We’re looking forward to introducing you to Dr. Stacy Shepard . Check out our conversation below.
Hi Dr. Stacy , thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
The first 90 minutes of my day are sacred. I typically wake up between 4:00 and 5:30 AM, and that time is fully dedicated to meditation with God. I read my Word, sit with my devotional, and spend intentional time in prayer. This rhythm has become non-negotiable for me.
Over the years, I’ve learned the power of starting my day with God, of asking Him to go before me, to cover my steps, and to anchor my thoughts. As a professional and business owner, no two days are ever the same. Challenges come quickly and unpredictably, and without that early morning grounding, chaos can easily creep in.
My greatest advice to fellow entrepreneurs and leaders? Start your day with God. Before the emails, before the meetings, before the noise center yourself in His presence. I promise you, it will shape your day and steady your path.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Dr. Stacy Shepard an award-winning middle school principal, empowerment strategist, and the Founder and CEO of AriseNOW, a global life coaching and empowerment organization dedicated to helping women rise confidently into their purpose personally, professionally, and spiritually.
With over 18 years of experience in education and leadership, I’ve made it my mission to create spaces where both women and youth feel seen, heard, and equipped to thrive. I also host the podcast “A Note From the Principal’s Desk,” where I share leadership insights, personal lessons, and real conversations drawn from my experiences in education and life. ” A Note From the Principal’s Desk streams on Apple Podcast, Spotify, iHeart Radio and Amazon Music.
As a certified life coach, speaker, breast cancer survivor, and single mother, I understand the layers of resilience required to lead, heal, and grow. My work is grounded in passion, authenticity, and the deep belief that adversity can become fuel for purpose. Over the years, I’ve had the honor of being featured in Bold Journey, Voyage Phoenix, and Canvas Rebel, and I was recently a featured face of the 2025 Mesh Dollhouse “Empower Her, Empower All” Billboard Campaign, with my image displayed on 24 billboards throughout Dallas, Houston, and Atlanta.
In addition to leading AriseNOW, I recently launched SheLeads, an educational coaching firm created specifically to support women in education whether they are current leaders or aspiring ones. I know firsthand the challenges women face in educational leadership, and SheLeads is designed to provide the mentorship, strategy, and sisterhood needed to navigate it all.
I also founded the AriseNOW Book Club Community, which brings together women from across the country to connect over rich, meaningful books and conversations that go beyond the pages and into life itself.
This year, I was honored to be speak at the University of Buffalo, along with several other impactful engagements nationwide. Whether I’m presenting to future leaders, coaching a client, or sharing on a podcast mic, my goal is always the same: to uplift, equip, and empower.
For me, it’s not just about leadership titles—it’s about legacy. And I believe every woman has the power to rise and lead from exactly where she stands.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
Growing up in the 80s, especially in a small military city, the narrative for girls was very clear, and very limiting. We were taught to be “good girls” do well in school, go to college, find a husband, get a job with the state, have children, retire, and then you can travel and enjoy life. That was considered the blueprint for success. And for many, it still sounds like a decent life.
But I’m grateful for a mother who once told me, “You can have good, or you can have great.” That one sentence changed everything for me. I knew I didn’t want to settle for “good” if “great” was possible the kind of great that aligns with God’s purpose for my life, not just the world’s definition of success.
As a child, I believed life had to follow one script. Now, I know better.
I no longer believe that there’s just one path for women or one timeline to follow. I’ve come to deeply believe that women can truly have it all whatever “all” means for them. Life isn’t one-size-fits-all. We each walk different journeys and come into different seasons at different times and that’s more than okay.
I celebrate the friends who married young and the ones who married later. I celebrate the ones who discovered their purpose early and the ones who bloomed later in life. Because I now know that we are never behind we are always right on time. And I believe with my whole heart that God redeems the time. Everything we’re meant to do, we’ll do if we let Him lead.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering taught me to slow down and truly embrace the journey. When you’ve been in what feels like an unending battle whether in your career, business, or personal life it can be hard to see the beauty, let alone feel joy. But suffering has a way of sharpening your vision. It strips away the noise and reveals what really matters.
Before stepping into leadership and launching businesses, I carried a lot of arrogance and judgment. I thought more highly of myself than I should have. I looked down on people who didn’t “have it together.” But God, in His mercy, allowed me to walk through a two-year season of intense loss that would humble me in ways I never expected.
I lost my apartment. My car was repossessed. My career was put on pause because of pending charges. I was left with a broken heart, empty bank account, and a reputation in pieces. I had to leave my dream city and return home to work at a telemarketing job living under the same roof as my parents, just like the people I had judged years before.
That season broke me—but it also built me.
It taught me that nothing in life is guaranteed. That we’re all one or two bad decisions away from starting over. That no amount of education, status, or money can insulate us from life’s storms. It taught me empathy. It taught me humility. And most importantly, it taught me to see people and myself through a lens of grace.
I wouldn’t wish that suffering on anyone, but I wouldn’t trade what it taught me for anything. I emerged from that season a different woman. Success didn’t shape me suffering did.
Today, I walk in rooms with humility. I celebrate what I’ve accomplished, but I know I’m only here because God kept me. I always say, “God gets the glory,” because that’s the truth. The success I have now doesn’t define me it reminds me of what’s possible when you let God be God and trust Him to redeem every part of your story.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
Absolutely. I’m very much a “what you see is what you get” kind of person. But that authenticity didn’t come overnight I had to unlearn a lot to get here. For years, I believed I had to code-switch depending on the room I was in, the people I was around, or the role I was playing. But that belief wasn’t rooted in truth it was rooted in societal pressure and survival mechanisms.
I’ve come to realize that the world doesn’t need a curated version of me. It needs the real me flaws, faith, fire and all. And once I embraced my true self, everything changed. I no longer felt the need to adjust or shrink depending on who walked into the room. Authenticity became my power.
Because when you’re grounded in who you are, you don’t perform you live. And that kind of freedom? It’s priceless.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
This is such a powerful question one I’ve wrestled with personally. I used to be deeply rooted in titles. I wore my roles like armor. I thought they defined me. But then life sat me down. For 11 years, God wouldn’t allow me to stand on any stage, speak publicly, or inspire from a platform. Everything I had clung to—roles, recognition, material success—was stripped away.
And in that silence, I met myself.
I learned that when it’s all said and done, I can’t take any of those things with me. Titles are temporary. Possessions fade. Even in a career I’ve given my heart to, I learned the hard truth I can be replaced. When I got sick, the system kept going. In business, I realized clients can leave at any time. None of it is promised.
What I now know for sure is this: it is not I who makes my name great it’s GOD. And only in His timing.
So if you stripped away the titles, the accolades, the material things…what would remain?
For me, what remains is my truth, resilience, peace, joy, empathy, love and kindness just to name a few. These are the things no one can take away. They aren’t contingent upon applause, position, or possession. They are soul-deep. And they’re the truest reflection of who I am becoming.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.arisenowllc.com
- Instagram: @arisenowllc
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/dr-stacy-shepard-581655b7
- Facebook: Stacy Shepard and AriseNOW
Image Credits
Anthony Grantham and OE Creative Visuals
