 What is your favorite part of the day? Happy L. That's the way I was not expecting that. Hi, I'm Shannon Shruax, the VP of Social Hierarch Go Daddy, and this is School of Hustle, the show where we find advice and inspiration for people who are making their own way. Today I'm excited. We are filming from the heart of the hustle in New York City. We're at the WeWork Times Square with a live studio audience and a fantastic guest. She's worn many hats, but she found her most rewarding job in 2013 when she founded Stand Beside Them. I want everybody to give Stephanie Richmond a really warm welcome. Thanks, Shannon. It's really great to be here. We're really happy to have you. I'm so fascinated, Stephanie. You've been a lawyer, a reporter, a real estate broker, a lobbyist, a life coach. There's a lot of accomplishment in any one of these things. Well, thank you. I appreciate that a lot. There's even more than that, but I want we'd be here all day. I reinvention my middle name. And it's the journey, right? It's the journey in life. It's not always the destination. Absolutely. But with that said though, Stand Beside Them is the nearest and dearest to your heart. Absolutely. Without a question. And I would love for you to tell us more about this very important organization that you founded. Thank you. Stand Beside Them is a nonprofit organization and we're composed of coaches from around the country. And these are very highly qualified, experienced, talented and certified coaches who are trained to be coaches. And they coach on a variety of things from small business development to career to life and relationships, all kinds of health and wellness. And what they do is they are dedicated to giving back to veterans and their spouses during their transition back to civilian life because they deserve it. They've given so much for our country. And we have 180 coaches in 30 states right now. We started with five, six years ago. So we're really spreading all over the country. That's amazing. Thank you. What is it like, you know, when you transition from something into a space that's so different than the one previous? It's difficult and that's the thing. A lot of coaches go into transition coaching because they're aware these passages can be quite difficult. But I learned a lot going through them. What are some of the things that you've learned? Is there like a top lesson that you would... Absolutely. Well, the first thing I learned is it's very, very important to love to learn to network. Now, networking is just a wonderful tool for any transition toolbox. I mean, you have no idea where your next opportunity could be. Once I was on a bus and I was talking to somebody, I went up getting a job in the law department at this big company because I happened to talk to this person sitting right next to me. And another time I was standing in line at the airport in Washington, D.C., standing next to Dan Rather of 60 Minutes. So I spoke to him. I said, you know, I know you're a lawyer and you went into journalism. I want to do the same thing. So he said, send me a resume. Six weeks later, I had a job at CBS News assisting the producer there with stuff that appeared on 60 Minutes. So I'm just so... I have to tell you never know where your next opportunity could be. What are some of the things that would make somebody not want to work with a coach? Because to me, I'm thinking, sign me up. You know, I want to coach. I've worked with coaches myself, too, in my life, but what are some reasons why people just wouldn't do it? You know, if people have those roadblocks, how can they get past them? That's a very good question. Well, you know, all I can suggest is that they try... try it out first before they make that decision because some people just can't focus and can't be regular, kept on track because they're overwhelmed with too many things. So we try... we have coaches who help with work-life balance so I would really give it a try if you can't figure out what you want to do. There's nothing embarrassing or like admitting you don't know something about it. It has nothing to do with that. You just need to kind of get over those, maybe those fears. Oh, absolutely. And just try it. Do you know what somebody said to me once? They said, you know, I never knew what I didn't know until I saw a coach. Stephanie, I know that you have so much more advice to share. We're going to get there. We're going to play a game that we call hustle time. It's fun. I want to get to know you personally. So we're going to set a timer for 60 seconds. Okay. And you're going to try to get through as many questions as you can in the 60 seconds. So say the first thing that comes to mind so that you can get through as many as possible. Okay. You can think on a question, but it will cost you. Okay. Before we go, do you feel you want to cut, shuffle, knock anything? Sure. Don't be nervous. I swear it's fun. Can we have 60 seconds on the clock? Ready, set, go. Would you rather never get angry or never be envious? I'd rather never get angry. Favorite movie theater treat? Popcorn. Dogs or cats? Dogs. New York or London? New York. Karaoke, is it about talent or commitment? Commitment. New York City tourists, help with directions or keep going? Help with directions. Song that is currently stuck in your head? I don't have one stuck in my head. Favorite breakfast food? Oatmeal. Who is someone that defines successful to you? George Clooney. Would you rather have more time or more money? More time. Vacation, lounge on the beach or be on an active hike? Oh, lounge on the beach. Your go-to outfit? Jeans and a sweatshirt. Apple or Android? Apple, definitely. Favorite movie? Oh, my favorite movie. Oh, God. They're so gone with the wind. Oh! There's a lot here. 14. How many did we get? 14. 