Sharon Ringiér is the Founder of The I’m Possible Women’s Empowerment Conference, specifically designed to meet the unique needs of female entrepreneurs. By using a unique combination of education focused on personal and professional development, she’s hoping they’ll gain the insight and tools needed to find balance in their demanding lives as well as realize their full potential by delivering high quality resources and providing educational experiences that makes them feel elevated, educated and empowered. She’s also the Founder and Creative Director of Sharon Ringiér Events as well as the co-author of Socially Smart and Savvy, a book where experts share their secrets to success.
What motivated and inspired you to start your own business?
Initially when I started my own business, my motivation came from my wanting to be able to be that mom who could stay at home with her kids; only to discover that entrepreneurship (work/personal life balance) was even more challenging. While it was challenging, I liked making my own hours, so I continued to pursue entrepreneurship.
Tell us about your business.
The idea of the conference came from an amazing quote from Audrey Hepburn, “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says, I’m Possible.” Profound, yet so simple. As female entrepreneurs, we get so overwhelmed with life that we tend to forget who we are. Experiencing this myself, I wanted to find a way to come full circle to EMPOWER WOMEN to know their value and the true meaning of who they are. At the end of the day, they can say YES… I’m Possible!
Hence, “I’m Possible” was born!
Are you currently running any promos/contests/giveaways that you would like our readers to know about?
Yes! We have a Women’s Business Expo February 16-18. You can choose to go to one, two or all three days of the conference. You can also decide to go to certain parts of the conference at a discounted rate! Check out all the packages here: www.impossiblewec.com/get-your-tickets.
List awards/certifications/accomplishments.
- 2011 WeddingWire Brides Choice Awards
- 2012 WeddingWire Brides Choice Awards
- 2012 BizBash Readers’ Choice Awards Finalist
- 2013 Best Wedding Planner – Gurnee” by Wedding Industry Experts.
- 2013 Best Event Planner – Gurnee by Wedding Industry Experts
- 2014 Top 3 Most Popular Event Designer – United States by Wedding Industry Experts
- 2014 Most Popular Event Designer – Illinois by Wedding Industry Experts
- 2014 Outstanding Leadership Award – Event Planners Association
Where is your business based?
Gurnee, Illinois.
What were the first few steps you took to get your business up and running?
Lot’s of research. When I started my wedding planning business in March 1997, there weren’t a lot of resources out there. A friend recommended a certification course that I took and that was the first step to starting my business. After that, I immersed myself with learning as much as I could about the industry.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness of your business and getting new customers?
When I first started 20 years ago, it was all about advertising. Now, I feel that word of mouth is “Queen” so I network A LOT! In between networking, I try to use social media – LOL.
What have been your biggest challenges so far?
I’m not a millennial, so for me… it’s really hard getting used to the ever-changing algorithms of social media.
How did you overcome these challenges?
Continuously immersing myself in learning as much as I can about it.
How do you keep motivated through difficult times?
It is said that 85% of the self-talk in our heads is negative. So, when I find myself going through challenging times, I will listen to motivational/inspirational YouTube videos.
How do you distinguish yourself from your competitors?
I believe that at the end of the day, we have no one to compete with but ourselves. So, I strive everyday to be my best self and find ways to improve.
What is the best advice you have received recently?
The opinion of others is not your business. Keep it moving!
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?
To not get caught up in their feelings because someone doesn’t support them, believe in them or understand them. If God laid a dream on your heart, it wasn’t meant for anyone else but you.
The other advice that I used to tell my kids all the time was, “the worse opportunity was a missed one!” In other words, you must at least try!
What are your favorite business tools/resources and why?
I love using Lately.com! It is such an easy tool for scheduling Instagram posts!
What is a good article or book you have read recently?
I actually have two books!
- The first one is “Start With Why” by Simon Sinek. I’m a very passionate person, and this book helped me put things into perspective. I learned that by sharing my passion, I can help others understand my why!
- The second book is “Dream It, Pin It, Live It” by Terri Savelle Foy. I love creative visualization and her book helped me to not just build a vision board, but to manifest what’s on that vision board!
What are you currently learning about for your business or looking for help with?
I’m learning a lot about getting independent and corporate sponsorship.
What are your goals for the next few months and how are you striving to achieve them?
Self improvement and personal development.
In “The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth” John Maxwell said, “It occurred to me that if you focus on goals, you may hit goals – but that doesn’t guarantee growth. If you focus on growth, you will grow and always hit goals.”
With that being said, I listen to motivational messages daily, read at least 20 minutes a day, workout at least ½ hour daily and spend time in prayer first thing in the morning.
What social media outlets do you use? List them below.
Instagram @ImPossibleWEC
Twitter @ImPossibleWEC
Facebook www.facebook.com/ImPossibleWomensEmpowermentConference
Website www.ImPossibleWEC.com
Email impossiblewec@sharonringier.com, sharon@sharonringier.com
Hashtags #ImPossibleWEC #IPWEC2018 #womensupportingwomen