Certified Life Purpose Coach, Self-awareness Expert and Int’l Speaker, Shelley Meche’tte is extremely dedicated to the empowerment of women through strategized personal and professional development. She is an Author and founder of, The PowHERful Woman.
Shelley challenges women to take responsibility for the actions (both productive and counter-productive) of the person staring back at them in the mirror, while reminding them of the fact that they are POWERFUL; with MORE to offer than just their physical appearance.
Shelley specializes in decluttering the thoughts of her clients… connecting their gifts and talents to passion, for personal empowerment and success.
Some of her features include CBS, NBC, Yahoo, Bustle, the cover of Glambitious and Sister2Sister 2.0 and more. She has also been a guest on Bakersfield Now News, Peace of Mind with Taraji P. Henson, I Heart Radio and The Connie Phieff Show…to name a few.
Shelley was recently named one of 2021’s top 25 Women in Business by Courageous Woman Magazine.
Shelley is the author of 70 Days of Happy: Life is BETTER When You Smile and PowHER Minds: Reflective Thoughts for the Everyday PowHER Woman and Her Legacies. She is a collaborative author of the Amazon #1 Best Selling book Women Inspiring Nations.
Shelley is passionate about helping women unapologetically unleash their greatness and take control of their lives.
Shelley Meche’tte is an ordained Minister. She has been married since 2002 and is the mother of 2 amazing Legacies (daughters).
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you ended up writing a book?
I was raised by a single mother. She married when I was around 12. Later in life, I too became a single mother and a survivor of verbal and emotional abuse. After leaving a job in entertainment to stay home and raise my children, I begin to see that there were internal issues in my life that I had not dealt with; stemming from the abuse. I had come to the realization that I did not know the woman looking in the mirror. (In my mind) I had no purpose. Unknowingly, my happiness had been wrapped around things that held no true value to me.
That is when my journey to get to know myself…outside of my daily titles began. I stood in the mirror and cried until I found something that I loved about me. Then I started to do the work of healing the hurts and pains that I had been masking so well, for so long.
Somewhere along the line, I joined in on a Facebook Happy Challenge, which was simply to not be negative for 90 days. After the 90 days, I had to admit that my outlook was brighter and there was an even greater sense of gratefulness.
After the challenge, I wanted to share some of the things that I had learned over those days. That’s when I decided to write: 70 Days of Happy: Life is BETTER When You Smile. I wanted to encourage other people and remind them, that authentic happy, peace and even success doesn’t begin with the outside…but that it is sometimes a process and that process always starts within.
What were the top mistakes you made writing or publishing your book?
I believe the biggest mistake I made was not taking time to create a marketing plan. After I wrote the book, I think I believed that word of mouth was going to be good enough to get it into the hands of the masses. It didn’t occur to me that, the book itself was actually the “easy” part.
I should have connected with other self-published writers who had successfully marketed their books to learn from them. I should have had a marketing budget already set in place. I should have known the exact audience that I was targeting so that the book could have been available to them. I should have created a launch.
There is so much to actually getting your book into the hands of the public. Not having a solid marketing plan will completely frustrate you and could even make you feel unaccomplished…even though you have just completed an amazing milestone.
The other mistake I made however was completely personal…and that was procrastination. I sat on the idea of my book for nearly a year before actually pushing past my own doubts and fears. I was so concerned about how people would view me and that they would not accept me as an “author”, that I was sabotaging my own greatness.
Thankfully, my family gave me the push that I needed to step out and fulfill that dream of becoming an author.
When will you to consider your book a success?
I believe that my book was a success, the moment I completed it. Sitting before me was a book that would bring light to other people, help them recognize self-worth and give them the emotional support needed for personal and/or professional success. Success doesn’t begin with a fat bank account. Success begins with our relationship with the person staring back at us in the mirror.
I quickly learned, that even without a book being a “Best Seller” or not having all of the sales desired… if a book is able to positively change the trajectory of one life…that book is more than just a success…it is life-changing!
Learning to let go of resentment and excusing a person’s wrong actions are not the same thing. I was raised by a single mother. My biological father was never around. I can probably count how many times I spoke to or saw him before the age of 19 (when we reunited) on my 2 hands. He was definitely one of the reasons that I had very little trust for men…
Don’t wait! Don’t talk yourself out of your voice. You have the knowledge. You have the expertise. You have the power…to change someone’s life, through your words. There are people waiting to hear your story…read your children’s book, experience your fiction book, whatever it is. Don’t allow outside voices (or even your own voice) to detour you from that purpose.
What is the one thing you wish you knew before publishing your first book?
As I mentioned…I really wish I had known that a true marketing plan needed to be set in place. It really would have made launching my book a lot easier. And I would not have had to depend so much on word of mouth. Yes, my book was well received and I was able to get it into many hands, but the struggle and emotional drain was excessive.
Create a list of stores that you would like for your book to be in, then draft a letter with an excerpt of the book to peak interest of the store owner. Set up a virtual launch. Connect with bloggers who can help promote the book. Think about creating an affiliate program to place your book in front of several audiences at one time. The most important thing to remember is to have a solid plan, before just putting your book out there.
I didn’t really have marketing techniques. I utilized a lot of word of mouth and social media. I joined several entrepreneurial groups that allowed the sharing of projects and businesses. I made a list of 100 different groups that were connected with my niche’ and the topic of my book.
I searched to see if those groups allowed promoting of businesses and on what days. I became semi-active in those groups; taking 1-2 hours per week to post in them. On days that free promos were allowed, I made sure to give short experts of my book and a link for those who were interested in purchasing.
It was a very tiring grassroots effort, but it helped to build a solid email list, which kept me connected to my new audience.
If you had the chance to start your career over again what would you do differently?
Probably nothing. My career has been slow…it has been altered and it has been severely bumpy; all things that I dislike. In the midst of all of the setbacks…my slow, altered, bumpy career has given me an opportunity to raise a family…truly release myself from the pain of past events…find my purpose and get to know God in ways that may have never happened without the thorns.
Thorns hurt…very much.But they can usually be found in the midst of colorful, beautiful flowers. I choose to enjoy the flowers.
Kiss with ALove is a wonderful podcast hosted by Entrepreneur and Business Woman Angela Lewis. This podcast digs into the root of where success really stems from; knowing and loving of ourselves.
If you only had $1000 dollars to promote a new book, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
Lol…it would definitely be on marketing; perhaps connecting with a social media expert and popular YouTubers/Bloggers. When you are able to collaborate with the right person, whose audience fits directly into your desired niche’, not only can promoting be easier, but it can also become more fulfilling.
What is your favorite quote?
My favorite quote is actually my own which simply says…I am never your competition, sometimes your collaborator, always your cheerleader.
I don’t have to attend every one of your events or “comment” on every one of your posts, for me to celebrate your accomplishments. I’m cheering for all those that I know and love. And I am always expecting them to win. If I can step in and help them create that win…it’s a slam dunk for us both!
Who should we interview next and why?
Angela Lewis. She is an Author, Speaker and Success-driven Entrepreneur. Her goal is to help others see the greatness in themselves. She is touching the hearts of women everywhere and changing lives…with her words!
How can we get in touch with you?
You can always connect with me through my website: ShelleyMechette.com or join my email list@ WorkwithShelleyM.com. I am also on social media IG: @ShelleyMechette FB: Shelley Meche’tte.
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