Today we’d like to introduce you to Sherri Elliott-Yeary.
Sherri, before we jump into specific questions about your work, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born in Canada and was raised by a single mother of four. Every morning I would take my younger sibling to school on the bus and we would pass by pretty homes. At those homes I could see the mom gathering the kids into the minivan to go to school while the dad headed off to work. I knew then that whatever job I had when I grew up needed to be like those dads. Those dads who provided for their families and lived in nice homes.
I had my daughter at a young age, and by the time she was nine years old, we moved from Canada to Dallas, Texas. When she was in her first year of college, she moved away from home. I missed her, but I knew this was a journey both of us had to experience.
Within six months of being away at college, Khirsten had lost a lot of weight – probably 40 pounds and developed bad acne. I was clueless about what was going on. I thought she wasn’t eating enough. When asked, she responded that she had been studying a lot and did not remember to eat. I believed her. She gave me the answer she knew I wanted to hear – everything was OK.
Soon after, I discovered she had been using methamphetamines (meth) for almost a year. She later told me she had been introduced to meth by a “friend” at school who told her that it would give her extra energy to study and help her lose weight.
Fast forward a few months, I received a call from Kirsten’s college apartment manager advising me her apartment was under surveillance by the Drug Enforcement Agency. I was shocked and terrified all at the same time.
When I tried to talk to Khirsten about her addiction, she would clam up. She threw me out of her apartment – the one I was paying for all the while she skipped classes. I eventually took her car away so she could not hurt herself or anyone while driving impaired.
Before Khirsten went to college, I decided to leave my corporate role as a Vice President of Human Resources to start my own Human Resource Consulting practice. I started writing my first book, Ties to Tattoo’s: Turning Generational Differences into A Competitive Advantage.
My daughter sought drug treatment in Canada, and on each trip North, I wrote a few more pages of my first book. By the end of the year I had completed the draft of my book.
I was introduced to Milli Brown of Brown Publishing in Dallas in 2008 by a fellow author, and within one year, the first edition of Ties to Tattoo’s: Turning Generational Differences into A Competitive Advantage was released in February (2009). I dedicated the book to my millennial daughter, Khirsten. I never dreamed, that as a child who grew up in poverty, I would ever own my own business or author books. However, I do own a business and I write books. What made these accomplishments even more gratifying was the fact my daughter Khirsten was now clean and able to attend my book launch at Tootsie’s in Dallas.
Before writing my first book, I had never spoken in public. My publisher, Milli Brown, asked me how I planned to share the generational message, and I quickly informed her I was going to “hire” someone to speak for me. Milli made a good point, since I wrote the book, I needed to be the one to share the message from my voice.
In Sherri-like fashion, I set out to “learn” how to be a speaker on my own and for my first big gig, I invited all my best clients and girlfriends to attend. One friend and client was Sandra Yancey of eWomen Network who was quite experienced in speaking. To say that I bombed is an understatement, and I had no clue how to deliver a compelling or motivational speech.
As soon as I gathered my shattered ego, I reached out to Sandra and she referred me to Alicia Huck with Maverick Consulting. She taught this introvert the power of my message and taught me how to connect my message with my audience. I am forever grateful.
I started working with a new PR agent, Veronica Perez, a few months after the release of my book. Veronica arranged for me to interview with Cheryl Hall of the Dallas Morning News, to discuss my new book. During the interview over breakfast, Cheryl noticed I declined the toast offered and replaced it with tomatoes. She was curious to the reason why because I didn’t appear to be overweight or unfit. I shared with her that 20 years ago I weighed over 258 pounds. One day while looking in the mirror at a local Kmart, I suddenly saw the real me, not what I thought I looked like, and I immediately stopped eating carbs and sugar as part of my journey to rediscover my health.
As we started discussing my new book and passion for generational inclusion, she asked me if I was an expert, and I replied, no, I just felt very strongly about the potential generational gap and the war for top talent. Cheryl Hall said so you are more like a “Generational Guru.” As soon as the interview ended, I went back to the office and secured the domain. This s was the start of my business, “Generational Guru.”
