Meet Shelby Tinsley, the founder of iShallBe Daily Affirmation App. She a young leader in the tech industry and has been recognized by publications such as The Source, Black Enterprise, and Medium. Today we get to learn a little more about her journey and what inspired her to create it.
Jerren Willis (JW): Can you tell us more about iShallBe and what motivated you to create the app?
Shelby Tinsley (ST): iShallBe is a daily affirmation app that encourages users to speak positivity into existence. I was encouraged to create iShallBe because I want to create a social platform for people to not only receive notification but to connect and inspire other people on the journey of life.
JW: What kind of feedback have you received from users? What’s your most memorable story you’ve been told?
ST: The best feedback that I received was during a time when I felt defeated with defeated with the progress of iShallBe. I was considering giving up the app because it had become too much financially. Then one day I received a random message from someone thanking me for creating the app because after a week of receiving daily affirmations from the iShallBe app they were feeling better about their current setback. This individual lost their job after 20 years and did not know what to do, but reading iShallBe affirmations helped them stay encouraged and press forward as they defeated the current challenge that were facing.
JW: Your app has been recognized by publications such as The Source, Black Enterprise, and Medium in a very short time after your app went live in December 2017. Tell us about the things your team and you did to achieve so much so quickly.
ST: Developing a mission statement that genuinely connects with people and their everyday life is key. With iShallBe, the mission is to encourage all people to speak positivity over their lives no matter the circumstance. Through developing personal relationships with our users via our events and promoting the mission of iShallBe on all social media platforms, these tools have assisted and will continue to help iShallBe strive for greatness.
JW: You also have other interests and jobs along with running iShallBe. How do you maintain a proper work-life balance that fits you?
ST: As an entrepreneur it can be very hard to maintain a work-life balance when working two jobs to fulfill my entrepreneur goals. Therefore, my faith reminds me that my hard work will soon pay off.
JW: You are also a 2013 graduate of Florida A&M University (FAMU). How did your experiences at a HBCU prepare you to take on such a challenge?
ST: As a proud graduate of FAMU, I am beyond grateful for my experiences and lifelong connections that were made. While I was there my self-esteem increased, I became a better woman, and it gave me the confidence to step out on faith and become an entrepreneur. It is because of my FAMU network that I have launched an app that has been downloaded worldwide and published in several media publications including Black Enterprise, Afrotech, Source Magazine, CNET, and many more. Choosing to continue my education there is the best decision I have made thus far in my life.
As a true Rattler, FAMU TODAY, FAMU TOMORROW, FAMU FOREVER!
Bio: Shelby Tinsley, Founder & CEO of iShallBe Daily Affirmation App, has created a multi-dimensional platform to encourage people to affirm purposeful thoughts and ideas into existence. As a young leader in the tech industry, Shelby has a lifetime of experience, creating opportunities through connecting words and people. As a newborn, she was named after an affirmation that she “Shall Be” all things without reservation.
As one of youngest women of color to design and launch an application of this kind, she has remained unwavering in her unique approach to ensure that people’s thoughts become their reality. Prior to stepping into her purpose, Shelby worked to educate diverse populations in best practices of employee engagement and company structures for government agencies, healthcare providers and private industry.
Shelby is a graduate of Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University, where she discovered her ability to creatively transform lives. She also holds a Masters of Art, in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, from the University of Detroit Mercy to help evaluate and assess productivity through various work environments. She is experienced in initiatives and projects that centered around active learning, classroom methodology and STEM. As a member of the NAACP and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., she has learned the fundamental approach to servant leadership—which she has brought into the operation of iShallBe. While growing up on the eastside of Detroit and becoming a product of her local public schools, Shelby has identified the beauty of encouraging individuals to find their talents and purpose. Website: www.ishallbe.co
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