Stephanie Shaterian-fLO Content Marketing

Stephanie's Story

1. Tell us the story of your journey. Include details about what inspired you to go into business, was this a life long dream or a newer desire. Share as many details as you are comfortable sharing.

       I have always been a person that likes to have control over my own destiny, so the seeds for becoming a business owner were always there, but it took me a while      to recognize that that was my path. For years I led a dual life. I am a creative person with a background in theatre (Graduate of Depaul University Acting Conservatory Program). When I graduated I found that I was more interested in creating my own projects than auditioning for others. (There’s that control thing I was talking about!) I started a highly successful puppet company with my husband in 2001 that performed in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. I also fronted a few indie rock bands. So that takes care of the evenings. During the day, I was holding down a corporate job to pay the bills and working my way up the ladder. I held a number of supervisory positions but ultimately was thrust into the role of a one-person training department. With no experience, I had to build the department from the ground-up, locate resources and train myself. And I loved it!

All this is exhausting enough, but when we decided to have a child the situation really became untenable. I couldn’t have a day life, a night life and be a parent. That’s when I really started thinking seriously about starting my own business as a means of fulfilling all my needs: a creative outlet that utilized my corporate skillz (and pay level) and allowed me time with my child(ren)

2.Did you go into business before or after you had children? How do/did your children affect your decision to go into business.

As I mentioned above, having my daughter was the catalyst for the idea to go into business. I started fLO Content Marketing shortly after my second child was born.

3. Share your trials and triumphs. We want to hear about your highs and lows. Did you have any low points or worries as well as high points and huge shining moments?

Well, in my limited experience, the life of an entrepreneur tends to be mostly highs or lows with very little in-between! My business ultimately was born out of a spectacular low.

In the summer of 2009 I was pregnant with my second and living a guilty and miserable existence. My corporate work hours had extended to a point where my daughter was in childcare for 10 hours a day including travel. When I was offered the choice between ANOTHER pay cut (the second in less than a year) and a layoff, I took the layoff. In a striking twist of recession-era fate, the start-up my husband was working for shit the bed 2 weeks after my last day. We ended up short-sale-ing our house in Chicago and moving across the country in with the in-laws. Somehow, through all that turmoil I realized that this was the opportunity to build a new life for myself, on my terms. I got the idea for fLO Content Marketing in May of 2010, my first client in October 2010 and officially launched in January 2011. In March 2011, my husband joined me in the business, by June we moved out of the ILs and we closed 2011 not only well in the black but primarily supporting our family on the strength of the business.

4. Do you have any encouraging words to share with mom entrepreneurs that may help

to keep their spirits up on a trying day. Not necessarily trade secrets that pertain to business but more directed toward encouraging another mom not to give up and/or to keep following a dream.

This is my favorite part of the other stories shared on Darcee’s Hope! Oh gosh. This is a little counter-intuitive, but sometimes you need to allow yourself to feel bad. Have a pity-party for yourself. Have a good cry.

When I don’t acknowledge my frustrations and disappointments, and I try to push them down and pretend they don’t exist - they keep coming back up! I’ve found that only when I truly accept and acknowledge those feelings, am I able to let them go and focus on what I need to do to rectify the situation.

 

 

 Stephanie's website is www.flocontent.com