Shelly Wright, PMP, CISA, CSM, CITRMS, is a recognized thought leader in integrating IT & cybersecurity, complex program/project management, corporate governance, quality assurance, and business process engineering. For over 25 years, she has helped organizations from startups through Fortune 500 businesses improve their IT systems with dramatic and sustainable results.
An innovative leader in IT and business strategy, Wright, loves to share her passion for IT and project management, simplifying them so others can quickly embrace them. Shelly has partnered with corporate leaders to develop enterprise-level solutions, optimized business processes, and achieved operational objectives at companies such as Capital Group “The American Funds,” EarthLink Network Inc., Public Communication Services, Kaiser Permanente, and Scorpion Computer Services (the subject of CBS TV’s current hit show “Scorpion.”)
Wright is a Certified Project Management Professional, Certified Information Systems Auditor, Certified ScrumMaster,®, and Certified Identity Theft Risk Management Specialist®. Shelly Wright teaches university‐level project management and quality assurance courses on behalf of the University of California ‐ Irvine Division of Continuing Education and the University of Redlands.
Shelly Wright is the founder of Wright1 Consulting, Inc. and leads large scale complex programs for Kaiser Permanente, various sizes from a $227 million 300+ person, Kaiser Permanente Board of Directors approved 5-yr. Epic Clarity data migration and disaster recovery program and other multiple complex initiatives to a multi-year, $20.4 million, and ~20+ person, National Transplant Data Solutions program, which improved clinical outcomes for transplant patients.
Wright was awarded the 2016 University of California ‐ Irvine Division of Continuing Education’s Distinguished Instructor Award. In 2015, Wright received the SoTec Inspirational Award, conferred upon technology professionals whose charitable efforts help better the community.
Where did the idea for Wright1 Consulting, Inc. come from?
Working in the technology consulting and delivery fields for many years, I became disheartened by the number of organizations, people, and projects which were financially impacted due to mismanagement of needing projects ranging from compliance, regulatory, to IT, to new infrastructure, software, whatever. Though, I became more sought after, because of my program results, something had to change to help more businesses and people. Thus, I decided to 1) start teaching my modified PMI based approach for project success and 2) opened Wright1 to serve the needs of others.
What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?
Working in the technology consulting and delivery fields for many years, I became disheartened by the number of organizations, people, and projects which were financially impacted due to mismanagement of needing projects ranging from compliance, regulatory, to IT, to new infrastructure, software, whatever. Though, I became more sought after, because of my program results, something had to change to help more businesses and people. Thus, I decided to 1) start teaching my modified PMI based approach for project success and 2) opened Wright1 to serve the needs of others.
How do you bring ideas to life?
Have you ever had a problem which you needed solved but didn’t know how? Have you ever had a vision of what something should look like in the end for your company but didn’t know how to get it done? Those scenarios drive me.
I have a knack for “hearing” the end results my clients are looking for or the challenges they are facing, through keeping up with the changing trends in technology and the industry overall. I can “backward” plan for them a roadmap and a project that deliveries just what they need. Starting with basic listen, research, then plan development, to execution, many hard problems can be solved with the right smart people who are willing to hear the constraints and needs of their clients.
I and my team excel at this because we believe in the long-term relationships with our clients respecting and honoring the trusted advisor role these see us in to make their needs a reality.
What’s one trend that excites you?
I am a technologist through and through. While it has been many years since I’ve actually programmed code, I have always loved technology and the pace of it. What really excites me is the application of the right technology solution, project, compliance controls, etc., and how the application of these changes can open up many new opportunities.
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
Really “unplugging” at the end of the day. While I love what I do, I find truly unplugging from my work at the end of the day preps me and helps me keep my energy, drive, and passion for my work. Helping each day to stay a new adventure!
What advice would you give your younger self?
“Tack” early and often. Tack is a sailing term that means to move forward in the wind at a crisscross diagonal fashion. While it is not as fast as moving straight forward, I often find sometimes taking a little “indirect” approach will still move thing forward, but with less stress and aggravation in the process.
Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.
While technology is great, it will be always a part of our lives. Thus, time away from technology is just as important. I know many people disagree with this concept, but I find a simple hike in the beautiful Santa Barbara trails, or just a fireside chat with friends, where I have no cell reception, to be some of my fondest memories. These times help me realign on the role of technology and keep me staying “in love” with it.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
Things come up through out the day that we can not plan for, these are those critical emergencies, or once in a life time opportunity. Filling your calendar to overflow prevents us from having space for more. I recommend that everyone look to keep themselves only at 80% capacity in their schedule of meetings, in their workload, and life. This way, they always have room for the new and better.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?
Our focus on being trusted advisors and long-term partners with our clients has really helped us grow. Our clients are seen as part of the family. We focus on hearing their needs, “right-sizing” solutions, and tailoring them each client’s specific needs, constraints, business culture, and goals in the short and long term. While technology is often very black and white, we love looking for creative and different ways for business succeed and grow, enabling them to move confidently into the future.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
One of my very first companies; Survive Identity Theft, ended up closing after 1-year. It can be very disheartening for an entrepreneur to have to shut down a company but I learned may things from its failure; such as timing is everything, which I’ve leveraged for Wright1 making it more successful than I ever imagined.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
There are only a few areas where there will be plenty of repeat business as they apply to most everyone; these are life moments such as births, celebrations, and death. Thus, a business such as a flower shop or a gift store that cateries to these special life moments would be something that help everyone and find that they are able to reach many people locally and online.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
Actually, it was less than $20 for the first year and that was for iDrive. iDrive is automatic solution to backup my laptops (personal and work) and my cellphone to a cloud. Recently, I had my backpack stolen with my personal and work devices in it while travel for work in the most crowded and unsuspecting of places. To my dismay, my manual offline auto-backups were not as updated as I hoped. However, to my good fortune, automatic cloud back-ups are up-to-date. Thus, it’s my opinion that while manual offline back-ups are great. What is better is automatic offline (cloud) back-ups you can restore any of your key devices at any time!
What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?
My favorite productivity tool is Skype. This is great tool for chatting one-on-one with someone, or for a team meeting, or to share screens. We can also send files and make Skype to lan line calls via Skype. I have my personal and business skype account on my phone and laptops, thus, I am reachable to anyone who needs to chat with me. Skype helps me stay in touch, be available, share information, and collaborate with people one-on-one or in real time via web/skype call and screen sharing.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
The Happiness Advantage focuses on providing its readers 7 steps they can take to be successful. We have heard like attracts like, but this book challenges us to change our success mindset to that of joy and abundance which will intern attract the success we want. Whatever one is looking for this book really does give you a different perspective on how you create and manifest success. The principles are easy to follow and help you feel better about the not so great times and the fabulous ones. Thus, as we live in a world of too much and not enough; too much stress, too much work, too much pressure, etc. and not enough time, this book gives us practical steps to help us seize the day.
What is your favorite quote?
My favorite quote changes depending on where I am in life, as I change so do my favorites. By now you probably know one of my current favorite quotes is…
“Carpe diem,” which is Latin for “seize the day.” It reminds me to make the most out of today and the hand I’m dealt here and now. It is like motivational “red bull” for taking strategic chances today to help paint a better tomorrow.
Key Learnings:
• An entrepreneur is not just a person who works a lot. It is a well-rounded whole person who takes risks, moves forward, and focuses on the bigger picture in their personal life as well as work life.
• Entrepreneurs see their business and work as fun and a type of “play.” It is their passion and motivates them each and every day to be more and want more. They “stay hungry” through their work.
• Joy and happiness does not come from one’s work, but rather how one responds to the events occurring. Life will always be life as such we only have to sort through how we will respond and bring our best to the table. Through that we find out joy.
Carlyn runs the day-to-day publishing operation here at ideamensch and interacts with our awesome customers and entrepreneurs. She is likely editing this with a cat on her lap.