Meet Shelby Alexander Griggs of GALS Inspired Group in Frisco

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shelby Alexander Griggs.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Shelby. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I began my career in Corporate America as a manager. I worked my way up that corporate ladder fairly quickly and was living the life I had always dreamed of. During my tenure, I would often have employees wanting to get on my calendar to talk about their life and career goals. Sometimes, they would just want a motivational boost to keep going. Soon, it became so overwhelming that I had to schedule time “after hours” to meet with them. In November of 1998, I had the opportunity to visit Oprah Winfrey’s hometown where my dream came true. I finally got to meet her! I only had a few minutes to talk to her but I told her something that I had never shared with anyone. I admitted that although I was successful in my career, I felt that I was called to do something bigger. She gave me the best advice and told me to go with my heart and look around me. Exactly two weeks later, I launched my first motivational workshop!

Since then, I left my corporate life behind, launched my coaching business, hosted numerous live events, and published four books with two more scheduled to release in 2019 and 2020. I also recently re-launched my podcast, “The Shelby Alexander Griggs Podcast” on iTunes formerly “Girl Talk with Shelby.”

Has it been a smooth road?
My journey certainly has not been an easy road. As most entrepreneurs can attest to, starting a business is not for the faint at heart. It often appears on social media as super glamorous but it truly is not the case. There will most certainly be ebbs and flows of your business because well, life happens. I experienced several pregnancy losses which put my life on hold for a while then in 2014, my father became ill. I put my business on hold again to help my mother take care of him. Sadly, he passed away shortly afterwards. Being such a Daddy’s Girl, it devastated me. I couldn’t see myself inspiring and coaching people when I was so broken. After a while, I was able to see the light again and then get back on stages to do what I was called to do.

Four years later, on May 24, 2018, my world would come crashing down. My husband of 26 years passed away suddenly. I could not believe what was happening. I was now left with our 23-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter. I was just about to launch a major program in my business, my manuscript was almost finished and boom… another bomb has been dropped in the middle of my family. You cannot imagine how hard it was for me to even feel joy inside let alone motivate people. As expected, I did absolutely nothing with my business. Most of my clients are online and had been accustomed to me having a social media presence. I absolutely could not offer anything. I had nothing in me to give beyond my kids.

My strong faith and my kids kept me off the ledge. Without my relationship with God and my children, I don’t know where I would be. I took the time to mourn and heal the way I wanted to. I didn’t put a time limit on it because everyone is different. One day, I woke up and my spirit said it was time. My continued healing would be in my work. Have you ever been so broken but find some way to inspire someone else? What happened was that I began to become stronger as I was lifting others. It’s been a year. We’ve gotten through all of the “firsts” – thank God!

I’m back to doing the work. I take it one day at a time, sometimes one hour at a time. My renewed focus is to help others get aligned with their purpose, provide the heartbroken with ways to discover hope again, and encourage others to be kind in their life and work.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Since 1998, I have been inspiring women through countless empowerment seminars, group, and one-on-one coaching sessions. It has always been my goal to help them achieve success, not only with their personal goals but to give them hope of fulfilling their true purpose. It is my life’s mission to serve those who want to answer their calling.

I find myself mentoring everyone I meet, offering them wisdom and encouragement of some kind, even if it is only for a few minutes. The moment I discovered my purpose on this earth, I have been in a relentless pursuit of it. I want everyone I encounter to believe that having a purpose in life is not reserved for a select few. I want them to know that because they still have breath in their body, they have work to do on the planet.

As I navigate through my new normal, I have come to realize that every single person, man or woman, wants to know they matter and that they have something meaningful to share. I have now become a copilot for those who answer the call. After seeing the immediate needs of people, I want to fulfill my own purpose by uplifting and inspiring the masses to find their place in the world. When I began in 1998, there were only a few of us “life coaches”. Zig Ziglar, Les Brown, Tony Robbins, to name a few were who we aspired to be. Today, there are millions of life coaches. Some real, some real only on social media. The pursuit to truly transform lives has been replaced with 30 day fast tracks to joy – for $997. My company focuses on heart-centered, authentic coaching and support. When I tell my clients that I’m with them on their journey, I mean that. In the end, I want my clients to experience life-changing breakthroughs. I want them to be transformed for the better. I want to hear “Well done.”

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
My family moved to Frisco in 2000. We have seen enormous growth over the years. Small businesses have flourished here and I don’t see an end in sight. There are several business networking events and meetups in our area. However, I believe there are probably more than I’m aware of so I would think that advertising more small business events held in Frisco could improve.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.shelbyagriggs.com
• Phone: 469.213.0246
• Email: info@shelbyagriggs.com

Image Credit:
Mario Ezreh

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