Episode 16
Season 2
Strong Leaders are Strong Storytellers
Welcome Sheleah D. Reed, APR, to Saturday Soundbites!
Sheleah is a phenomenal storyteller and has known since she was a little girl that she had the gift of painting a story and helping her audience make connections that were authentic and that stirred an emotion.
Join Veronica and Sheleah as they discuss how strong leaders use storytelling to help their teams grow and #protectthebrand! There are so many ways that entrepreneurs can grow in their storytelling skills and Sheleah is the pro you want to learn from.
Be sure to follow Sheleah on LinkedIn and Instagram to find great content!
Transcript -
[00:00:00] Veronica: Hello. Hello and welcome to Saturday soundbites. I'm your host Veronica sofa. And here at Saturday soundbites, we talk about all things, visibility strategy, all the strategies and techniques that you need to grow your business around advertising, marketing, public relations, but more importantly storytelling because at the end of the day, your brand is your.
[00:00:20] And you want to be able to tell that story so that more people know about the services you offer and all the great products that you have. So on Saturday soundbites, we bring on guests that are going to help you get some insight into how to improve your visibility strategy. And we've got a great one for you today.
[00:00:35] A little bit of housekeeping. If you are listening on our podcast, make sure you hit subscribe. We don't want. Any episode of Saturday soundbites. And if you are watching on YouTube or on Facebook, drop us some comments. So my guest and I can go back and connect with you. We will go ahead and get started.
[00:00:50] I'm going to bring my guest on now. I have the amazing Shalia Reed joining us. She is phenomenal and you guys are going to love her. Welcome to Saturday. Sound soundbites.
[00:01:02] Sheleah: Thank you. You set that up. I don't know if I'm going to live up to those expectation. Oh,
[00:01:07] Veronica: you absolutely will. I have no doubt. You are the epitome of a storyteller and you do it so well.
[00:01:13] So I know everything you have to say. People are going to get a lot of out of, but before we start talking about that, tell us a little bit about your journey and how you came into your story to
[00:01:23] Sheleah: tell. You know, I've had some time to think about this. And so I don't know that I've settled on the exact story, but I will say that my first memory and there's actually a picture to prove it.
[00:01:33] As of me in the second grade, I won a contest and it was to tell the world why I was Houston per hour. And the elementary school that I was attending was road proud. So you had to write an essay while you were road sprout Houston. And the feeling that I really have is that I was adamant about winning this story.
[00:01:54] Like I was adamant about winning the contest. And like, you know, standing on stage, getting my prize. I ultimately, I believe won second place. And I was in kindergarten. I had to be in first grade. I won. And I remember, you know, working on the story. With my grandmother and my aunt my mom would like let pick me up from their house.
[00:02:16] And my grandmother made custom drapes and she was ironing the drapes. And I would be telling her my story and someone would be writing it down. And then ultimately I had to write it myself. And so I think that that's how I started telling stories. You know, pretty much my family came to accept that this was going to be the life that we both in all we're living.
[00:02:37] And since then, I've kind of gone on through every part of my career in life telling stories, whether it was as the editor of the paper in high school or the yearbook editor in middle school editor of the paper in college, I was a journalism major. I'm a reporter trained. I worked for this report times and decided I don't want to write stories every day.
[00:02:59] Instead, I'd like to tell stories in new ways. And now in my role in school communications, I've been able to.
[00:03:05] Veronica: That's fantastic. And I love, I loved that you visioned it out. You it's like I could see just picturing yourself on the stage, accepting this award. And then it just all kind of fell in afterwards and it comes naturally, but it also comes with a little bit of work.
[00:03:21] So. Tell us about how you have really you know, when you go from journalism and you go from reporting and you go to storytelling, there's a little bit of a shift. You have to take ownership in that story. Tell us about that, how that works for
[00:03:34] Sheleah: you. Yeah. So I'll start by talking about what you said, which is like, I visioned things and it's really true.
[00:03:40] So like today, you know, I thought about like, what is this gonna look like? And I moved from where I typically, you know, am and I could see. The curtains are going to be hanging this way. I mean, it sounds crazy, but in my mind, I have to see it for it to come out. Right. I also knew that I was going to have a mug here and I wanted the thing to hang off just the right way because I'm horse.
