Sheila R. Burns Owens

I attribute my success to my mother, who raised 4 children. She received her bachelor's, her master's, and even before retiring, she was determined to enjoy life. She traveled, and she made sure that she exposed us to so many things, and that was something that I continued with myself, with my children, and now my grandchildren. She showed me the importance of education, enjoying life, and exposing the next generation to new experiences.

The best career advice I've received is to find time for yourself. Because we can so focus on the work part of it, but you need to find enjoyment for yourself, and if it's not in the workplace, then find it somewhere else. Because if you find time for yourself, find joy in your life, then whatever's going on in your career, it's more manageable.

My advice to women entering my industry is really not to listen to naysayers. Just, you was given this gift, so do it. Block out all the other noises. Just focus on what you want to accomplish and do it. Use your talents and continue to use your talents, even after you leave whatever workplace you're working at. In fact, once you leave that workplace, you can be more creative, and you can do the things that you always want to do.

One of the biggest challenges I find is getting the word out there that I have this business, that I have this book. I do use social media and have a website, but it's like a constant where you have to keep showing up to places. You have to keep letting people know that you exist. I find that challenging because prior to owning a business, I was in my own little world, and I was very comfortable in it. So, I guess stepping out of my comfort zone as far as saying, here I am, I have something for you. But the great thing about what I'm doing, especially as a retiree, is that so many people say they don't have anything to do or don't know what to do if they retire. I stay busy. I work out 4 days a week, and it's so important that we as seniors take care of our bodies, our minds, and also our spirit. The opportunity is to use your talents and continue to use your talents even after you leave whatever workplace you're working at. Once you leave that workplace, you can be more creative, and you can do the things that you always want to do, which is, with me, basically traveling and then telling people what I'm doing and how I did it through my books.

Consistency is the most important value to me in my work and personal life.