I had the amazing pleasure of interviewing the phenomenal SharRon Jamison. She is a healer, servant, author, teacher, leader, minister, mom and Life Strategist. She is CEO and Founder of The Jamison Group and Dare to Soar Higher.
SharRon shares very personal details of what it took for her to get to where she is today; absolutely Unstoppable! She helps others believe in themselves and Soar Higher in life despite the challenges they have experienced.
CP: You have shared that you experienced being bullied by peers and teachers. We know that being bullied can cause a lot of emotional stress and there are children who have contemplated and even committed suicide. How did you handle this setback?
SJ: As a child, I didn’t handle bullying well; most children don’t. I lost my self-esteem and self-confidence. Public humiliation, embarrassment, and shame are difficult emotions for adults to process so you can imagine how traumatic those emotions are for children.
When you are young, you don’t have the vocabulary to express your feelings, and even if you did, bullying robs you of your identity, your confidence, and your self-respect. You are left feeling helpless, hopeless, and powerless.
It was a painful time for me, and I suffered emotionally, socially and academically. It’s hard to learn and develop when you are continuously terrorized and feel unprotected. Nobody excels amid trauma, fear, and duress.
Thankfully, I had a few angels in my life who helped me rebuild my confidence and self-worth. It took years to like myself, value myself and to support myself again. I also had to relearn to trust adults and learn how to become my own best friend and advocate. I share my childhood experiences in detail in my first book, I Can Depend On Me.
Though extremely painful, being bullied developed my ability to be compassionate and empathetic towards others, especially toward people who feel different and excluded. Bullying sensitized me to how difficult it is for people to share feelings or experiences that make them feel powerless, inadequate, insecure, inferior, fearful and degraded. I understand those feelings, and I also appreciate the destruction that those unresolved childhood feelings cause in the lives of adults. That’s why I can walk with people on their healing and development journeys in a way that touches their soul and galvanizes them to greatness. I have the “head and heart” understanding needed to provide support.
CP: You have coached people for over 25 years and have worked in Corporate America for 30yrs. What have you discovered that holds one back from living in their full potential?
SJ:The core/foundation of all types of success is BELIEF! When people believe in themselves, believe in God (Higher Power) and believe in others, they SOAR! But first, they must believe in their ability, their agency, their value, their worth, their talents and their capacity for success. If people do not believe in themselves, they can still have success, but it will be short-lived and unfulfilling.
Our self-belief must be anchored in a firm appreciation of who we are. “Quicksand” faith, a belief based on external circumstance or public approval, is dangerous, fragile and seductive. “Quicksand” faith is shallow and situational, and it causes people to sink and shrink. Wholesome faith based on knowing who you are and whose you are provides the foundation and the impetus to SOAR. Remember……belief makes you courageous, creative and confident. Belief is critical and fundamental to success.
CP: I know you have shared that you had an eating disorder. How did you overcome this? Do, you tend to find that people who are either stressed or experiencing depression find different ways to cope with life? Was your eating disorder a coping mechanism?
SJ: I would love to say that I stress eating is no longer a problem, but that’s not true. I am still tempted and triggered; it’s my default way to numb. But now I have skills, and I have self-awareness, so I don’t succumb to stress eating as often. When I do feel triggered, I journal, work-out, pray and get support. I can sense when I need assistance. Being aware helps you be proactive and prevents relapse.
How did I start the healing process? Therapy! When I was in my 20’s, I invested in therapy and group counseling because I could not get better by myself. Group therapy was outside of my comfort zone and my experience because I was raised not to share and expose your “dirty laundry” or show weakness. Also, at the time, eating disorders were thought to be white women disorders, so it took time for me to get help. I had to challenge my internal bias, my religious upbringing, and my culture to seek assistance but it was worth it. Getting help was one of the best and one of the most courageous decisions I ever made to support myself.