[00:04:02] Right. And so I was like, I need some other things that are exciting in this background so that people understand, I don't typically sound like this. And so I think that that's a great way of thinking about how I ended up telling stories. So I remember as a reporter for the Shreveport. Let me to report times I would go and begin to write a story as I walked into the situation.
[00:04:25] So I'll think about this. I have a a front page article about homeschooling and I remember thinking, oh, homeschooling is going to start like when you drive up in the driveway. And so I start telling the story as I drive up in the driveway because everything and every little piece matters. You know, describing to the audience, what the mom looked like and what the dad looked like and how the kid interacted.
[00:04:50] And I think people are typically visual learners. They're not, and they're V they, they want to see things which is why Instagram has gone to. You know, a video, a video platform or a video platform, which is why the things that are really exciting on Facebook include photos. And so I think that people need to see things and they want to know the details.
[00:05:11] When I tell stories with my friends, I'm like, and he had on this and her voice said this, and it smelled like this because all of the five senses have to be touched. And so now that I'm not a report, And, you know, my job is anything from crisis to, you know change management. I know that people's five senses need to be, you know, kinda touched and, and developed.
[00:05:35] You have to touch people in all those five senses. When you go look at a new house, when you're going to buy a new house, you start with. The curb appeal. Right? And then if you ever think about it, they're either burning a beautiful candle or they're burning other baking cookies because those things, you know, go to your senses and then go to your memories of the, a wonderful, beautiful things.
[00:05:57] And I think that that's the same thing. When you're telling your story, you have to touch on all five senses.
[00:06:03] Veronica: Yeah, absolutely. That's a great example. And I love that you talked about making a connection. So what advice do you have for people who are starting their own businesses? Maybe they've got a side hustle or maybe they've written a book and they want to start promoting it.
[00:06:18] How does someone make those connections to a target audience? I love the descriptor about how a realtor, a good realtor bakes cookies. And how's it going? But as, as a business owner, sometimes we're we're so focused on. And bolts and data that we don't realize that you have to do exactly what you just did and create a picture.
[00:06:36] What are some tips that you've got for people?
[00:06:38] Sheleah: So I think people have to know that they have to be authentic, right? People can see through the BS people we've We've been sold so many things in our life that we kind of have gotten to the point where we're like, oh, I'm being sold again. But the things that work well are when you're genuinely who you are the reason why people buy things, right?
[00:06:58] Think about that great salesman that sold you, your car. He told you how the kid was going to be. He told you about how fast it was going to go and how cool you're going to look in it. It's because they were appealing to the things that were genuinely you. And I think as a, as a person who has a side hustle, you have to figure out how to maximize your time and maximizing your time.
[00:07:18] Does it mean, okay, I got to become someone different, so you have to be who you are and say that time, use that time. And even that money to go a little further and buy more product or be in more places. But T just come to people naturally and then find out if it connects to what they need, people aren't going to buy again, you know, they might buy the first time, but they're not going to buy again or come back again or visit again.
[00:07:43] If they, if the first thing didn't benefit them. And they remember that I remember crazy enough a class where we talked about sales training. And we talked about people making mistakes or bad customer service. And the thing that got people to come back was how you close the deal and made them feel.
[00:08:01] And so I think you have to remember that people always remember how you make them feel, whether it's good or bad and they'll make a decision based on.
[00:08:08] Veronica: Yeah, absolutely. I think that that's, that's really great advice. And I love the authenticity connection. So throughout your career, you know, you've reported, you've got a successful communications career.
[00:08:20] Now you're a phenomenal leader in a very large, large organization. How do you think. Leaders of teams and leaders of large companies and organizations can tap into those same storytelling skills because you're right. The salesman is a good storyteller. The journalist is a good storyteller, the CEO of a company.
[00:08:40] Storyteller, but when you're managing teams, how does that show up in
[00:08:43] Sheleah: your leadership? Yes. So you know, I'm actually trying to live this, you know, I'm going back to work after having a baby a second baby, and he's actually crying right now. And so I'll say, you know what? I think you have to show people that you're human.
