Guest Post by Jennie Ritchie: How my scrappy mindset brought me to the Sjodin Communications team….

Posted March 14, 2019 by Terri Sjodin in Scrappy

Late in the summer of 2017, my husband (Wally) and I were strolling down the main street of Balboa Island, our favorite vacation spot, when Wally noticed a name on a door….Terri Sjodin, Professional Speaker. I was intrigued. My formal training is in the field of education, but I had a strong desire to become a coach and a speaker after self-publishing my first book in December 2015. When I returned home to Southern Utah, I researched Terri and found her book Scrappy. I immediately downloaded it and listened to it in just a few days. I loved how Terri’s words outlined helpful tools and real-world examples about people who had chosen to play big.

I looked back and recognized situations in my past where I had gotten scrappy…now I knew what to call it! My husband played major league baseball in the 1990’s, and when we moved to new cities (15 moves in the first five years of marriage), I would jump in the car and navigate the area on my own. When publishing my book, I learned programs and ways to make a book launch more successful. We’ve all had times in our lives where we’ve been successful by getting scrappy.

After finding Terri and Scrappy, I knew I wanted to play bigger in my life. I made a decision to learn more about working in the speaking industry and connect with Terri Sjodin. Time to get scrappy.

Our family had long dreamed about returning to Orange County, California…Newport Beach specifically. After reading Terri’s book, I continued to attract a job for my husband in Orange County and also crafted a plan to reach out to Terri. In October 2017, I sent Terri a heartfelt thank-you note and treat and this photo of myself in ‘scrappy’ boxing gloves in the hopes that we could start a conversation and possibly work together! It worked! Within a few days, I got a call from Terri’s assistant, which led to a meeting at one of her events in Las Vegas. Terri and I share similar personalities and drive. A few months after meeting, she agreed to bring me on as an intern. I was thrilled! (Becoming an intern in my 40’s reminded me of a scene from the film The Intern with Robert DeNiro and Anne Hathaway.)

Whenever I was in Orange County, I worked in the office and started learning the ropes of Sjodin Communications. Traveling back and forth and learning a new system wasn’t always easy, but I got scrappy! I became more and more impressed with Terri’s reputation and the client care she and her team consistently provided. I knew I had found a home. Over a year later, in the fall of 2018, my husband received a job offer in Orange County and our ‘scrappy’ plan started falling into place.

My husband started his job in the middle of January and I am presently in the office every 2-3 weeks. I am excited to join the team full-time this summer and serve the clients of Sjodin Communications. If there is anything I can do to make your client experience smoother, please don’t hesitate to ask. And remember….stay Scrappy!