I also believe that everybody needs therapy. You cannot live in an environment of systemic racism, sexism, ageism, etc. and not be affected in some way. I believe that people need to heal their wounds because we all have been wounded in some way. When our wounds are not addressed, they fester and breed dysfunction, depression, and disease. Even when we tried to hide our pain, our private pain always shows up in public places. That’s why therapy should be a consistent part of our self-care plans. Why should people subject themselves to live inferior lives of coping, struggle and basic survival when they can choose to thrive and SOAR?
CP: What keeps you motivated to continue to help others?
SJ: Transformation. It’s humbling when people allow you into their sacred places and let you see their wounds, their vulnerability, and their souls. Seeing a person raw, devoid of their masks and public personas is so liberating and uplifting. Watching people challenge their stories, strip away their social identifies, and wrestle with their cultural conditioning to clarify their truth is like watching birth! It’s an extraordinary experience.
Watching people birth their truth, helps me evolve too. Watching people shed lies, limitations and labels to live authentically, encourages me to step up and step more into my authenticity. It’s life-changing work. You cannot do this type of deep healing, career building, conscious-clarifying work without being changed and shifted by the experience.
I have many clients who have experienced pain and rejection because of their success, and I dedicated a chapter in my book, I Have Learning A Few Things, to highlight that very issue. Since I am still in corporate America, am a business owner and have enjoyed a modicum of success, women feel like I “get them.” Many of my clients feel relieved that they can have those conversations without being judged, scolder or being called ungrateful. It is great to see so many women become millionaires and I am glad that I can support this group of women who also deserve support.
CP: What is your key to success?
SJ: Constant INVESTMENT In myself! I spend a % of my annual income on developing and refining myself. I consistently invest in coaching, personal training, therapy, and career enhancement courses and that investment has paid off personally, professional, emotionally and financially.
What makes me sad is that I see many women investing in everything except their mental and emotional health. Public success means nothing if you secretly feel like a private failure. And, any progress will be short-lived and mismanaged if people don’t have the spiritual infrastructure and the emotional fortitude to withstand adversity or the capacity to endure shifts. Being spiritually and emotionally healthy is not a luxury; it is a necessity. You cannot maintain momentum if you are you mentally weary or emotionally compromised.
Inner health results in a greater connection, collaboration, conflict, courage, and creativity. Feeling good about who you are and being able to follow your own conscious and not the crowd is not optional if you desire success. Always remember, the higher you go up, the deeper you must become. You must be so grounded in who you are and in God that when a storm comes, you bend but you don’t break! That only happens when you commit to a spiritual practice, get emotional support, seek mental stimulation and a commit to a physical regimen to ensure that you have the stamina for success. Success requires stamina – emotional, physical, spiritual and mental stamina. If not, you become weary, and weary people don’t win!
Bottom line: INVEST in activities that have high ROI, and nothing has a higher ROI than a more knowledgeable, stable, self-confident YOU.
That’s why our community needs to shift because some of us are investing in the wrong things. Research shows that successful people invest in their inner world. However, people who “LOOK” successful invest in their outer world. Looking rich does not leave legacies, change paradigms, develop political clout or create generational wealth. Wealth, all types of wealth, is built from beliefs that influence behaviors. Invest in your spirit….so it can create a well that produces wealth.
CP: It’s time for you to Dare to Soar Higher. (Your quote) What do you tell someone who doesn’t believe in themselves?
SJ: Interesting question…. You can tell people to believe in themselves, but that rarely changes anything. That’s why affirmations are not sufficient alone. Telling a person to believe in themselves without them have a concept and context of self-love, self-care or self-understanding doesn’t bear much fruit. That’s why I rarely tell my clients anything about themselves. I ask questions and uncover what’s holding a toxic or self-limiting belief in place. I journey with them to secret places, silent places and unsafe places in their minds and souls to get to the root of their stinking thinking. Bad fruit always has a bad root. We find the bad root together, and we address it in a non-judgmental, safe way.
CP: What obstacles have you experienced in your business?
