Today we’d like to introduce you to Sharayah Colter.
Hi Sharayah, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Like many American stories of entrepreneurship, Colter & Co. began at the ground level with zero assets, no seed funding, no team — just an idea that we began to fuel with hard work and diligence. While my husband, Scott, was working full-time and pursuing his Ph.D. in the margins of the day and evening, I decided to form a boutique communications firm in addition to working my day job as a journalist. A decade has passed now, and it is, at times, surreal to me that Colter & Co. has grown into the business it is today. It is an honor to assist our clients daily in navigating the wide spectrum of communication tasks before them and to help guide their public relations strategies in ways that propel each of them forward in their own industries.
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?
Overall, I actually would characterize the last decade of business as smooth. I’m blessed to be doing work that I enjoy. I think often of those who may be working jobs they are not passionate about just to make ends meet, to provide for their families, to pay off debts, and so on. I have been that person. I’ve bussed tables in the food service industry. I’ve cleaned toilets and washed dirty towels at a gym, I’ve worked retail jobs that were a means to an end, and I strongly believe everyone should work in jobs they do not love and that are not “dream jobs” before progressing on to other pursuits. The character-building that takes place in those seasons is powerful and incredibly valuable. In light of all of that, I am grateful each day to be able to engage in work that does capture my interest, that does allow me to make a significant difference for our clients, and that doesn’t make me long for the weekend. The obstacles I face in work like this tend more toward guarding against working too much and maintaining good balance between work and family life rather than obstacles created by the work itself. Having a job, you enjoy to a fault really is the definition of a great problem to have.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
In reviews about our communications firm, clients routinely mention the word “excellence,” and I am honored and humbled by that. I believe this single word is really what sets Colter & Co. apart from other firms in our industry. We are selective about the clients we accept and about the number we accept, and the reason for that is to ensure our team can give one-on-one, careful, precise, “excellent” attention to each client working with us. Our commitment to our clients is that when we begin working together, we will work as diligently on their projects, strategies, messages, and deliverable as we do on our own. We internalize the needs and goals of their organizations and apply ourselves to becoming a part of their team. When they win, we win.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
When I think about what it is that brings me happiness, especially in regard to business, it is productivity. I love getting to the end of a workday and looking back to see that much has been accomplished. Not every day can be like that. Some days, you just can’t get in the rhythm. Some days, unexpected phone calls derail your to-do list. Some days, you begin a lot of projects but don’t have the joy of taking any of them across the finish line. But on those days where you can cross items off the list, bring a project to the point of conclusion, and survey with gladness all that you have tangibly achieved that day, to me, those are really happy days. The reward of diligence and hard work is sweet.
Contact Info:
- Website: colterco.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/colter_co
Image Credits
Ronnie Mosley
