Today we’d like to introduce you to Shaniese Ruffin.
Hi Shaniese, 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?
Discover Your Best Self started from a desire to fill a need in the community for women to have a place to come together, share their stores, learn and take something tangible they could use. This community was formed by creating activations in a form of a summit for women. These were successful if you look at it from the perspective of people attended, they bought tickets, learned and came back wanting more. But in my eyes, it was not a far enough reach, and I couldn’t do it alone. I wanted more with less footwork.
During this time in my life, like many people who choose to change how they impact the world, I had been through personal relationship turmoil, defeat, restart of a career, loss of confidence, a new baby and now a divorce on the horizon. All I wanted was a safe space for people, not just women, to have a way to share experiences so we have a way to learn from those stories.
Then there was the birth of the podcast. I have always had a love for journalism. I majored in broadcast journalism in college and created my own business then. I didn’t know it then, but it was the breeding ground for what I do now. During that time my University brought major names to our school who I was able to interview. I met civil rights activist Edward James Olmos, The late Mya Angelou and Harry Belafonte. All of these people created a spark in me that said, “you have to keep their stories alive.”
Today, Discover Your Best Self is where we tell the stories of people who impact their communities, making a difference in others’ lives and creating more opportunities. These stories are important because they highlight what mistakes these individuals have made, the progress they have made, setbacks and successes. We need these stories to learn so that we don’t make the same mistakes and can bypass the unnecessary obstacles and get to our purpose faster. It’s like my grandmother Ruby used to say, “Ain’t nothing new under the sun.”
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There are always challenges, what is life without them? We have to fail to learn, it’s how we fail that measures our success, not how successful we are. Les Brown has a famous quote that I love, “If you can look up, you can get up.” I love this because it’s true. Every time I have gotten knocked down I always land on my back so I can look up.
My challenges have all been part of my development to this point. I lost my father at the young age of 12 and moved across the country from California to Ohio with my mother’s side of the family. My grandmother played a huge role in my upbringing. She gave me the wisdom I have today and the sass. I have been divorced, been laid off, broke, homeless and worked multiple jobs at one time. I have friends I have lost to misunderstanding, the family I’ve been at odds with, but all of this has contributed to who I am. The obstacles we face, we have to come to terms with. They are ways to self actualize. We need these moments to understand what our potential is so that we can reach deep within us to get to it. Only if you pay attention and want the change deep within is when you stop having certain types of challenges and begin to make a shift. I am now on my shift.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
In addition to the podcast, I have been a sales professional for over 10 years. I work in the technology industry. I want to shed more light to this industry, being a woman of color in technology.
I am known for my sales and customers service skills. I build relationships with clients/customers and I understand the impact that a salesperson has on the market. We are here to help, assist and give information. It is when people misuse their salesmanship skills to manipulate only for the purpose of making money. I am here to teach how to be a great salesman/woman and create any business you want using your skills.
Everything we do in life is sales. We are constantly selling who we are, and that creates our value. The more you understand how to show your value to world, the better you can sell your product.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is defined by how I want to live my life. How much money do I aspire to have? Who are the people I want around me? Am I healthy, do I feel healthy? How is my level of stress? What does my family look like and how do I spend quality time with them?
I want to earn enough money to vacation multiple times a year with friends, my family and maybe alone. I want to provide a lifestyle for my daughter where she has options, she is healthy and exposed to new foods, experiences and activities. I want a beautiful home, a life partner who loves me for me, and drive the car of my dreams. In saying all of this, I also feel that I have reached a level of success at this moment to know what I want and to be on my way to accomplishing these things.
Also, I believe that at each point of life success looks different to me. Right now I am more successful than I was this time last year, and each year will continue to grow and look better than the next.
Contact Info:
- Email: discoverbestself@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.discoverybs.com/
- Instagram: @discoveryourbestself
