Meet Trailblazer Stephanie Walton

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Walton.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I had a pretty rough childhood. My parents made some poor decisions after they split up which led my brothers and I to live through two separate incidences of homelessness. Being hungry and without stability were formative moments in my youth. When I discovered basketball, I discovered a passion that would lead me to my ultimate goal – a college education, earning a scholarship to a Division I saved my life. It also taught me an important lesson – that finding your passion involved more than just “loving” something. It taught me that finding your passion was about finding that “thing” that you were going to work hard at day and night. This lesson, and many others in my adulthood taught me how to push through any adversity and focus on the goal.

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?
The road was smooth and rocky. When I began my career, I hit the ground running. The lessons I had learned in my childhood and the basketball court helped me succeed rather quickly. If I worked hard, I could achieve success in anything I tried. My career is in retail. When I joined my current company, my future looked bright. I was seen as a high potential very fast. Two years in, I was promoted to Divisional Vice-President. Two years later, my career derailed faster than a freight train going 200 MPH. It was then I learned some extremely important lessons. It took me two years to get my career back on track.

My advice: ask for help, before you need it. Too often we think that we can get through life on our own. Don’t do that. You don’t have to. Ask for help and ask it from people who don’t think or look like you. My second piece of advice is build relationships. Focus on that. Those relationships that you build will help you in the good and bad times.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Passion Architect – what should we know? What are you most proud of?
I specialize in vision and goal setting workshops and personal coaching. My approach with my clients is to ask as many questions as possible. My philosophy is that you already know the answers to many of the questions that I am asking. Many of us need a “thought” partner; someone to help us think through the problem and focus our limited energy. What sets me apart is that I am not the answer – I help you be your own hero.

What I am most proud of is that my client roster is diverse. I am able to help people uncover the solutions inside of them no matter where they are in their lives. My favorite story is a client that I had who was 65 years-old. She was done with work and raising her family. She thought that seeing me was just something to do. The funny thing is that we were able to uncover a hidden desire of her for artistic endeavors. Currently she is working with a friend of hers to display her artwork in a local gallery. She found her 3rd act!

What’s the most important piece of advice you could give to a young woman just starting her career?
The most important piece of advice I will give to any woman is to SLOW DOWN! You are not in a rush. Your career is long and will take many twists and turns. Focus less on getting ahead and more on forming lasting and fruitful relationships in your business and other places in your life.