SJ: I have experienced many obstacles in business. One issue has been mastering the online marketplace which is constantly evolving. What you learn today is already outdated tomorrow which creates a constant learning curve. I have accepted that I will never be on the cutting edge of technology, but I will be functional. (lol)
My second issue was determining what to prune, so I can adequately position myself to scale my business. You grow your business, but your business also grows you. Having the capacity to build and shift is what keeps you sustainable. I am shifting now, and it’s painful. I don’t want to lose my following, but I don’t want to limit my potential or downsize my God-given purpose either. It is a conundrum to say the least.
My third issue is social media. Social media has changed how a business markets and I am continually trying to understand where to spend my time. My business is shifting, and so I am shifting the time I spend on specific platforms. In today’s economy, you must monitor your analytics and let the data direct your decisions. Of course, you still must be discerning too because success is spiritual.
Finally, the hardest issue is getting help. That’s an internal issue and an external issue. I have trusted the wrong people and lost tons of money. But I also need to be better at delegating. In my corporate career, I never had, and I don’t have problems empowering and collaborating. But in my business, I am becoming more and more apprehensive about delegating which is counterproductive to growth. I am working on delegating more this year. Like I said before, success starts from the inside, and I am working on my inside to address that issue, so I don’t sabotage my success.
CP: Is there anything you would like to share?
SJ: I have a new book coming out called Deciding to Soar 2, and I am excited about it. It was initially scheduled to launch in 2018, but after I completed it, I realize that I did not say what I wanted to say, so I postponed it. It will be out this year.
I am excited about “Dare To Be Me.” It’s not just a coaching program, but an experience of self-elevation. Often, we don’t see what we can do, or we stop dreaming because of unresolved issues. But once a person learns how to decode, debunk and de-fang their cultural conditioning and pain, the sky is the limit.
I am excited about my 3-month mastermind too! Super excited! Over the last two years, I have very quietly created an experience called The Leadership Boutique where women are not just learning but practicing new skills. And practicing and implementing new skills make all the difference in the world. That’s why all my coaching programs combine inspiration with implementation and education with immediate execution. And, implementation and execution are always followed up with a thorough evaluation to assess effectiveness.
As we pursue our purpose, which I believe defines success, we will get one of 2 things: what we want (a good result) or what we need (a good lesson). Both are valuable and instructive for our journeys. When you practice new skills in a safe environment, you can improve and develop in a safe way that bolsters your confidence. Practicing ensures that you adequately prepared your entrepreneurial journey.
Confidence comes from action, and that’s why confident people SOAR! They practice in the dark so that they are ready to shine in the light! They SOAR HIGHER because they feel good about who they are, what they know, what they don’t know and what they have been called to do! That’s powerful! I feel so honored to know so many women who are SOARING and who are daring to SOAR HIGHER!
I am excited to see what 2019. I wait with great anticipation to see what God will reveal in our lives and bless with our hands.
CP: Where do you see yourself in the next 2-5 yrs.?
SJ: I see myself speaking internationally because I love to teach and share. Also, the issues that I address are universal. When people feel devalued, they don’t pursue their purpose; they settle and live unfulfilling lives. I want to change that. I want to help people put language to their feelings so that they can understand and identify their inner struggles, needs, and desires. Once people know what they need and desire, it’s easier to develop a strategy to SOAR. Everything starts with identifying what’s happening and what’s not happening internally. Getting to the root of an issue is what leads to recovery. And recovery sets the stage for elevation. External success is always a manifestation of inner success and self-mastery.
I also see myself writing bestselling books and anthologies. I love to write, and I enjoy the process of reflection and creation. Capturing my thoughts on paper and sharing with the world is exhilarating, cathartic and humbling.
I see The Jamison Group conducting more workshops with corporations. I have developed a few programs/systems that promote teamwork, workplace connection and conflict management that I plan to share with more companies. The world is becoming more complex and competitive. A company’s ability to access a person’s genius and incorporate their unique talents into a healthy, thriving team will become a substantial competitive edge. That’s critical now more than ever before especially since the research shows that most employees only use 25-45% of their potential at work. A heart-centered company culture that values people can harness that untapped talent which will affect the bottom line, revenue!
Connect with SharRon Jamison on all social media outlets.