Today we’d like to introduce you to Sherry Eichberger.
Hi Sherry, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
As a creative and entrepreneur, I would have to say my story began when I was 6 years old. I didn’t just hold a Lemonade Stand in my front yard, I sold trinkets and cookies as well. If you’re going to bring the people to the lemonade you might as well upsell them right?
The entrepreneurial spirit has always been alive in me. Years later I would become a Mom. I knew I wanted to stay home with the kids so during those years my focus was on my kids and family. However, the spirit of entrepreneurship was calling and my answer was a business called “The Tickle Trunk” where I rented dress up trunks for children’s parties. The creative, entrepreneurial itch in me was scratched!
Fast forward to my mid-forties when I had a vision about a store where people that wanted to live a healthy lifestyle could shop for everything from makeup to mattresses. All good for them and the planet. One Green Street was born! Since I’ve always had big ideas I went to my husband to tell him about my vision (we had just lost 2 friends to Leukemia over two years) and he said “run with it for 30 days and see what happens.” I think he figured I would get bored or it would be too hard to follow through.” I proved him wrong and in 30 days, in 2009 when nobody was lending money I secured a lender, retail space, vendors and builders. I wrote a business plan (which was super hard!) and I was off! One Green Street was the first LEED certified retail space in Houston (the gold standard in green building!) Mayor Parker came by for a personal tour of the store (see photo) it was one of the proudest days of my life!
Sadly, 4 years later we closed the doors to One Green Street. We ran out of time or we were ahead of our time, I’m still not sure which but that chapter in this entrepreneurs life was over. I was devastated, I thought I had found my purpose. We were making a difference…my passion and purpose had aligned. A good friend and colleague once told me that it was important to build a personal brand separate from my store brand and I listened. I was able to use my personal brand and influence to move to my next venture, Central515 Consulting.
I’m now in my 50’s starting another business taking everything I’ve learned over the years both from my successes and failures to start anew. I’m more determined than ever to help businesses not just succeed but thrive. Central515 Consulting is the address namesake of the home I grew up in, 515 Central. It’s been 7 years since I created this wonderful company. I’m a team of one but strong and mighty. I treat every business I work with as my own with a business owners heart and mind. Many Marketing companies know marketing but I know marketing AND business because I’ve been a business owner. I’ve wore all the hats, I’ve worried about money and customers and sales. I’ve been in their shoes!
I guess the takeaway from my story is two-fold. If you have the entrepreneurial spirit it never goes away. It may lay dormant for a while but it will always come back to the surface, let it, embrace it! Lastly, and mostly for the women reading this, you are never too old to recreate yourself, to nurture your dreams and make them a reality! I’m 58 years old and I’m just getting started!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My journey has not been a smooth one. There are always moments of self-doubt and fear but we have the power to push those things out of our minds as they creep in. I’m a big believer in filling your mind with positive thoughts weather it’s a good book or podcast or just the people you surround yourself with. If your mind is full of the positive there’s no room for the negative!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a Creative Business Consultant, emphasis on “creative!” I’ve worked with many successful business owners and people. The most successful people know their weaknesses and the holes that need to be filled. For many, it’s the lack of creativity. That’s where I come in…being creative is like air to me. I need to express my creative side to live. When I apply that to business it’s magic! I do many things for clients as a business consultant but event planning, campaigns and creating tag lines and topics are what gets me excited. Before I went to college I dreamed of writing jingles for commercials!
I created a JOLT Session for clients that just need a couple hours of Marketing guidance to move the needle in their business to the direction they want to go. It’s been hugely successful and many of those clients actually say they felt a “JOLT” when our session ends.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up, I was very precocious. My Dad would put me in the center of a group of adults and have me show them how I dance the Boogaloo (he taught me!) I loved to dance and create shows for my parents and the neighbors. My friends of over 50 years still talk about how I made them be a horse in a show I was creating so I could ride on their backs. I was always getting in trouble in school for talking. I recently found old elementary school report cards at my Mom’s house that read “Sherry could be a straight “A” student if she wasn’t such a social butterfly!” Well, that social butterfly grew up to use her talkative spirit for good and for business. I’m not great at one thing because I wanted to try EVERYTHING! Still do! That’s what life’s about right?
Contact Info:
- Email: sherry@central515.com
- Website: https://central515.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sherry.eichberger/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sherryeichberger/
Image Credits:
Tori Jade Photography
Morris Malakoff
