than this that is going to get even better results. Dr. Jim was the person who was able to tell me, “It’s okay. We’ll figure it out.” Those types of mentors that are everything is figureoutable, that’s fabulous. When you find those, stick with them because they’re going to take you apart.

When the student is ready, not the teacher appears, but in your case, when this teacher is ready, the student appears. That’s very important. Pivoting is the name of the game. You won’t keep doing things the same way you’ve always done them and continue to get the same results. Everybody had to pivot during COVID. You men tuning into this when we’re just talking about women, there’s a lot of lessons and golden nuggets for you too, because a lot of the lessons and golden nuggets are universal. There are some specific to women, but they’re universal. Steph asks, “Your work includes promoting positivity and inspiration. How can entrepreneurs maintain a positive mindset and motivation during tough times or failures in their business ventures?”

When those tough times happen and they will, it’s just inevitable. You need to seek out support from other like-minded, heart-centered entrepreneurs, people that get you, people who understand you. Often when we go into a panic mode about it, we will sometimes talk to that person who doesn’t understand entrepreneurship at all. That can be a wrong move.

If they don’t get it, if they don’t understand that roller coaster we were talking about, sometimes they’ll just say, “That’s it. Quit. Go back to a regular job. Put on those blinders and go back to not owning a business and not being the one where the buck stops.” If you talk to other people who are like-minded entrepreneurs, Michelle and myself, get a mentor, a coach, or someone like that, that can be a good way to bounce ideas off of a person who understands the world of entrepreneurship, get back into the game, and pivot if you need to.

Do your due diligence. I’ve been in a lot of speaking events and I’ve hired some that, “I’m great. Everybody says this about me.” We’re in an event. Of course, they’re going to say nice things about you at the event, but I didn’t follow up. I didn’t check social media and do my due diligence. One of them I hired, I wasted $250,000.

Just because they’re on stage or they have a platform doesn’t make it so. You want to do your due diligence and you want to make sure you hire somebody in your specific industry or maybe another industry that you’re trying to emulate, but check out their references. Check out their work. Do your due diligence before you pay, and then try to have a paid-for performance program as well.

It’s all about finding the right person for you so that you can work with them. I run my EmpowerU Master Class, and I’ve done that for years. I love forming these cohorts of women business owners to rise together and address some of those very real questions and problems we have.

Tanya says, “In your experience, what are the most important skills or qualities that entrepreneurs and business leaders should possess?”

They need to be flexible because there will be changes to the economic landscape and to where you’re going with the world. You need to be honest with those who are your constituents and also yourself. Sometimes we can be on all these magazines, I’ve been on 65 magazine covers and stuff like that. You can get into this inflated ego. You have to be honest with yourself and with who you are. People are on stage and everybody’s tooting their horns. You have to be honest with where and who you are and what’s happening with the bottom line of your business.

You need to truly be in the mindset that you can do it. You have to have that can-do attitude that nothing’s going to knock you down. If it does, it’s not going to be for long. It’s the school of hard knocks out here. You can take a pause and say, “I’m reeling from this one.” You have to get back up. I do some boxing. I don’t know if you know that. I’ve done some kickboxing over the years. You got to get back in the ring, people, before the time is up.

“Why is this happening for me, not to me? What’s the golden opportunity here?” Aidan asked, “What are some misconceptions or myths about entrepreneurship and how would you debunk them?”

Entrepreneurship can be misperceived by the public if they’ve never been in those shoes. Some people think it’s so easy and you’re just at home eating bonbons, out to lunches, drinking, and doing those types of things. When push comes to shove, if you’re a true entrepreneur, if you’re running a thriving business, you’re putting in the work and the time.

Misconceptions too are easy. “The money will be there.” I love people hiring, recruiting, and training employees. That’s going to be a piece of cake for me.

Both of us have probably run into hiring and collaborations with the wrong people. There’s a myth that whoever is in your lane or field, you could just connect up and work with them. As you said, Michelle, you’re so smart. You need to do your due diligence. You have to check people out. You did that with me, I know. I remember you got in there and you checked me out to make sure that I was who I said I was on stage. I appreciate that.

I throw away money one time. I believe in somebody one time. When in doubt, check them out. Now I’ll just check them out. Emily says, “Can you discuss the importance of leadership in business and share your insights on effective leadership strategies?”

