Bringing her personal insight and experiences to the table, Ellen Whitehead is hoping to inspire those around her at the Women in Business meeting hosted by the Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce on Jan. 31.
Whitehead, a poet, author and longtime employee of Clarkston Schools, is featured as the event’s guest speaker.
‘It’s quite an honor,? Whitehead said. ‘I’ve always focused my talks more on mental illness because that’s my passion… this is probably the first time I’ve stepped outside of the box and focused more on the business world and inspiring people.?
Whitehead spent 10 years researching for her book ‘Shell Song: Voices Deep Within – Stirrings of a Scattered Soul,? a semi-biographical account of her grandmother’s battle with schizophrenia. Over the years, Whitehead made several appearances to speak to people on the struggles of dealing with mental illness.
For Whitehead’s appearance at the Women in Business meeting, she is planning to focus more on how she found her inspiration to write the story.
‘I want to talk about how you can achieve any goal that you can set you mind to regardless of the options that come your way.?
Whitehead’s philosophy revolves around find inspiration and combining that inspiration with an individual’s gifts.
‘I think everybody has God-given gifts that you were given, that you were born with… and I think you need to nurture those gifts,? she said.
Whitehead said she found her inspiration for her book in her grandmother, Lydia Schettling, and she used that inspiration to fuel her passion to write. The combination kept her devoted to her project for the 10 years needed for completion.
Whitehead said her philosophy can transfer to the business world for people as long as they find their passion and set goals for themselves.
‘In the business world, if your passion is to make a million dollars, then you need to set goals and ways that you can achieve that,? she said.
In addition, White stressed the importance of focusing on today.
‘The one thing I’ve learned through the whole process is you can’t go back to the past mistakes you’ve made… If you rely too much on the past or rely too much on the future, you’re going to get stuck in a rut, and you really need to focus on today,? Whitehead said, encouraging people to set small goals every day to work towards.