The Sunshine Coast Daily has recognised the initiatives and successes of Sam Sheppard, shedding light her advice in response her induction to the Businesswomen’s Hall of Fame, an annual project heralding the triumphs of women in business. She attributes her discovery by the Network to Twitter. She confesses to the Daily “I have almost 55,000 followers and I’ve been on Twitter for three years. I pick up between 80 and 100 followers a day. I post upbeat motivational tweets.” She also claims that Twitter saved her business life, helping her rebuild a presence after being diagnosed with lupus three years ago.
Reflecting on the induction, she has said that although she feels “fabulous” to be in the Hall of Fame, she also feels intimidated; “it’s not like I’m turning over $160 million a year like some others, but it’s more about the fact that I’ve done something that’s a bit trailblazing and that I’m an ambassador for women who work in non-traditional roles.”
Sam has been recognized crucially for founding The Buildmore Group in 2002, and consequently starting a female-only construction program called “Women Into Building”, which has also earned her the OAM. The same program has also developed an online education hub called Industry Women Central, of which she has announced, will be launched next week. Sam reiterates the tips she offered upon her induction:
- “Be prepared to be vocal: sometimes it’s the only way to be heard.”
- “Network, network, network: I can’t stress the importance of developing and fostering your ‘circle of influence’ enough.”
- “Be authentic: it is just as, if not more, important to build ‘Brand You’ as it is to build your corporate brand. Think of your brand as your reputation and be mindful of how you represent yourself.”
- “Everyone deserves to be heard and it pays to listen.”
- “Strive to challenge yourself and those around you to strive for personal and professional greatness.”
Sam’s in-depth profile can be read on Businesswomen’s Hall of Fame, as can those of the other 2014 inductees. Read the full article, here. This article was also featured on The Ipswich Advertiser and The Observer.