[00:08:57] I think you have to show people that you're, you know, you're a full human and like, people need to appreciate each piece of you. Now I'm a mom. Right. But I don't I don't necessarily act the same way at work as I do at home, but there are some things that I bring to the table as a mom, when I'm sitting at that long boardroom table.
[00:09:15] And we're thinking about making decisions for our customers and our stakeholders, I can put myself in their shoes and really know are we doing. Good. How would I feel as a mom if this happened? How would I feel as an employee who has children? If we, you know, put in that policy. And I think that leaders should bring those pieces of themselves to the, to their leadership and, and understand that who they are makes them the best leader they can be.
[00:09:42] When you leave out some of those pieces, you also need are leaving out some of the goodness that people may benefit from.
[00:09:50] Veronica: Yeah, no, that's so true. And I, and I like what you talked about, you know, bringing all of those experiences to the table. What do you think some of the challenges are when you as a leader?
[00:10:00] Are maybe not accused of, but have been given feedback that your listening skills aren't quite there because being a good storyteller also means being a good listener so that you can reply. Because I think that's important for people to understand too.
[00:10:14] Sheleah: Yeah. I tried to work really hard at listening and so I don't necessarily always get that feedback, but I can tell you that, you know, even as a leader, I'm talking to my employees and I can tell when they're like listening to.
[00:10:26] Right. And I think they're listening for something to do, like, okay, what's the do out? What is the request, as opposed to let me understand what the picture is? And so I think as a leader, you have. No that listening and talking sometimes can be a two-way street. So when you're listening what you're for what people are saying, you're not just listening for what to do.
[00:10:48] You're listening for the things that they're not saying, the things that they're implying. And then when you're talking, you have to listen. I'm saying listening, but you have to be able to respond to when people aren't responding to you. So although you're talking, you're still listening. The word, you know, people have said you have two ears and one mouth for a reason, so you have to doubly listen and then speak.
[00:11:08] Veronica: Yeah, absolutely. I love that. Great reminder. I think we're probably heard that in elementary school. It's so true now, even in the, in the C-suite right. It's true.
[00:11:19] Sheleah: Yeah. You're, you're listed for a lot of things, you know, you're listening for what's being said or not what's for, what's not being said, you're listening to.
[00:11:27] How people are responding to you. You're, you're listening for a lot of things and you're listening with your eyes to, you know, you're watching body language. You're watching response time. You're responding to, you're watching for reaction because although people aren't saying it, they definitely could be feeling something and we'll react.
[00:11:43] And you'll see that later.
[00:11:46] Veronica: Yeah, that's so true. I think I read I don't remember what the numbers were exactly, but I think that when we consume a message from someone, I think only 35% of it is actually verbal. The rest we're getting from our other senses, including our eyes and even just energetically being in someone's space.
[00:12:03] So it's a lot to think about when you're trying to decide how you want to communicate to someone.
[00:12:08] Sheleah: Yeah, it is. And I think that goes back to the being authentic, right? Because if you're, if, if people are trying to decide how to react to you, they need to know who you are. Right. And so, you know, I'm a mom and, and the first thing in the morning, I'm not a morning person either.
[00:12:24] And so when you come at me in the morning with something to do or something to say, or something big, I might look at you and not like react. Right. And you may think, oh, she doesn't care. It's not that I'm thinking is the baby at school? You know, did I leave the milk out? Oh, my God, my shoes are mix-match, you know, I be thinking, I might be thinking a lot of things.
[00:12:44] And if you're just not attuned to who I am as a leader who I am or who I am as a person, you're going to go on the surface. Right. If I never told you that I'm not a morning person and you're just going by that you might not have known that. Right. And you're still kind of like, what is she saying?
[00:13:02] What is she doing? So you have to be authentic and consistent. Yeah.
[00:13:07] Veronica: Consistent boy. That's, that's definitely true. Because your stories have to match your brand. And I tell people that all the time, if you're telling different stories and they're in congruent, your brand is not getting, it's not making the mark.
