Meet Dawn Sipley | HR Consultant/Career Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dawn Sipley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dawn, what do you attribute your success to?
I think the most important factor behind my success is that I am consistent. Someone once told me, “I bet you preach from a barstool and cuss in church”, it made me laugh and I know for a fact I have done both! I think my authentic, nonapologetic nature has served me well, most of the time. It attracts the clients, employees, and vendors to my door that appreciate my “style” while repelling the ones that I would become frustrated with over time. We live in a culture that is always trying to look successful, seem happy, and staunchly announce that everything is “fine”. HR is known for their office politics and PC way of communicating which I think inhibits growth. As professionals and leaders in business, we have to have accountability with love, transparency to build trust, and confidence to make big moves, unapologetically. It’s ok to make a mistake, just own it. We will offend and hurt others, but be quick to ask for forgiveness, not just apologize. That is my brand, I am an unpolished professional who shows up authenically. People sense that, they appreciate it, and I think it’s been a huge factor in my success. Outside of that soft skill, I am an avid reader. I am constantly educating myself and love to learn. People hire me for my knowledge, so I never stop investing in that and it’s allowed me to grow quickly, as an expert in my field. I have seen great success and I am not even 40 yet! I can’t wait to see what is on the other side now that I feel that I have hit my stride.

What should our readers know about your business?
After 16 years in HR, 12 of those inside of the staffing industry, I realized most business owners can’t afford an HR Director or a staffing company. They don’t want someone to do it for them, they really do want to learn but there is no one in this market that will walk that path next to them, grooming them to be the best leader possible. Hiring is a VITAL part of any successful business and it’s so much more than a skillset. We hire whole humans, their talents, their weaknesses, their personalities, their cultural tendencies, their family dynamics, their communication style and so much more. THAT is what sets me apart!

I got to where I am today through reading, listening, and loving people. I educate myself on my industry, competition, trends, laws, leadership, etc. Listen to people and ask a lot of questions. Don’t assume you know what they need. Give people the benefit of the doubt. Usually, when mistakes are made, it’s from ignorance, not from malicious intent. Love the people, hate the sin…lol

What do I want the world to know? Perseverance got me where I am today. I was homeless as a child, Drug addicted/alcoholic parents, not smarter than anyone else but I am been steady, committed, and willing to fail, which happens far less than I expected honestly. Surround yourself with people you admire and respect. Remembering you are the average of your 7 closest acquaintances, level up, all the time and live life expectant of greatness. I suffered and honestly sometimes even today struggle with “imposter syndrome”. The day I had the opportunity to meet GW Bush, I thought to myself, if they only knew who I really was or where I came from, I wouldn’t be in this room. That wasn’t true, I earned the invitation, by being me, serving others without expectation, and showing up!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Being a born Chubb (maiden name) and 3rd generation Central Floridian, there would be lots of amazing locally-owned restaurants that we would visit and a “real Florida” experience. I am a huge proponent of keeping my money local and not corporate, so we would support those types of places. I would stay away from the theme parks and head straight to the Springs, Beaches, forests, lakes, and historic areas. Sanford is one of my favorite cities in Central Florida, even though my grandfather was the 2nd mayor of Winter Park, one of the oldest cities in the area. Tennessee Truffle, The Current, Slam Pizza are some of my go-to places to eat, while Blue Springs, Devils Den, Wekiva Springs would be some places we would have to visit. Port Canaveral and Cocoa Beach are my favorite local beaches. Watching the ships go by along with all the commerce is amazing to see, while the sand is just amazing with no cars on the beach. The space coast holds so much history of our nation and A1A is always a fun ride!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have been blessed with many mentors along my path, from HS until today, folks have come in and out of my life for a season and walked different paths with me but right now, the one that stands out most would be Action Church and the pastors and leaders there that have invested in me. I had been with the same company for 12 years when I made the dramatic shift of starting my own company after a dramatic and emotional separation of employment from a company where I had significant ownership. My life was good, but I was not in my calling. The church has an amazing leadership program that groomed me to be a better leader and open my eyes to areas of improvement and the bravery to stand my ground not for what I felt I deserved but what I had earned. They were more than a “We will pray for you”, kind of church. They showed up through the doubt, fears, anxiety, joy, and success!

Website: www.sipleythebest.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sipleythebest/

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/dawnsipley

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dsipley and https://www.facebook.com/SipleyTheBest

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8MfFK-KzWlDkE736MICAnQ