"The lesson is to get clarity in your vision, values, purpose and message and give yourself the time and space to figure this out."
Steph Shinabery is a Creating Possibility Architect, author, speaker, CEO, and Founder of the Genius Code Academy, where she helps entrepreneurs unlock their Genius Identity Code™. A system that gives them precise language to identify and name their gift, purpose, and path so they can build a business aligned with who they are.
Her signature talk, ”Wake up your Genius Machine”, has been featured on Amazon Prime Video’s Speak Up: Empower your Ideas, Season 4.
Check out more interviews with entrepreneurs here.
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Table of Contents
Let’s start with a brief introduction first. Introduce yourself to our readers.
Steph Shinabery: I wanted to be an artist, but was heavily encouraged to pursue something that was a sure thing for producing income. I was fascinated with the way the world worked, the way organisms worked. I had a ton of science credits, so I ended up going to nursing school. The very short version of this is, I didn’t love it, eventually ended up in graduate school as a nurse anesthesiologist, but still, something was missing. Accidentally found myself online learning marketing, which has led me to where I am today.
In the middle of switching from nurse to nurse anesthesiologist, I went back to art school. Best time of my life.
Still make art. Lifelong athlete and cycling fanatic, anything long, hard and grueling. It’s all a test.
Our audience is interested to know about how you got started in the first place. Did you always want to become a CEO or was it something you were led to? Our readers would love to know your story!
Steph Shinabery: No, I never set out to become a CEO. It was an evolution and convoluted journey.
“Selfmade” is a myth. We all received help, no doubt you love to show appreciation to those who supported you when the going got tough, who has been your most important professional inspiration?
Steph Shinabery: One of my mentors, Didi Wong, CEO and Founder of the Yes Academy, has been a huge support and inspiration. Didi believed in the Genius Identity Code™️ and my vision for Genius Code Academy. She has also been a fantastic mentor for my speaking.
I have to mention my friend and new business partner in ‘The Rebel Femmes’, Marianne Daugherty. We met 3 years ago in the online space and she has been my biggest supporter and cheerleader. It’s so important to have people in your life that “get” the challenges and frustrations, but also the little victories and wins you want to celebrate.
How did your journey lead you to become a CEO? What difficulties did you face along the way and what did you learn from them?
Steph Shinabery: So many!
I had to learn, and I’m still learning, a lot of new ‘skilz’. I’m a very curious person and I wanted to learn it all. I bought all the courses and hired all the coaches. I invested a lot of time, energy, and money into a lot of things I didn’t need to be doing. Time management and knowing what to focus on is so important and it was a costly lesson, both financially and in time and energy.
For me, it really was about getting aligned with exactly what I wanted to do, who I wanted to help and why I wanted to help them. The lesson is to get clarity in your vision, values, purpose, and message and give yourself the time and space to figure this out. This is the work of unlocking your Genius Identity Code™️.
Tell us about your company. What does your business do and what are your responsibilities as a CEO?
Steph Shinabery: We work with coaches, experts, and entrepreneurs to unlock their Genius Identity Code- the coordinates to their true north. This is the foundational piece for creating a business aligned with your gift, purpose, and path. It also helps them find their authentic voice and define their personal mission.
Then we help them create their Signature System, offer and marketing plan that aligns with their personality and preferences, there is no one size fits all. The bottom line is to help them attract their dream clients and to create a heart-led business of their dreams.
What does CEO stand for? Beyond the dictionary definition, how would you define it?
Steph Shinabery: They have a vision for where the company is going. They are able to clearly articulate that. They are responsible for the strategies and marketing to create profit. And creating a culture that people can buy into the values, vision, and mission to make it all work.
When you first became a CEO, how was it different from what you expected? What surprised you?
Steph Shinabery: I’m not sure I knew what to expect honestly. But what surprised me, as Founder and CEO of a bootstrapped startup, there are so many moving parts, it’s important to be able to take a 30,000-foot view, to take an inventory of what needs to be done, then what needs to be done by me and what needs to be delegated.
There are many schools of thought as to what a CEO’s core roles and responsibilities are. Based on your experience, what are the main things a CEO should focus on? Explain and please share examples or stories to illustrate your vision.
Steph Shinabery: I believe in creating your life aligned with your values, vision, and purpose. When I make decisions from there I’m staying true to myself. It’s important to create these things for your company. It serves as the guiding light or lighthouse for your company.
Our company culture is created through our values, the vision of where we are headed and our mission and purpose. It’s important to set these as the foundation, before products and strategies. Then being able to communicate the values and vision in a manner where we can create actionable steps.
Share with us one of the most difficult decisions you had to make for your company that benefited your employees or customers. What made this decision so difficult and what were the positive impacts
Share with us one of the most difficult decisions you had to make for your company that benefited your employees or customers. What made this decision so difficult and what were the positive impacts?
Steph Shinabery: Putting customer acquisition on hold. Which of course affected our bottom line. But I was burned out, and wasn’t loving everything about my business. I knew things had to change.
This took some time, but it was where the Genius Identity Code™️ was born. It’s totally changed the way we help our clients. It allows you to create your business aligned with who you are and the work you are here to do.
Some leadership skills are innate while others can be learned. What leadership skills do you possess innately and what skills have you cultivated over the years as a CEO?
Steph Shinabery: I’m naturally positive and enthusiastic. This is such an important leadership trait because it creates a positive vibe. It attracts more positive energy.
I work well under pressure. I think this was probably a skill I developed from 1. Playing college basketball and bicycle racing. 2. From years of experience as a nurse anesthesiologist- a job that consistently ranks in the top 10 most stressful jobs.
How did your role as a CEO help your business overcome challenges caused by the pandemic? Explain with practical examples.
Steph Shinabery: I don’t think this really applies. If anything, the pandemic helped business, as more people were able to create space in their lives and realize they weren’t living life on their own terms. They begin searching for answers.
Do you have any advice for aspiring CEOs and future leaders? What advice would you give a CEO that is just starting out on their journey?
Steph Shinabery: “Start by doing what’s necessary, then what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” St Francis
Focus on setting the vision and strategy for your company and try not to do everything at once. Delegate what’s not in your zone of genius.
Thank you for sharing some of your knowledge with our readers! They would also like to know, what is one skill that you’ve always wanted to acquire but never really could?
Steph Shinabery: I don’t imagine it’s something I couldn’t do, but haven’t committed: I would love to be fluent in Spanish.
I know it’s not too late.
Before we finish things off, we have one final question for you. If you wrote a book about your life today, what would the title be?
Steph Shinabery: “The Creating Possibility Architect”
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Steph Shinabery for taking the time to do this interview and share her knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Steph Shinabery or her company, you can do it through her – Linkedin Page
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