K. Sharron Nunn

I attribute my success to the people I pour into and who pour back into me. I make sure that I pour into those that are around me, and I do it so much that they feel the need to give it back to me. Having that energy when I wake up and not fighting through the morning is because of the people that I have around me that feel confident enough and feel that I've given them enough that they want to give it back. That's so important to me. I don't always give my energy the same to everyone - not everybody deserves my energy. I give it where I feel the vibe. I'm a really good vibe person, so I pour into those people and try to give them everything that I have. It's not a lot of people, but the people that I do pour into, it comes from a good place, and I don't have to ask for that in return. They want to help me because the better I am for myself, the better I can be to them. I try to give it my all no matter what and be more authentic instead of fitting in with everybody else. Self-care is important too, and I think people need to remember to recharge. None of us run on an everlasting battery.

The best career advice I received was from a mentor in Fort Worth who created her own community and built her business through a Meta grant, reaching $3.5 million in her community. She told me that everyone has their own niche, you just have to find out where you fit in. We went back and forth, and I said I don't think I fit in, I want to stand out. And she said, well, that's your thing. She told me that when I move forward, I should strive to not fit in, to stand out. One of the things I put on my LinkedIn is my own little quote that I kind of live by: I create things that people can't ignore. I think that for me as a content creator has been something that I live by and that I love, and it keeps my authenticity relevant in these days of AI.

To young women getting started in this industry, I would say you have so many more tools than we had when I was younger coming up and trying to find our ways. But from woman to woman, I probably would say the right room can change your life. I've been in a lot of spaces, but they haven't all been the right spaces. I've been in rooms, but they've not been places that empower what I do or lift me up or support my vision. The right room can change your life. It's really important to surround yourself with people that you know are going to push you forward, even though you can't see what's ahead of you. I've been at several tables, but they didn't go with what I was trying to do, and they didn't make sense. When you're young and trying to find your way, sometimes you find yourself in the wrong room, and that's okay, that's a learning experience. Just make sure the right room matters. The most powerful thing about getting older is you finally are starting to know who you are. People think that there's an age where you just wake up and find that, but I think that's one of the most powerful things about being young and getting older - the older you get, the more you find out who you really are. And that's incredible. Once you get there, it's a great place to be.

I feel like one of the biggest challenges out there right now as a content creator is consistency. In order for you to get your name out there and build your brand and do all these things people are telling you, consistency really matters with the algorithm and how it changes. The algorithm doesn't care if we're tired, or if we're sick, or we're busy, or we have another job. These young women start their careers with this being something that they do on the side, and staying consistent is a challenge, but there are ways around it. Of course, comparison is another challenge. It's easy to compare yourself to the beginning, the middle, or the end of someone's success. When you understand where you are and where you're gonna go, none of that should matter, but comparison is a thing for all of us. For young women, it's probably a little bit heavier. I probably would say for me, it's balancing authenticity and privacy. You have to share so much, but finding that balance is important.

One thing that I value a lot is not to hoard or gatekeep your information, because a lot of people are afraid that if they share with others, someone will take their spot or come in and take over. I think if you are confident enough in your potential and what you bring to the table, then you should be able to share that without that fear. That is the value that I take with me, and so anything that I've learned, I'm so willing to share that with other people. I live by that principle of getting people together and sharing information, because you just never know what can come out of that. Authenticity is really important to me - I create things that people can't ignore, and that keeps my authenticity relevant. Empathy matters because of the work I do supporting NICU families and small businesses. I also value passion in everything I do. I don't always give my energy the same to everyone - not everybody deserves my energy. I give it where I feel the vibe, and I pour into those people from a good place.