[00:13:21] You have got to be consistent with your storytelling so that it is aligned because people will sniff it out at the, at the very front they'll know
[00:13:28] Sheleah: right away. Okay. So yeah, I think that what people sometimes think of brand is. Oh, and as small business owners, you know, we want to get that done. We want to get that right first.
[00:13:38] Right. We want our name and our logo and our signs and our colors and our shirts to all be perfect. But then we don't answer the phone when people call or we don't respond on social media. And so those nice, or we don't even have a social media presence. Right. And so those nice, beautiful brand marks that we've created they never show up people, people never get to live the experience.
[00:13:59] And I think what we have to remember is that. The best brands really are consistent and they come with a story and they come with a promise. You know, I've, I've said before, if we think about our favorite brands and I'll just throw one out, you know, maybe it's coach right there. They're known for their leather goods.
[00:14:17] They're known for their quality and their tradition know. You know, if we, if we see one and we know that it's, it's good and good quality, it's gonna hold up and we have a problem with it, we can send it back and, and get help and get those things. But when we go, you know, and by the GOCE with the G and not to see Veronica, I think that I know it's still there.
[00:14:39] Right. But, but the feeling, the quality is not there. And I think. You might even be a little leery to hold your purse or your bag a little closer to you. So no one notices it. And so, you know, those brand marks matter, but it's the consistency and the quality of the things that are one layer deeper that matter, even when.
[00:14:57] Veronica: Yeah. Wow. That's, that's a great example. And that's so on point and I want to ask you, before we wrap up, what are a couple of mistakes that you see people making? Obviously that's a great example, which is what made me think of it. But as, as a communicator and a storyteller and someone who is in leadership and in.
[00:15:16] Is is working at a pace that where the expectation is really high. What are some mistakes that you see people make? I mean, I know when I watch an organization from afar, I'm like, wow, that was really not a good move. What are a couple of things people can avoid right now today? They just did it right.
[00:15:32] Sheleah: Oh my gosh. Okay. So. Yeah, here, here. I am bringing my full self to this. So mom of a 10 week old baby who's on formula, right? And there is a formula shortage in the world. I don't know if your viewers or listeners know this, but next time you go to the grocery store. Walmart target Walgreens, wherever. Look on, look at the formula.
[00:15:55] There's little to none. And I am freaking out every day. Like, I don't know if we're going to have enough formula. My son is now on his fourth birthday. The fourth brand and I'm like, what am I supposed to do? And the other night I was thinking, where are the formula folks? They haven't said anything.
[00:16:14] They've not said anything publicly. There's no statement. There's no email. There's no response saying, we recognize that this is a hard time for moms. We recognize this nothing has happened. And so I think that that's the first mistake that many people make. We, yeah, people are living through your child.
[00:16:31] Say something don't go silent. You don't have to, you don't have to have the solution before you say anything. You can say, I apologize. I recognize what you're going through and we will fix it. Just do that. I think that in this world that we live in, everything is fast and accessible, so people can get to you quickly and they can get to information quickly, recognize that and do, and say something second.
[00:16:58] I think that people also ignore or sometimes take advantage of. Word of mouth. And so when you have a great experience, guess what you're going to do, you're going to tell somebody. And so I think that there are companies who will take advantage of that and used. Influencers or you know, spokespersons, but sometimes just having a good experiencing experience.
[00:17:21] No, no. That the person who had the experience is going to tell someone about it. If they had a bad experience, they're going to tell a lot of people about it. And so take it, manage of your customers that have had good experiences and allow them to be you're walking commercial and you're walking. Yeah.
[00:17:38] Yeah.
[00:17:38] Veronica: That's such
[00:17:39] Sheleah: great advice. Yeah. And then the other one I would say is, you know, there are things that you don't know. An example, I think in our industry, people know don't exactly know social media or they exactly don't know some of the vendors or tools that we're using to do our job.
[00:17:57] But when we were talking to talking to the expert, they're using expert ease, you know, they're using their language. So you need a translation button or a translation tool. And I think a lot of times we think that means going from English to Vietnamese English to Spanish or English to Vietnamese.