I was a tenured professor for a decade with PhD students in instructional management and leadership. That question hits home to my heart. You need to be transparent with the people that you’re working with. The strategy for that is you don’t want to manage. You want to lead. Some people think, “I always wanted to be a manager.”

If you are a manager, then you’re not necessarily a leader. They’re not the same. If you are leading, you are leading with the right heart in the matter. You are leading towards the future, the goals, the mission, and the vision of the company, and you’re making it so that there’s true ownership of that mission and vision by those people that you are leading. It’s not just a one-woman show.

A lot of us, Michelle and myself, and some of the other women and men leaders that are always on the stages and the front of magazines, it can become just a one-person show. You have other people that are part of your team. I saw one of them and I’ve spoken with Lauren. I know a lot about your team, because if you don’t have that team and they don’t have buy-in, then you’re not leading from a higher-level perspective.

That goes back to the misconception of entrepreneurship. You’ve got the solopreneurs. Let me tell you something. They work hard. They’re good at their craft. The only problem is they don’t have a business. Most of them have a job because if they’re not working, they’re not getting paid. At the end of the day, they won’t be able to exit rich in most cases. You want to build that company and exit rich. I gave you a whole bunch of them.

My board loved them.

With Exit Rich, this is all about taking your great core competencies and turning them into a business, taking that solopreneurship and turning it into where you are a true entrepreneur. You create a business that works for you rather than you working for it. You do have a company that you can exit rich one day. The other huge misconception I was thinking about earlier is, “You have more time when you’re an entrepreneur. You can go to your kid’s gymnastics. You can go to their ballet and soccer games.” You do if you create that business and this team and the company’s working for you rather than you working for it. There’s a lot of things there.

You have to have infrastructure and a foundation.

You have to build an infrastructure and I’m not here just to plug Exit Rich. I am giving away three chapters. Exit Rich is all about building that foundation. If you don’t build a foundation when you build a house, your house is going to come around you and all on your head. Beth says, “You mean it isn’t.” I’m not sure what the clarification is there, Beth, but I want to be clear with you. Clarify that comment, please.

I know Beth and what she’s saying. She says, “You mean it isn’t.” When we both said, “It isn’t easy,” she said, “Darn,” with a winky face. It is not easy, Beth.

Kaylee says, “Leadership is a crucial aspect of entrepreneurship. What advice do you have for emerging leaders and teams on building effective teams and fostering a positive workplace culture?”

Building relationships with the people who work with us, under us, and beside us is so important. Creating a culture or community that is based on the mission and vision is very important. I’ve done everything from mountain climbing to team building at restaurants, having a glass of wine to team building at the fashion show that we did here in Pittsburgh. It’s very important that you create a true culture and whatever that looks like is going to be different for whatever business you’re running. I tend to have different teams of women here who like to do different things together to bond. That’s very important to create that culture and community.

Leadership Practices: It’s important to create a true culture in business. Whatever that looks like will be different for whatever business you run.

It is because a culture can make or bigger company. It is one of the most important things. When you’re recruiting and hiring, you want to check out their ideal culture and what culture means to them. Also, an entrepreneur is not always the best manager and leader. I always say what makes a good leader is being a good follower. You can’t lead anyone unless you follow.

The other thing is that one of the books that I wrote when I was a doctoral professor was Mentoring Magic: Pick The Card For Your Success. Someone brought up mentoring. It is so important that when you’re mentoring or you’re in a mentoring relationship, that is a reciprocal relationship. Both parties, whether the person be the older person in the mentorship or they are the more experienced person, are getting something out of it too. Keep it reciprocal, people. When you’re entering into a mentorship agreement, make sure that it’s not just all about you or all about that person. You can all learn and grow from each other.

I have my Exit Rich coaching program and my clients learn a lot about how to build a sustainable, scalable, and sellable business, but I also learn from them. The same thing with my guests. It’s mutually beneficial. I don’t know if you know Donna here, but she says, “Greetings from the UK. My small business has been officially registered as a community interest company. What advice do you have regarding how to hire staff?”

I think Donna’s referring to the UK. That’s how they refer to nonprofits and charitable works. I know that Donna does a lot of work in the area of working with people who have gone through domestic violence situations. Donna, I would say that whenever you’re hiring, do your due diligence. Make sure that you get to know who this person is.

