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Spotlight: Sharolyn Payton
1 - Where are you from, and how did you choose to live in Middle Tennessee?
I was born in Holly Springs, Mississippi (home of Robert Reed Church Sr., the first African-American "millionaire" in the South) and raised in Red Banks, Mississippi. I lived in quite a few different places before moving back to the south. The last place was Chicago, Illinois. In my three years there, I realized that I am not cut out for the cold weather and needed to find my way back to where winters are mild, and smiling at folks and saying good morning, evening, afternoon sir, or ma’am isn’t considered “strange behavior.” So, I moved back South to Holly Springs. Unfortunately, finding meaningful, well-paying employment in my hometown was like finding a needle in a haystack. So, Memphis was where I landed and is the place I've called home for the past 30 years.
2 - What is your professional background, and why did you become a coach?
My first job here in Memphis was at the Peabody Hotel in a guest care role. While there, the HR manager took me under her wing. Shortly after that, I found myself going back to school to study Industrial Psychology with a minor in Human Resources. Before officially launching my coaching practice in 2013, I worked in various roles, from HR generalist to staffing manager, and even sold cars for a while after the family-owned business I worked for went bankrupt without any notice.
While selling cars, one of my colleagues asked me why people were always coming to my office telling me all their business. Clearly, the walls in that place were very thin and/or had big ears. LOL). I didn’t have an answer for her, but I began to realize then that I was naturally inclined toward asking powerful questions and being able to SEE people and HEAR their stories in a unique and deeply meaningful way. It seems that the same place where my life appeared to get derailed was also where I discovered my purpose.
3 - How did you choose your specialty area?
Much like how I discovered I was a coach at heart, I also discovered my coaching specialty. Although I was mainly offering life and business coaching. I noticed a pattern. Most of the people seeking out my coaching services were leaders and visionaries. About ninety-five percent of my clients were and still are C-suite executives, business owners, nonprofit professionals, founders, directors, and CEOs. So, I began intentionally investing in and developing my skills in leadership and nonprofit coaching. As a result, my client base has increased by over 500% in the past 3 years. My business is currently 100% referral based.
4 -What are the greatest challenges and greatest rewards of your career?
The greatest challenges and rewards of my coaching career go back to the story of how I stumbled upon coaching as a career. I observed that there were a lot of very talented people, who, no matter how well-educated, talented, charismatic, loyal, and “hard-working” they simply were not being supported and invested in as leaders. They were being overlooked and struggling, unnecessarily. It’s been deeply rewarding and challenging watching this play out as a consistent theme across cultures and time zones.
However, one of the greatest and most constant rewards of my work as a coach is that I get to show up and hold space for and with some of these amazing folks. Another reward is that I get paid to do the thing that I love the most. I can’t help but smile when I realize what a blessing it is that I don’t need an exit strategy from my career. If I choose to, I get to spend the rest of my life helping people identify, cultivate, and demonstrate their extraordinary untapped potential. That’s the “Holy Grail” of rewards!
5- What is something that most ICFTN members would be surprised to learn about you?
People might be surprised to know that one of my all-time favorite movies is Matilda (with Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman as Matilda’s ridiculously neglectful parents). That movie represents a big chunk of my childhood. Except for walking around with adoption papers in my backpack. LOL.
Also, I have two nicknames among my clients in the world of coaching and nonprofit development. I've been dubbed The Queen of Questions and a Social Justice Badass, both of which I find pretty cool.
6- How do you enjoy spending your free time?
In my free time, I enjoy reading (daily, not just in my free time), cooking, playing backgammon, and people-watching. Of all the things I enjoy, travel and food are my passion. I take one week off every month and a month off every year just for travel. I’m notorious for hopping on a plane, train, or into my car, and crossing multiple stateliness and time zones in search of great food. I once took a Saturday afternoon drive from Germany to Belgium just for dessert. I’m a true wanderlust.
