Shelby Turner

Written by Filsan Abdiaman

Part 3

On Sept 29, 2019, PLR Vancouver had the pleasure of hosting guest speaker Shelby Turner.

She joined three other women to talk about managing self-care when you are your own Boss.

This is her Story: Shelby Turner

First, please tell us a little bit about yourself and your business.

I've been living in Vancouver full time for about 8 years now, I grew up in England with my family. My business partner, Kara, and I opened up The Attic Hair Studio 5 years ago - she is a hair dresser and I get to handle all of the administration and do a lash lift service (when I can find the time!) We saw a gap in the market for a gender neutral space in 2017 and opened our Barbershop, The Undercroft, shortly after.

What was your biggest inspiration for starting it?

My family has a long history of being entrepreneurs and I knew that I wanted to follow the same path, after having worked in retail for a few years I was certain that I didn't function well being told what to do!

What is your favourite part about running your own business?

My favourite part of running my own business is being able to create the kind of culture that we want to work in. We fight really hard to prevent drama and we absolutely do not tolerate passive aggressive behaviour. We want everyone to love coming to work - we have to spend so much of our lives with each other, lets all have fun and enjoy it!

What is the most challenging aspect of running your own business?

The most challenging part about owning a business is learning which battles to pick. Learning how to say no has been a huge challenge too but we always try to lead the team with a firm but fair attitude.

Did you face any obstacles / challenges during the beginning stages of the business? If so, how did you overcome them?

When we first took over the business I struggled to be respected and listened to by the older stylists (some of them were 3 times my age). I learned pretty quickly that respect had to be earned so by treating everyone with kindness and patience, as we transitioned into new ownership, helped them to see me as someone who could be trusted.

Please take us through an average day in the life of Shelby Turner

I'm usually at work every day that we are open, around 9am, and I manage the shop and see clients. My evenings are where I get to relax and run! I train with a coach at Mile2Marathon and spend any other time I have hanging out with my pup, Atlas! He's my favourite trail running buddy. I have a mild addiction to sweet treats so you can usually find me at various dessert places around the city sampling everything!

How do you manage your self-care?

Self care has been a HUGE part of my life this year, more so than any other year of my life in fact. After going through a tough break up in January I finally understood what it meant to choose myself. My routine shifted from first thinking about someone else's happiness to considering what I wanted and needed. Running started to feel easier, I learned to loosen my tight grip on the desire to control things and tried to go with the flow of life, instead of fighting it! Having strong and supportive girl friends who never gave up on asking me to join in was integral to the healing process. I started to make plans without worrying that something better would come along, eat whatever made me happy and decided to learn to meditate - which is something I absolutely can't live without now! Being able to create a quiet space in my mind where I can rest has made the biggest difference to my mental health. I also use a gratitude journal daily and the benefits of that have been boundless.

Lastly, what does "PLR" mean to you

Project Love Run has been a huge highlight of my year. Getting together with some of my favorite ladies on a regular basis helps to remind me of what is important in this life: sharing stories, supporting women and having fun!