Sonal Sheth Zawahri is eager to share her story of overcoming the fear she had of social media.
She will address how the reality of social media can support a business.
Zawahri was approached by another storyteller to see if she would be interested in joining the Social Media Dames UNconference, set for 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Nov. 19 at the Huston Theatre at Launch Fishers.
“The biggest point I’m going to be making is how to be authentic on social media,” she said.
The Fishers resident is a life coach and a speaker and trainer in emotional intelligence.
“I started my business in 2017,” Zawahri said. “I built my own content and built programs. I go out in this beautiful world and talk to individuals about their organization and culture. I’m all about people development.”
Zawahri recently authored a book, “Have You Stretched Today.”
“It teaches people how to stretch out of their comfort zone using emotional intelligence model,” she said.
Zawahri designed two decks of cards when businesses were hit hard during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The cards contain positive messages that can be handed out.
“There is one deck good for everybody that (they) can pass out to others that has compliments,” Zawahri said. “Even when you meet strangers, you can give the cards to them. The belief is leadership does not have to be born, and the great thing is, when people receive compliments, they feel valued. The original deck I created is Val-U cards. I made them for managers and employees to share.”
Zawahri said one card example is a “I love how you are open to new ideas.”
“My biggest motto is when people feel valued, they show up on purpose,” Zawahri said. “We have to let people know they matter and they count. I do that through emotional intelligence and diversity.”
Zawahri, who immigrated from India in the early 1970s, said this is the fourth reinvention of her career.
“I taught high school and college for 17 years in biology,” she said. “My second career was, I started my business as an educational consultant. I went to charter schools and trained science teachers. My third job career was working for Wiley Publishing in the educational area, and I sold textbooks all over the country to professors for about seven years. When I got laid off in 2017, I told my husband I just need to start this business. I’m 51 and I started it in my late 40s, and I decided I’m just going to find a way to make this happen.”
Her husband, Tarek Zawahri, is a teacher in Warren Township.
“We are both passionate about helping others,” said Zawahri, who has an 8-year-old daughter, Nadia Asha Zawahri. “I want to show my daughter no matter how hard it gets, you pick back up and figure it out.”
For more, visit SonalShethZawahri.com. For tickets to UNconference, visit smdames21a.eventbrite.com.