[00:18:13] No, it means from like industry talk to like real world talk. So how do you tell someone. My mom does mom does a lot of things, but sometimes she gets caught up in like well you need book room and you need a S a seam ripper and you need, you know, you need you know, the fabric is 45 inches wide, or it's cut on the bias.
[00:18:35] She does a lot of thing with fabric. I know what those things mean because I've just been around her, but like, I'm looking at her, like, people don't know what to do. I don't know what that means. And so you need people to translate for you, or you need to be able to translate that into words that people understand and really know what's in it for them.
[00:18:52] So like, what is Bucher me well, or what is being cut on the bias mean? Or what is a short 45? Or 60 mean, well, if you, if it's on 45, you're gonna have to buy more yards. If it's on 60 by yes. Less means it's going to save you money for the, oh, I understand that. People don't want to be the expert in your field.
[00:19:12] They want you to be the expert and they want to know that you can help them understand.
[00:19:16] Veronica: Yeah, that is so true. And I love that example. And the reason why I love that example is because my oldest daughter works in a craft store. And so the jargon is that yeah. All of a sudden, the jargon in your space, if even if that's your target audience, you don't want to take for granted that they may be a new person to the space.
[00:19:37] So translate it. I love that.
[00:19:40] Sheleah: So I think it's translate, you know, say something as soon as possible, even if you don't have the answer. And then I think that middle and I said, it's like, no take advantage of your influencers or those who've had good experiences. And I think, you know, I'm saying those, but I think it could save you money.
[00:19:57] If you're a small business owner and I think as a big business owner or a big business leader it's going to save you money too, but it's also gonna save you time and it's going to protect your brand. Yeah.
[00:20:07] Veronica: Protecting your brand is absolutely key. That's the act I'm going to actually hashtag this episode, protect your brand.
[00:20:15] Sheleah: I like it. I like a new hashtag protect your brand. So yeah,
[00:20:21] Veronica: well that's perfect. Well, do you do you have any parting remarks for our guests? I know you bring such expertise and I think everyone has enjoyed all of the tips and experiences that you've shared. Do you have any parting advice for any.
[00:20:34] Sheleah: You know, I think since we're calling these hashtag protect your brand, I think that I would say. You know, start with, what do you think your brand is? And write it down, right? And then every now and then, and maybe even after you hear this go to someone, whether it's a customer, a potential customer, maybe a a competitor, maybe someone you love and ask them, Hey, how could you describe my brand and see, do they match?
[00:20:59] And if they don't, you have an opportunity to fix it. And I think in the fix is where you really will see. You know, really knowing what your brand is for
[00:21:08] Veronica: sure, for sure. Really great advice. Juliet, thank you so much for joining us. How can people
[00:21:13] Sheleah: connect with you? Yes. So I'm only one Shelia only the number one, Shalia, S H E L E a H on Hotmail.
[00:21:22] I'm sorry on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. I am who I am on all of those sites. So there's a little bit of work. There's a little bit of play. There's a little bit of a side hustle but I am who I am. And then also, you know, if you're interested in taking your brand to the next level or figuring out who you are, feel free to reach out to me in DNS and we'll see what.
[00:21:43] Veronica: Love it. Absolutely. Guys, you definitely want to connect with Julia if you are in the market. Thank you so much for joining us on Saturday. Soundbites
[00:21:50] Sheleah: of course, are my voice sounds like this, but it's going to get better. It's those allergies. It's all good.
[00:21:56] Veronica: Thank you so much. All right, guys, that wraps up this episode of Saturday soundbites as always, my guests have phenomenal tips, strategies, insight, and expertise, take notes, write them down, share this episode with a friend because we know that there are lots of business owners out there who are looking to connect with experts in Shelia.
[00:22:17] Reed is definitely someone you want to get to know if you are listening on the podcast. Please hit subscribe. We don't want you to miss any episodes of Saturday soundbites. If you're watching on Facebook or YouTube, drop us some comments and Shelley, and I will get back to you with that. I will wrap up this episode of Saturday soundbites by sending you lots of positive energy and light.