Make sure that you know their background and you are agreeing upon the job responsibilities, that you’re agreeing upon the compensation that will be issued. Particularly with nonprofits, a lot of that comes down to volunteers. Make sure that you have a strong army of volunteers there for your work with the women who have suffered and gone through survived domestic violence so that you can support them and lift them up.

Congratulations, Donna.

I’m so proud of you.

Beth says, “I was referring to eating bonbons.”

I’m going to have to get some bonbons now.

We’re getting lost in my questions. We’re only going to have time for a few more questions but get them in here. Many entrepreneurs face challenges and setbacks. Can you share a personal or professional obstacle you’ve encountered and how you ever overcame it? You shared one of the biggest ones earlier.

I did share a big one.

Most would be dead in their tracks and give up and go eat bonbons for a year.

It’s going to be Ball Gowns and Yoga Pants and Bonbons from now on. I’ve gone through a lot of different obstacles in my personal and professional life. I have gone through more than one divorce, unfortunately. That was very jarring to me and to my children. You have to start all over again. It’s a blow to the ego and the self-esteem. I’m running a business, a nonprofit, and my home with my two kids. I’m in the sandwich generation, so I’m taking care of my two parents as well.

The sandwich generation. I like that comment.

It is. We are sandwiched in between these two generations and we’re the ones that are relied on to help with both generations. There’s been a lot of obstacles that have happened in my life but I just have to brush myself up, wipe away the tears, and get back in the game and continue to help the women of the world like I have been for you.

Why is this happening for you?

It is for me.

Tanya says, “Can you speak about the best way to become the go-to or the expert in your field?”

Michelle’s the go-to expert in so many things in business, mergers and acquisitions, and selling businesses. I’m very much the global empowerment coach and the women empowerment guru, however you want to call it. It has been media that’s helped to push me to that forefront, whether that’s on Instagram with hundreds of thousands of followers, being on 65 magazine covers, or being on TV.

Now, you’re just bragging.

I was going to brag about you being on an amazing show like Exit Rich. All those things are things that contribute to having people who are my ideal clients and customers say, “She’s the go-to one. If I need to pick myself back up again, get re-empowered, and get inspiration and empowerment, I’m going to go to her. If I’m going to sell my business, I’m going to the Exit Rich lady, Michelle.”

I don’t know where you’re starting from, Tanya. It’s not always easy to get 65 covers and speaking of all these stages, can you shed some light, Doc, on where she’s starting? Do you know her first name?

I know Tanya.

Who’s Tanya? Where’s she starting out from?

She is a trauma coach and she’s a wonderful one. She’s worked with a lot of women that I know through my coaching. She’s getting into the media, doing those types of things. She truly is becoming the go-to expert in her field. She just wants more golden nuggets from us, Michelle, on those ways that she can elevate who she is to the public eye. I know that she’s been on a few covers, doing podcasts, and leading retreats. Do you have any ideas for her, Michelle, as an expert yourself?

I’m not in your space, so can you give testimonials?

She can.

I would start with testimonials on your website. Lots of testimonials, not just written. Video testimonials are always better. I would start with that. Number two, I would look for different events, any type of event like we just had a WOIII.

Which is Women of Impact and Innovation International. Tanya was there. She was one of the amazing women who walked the Survivor to Thriver red carpet and fashion show, the big black hat.

Tanya came from an abusive relationship. I would just get my story out as many places as I can. I would attend as many events as you can, ask to speak, and ask to get other podcasts that deal with trauma that deal with abuse to deal with. This rape, what a horrible story, Doc, that you went through. Start with your testimonials. Get video testimonials, and ask to connect to their network. If you have permission to share, go to as many events as you can. Look for masterminds. Look for podcasts that you can attend. Look for publications that specialize in trauma.

A bunch of different women from the Global Sisterhood are popping on here. I see Ricky, Beth, Donna, and Tanya. I’m so delighted to have everybody here.

We have to move this on. Anna asks, “As an author, what are some of the key lessons or takeaways from your books that you believe every entrepreneur should be aware of?”

Here’s one. Armed with your dream team, you can make it happen. It’s very important to surround yourself with the right people and get the right team going. Whether that be your support staff, the person who helps you with the technology, or it is the people who help you put on the big events or however your entrepreneurship venture is set up. You need the right people to have to buy into your business and to get it out there. Spread the good word and work with you personally and professionally.

