Shelley Zalis is the Founder & CEO of The Female Quotient - and I genuinely cannot believe I got to do this interview. I went to their SXSW event earlier this year, with the intention of even briefly chatting with Shelley so that someday, probably years and years down the line when I was hopefully more established, I could interview her. I was definitely too afraid to ask her to be on the show when I first started it - because that felt massively out of reach.
I kept watching Shelley’s interviews and was inspired by her boldness. It was that tenacity and drive that pushed me to stop rejecting myself and reach out much earlier than I originally planned. I realized I had nothing to lose by asking - and thanks to the generosity of Shelley and her team - and their mission to lift others up and support different generations - now here we are.
Listen to Episode 6 of Your Career, Unscripted to hear about…
- How Shelley got into trouble because she never fit into a box…but “fitting into a box” was never part of her plan
- How passionately disagreeing with her negative first review got her demoted
- How she decided that if the people she worked with wouldn’t value her, she would value herself
- How despite having “zero confidence” when she started to build her company OTX (Online Testing Exchange), she pushed forward anyways because of her “no regret” policy, and ultimately sold OTX to Ipsos for $80 Million
I recommend checking out this episode to hear one of the most interesting, successful, generous, open, and unique leaders discuss what it feels like to build a career by coloring outside of the lines - and then to help others do the same.
And if you’re reading this and happen to be in a moment of self doubt or receiving negative feedback from someone - take a lesson from Shelley, listen to your heart, and go after what you want - regardless of what others tell you you’re capable of.
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https://substack.com/@JANEBERNHARDWhat is Your Career, Unscripted?
Join Columbia MBA grad and Texas Immersive Industry Explorer Jane Bernhard as she delves into the career journeys of business leaders and recent graduates in the immersive, technology, media, and gaming industries. We will explore their different values, perspectives, challenges, and advice on career paths. We hope to inspire you to build a career on your terms, and not anyone elses. This podcast is brought to you by Texas Immersive Institute at Moody College of Communication, UT Austin. @janebernhard - @texasimmersive