“I would rather take the chance of being able to work harder, put in more time, and push for a different outcome rather than having someone else control my future.” - Kelly Fletcher

Kelly Fletcher (@fletcherpr) is a powerhouse leader, CEO, speaker, author, podcast host, marketer, and former Miss North Carolina. She graduated from Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina with a degree in Music, Vocal Performance, and Communications. All through her twenties, she was aspiring to be a singer and lived in New York. She’d tell you, “I worked a lot, but I didn’t make a lot of money.” Up until she was 29, she sang with the National Opera Company as a cover, which is similar to an understudy, for two years, she worked odd jobs to make ends meet, and she toured with music companies. When she left New York, she decided to pivot to a career in communications as well as start a family of her own. At age 40, she started her own marketing and PR firm, and let’s just say she’s killing it. She not only reinvented herself, but she created an incredible company, successful career, and community of leaders following in her footsteps.

In this episode, Bob and Kelly reminisce on the beginnings of her entrepreneurial journey. They recount the fear and courage it took for her to transition careers over the years from music and performance to marketing and communications. She shares her personal journey of growing in confidence and growing into her own, and with such care, she inspires audiences with her empowering spirit and advice.

Notes and Quotes:

- I really wasn’t that confident, and it didn’t come until much later. I didn’t really come into my own until my mid to late thirties.

-I got more and more courage, and I got less and less fearful. The fear is still there, and if it’s not, it may be a bit of an issue. Having a little bit of a pit in your stomach when you’re trying to make a decision is a good thing. That little moment of doubt fuels you to push through.

-Fear isn’t a bad thing unless you let it drive you or control you. Fear helps you perform better. It keeps you from complacency, which is so important as a small business owner or entrepreneur.

-As a small business owner or entrepreneur, you have to keep working at your business even when you’re in the good times or seasons. It prepares me for harder times in my business. When it gets hard, I’m motivated and I’m on it. It pushes me to work however many hours to get it done because the alternative isn’t looking good.

-Consistency is so important to any business. If you aren’t consistent, it’s hard to maintain a level of normalcy in business. This helps you weather the storms.

-I quickly realized that if I wanted to move up and control my own destiny, I needed to get into sales. That’s when I learned a lot about selling and building relationships. That’s all sales really is -- relationship building.

-I wouldn’t be in business today if I hadn’t learned the disciplines of selling, and it is a discipline.

-Sales drives everything in a business. If you can learn sales, you can work anywhere.

-I started reading a lot, and that’s the key to reinvention.

Links in this episode include:

New Way MBA, Bonvera’s education system for any entrepreneur

Blinkist, an app to that summarizes key takeaways from books in text and audio formats

Fletcher Marketing & PR, Kelly’s marketing and PR agency

Scott’s Cheap Flights

Under the Tuscan Sun, a movie that’s inspired a love for Italy

American Ad Federation Association

Bonvera Brew, it won Gold at the Addy Awards!

Kutano Refuel, it won a Silver at the Addy Awards!

Luebella, it won a Bronze at the Addy Awards!

To learn more about Bob’s two books, find them on Amazon here: The Leap and Love Your Work.

Follow Bob Dickie on Twitter @RobertDickie

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