Leadership Practices: You need the right people to buy into your business, get it out there, spread the good word, and work with you personally and professionally.

To go back to Tanya’s question earlier, I would try to align myself with social media groups where they talk about trauma and support others. I’m a widow so there are lots of support groups for me. I would look for all those different types of support groups that you could align yourself with and start your blog and support group if you haven’t already. I don’t know all the background here, but I would do that as well. I think all these ladies already have my book.

Many of them do. You are a hit here.

Kaylee says, “Networking is often emphasized in the business role. What tips do you have for entrepreneurs who can expand a professional network and make meaningful connections?”

The key to that question is meaningful connections. You don’t want to just have a drive-by networking or just passing out business cards like the old days and then they just end up in the waste bin at the end of the night. You want to make sure that you’re truly having a meaningful connection. That comes down to getting in the right places at the right times with the right people. There are networking events that are out there, both virtual and in-person. Make sure that you are having a true deeper conversation than just what you do. There are so many better questions to ask when networking than, “What do you do?”

I like to go from, “What are you passionate about?” Often, they do foray so they can go from what are passionate about to what they’re doing for a business. It’s important to tap into what’s meaningful to that person. If you’re not hitting their hearts with what’s important to them, then you’re not going to have a connection and you’re not going to have follow-up.

Follow-up, that’s huge too. To make a true meaningful connection, make sure you’re following up. Don’t just have it be, “Hi, my name is so-and-so,” and you’re doing your elevator pitch and then they’re doing it back to you. You’re exchanging information and then you’re leaving. Make sure you make that connection, follow-up and follow through, set up a lunch, and set up a Zoom conversation so that you can get to know that person on a deeper level.

I would advise all of you to go to one of my shows with Dr. Ivan Misner who owns BNI and it’s the largest worldwide networking group and has been for decades. He has all those networking tips. Everything you said was accurate. I never lead with an elevator speech. Always lead with, “What impact are you making on the world? What are you passionate about? What brings you here to this event?”

It’s the same thing I do with my clients. I never start by pitching them. I start, “How can we be of value to you? What can we do for you?” Everybody wants to just jam it down your throat, what their elevator speech is, and what they do. People stop listening to that because everybody’s tuning into the same channel, “What’s in it for me?” Let’s see if we have anything else here. Ricky’s talking about Tanya. She says AV.

Ricky does audiovisuals.

I knew Ricky at the event. I love her. She asks me, “If there’s one music you want to speak for your ex,” I’m like, “I have no idea. I didn’t think about that.” I wanted to say Another One Bites the Dust.

Her company now is set up to help raise nonprofits through audiovisuals. To cut some of those costs, because as you know, we’re putting on those huge scale events can get very pricey for everybody involved. She’s doing a good service that way.

One thing we haven’t talked about yet, and Tanya, this will be helpful for you, is AI. You can connect with so many different groups and events. You can pinpoint those groups, networking events, etc., blogs, groups, and all the things that are in your wheelhouse. It’s so much easier than doing it the old-fashioned way. If you ladies are not using AI and incorporating it into your business in some way, somehow, then you’re going to be left behind. That should be at the forefront of everybody’s mind in this conversation.

I hired a company and we are starting our AI platform with a proprietary software component. I encourage all ladies to learn about AI. There is an AI show that I did. I can’t remember the name of it, but if my team is tuning in, you know the name of that AI show and who the speaker was. We haven’t talked about business technology. It’s so much easier to reach groups, to reach organizations, to get your brand out there, more so than it ever was before.

I see Beth is saying, “AI in what way, social media or something else? Do you have suggestions on how business owners can use AI?”

You don’t have to go do your research anymore. Do some training. I want you to tune into this show, but do some learning and training. You have to be careful with ChatGPT. There’s another one I heard about. We’re developing our AI, but you don’t have to write your blogs. Put your messages in there to AI. It will help you exponentially grow things. You can grow your network. You can have them write your blog posts and your newsletters, and research different groups. It would be a great fit for you. You can have everything. AI’s going to help us with our evaluations, and our processes, it’s probably going to take away 2 to 3 hours every time I speak with a client on the 6 Ps in Exit Rich.