14? That's fantastic. Yeah. Nice job, Stephanie. Let's get back to business. I would like for you to tell us what a typical day looks like for you. Okay. There is no typical day. Wouldn't that be nice if there was? That's what I like about it, actually. Yeah. But what I do is the first thing I do after I get my coffee is make sure that all the people that we're coaching have been paired with a coach. Because sometimes somebody may have come in overnight on the system. Yeah. And I just want to make sure that nobody's waiting to be coached. And after I take care of that, then we go through, okay, are there any events that we're planning that we have to work on? Any other organizations I need to speak with? And then planning with the board, with our board for the budget for the next year to apply for grants. You know, when we just go through all the tests that we have, we never catch up. And then the next day we started again. What is your favorite part of the day? Happy hour. I was not expecting that. No, it's real. My favorite part of the day is if I know that I've done a good job matching somebody and I get that little warm feeling that I know, oh, that person's going to really do well with this. I'm so glad. And when I find out the coach is available and that the coach is ready and excited, you know, and then I say, well, this is who you're coaching. So I feel like a matchmaker, you know. It's nice. It's very good. And most, almost all the time, I've made a good pairing. Sometimes just not a good fit. And then we just get another coach. And that's okay. Yeah. Well, I got some great advice from a coach who said I should consider going back to school. And I went to NYU to be a coach. And I never thought in my wildest dreams after law school that I would ever go back to school for anything, but I did. And I'm glad I became, if I didn't listen to that advice, I wouldn't have become a coach. And I wouldn't have found my real purpose with Stand Beside Them. What is the worst piece of advice that you have gotten along the way? Well, the worst piece of advice came in law school. And I had this horrible professor who was a real bully. And he called on me every day, every single day in front of 200 people. So I was getting myself sick. I couldn't sleep. The Constitutional Law, the toughest class. Oh, gosh. I couldn't read anything else. So my parents said, well, you've got to quit. This is too much for you. You know, they were telling me to quit. Oh. When the going gets tough, walk away. Yeah. Not the best advice. No, it wasn't. Well, I was really lucky. Yeah. You know what happened? I went up going to a dinner party with him. And next to me was the head of Harvard University's Constitutional Law, the professor who wrote all the books. He asked me who my professor was. And I told him, he was my student. And he started telling me these really funny things about him. So the next time I got called on, I just started laughing. And he never called on me again. I was so happy. So I didn't have to quit. Well, everyone's human at the end of the day. Right? Exactly. Use your career to help and inspire people. Well, you know, I think people can see that a lot of people who are around my age are have are retiring. And they see I have a tremendous amount of energy and passion for what I do. And I think the fact that I have that passion, and I finally found a purpose that means so much, I can't imagine ever not doing it. I think that inspires them. And I think I've had friends now who are young, who are of all ages. And it's just very rewarding. And it's so exciting. I love it. I know when I was young, I wouldn't have been so in my age. But, you know, it just really, really says, it must be something about what I'm doing that's infectious, I guess. I love that. And it's just great to have people of just all kinds of diversity in your life anyway. Right? Oh, yes. I love that. I never felt like walking away at any point. And maybe we can talk about your current work with Stand Beside Them. Has there ever been a point where you felt like walking away? No. You know, it's funny though. There have been some discouraging moments, like any news when we were a startup. God, I didn't know running a nonprofit would have so many hurdles, so many obstacles. But then, just then, it's like God came to untap me on the shoulder. And I get a call from a veteran who'll say to me, I just want you to know how you changed my life. I was ready to go on subsistence. You know, I didn't know what to do. I was at my wit's end. I couldn't get the doors of wooden open for me. And since I had your coaching, I got two job offers twice what I was even seeking. So I get a call like that, or I get another one. I get them all the time now, thank God. But that always happens