“I want to empower humans who have been made to feel like failures in their attempts to find themselves” – Sharon Lee Zapata’s Mantra.
We are kicking 2021 off with an incredible Red Bra Guest who not only brings the creativity and inspiration, but leads the way rocking to her own beat. Learning, sharing and growing from her mistakes, shining her most colorful light along the way through “SBS” small batch sharing (more on that later)! Meet our Red Bra Guest in Episode 72 on The Red Bra Project YouTube Channel, Sharon Lee Zapata!
3X’s Author | Writer | Artist | Podcaster Sharon is unfiltered and tells ya how it is – the good, the great, crappy and in – between. She is a mover and shaker and is a strong reminder of if it doesn’t work out the first time, go back and try something different. DON’T STOP. Nope, she does not have a PR person, it is all her. She took a great tip from Gary Vee about documenting your life, just do it, do it messy and get better as you go. (Gahhh, that’s sooo good!)
Daily she walks her talk dropping gems and short stories of inspo on her IG feed, Podcast on iHeartRadio (Middle Finger Happiness podcast), in her books — literally ALL over and we are beyond elated to share her story with you!
Sharon has long ago let go of dimming her light for others. She shares so many awesome short snippets of her personal story with us from departing the Corporate World to pouring into her passion with Abstract Art to taking a chance and renting a kick – ass studio in the Silos in Houston and just so much MORE!
Let’s start with a little backstory. Sharon has been journaling for 20+ years. In August of 2015 she shared out her creative and quirky writing on her blog, called The Bitchy Business Briefs. It was her spot where she shared what was on her heart, mind and soul with others in a no filter way in the hopes that someone else out there needed to hear what she was saying and hopefully it could help that person in some way, if not just bring a good laugh. Six years later, same blog, different name Sharon’s insight, tools life hacks and more can be found at sharonleezapata with all kinds of goodness covering all the topics!
Sharon’s art studio is located in the Silos, one of the largest creative campus’ in the US. Architects, Engineers, Therapists, Artists and Artificial Intelligence companies fill up the 80,000 square feet of Industrial space. Tto say it is vibing with high energy is most likely understating this amazing space. Sharon’s SBS (small batch share) of how she came to rent the space is one worth tuning in for. Here’s the short version: Sharon knew in kindergarten she wanted to be an author, artist and Archaeologist, the three A’s. 😉 Sharon shares she was a quiet child, blossoming in about her junior / senior year of high school she had been listening and writing really for most of her childhood. After school she married, had a child, divorced and repeated. Currently on her third marriage that is wonderful (18 years married) she shares with us that her husband supports her in the most gentle of blunt ways, in which Sharon absolutely appreciates. He always encouraged her to do something with her artwork. What propelled Sharon into taking the leap and saying “YES” to her studio space was that one day in her career she won’t every forget, today she is grateful for it. Sharon was making killer money and a top recruiter. After only six months she was called into the office and let go. They told her it was because they knew she was not happy there, mind you Texas also has an at will employment law, so there’s that. Sharon was crushed. She called up a good friend who happens to also be a Corporate Attorney. Sharon’s friend had five minutes to hear the quick version of what just went down.
After listening, her friend’s words of advice were, “You have to go start your own thing, it’s time for you to do your own thing!” she said.
Sharon had driven past the Silos many of times thinking you have to be super bad – ass to get in there, she could never have a place like that, it’s probably super expensive. At one point in 2018 Sharon had her income tax return, walked in to look at the office space, loved the space but told the agent she had to think about it. Boom, the office space was gone the next day. Then, the agent called back and said, “another one opened up do you want it” YES was Sharon’s reply, she snapped it up without hesitation. While she had enough to cover her first and last month’s rent she really didn’t have the entire plan completely laid out….but she knew herself and trusted that she would figure it out. She started with offering small workshops, they grew, Sharon got braver and the rest is history – here she IS, three years later! Obviously, she figured it out and then some. 😉
“Any job I do, I do with passion,” Sharon shared. “It took me so many years to embrace who I am and what I do.” She explains that before you start sharing out what you do, it is really important to learn and like who you are.