There are so many different ways that you can use AI. You just want to do your due diligence, and make sure you’re using the right platform for you. Make sure you check your documents, blogs, and newsletter, check everything before you post it because there are pros and cons with AI. AI is growing at work speed. None of us can keep up with it, but you have to work with AI to grow your business.

It can be social media. It can go out there and find those groups and those networking events. If anybody on my team has any ideas, put them in the comments. We are just getting started. We just signed a massive contract to do ours. I don’t see any more questions on here. I got through most of them. I might skip some. You’ve written books about the concept of inspiration. How can business leaders inspire their teams? We already talked about that a little bit.

We did. That one was brought up.

I had a question with you about technology, but we’ve already talked about that. What role does social responsibility and giving back play in modern entrepreneurship? Can you share examples of businesses that successfully integrated this into their models? I know there are the shoes. Buy shoes and get shoes away.

It’s everything. When it comes to working with different businesses, if people are looking at two competitors, they’re going to go with them almost every single time. The one that’s giving back a percentage of the profits, of the proceeds to a charity that they also believe in supporting. That’s been seen time and time again in the research. I have been running the Global Sisterhood for a decade. We have poured into women from our school in Tanzania who are running a whole school for entrepreneurs in Africa to right here in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with Treasure House Fashions. They are helping 60 women’s charities, tens of thousands of women every year to get back on their feet after they’ve gone through domestic violence or homelessness.

We have become a headquarters for all these different women resources to help support women with getting back on track with their dreams and to be able to reach them. We also do what we call #PopUpGiving, which is cutting through some of the red tape to help women in desperate crises. I’ve noticed that when companies partner with us, when they do sponsorships with us, or when they’re in the Inspiring Lives magazine, which is run by through the Global Sisterhood, and the Amazing Michelle Seiler Tucker is going to be on the cover of that soon. I’m so excited about that.

When businesses partner up with the Global Sisterhood in particular, I know that one is the best because it’s my baby. I’ve been the Executive Director and Founder for years. When they partner up with us, there’s a respect component there from the people who are looking at utilizing their business. They say, “This person doesn’t just care about themselves, their business, and their bank account, but they’re also pouring into someone that has less than and someone that needs this desperately.” It can have a profound effect on the perception of a business when they’re having some social responsibility. It can be a wonderful component of your overall strategy, mission, and business plan.

A lot of people think consumers don’t care. Consumers just want the best quality for the cheapest price and they want it now. Go to Amazon, but no. At any rate, that’s what they want. There are a lot of consumers that care about the story. What’s the story?

That’s why when I had my television show and every other time, I always say at the end of every show, “Inspiration is just a story away.” I believe that. It’s through the stories that our hearts are touched. Often, when you have a business, you need to touch their hearts to get into their wallets.

I’ll spend more money to do business with a company that has a story, a charity, a mission, and something bigger than themselves. That’s what’s so important. I donated to your fund Global Sisterhood because I was inspired by the story. I was inspired by the women who had been abused who were walking down the red carpet they looked beautiful in their gowns and their makeovers. I have goosebumps talking about it, but they carried a picture of what they looked like. Some of them were pretty terrifying that somebody had to go through that. They blossomed and it was a beautiful butterfly and walked down this red carpet.

A lot of this is because of you, Shellie, and because of your board, who I all met, who are fabulous ladies, they all took me in on the pirate boat. We all need to make donations, to give back, and to contribute. If any of you all are tuning in, I want you to tune in to Dr. Shellie. What can I give? How can I help you? How can I donate? Tell them a little bit about how many women you’ve been able to help.

This is such a blessing. Thank you very much. It means so much to me and for you to say all that, it touches my heart.

Before you answer, let me just say a couple more things. I’ve never seen such an intelligent businesswoman who wears her heart on her sleeves, who cares about everybody more than she cares about herself, who will go to the end of the world to help other women and children, who work tirelessly to give back, bringing partners together, bringing affiliates together to make the world a better place and empower these women so they can break the cycle of abuse so that they can inspire more women. It’s women aspiring women, and so they can truly break the cycle of abuse and help these children not repeat the patterns of abuse. Now you can answer.

Thank you. Your words. This went right to my heart. I know that my board is all tuning in. They’ve seen this journey with myself and the board and the incredible women from Pakistan, Nepal, and Africa, and right here in the United States. We are able to help because of donations through sponsorships, direct donations, fundraisers, and the events that we’ve put on. If they can go to www.GlobalSisterhoodOnline.org, they can not only read the stories, but they can also donate. We would be eternally thankful.

