Episode 34 With Shirley Hogsett

Shirley Hogsett is the Founder and CEO of Destiny Speaks, and she shares a number of gems in this podcast episode.  She has a wealth of experience.  Shirley is the youngest of 10 children born to a butcher and seamstress in Goodman, Mississippi.  It was there that the importance of a tight knit family and a solid extended community was instilled in her.  She and her family were diligent about service to God and to others, and it was through the vehicle of church that this philosophy was practiced.  Additionally, the family would visit other churches in order to be in fellowship and service outside their environs. Her parents had a staunch work ethic and were entrepreneurs before they even understood the word.  In addition to his full time job, Shirley's father was a jack of all trades -- carpentry, repairs, etc.  Her. mother was a very talented seamstress.  These "side hustles" brought  in extra income, but this showed how you could be multi-talented and multi-skilled and make money. Even the words of a mentor still resonate today -- "You are in business to solve a problem." Shirley shares that growing up reading was her greatest joy, and when the family started getting issues of Black Enterprise Magazine this was the highlight of her month.  She was amazed by reading about the phenomenal things that countless Black people were accomplishing in business.  Shirley has held some very interesting positions prior to starting Destiny Speaks. In one of them, she had a career in Professional Events and Meeting Planning, which laid the foundation for the very thing she is doing currently.  One of the responsibilities she had in this role was to identify speakers for these events; one of the things she noticed was that some of the very best speakers were not getting paid. Out of this revelation, Destiny Speaks was born. In working with Destiny Speaks clients, Shirley assists emerging speakers with honing in on their expertise and their passion, which ultimately leads them to targeting the organizations that have audiences that want and need to hear their messages. Additionally, other services are provided -- creation of the client's bio and marketing strategies.  Shirley, who formerly served  as an Empowerment Director and Chicago Chapter Leader for EBW2020, is now serving on the Global level.  In this role she and EBW are charged with empowering women in building sustainable businesses.  

INC. Magazine also named EBW one of the Fastest Growing Sustainable Businesses.  Shirley has been highly recognized and honored for her work.  Specifically, she was named Who's Who in Black Chicago; she received the Business Accelerator Step It Up Award; and she has served as a Business Mentor for the 2016 Sage Summit Chicago where there were approximately 20,000 attendees from around the world.  Her words of wisdom for Black women age 50+?  To recognize that you have the years of experience, ingenuity and a God ordained purpose.  Now, you must be sure you value yourself.  Out of this, everything else is born.  Want to connect with Shirley?  She can be reached on via her websites http://destinyspeaks.net/ https://speakerbusinessmastery.com/ ,  LinkedIn as Shirley Hogsett; Instagram: Shirley Hogsett;