Penny Sampson is an assertiveness specialist + cutting-edge biz coach and the rebel ringleader of a new business paradigm where her mandate is to see all female entrepreneurs ignite their inner artist, get visible and vocal, live uncensored and fully expressed, and take their Business Center Stage.

After 20 years of being intimately involved with the music and fashion industry – spotting talent and styling rising stars, and delivering negotiation and assertiveness training in the corporate world, Penny was deemed successful by society’s standards but was feeling more and more disconnected from her own Inner Artist. Her rebel side finally won and Penny decided to re-launch herself as an entrepreneur – one who fully embraced and expressed her individuality to create a unique personal brand that left nothing out.

She calls it “divine liberation of the soul” and that’s what she teaches to hundreds of women through a series of programs, where her clients master The Art of Assertiveness & Negotiation so they can grow and maintain a thriving and prosperous business. Enjoy her exclusive Business Heroine interview…

BH: Tell us more about you. What was your journey like from successful in the eyes of society to successful according to your own rules?

Penny: A bit about me…I’ve always been a rule-breaker, risk-taker, maverick and black sheep. I learned early on during childhood that I was different and growing up in a small town at times made that quite hard. I saw life through very different eyes than the masses, didn’t agree with conformity and lack of individuality.

This made it very hard to work for others. So initially when I set out to get a job, I gravitated to the music / entertainment industry because it was an easy fit. At least there I could express my creativity, uniqueness and rebel nature but, later on once my first born had reached five years old I thought it was time to “grow up” and get a “real” job. So I set my sights on corporate. I have always succeeded and excelled at every position I have held but, my heart was never in it. I found myself constantly challenging the status quo, rocking the boat, trying to improve policy and processes which of course was not always met with overwhelming appreciation.

For many, change can be unsettling because comfort of living with what is “known” tends to be far easier. Going with the flow, whether they despise the flow or not and whether they are feeling fulfilled in life or not, seems to be the obvious choice. Better to be part of the problem than part of the solution, if the solution means risk and possible negative consequence from others. For this reason and many others, entrepreneurship was not the easy choice but, the logical one. I wanted to do business on my terms, according to my rules and understandings because Success to me, means loving what I do, being fully expressed and uncensored in all areas of my life and in full integrity with my core values.

So, began the journey.

BH:  What was the defining moment when you were fed up… like career you had built or the box you had to fit in was not acceptable anymore and you just HAD to do something different?

Penny: I was burning out and I knew it. I have an innate ability to be “on” when I am required to. To flip a switch and be what is needed in any given moment. This made it incredibly easy for me to train others, coach and team-build but, what I found was that I was training in ways that were heavily in conflict with my core values. I didn’t agree with the way the companies were run, the way the employees were treated (particularly women) and what was being asked of me. I would find myself torn and exhausted by the end of the day, then literally dreading having to do it all over the following morning. Add to that, the additional “required” hours for management with no additional pay, as I was salaried, lack of lunches in the interest of achieving and you have a recipe for disaster.

One morning I woke up and my body was in complete resistance and I knew that a phone call had to be made and that I would no longer be part of the system. I was ready to start creating a new system. One where women owned their value, their voice and their individuality and were compensated in kind.

BH:  Why is it so important for entrepreneurs to have a dynamic personal brand that incorporates your individuality, quirks and all?

Penny: Your personal brand is what sets you apart from the masses and also is precisely what draws your ideal clients, friends and colleagues to you but, more importantly it is what provides you with total liberation and freedom to create, market, write and express yourself in a way that feeds your soul. I often get asked by my clients, “But, what if no one likes me for who I am, the way I dress, or how I express myself?” My response is first “No One?” Second response is “Good! Then you are precisely where you want to be.”

When you finally come to a place where your personal brand and you are in full alignment, living authentically and fully self-expressed — not just personally, but professionally as well, it’s like having awakened the deepest expression of your soul’s purpose — and blasting it out to the world with an amplifier.

Now it also helps to weed out those who are NOT your ideal by natural selection. You don’t have to do the work…they do it for you and who doesn’t want that?

BH:  How does one invent their brand? What is the process like?

Penny: I don’t believe your personal brand is something that you invent because then it becomes contrived and phony. It will feel completely out of alignment and you will have a heck of a time maintaining it. I believe that we all have a little bit of Rockstar in us, though it is going to look differently for each of us.

The key is to tap into:

• What do you love about yourself

• What music / fashion / art / books feed your soul and make you feel alive (yes it all plays it’s part)

• What is unique about your – skills, experiences, talents, gifts, education

When have you felt most:

• Alive

• In control

• Powerful

• In your element

• At home with yourself

• Fully Expressed

Take some time and write it all out. Really explore who YOU are. Your personal brand is already inside you. You simply want to give yourself permission to let her shine!

BH:  What are some of the biggest challenges women entrepreneurs encounter when taking on their unique uncensored brand?

Penny: The biggest challenges that I see women in general facing are lack of:

• Value

• Faith in themselves

• Voice (the ability to assert themselves, their thoughts and core beliefs)

• Fear of judgment and the need to be liked

• Concern for what others may “think” if they really show up as themselves

And these I believe are crippling us as a global community of women. These notions, create lack of trust, animosity, jealousy and competition when in reality once you liberate yourself from the concern of what others may feel, think or do in reaction to who you are and just accept yourself fully and show up 110% as you are, the reverse is actually true.

The fastest way to diffuse fear and judgment is to OWN who you are unconditionally and unapologetically.

BH:  Tell us about your program, the Power of Presence. What can our heroines expect?

Penny: The Power of Presence is a unique program that I designed to help women tap into their Iconic Brand from the inside out. It is designed to guide women on their own journey of clearing out what no longer serves, plus deep self-discovery, tapping into areas such as who there were, who they are and then looking at who they want to be and how they want to be seen by others. In addition, it includes over 60 pages of “fashion” content, tips and tricks that they can use to enhance and ignite their personal presence and style.

BH:  What is one action we can take today to become fully self-expressed and uncensored in business and life?

Penny: Do one thing that you have been wanting to do but, that would be in stark contrast to what others would expect you to do. For example, if you have been dressing conservatively in order to blend, or because you feel that this is expected but, on the inside you long to wear tight black skinny jeans, thigh high boots with a rockin’ heel, a tailored jacket with low cut tankie, paired with some bold jewelry…do that!

Or, if in your personal life you swear occasionally and use fun slang and catch phrases incorporate that into your marketing, writing and posts. Above all, release the concern for others and how they may “feel” about you after the fact and allow them to figure out for themselves how they wish to proceed with your relationship.

This is your life to live so Enjoy It, Be Bold, Uncensored and Lead (by example) from Center Stage!

To learn more about Penny and unleashing your inner rockstar, visit:

PennyLSampson.com

January 2014 Issue