My second book You Can Have It All, Just Not All at Once was released in 2012 by Brown Publishing, and the late Ebby Halliday endorsed it. I wrote this book to honor a friend and client who lost her struggle with breast cancer. Denise Vadala lived a life of meaning and purpose, and I wanted the world to know her and the many other women who bravely shared their stories in this book.
Fast forward a few more years, and I was still hearing from my clients their concerns about not connecting with millennials in the workplace and home. I decided to author a book series on the sole subject of working with millennials. In 2019, I released my new book series Crack the Millennial Code: Strategies to Market to, Manage, and Motivate Millennials, published by Soar2Success.
I have been fortunate to own and operate my own business, “the Generational Guru” for fifteen years. It has not always been easy, but it has been immensely rewarding. I am a certified professional coach, author of five books, and it is my honor and privilege to be able to coach, mentor, and educate our future generation of leaders.
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?
When I started my first HR consulting practice, I partnered with three prominent men in the financial industry. It was a great plan until I decided to move forward and publish my first book and work as a solopreneur. Instead of being happy for me, they sued me for my client list. The battle to keep my clients was long, expensive, and emotionally exhausting. At the end of the day, I walked away with my finished book and my top HR clients, which included WinStar World Casino. I had the opportunity to recruit and train over 1,900 new employees for WinStar grand re-opening in 2010.
When I authored You Can Have It All, Just Not All at Once in 2012, my then-husband, a local cosmetic dentist, shared “our” story in the last chapter titled Unmistakable Grace. Less than six months after the book was published, he filed for divorce. I had thousands of this very special book in circulation all over the world, and it was a constant reminder of my public and painful divorce every time I saw the book.
I had my publisher recall all the copies of the book except for the Kindle version, currently available on Amazon, and I stored the hard copies in my attic. After the divorce, the book was no longer a good representation of my life, but the inspirational messages of hope shared in the book were very relevant. I decided to donate books to churches, women’s events, and associations. Any profit from the sale of the book benefits Susan. G Komen in honor of my friend Denise Vadala who lost her battle with breast cancer.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I am known as “the Generational Guru”, a leading expert on the impact of generational change and its impact on the workplace. As an author, columnist, blogger, and motivational speaker, I impart a clear understanding of how generational demographics are changing the landscape of business.
I have provided research and consultation on workplace and generational issues to hundreds of organizations and professional groups ranging from small businesses to multinational corporations, as well as major professional associations for the past fifteen years. One of my favorite projects was training the National Guard on how to effectively recruit new talent.
What I’m most proud of as a company: Is my ability to connect with my clients and help them map out their talent needs not just for today but for the future. I am proud I dared to step into my true calling many years ago and nurture it – when it would have been so much easier to get a JOB working for another organization as an HR executive.
I am extremely excited about my new book series: Crack the Millennial Code because the message is crucial to the growth and development of our future leaders: Millennials.
What sets me apart from other speakers and coaches is my long-term expertise in Human Resource Management and how I help my audiences and clients understand how to increase engagement and reduce turnover by embracing generational diversity. As Aretha Franklin sang in her song RESPECT, everyone wants to be respected for who they are and the contribution they make in this world.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Many entrepreneurs believe that the most important factor to determine their level of success with a startup relates to their overall experience and skills in the niche area. I, however, believe the most important characteristics that led to my success are:
1. Resilience
2. Courage
3. Creativity
4. Ambition
5. Risk-Taker
6. Commitment
7. Confidence
8. Perseverance
9. Willingness to Learn
10. Ability to Listen
Pricing:
- Professional Coaching: $800 per month
- Keynote Speech/Training: $4,000 to $8,000 per event
- Human Resource Consulting: $150 an hour
Contact Info:
- Address: 8700 Stonebrook Parkway
#2235, Frisco, TX 75034 - Website: https://www.generationalguru.com/
- Phone: 4699713663
- Email: sherri@generationalguru.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sherrielliottyeary/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sherri.elliottyeary.5
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SherriElliottY1
- Other: Generational Guru
Image Credit:
Vanessa Corral Photography
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