We are a 501(c)(3) organization. We will get out your tax donation letter for you or your business, saying that you donated to this amazing cause to help women and children around the world. Thank you, Michelle. You have touched my life so much. I’m so glad that Crystal Richardson with WOIII connected us because my heart is full at this moment, and I am so thankful for you.

You’re welcome. I couldn’t think of a better organization to donate to. I do have an idea of how you and I can partner up and I’ll discuss that with you later. Jordan Wilson is my AI show. He is amazing. He is a brilliant consultant. He has his podcast and he drops huge tips in his podcasts and resources on how you can get started using AI in your business. I’m not the expert, but I hired the experts.

Always hire people that have core competencies that you don’t. Always have people that have the strengths where you might have a weakness. None of us are strong in every area. That would be impossible. Again, thank you so much for coming on. Tell our audience about your EmpowerU Master Class and how they would find you there.

So many of the women internationally have been in my EmpowerU Master Class. It helps to find inspiration, empowerment, balance, and abundance. It is a very individualized approach to coaching, but it is in a cohort model. You’re paired up with multiple women in a networking group that meets weekly for seven weeks. I would love to have you reach out and I can show you how you can join up with that. You can go to www.ShellieHipsky.com to find out more information.

Any last-minute tips you have for women entrepreneurs, for women struggling?

If you are out there struggling, you are not alone. You have a sisterhood out here. Whether or not you give money or not, you are part of the Global Sisterhood and we’ve got your back. You are not alone and you are worthy, you are enough, you’re beautiful, and you’re wonderful. Read her book so you can exit rich.

Leadership Practices: If you are struggling, we have a Sisterhood here. Whether or not you give money, you are part of the Global Sisterhood. We’ve got your back.

Do you know what I love about Doc? She just gets out there and wears her heart on her sleeve. She could not stop crying. She did because we raised so much money, and she still looks beautiful and poised. Any last-minute thoughts? Anything about your books you’d like to mention quickly?

You can pick up Ball Gowns to Yoga Pants, Mom Magic Mompreneur, or Common Threads. I would just love for you to connect up. I’m one of those girls who loves having a lot of besties, so contact me, or reach out to ShellieHipsky.com and we’ll make it happen.

Besties are women you can trust. If somebody of these women from the Global Sisterhood, especially on the board, these are real women that you can trust that have your back. I witnessed that firsthand there. Thank you so much, Doc. You’ve been a fabulous guest. We are so happy to have you. Thank you both for your guidance and positive feedback. We’re going to have to have Dr. Shellie back on. Thank you so much. You’ve been a wealth of information and thank you to our audience. Thank you to our fans.

This has been a brilliant episode because we’re not just talking about business, we’re talking about impact. What impact do you have on the world? How can we help these neglected, abused women? I call them neglected too. Neglected, abused women and children, even men. There might be some men tuning. Men are abused too. You’re not left out of this scenario. I encourage everyone to donate. I encourage everyone to look up Dr. Shellie, get her books, and join her masterclass.

Most importantly, I know you have information. You have benefits out there. Please share it with your network. If you know somebody who’s struggling with domestic violence, please share it and get this message out. Share it on social media, share it within your group, and please get the word out. There is help. There are brilliant, beautiful women like Dr. Shellie who are making a change, making a huge, significant impact on the world. Thank you again for joining another episode. Make sure you subscribe and share this with your network. Thank you. Until next time.

Important Links

• Inspiring Lives International
• Global Sisterhood
• Inspiring Lives Magazine
• Ball Gowns to Yoga Pants
• Mom Magic Mompreneur
• The Prescription for a Happy and Healthy Child
• Empowering Women Radio
• Inspiring Lights with Dr. Shellie on NBC
• Making Of An Entrepreneur – YouTube
• Common Threads
• Common Threads: Inspiration – Book 1
• Common Threads: Empowerment – Book 2
• Common Threads: Balance – Book 3
• Exit Rich
• Mentoring Magic: Pick The Card For Your Success
• Women of Impact and Innovation International
• Dr. Ivan Misner – Previous Episode
• www.GlobalSisterhoodOnline.org
• Jordan Wilson – Previous Episode
• EmpowerU Master Class
• www.ShellieHipsky.com

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