"There's nothing I couldn't do. So, I didn't see my gender, my race as a handicap. I could shatter glass ceilings all day long." - Sharina Parry

[Why This Is Important] - The main objective of this episode is to illustrate the journey of becoming an entrepreneur and overcoming challenges. The message is to become a person worth listening to so you can navigate obstacles and achieve success. The story of Sharina Parry exemplifies the power of resilience and determination in the face of adversity.

[What You Need to Know] - In this episode, Sharina Parry shares her entrepreneurial journey, from being unexpectedly laid off as the director of operations to founding Utopia Plastics and becoming a leading provider in the public and private space nationwide. She discusses the challenges she faced, the value of partnerships, and the importance of creating opportunities for others.

[What You Need to Do] - As a listener, it's essential to absorb the lessons shared by Sharina Parry, especially regarding resilience, creating opportunities, and the impact of diversity in entrepreneurship.

[TAKE ACTION] - Reflect on the challenges you've faced and consider how you can turn them into opportunities for growth. Take inspiration from Sharina Parry's story and apply the lessons learned to your own journey as an entrepreneur.

Gayle Turner is President of The Storytellers Channel, Inc. https://storytellerschannel.com/ For close to five decades he has used the power of story to initiate and sustain change while growing leaders and building productive corporate and community cultures. Check out his LinkedIn profile to learn the rest of the story. https://www.linkedin.com/in/wgayleturner/

Shelli Jost Brady is Founder & Catalyst

at Alchemy Consulting and Chief Operating Officer at The Storytellers Channel,

Inc. Check out her LinkedIn profile to learn the rest of the story. https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelli-jost-brady-94b44835/

Sharina Perry

is an entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience establishing and

running national businesses. Sharina is the founder and inventor of Utopia

Plastix, a plant based alternative to petroleum-based polymers. Sharina is also

the originator and developer of The Utopia Model, a sustainable ecosystem

business model. She is well regarded as an innovator, strategist, and

unconventional thinker. She is often praised for her exceptional capacity to

foster creative thinking, effective execution, and deliberate leadership. Aside

from her successful career, Sharina holds a significant number of leadership,

management, and business development certifications. Sharina holds an expert

certification in Sustainable Strategies and Circular Economics. Her education

includes but is not limited to, The University of Oklahoma and Cambridge Judge

Business School. Sharina also owns registered global patents and trademarks.

Throughout her illustrious career, Sharina has received numerous awards and

accolades and has been recognized worldwide. This year Sharina was listed as

Forbes's Top 10 Women To Watch in 2023 (globally). Sharina was also featured in

September 2023 on the iconic Nasdaq Billboard in NYC Times Square as the

Inventor of the Year.

Download a FREE checklist of how to craft intentional stories to inspire results. https://storytellerschannel.com/inspire

Keywords

entrepreneur, founder, Utopia Plastics, serial entrepreneur, director of operations, leading provider, bootstrap, partnership, investment, IP value, capital, revenue, public private space, government contractor, African American woman, prime contractor, funding, bootstrapping, inequity, glass ceilings, gender, race, taking up space, community, contributing to society, responsibility, society, family, contribution, leadership, business growth, Sharina Perry, Shelli Jost Brady, Gayle Turner