at a low point. And I look at it as a sign. I'm meant, this is meant to continue. And I've never given it thought to quit. Never. Not yet, anyway. That's amazing. What is one thing that you still need to learn? Oh, that's very easy. Patience. Patience. Me too. It's the worst for me. I don't know where I was when that was given out. I won everything yesterday. Exactly. And what is one thing that you want people to learn from you? Well, I'd like them to know that it's never too late in life to find your real purpose, that you can do it. And if you need a coach, don't ever feel stuck or alone. You can have someone right by your side, just like we do for the veterans. That's what I'd like them to learn. That's really nice. I like that a lot. Thank you. We put out to our tribe and social that you were coming. And Fernando has a question for you. What was your inspiration for starting Stand Beside Them? I had several. You know, I had some family members who were in the military. And I was working as a coach, helping people through transition. And I read a very significant report about the issues that transitioning veterans go through. When I read it, it was like a light bulb went off. I said, I wonder if there's a non-profit I could volunteer for that I could help veterans through my coaching. And there wasn't. So I had to research whether I wanted to do this because there are a lot of things you have to do. But I still was moving forward. And there was one person. His name is Naval Commander Everett Alvarez. He was the longest held POW in Vietnam. And he was the Deputy Director at the Peace Corps when I was the Assistant General Counsel. So he really inspired me how he could have a sense of humor and laugh after nine and a half years as a POW in the most brutal place in the world. I thought, this is resilience. This is values. And he still wanted to serve our country when he came back. And that's the other thing that I'm always inspired about is how much veterans care about other veterans. He went on to be the Deputy Administrator at the VA. So I called him up and I said, Everett, do you think I should do a non-profit for veterans? And he said, well, after working six years as the number two guy at the VA, absolutely. You can do a lot on the local community level. So I started out thinking this is going to be just in New York. But now it's national, so it's very, very exciting. I love that. We have one question from our studio audience today. And this question is from Scott. What has helping people as a career taught you about yourself? Well, what has taught me about myself is that I really like people and that I enjoy and feel great about what I'm doing. It also taught me that I'm a compassionate, empathic person, which is nice to be. Sometimes people aren't and they have to cultivate it, but I think it's a natural thing in me. So while I don't have other things like patience, I do have compassion. Oh, I love that. Well, there's one last question. And this question comes from Noodle, our resident pug. He doesn't have a lot of money. He relies on his owner to pay all of his bills. But he wants to help and stand beside them. He loves to stand beside them as all about what can Noodle do to help even though he might not have a lot of money? Well, he can pose with me for some photos for Instagram. And then we can put a donate button. But that would be more for animals than for what we do. Well, he can tell his friends to call us. Go to our website. It's standbesidethem.org. Perfect. And there's a Join Us button where people can either volunteer or if they're certified coaches, they can be on the coach with us. Or they can just tell us what their strengths are and what they'd like to do. And money is always helpful, I know. But some people might not have it, but there's things that you can do to help that are beyond the dollar. Right? And you offer so many opportunities for people to get involved. So, Noodle, you hear that? You're well on your way. Now, in closing, we're going to end with one last piece of motivation and inspiration, if you will. Okay. I like to think of this as kind of a fortune cookie at the end of a really great meal. And it's just going to be random. And I want you to pick a card. Can I do it and hold on to him? Yep, just hold on to him. Absolutely. All right. So today's motivation by Tony Robbins says, setting goals is the first step into turning the invisible into the visible. What do you think about that? Oh, I think it's right on point. That's exactly what we do. We help set goals. But the most important thing is that we help get to the goal. And sometimes it's easy to set a goal by yourself, but then you really need help getting there. So that's Jesus Consimate Coach. I love it. Well, this was another edition of School of Hustle. I hope everybody loved it. Please let us know in the comments what you think. These are coming to you every single week across GoDaddy social, IGTV, Instagram stories, Facebook premiere, YouTube teasers on Twitter and LinkedIn. Follow us everywhere so you don't miss out because we have more fabulous people coming to you every week with a lot of great advice and inspiration to be had. And there's always more noodle. So subscribe and follow and see you soon. Thank you. Bye.