Today we’d like to introduce you to Sterling Champion.
Hi Sterling, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have always believed that I would make a difference in the world and I have spent my whole life in an often frustrating & seemingly unsuccessful pursuit of my “how” without realizing I was living through my “why.” As a bright and hardworking human on a mission, I have spent most of my working years betting on myself and taking the road less traveled. In undergrad, I dropped the steady pre-med path and, shortly after graduation, moved to NYC with nothing but a suitcase & blind faith in my abilities. I went on to hold overlapping jobs in every type of entity & across many departments, making me an expert in workplace dynamics and operations. Sadly, most of those experiences were largely negative as a result of being a woman in male-dominated work environments. It wasn’t until 10 years into my career that I had the opportunity to work for a woman and it made all the difference. It was at that job while preparing for an International Women’s Day office happy hour, that I came up with the idea for The SHE Mark, and in an instant, I knew I had finally found my “how.” I also knew that the passion and drive I have for supporting women in business and encouraging gender-equal workplaces through The SHE Mark all root back to those experiences. Today, after pursuing The SHE Mark full time, I can confidently say I have found my purpose as a certification mark expert on a mission to make gender equality an everyone issue.
Alright, 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?
At the end of 2021, I faced major burnout that took me out. After years of putting work first at the cost my personal well-being, I decided to reimagine my approach to work and life. Some of the major changes that saved me included walking away from the demanding side job that was draining me, implementing a 4-day workweek at The SHE Mark, loosening the pressure I put on myself to get it all done, and asking for help. It has made a world of difference.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about The SHE Mark?
The SHE Mark makes it easier to support and identify women-led businesses. We do that by licensing the most inclusive collection of gender-focused certifications on the market, verifying and highlighting businesses with at least 50% women and/or gender-diverse people in leadership, creative/innovative roles, and/or ownership. Similar to Cruelty-Free or Certified B Corp, The SHE Mark provides trustworthy, verified information that empowers you to confidently and easily direct spending and resources to women-led businesses, not only through consumer spending but also in attracting talent and navigating B2B relationships. Providing this information when people want it and in an easy-to-understand and recognized form gives people the opportunity to support women-led businesses and contribute to the movement towards global economic gender equality.
We currently have 3 marks: SHEruns, SHEmakes and SHEowns – with plans to expand that in 2023!
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
I love books and podcasts about psychology and business. I also love autobiographies. Learning about the human condition and others’ life experiences helps guide and ground me as I navigate life, relationships, and business. Some of my favorites are:
Books:
Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman, The Double XX Economy by Linda Scott, For the Love of Men by Liz Plank, The B Corp Handbook: How You Can Use Business as a Force for Good by Tiffany Jana and Ryan Honeyman
Podcasts:
How’s Work? – Ester Perel, Dare to Lead – Brene Brown, Pivot – Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway
Contact Info:
- Website: www.theshemark.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshemark/
Image Credits
Headshot courtesy of Bumble The other 2 photos are taken by Taylor John Russ Ilana Broad and Sterling Champion in front of CantiqLA, a Certified SHEruns, SHEmakes, and SHEowns business.
