#259 Civility Rules w/ Shelby Scarbrough

This week on the Wealthy Wellthy Podcast, I interviewed Shelby Scarbrough. 

Shelby and I met through one of my favorite podcast guests, Justin Breen. Justin is a master at connecting the two people who need to know each other. He hit the nail on the head with this one – Shelby and I are cut from the same cloth. She has an amazing story from traveling the world with presidents and dignitaries to becoming a successful entrepreneur who owns an accredited MBA school for entrepreneurship. 

In this episode, we discuss Shelby’s experiences working with the most powerful leaders in the world. She tells me what traits these leaders share that make them so successful, traits from which everyone can benefit. 

Shelby gives us her take on the importance of restoring civility to personal and public discourse, a topic about which she wrote a book titled, Civility Rules. She explains that civility is a personal responsibility and that once people adopt civility in their personal lives, it will return to politics. 

Finally, we dive deep into my favorite topic, entrepreneurism. Shelby was raised by entrepreneurs, working in her parents Burger King franchises from an early age. She maintained that entrepreneurial spirit even when she worked in the US Department of State, eventually combining her commitment to public service with her business acumen by opening the Global School of Entrepreneurship. 

In this episode, you will learn: 

Traits of effective leadership

Ins and outs of working with world leaders

Effects that a disconnected society has on civility

The difference between entrepreneurship and self-employment

Here are some of my favorite Shelby quotes: 

What did you learn from being up close and personal to the President? 

“For sure, it taught me the meaning of excellence and professionalism, because everything mattered, and I had to learn how to adjust if I was not perfect, but it was a hard lesson at first and a valuable one long term.”

What traits or practices do world leaders share that make them effective? 

“The top leaders in the world think differently, act differently, and show grace to other people.” 

How can we use technology to bring us together?

“When you look at all the things that we see in this world of technology, the best use of it is to create better connection. So the ability to look at each other right now (on Zoom) makes for a better discussion in my mind.”

Where do you think entrepreneurs go wrong, and what's the difference between those entrepreneurs and business owners that succeed and those that just can't ever quite make it work?

“When it's time to pivot, it's nice to have a term for it, but when it's time to stay the course, it's really difficult. There's something that I've worked on a little bit, and it's recognizing when to say, enough's enough, and to do it differently. I first look inward, versus looking outward, and I ask myself what I am doing or can do that will help me achieve whatever my goal is.”

Shelby’s Myth Bust...

“Entrepreneurship is more than a practitioner doing this thing for yourself. It's about building a great business that affects people's lives.” 

To learn more about Shelby’s MBA School for Global Entrepreneurship, click here.  

To purchase Shelby’s book, Civility Rules!, on Amazon click here.