Some of Sharon’s mentors are Grant & Elena Cardone and Steven Pressfield who is a huge author with over twenty books written to inspire and bring value. Speaking of bringing value…
A Sharon Quotable: “Be Helpful. Bring Value. Become Necessary” don’t be the girl that is nice to have around – be the girl who is necessary to have around.
Of course we couldn’t help but ask Sharon for some insight about each of her books and what inspired her to write each of them. Let’s take a look…
“It’s a New Day, Don’t Be a Shithead” that was born out of the carpool lane, in which most us can say we’ve been there at one point or another in our lives! This book is full of short little stories full of quotables from Sharon that are meant to inspire.
“The Little Book of Start-Up Inspiration: 20 Lessons learned the hard way dammit… from the most outrageous year of my entrepreneurial life” that was written in 2017 right around Hurricane Harvey hit Houston. Absolutely devastating. Sharon’s house flooded for the third time, many of her Client’s homes and businesses flooded and to this day, there are still homes left in destruction and empty. Sharon fell into a bad depression, had just started her own consultation business and had no idea what to do. She started volunteering at The HUB Houston where she saw thousands of people in line to just get things they need.
“When I saw a woman with two different shoes on, five kids and no bra and just in line to get things – Houston is an amazing city and we came together quickly. There was this place called Harvey Hub where you could get anything you needed, no limit, free. It was just amazing. I started volunteering there and it took the focus off of me and my funk. When you put your focus toward gratitude and giving back you have no choice but to give it to the gratitude and giving back. That’s when this book came out,” shared Sharon.
“Middle Finger Happiness: Work Hard. Live Well. Don’t F*ck With Me” was written eight months later that came from Sharon’s awesome tattoo that she wears on her arm and that eff it moment when she knew she had to make some changes. (Totally get it!) Sharon shares a little more about a toxic relationship she decided to cut – off at the time with her narcissistic mother and why she finally had to choose to do it for her in order to live her best life. She shares that once a decision is made like this it is an executive decision and you will not make everyone happy.
“If someone’s pissed off I just say, get in line because I have a long line of people,” laughed Sharon.
This book is full of Sharon’s various shit shows that she shares to help empower and inspire others. Sharon shares that once things are out in print a thick skin is required for all of the behind the scenes things that come to the surface. She explains that this is needed in order to help amplify your own voice and others to help support and create a positive change to help repair themselves.
**Middle Finger Happiness really IS the perfect blend of humor, real life stuff many of us have been through and some wonderful simple advice to navigate the rough patches of life, we know, because we have read it!**
Sharon’s Red Bra Moment:
I wrote a book, I would not buy it, it’s probably out of print, but it is called “The 12 Secrets for Successful Hispanic Woman” printed in 2007 during a time I was going through a very hard time with my narcissistic mother. At the time, I was asked to share the stage with Jackie Guerra , the actress who played the drummer in the movie, Selena. I was asked to be the Primary Speaker and I said, SURE! I took a stack of 40 books (not thinking that I would even come close to selling out) and well, I sold them out. People were crying and laughing in the audience as I gave my speech, then all of a sudden I realized that OMG, I have a good message. I tugged on the heartstrings. I feel like that was my Red Bra Moment (my toes were curled inside of my pumps;-)) when I realized I did it, in front of an audience of 1,000 people!
Loving what you have read so far? Please share Sharon’s story with a friend who may need it in their life. 😉
Thank you so much Sharon for hanging with us and having such a powerful conversation with us. We know it is going to inspire & support many people out there! Keep on rocking it!
Join us with Episode 72 and let us know how you are feeling after listening in! We are willing to bet after listening to Sharon you will be feeling like you absolutely CAN do the hard things and succeed! Oh and make sure you listen to the end for Sharon’s awesome and easy tip of how to deal with rude people with one word, it’s a good one. 😉
Here’s where to connect with the brilliant Sharon Lee Zapata:
@sharoneleezapata on IG, Twitter, FB and Club House
Thank you for stopping by, you are so appreciated! We hope this story inspired you or someone you know on some level. We know it did us, please share away.
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Xx,
The Red Bra Project
