Meet Gillian Sheldon of Cat Pack Consulting

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gillian Sheldon.

Gillian, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My career has seen it all – from news to celebrity gossip to space exploration and robots, and all things in between. I have spent the last 20 years working in media, entertainment and social impact, and have worked for some of the most creative, brilliant and exciting brands and executives on the planet. I love what I do, but, most importantly, I love connecting with people. But something was always missing. That is why I decided to make a major change and go into business for myself. In 2018, I dove into the deep end and founded Cat Pack Consulting. The adventure had begun!

The road to Cat Pack has been an exciting one. Until October 2017, I served as the Chief Marketing Officer of the XPRIZE Foundation. Founded in 1996 by innovator Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, XPRIZE is the global leader in designing and implementing innovative competition models to solve the world’s grandest challenges like hunger, access to education, climate change, and many others. Prior to joining XPRIZE, I was the Senior Vice President of Marketing at Participant Media. I oversaw all aspects of marketing for the now defunct TakePart.com, the digital division of Participant, as well as film and TV campaigns. This included content marketing, social impact campaigns, social media, CRM and email/mobile marketing.

Before Participant, I had the opportunity to be the Supervising Producer of Digital at Sony Pictures Television for “The Queen Latifah Show.” Before that, I was Vice President of Celebrity Programming for BUZZMEDIA (now known as SPINMEDIA) and oversaw the social media presence and personal blogs of various celebrities and influencers, including the Kardashian family, Britney Spears, Nicole Richie, Kimora Lee Simmons, and Whitney Port, to name a few. Although the thing that gets most people interested in my career is in 2005 I was one of the creators and founders of TMZ.com and the subsequent TMZ TV.

I began my career in local news in Seattle, working as an assignment editor and field producer. And that’s where my affinity for storytelling began. Because, in the end, finding the story that connects with the right audience at the right time with the right message is what marketing is truly all about.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
If you follow media in the news, you know that it is an industry that is going through a major disruption. Layoffs are common, and that happened to me- several times. The biggest catalyst for me starting my own company was that I was fired. Yep… asked to leave. I was “not the right fit” for the role. That rocked my world. How could that happen… to ME? I was the executive who had done the firing, not the one getting fired!

Was my whole career a sham? Had I faked everyone out who had hired me, promoted me, given me awards, sung my praises at board meetings, and continued to pay me significant salaries?

I fell into a pretty deep hole then, thinking this was it. I was 43 years old and was now unemployable because I had been fired. Clearly, that wasn’t true, but it didn’t matter. I believed it and therefore treated myself accordingly. Low energy and low motivation took over, and I became desperate. Then it dawned on me. I knew what I was really good at. I also knew what I WASN’T good at. I had a solid network of colleagues and friends I could lean on. And- most importantly- I could lean on myself. I began to visualize what my own business would look like.

I took meetings, I had lunches. I refined what I wanted to do, not what I felt I had to do. I was honest with potential clients about what I wanted to do- and what I didn’t. Before the fear of turning down something was too overwhelming. Now it was liberating. I could do concentrate on what I was really good at, and that was enough. I was enough.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Cat Pack Consulting – what should we know?
Cat Pack Consulting has a variety of clients- from legal, to healthcare, to music, to beauty and fashion. I am most proud of that diversity because that is a reflection of my diverse interests as well.

My network is what sets us apart from others. I have managed to maintain strong relationships that, in some cases, span the better part of 15 years. These relationships and the trust I have built with friends and colleagues is my calling card. I always operate with integrity, a positive attitude, and high energy.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
You do not have to be negative to be “tough” and engender respect. It sounds simple, but simply being friendly and genuine goes a long way. Walking into a room with a smile, and truly caring about who is at the other end of the table and the business at hand can break through any barrier.

There is so much negativity in this world. Why not try kindness, empathy and compassion instead?

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @glamourous1
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/gilliansheldon
• Twitter: twitter.com/gilliansheldon
• Other: linkedin.com/in/gilliansheldon/

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