Story & Lesson Highlights with Nancy A Shenker of Phoenix

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Nancy A Shenker. Check out our conversation below.

Hi Nancy A, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ince breaker: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I’m an early riser. I’m often up between 4 and 5am, which makes connecting with my east coast peeps much easier.
I drink 2 cups of chocolate-flavored (Bones brand) coffee and often head out to lift weights or do cardio or Pilates.
Either before or after I go, I’ll do my favorite thing — writing!
I eat a healthy breakfast at some point.
And just feel grateful that I’m still so high energy at 69 and that I have at least 30 years left!

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I just launched a personal brand — nancyaf.com.
Although I still have an active marketing company (www.theonswitch.com) and writing clients, I needed an outlet for my unplugged and often irreverent side.
I am a role model for people my age who believe that life ends at 50.
I am a role model for young people (especially women) who fear aging.
I am proving that women don’t need to choose between smart and sexy…professional and maternal…analog and digital.
Right now, I’m chairing a professional conference about AI and humans, writing about sex, life, and tech, traveling a lot, moving to a new apartment this summer, and making time for fun stuff like live music, reading, crafting, and baking. (Yeah, I have a domestic side even though I’m a confirmed bad-ass.)

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
I often felt chubby and weird as a little girl. I now believe that going through that phase of insecurity and self-doubt forced me to develop other skills. I’m still a little weird, but that’s a good thing!

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
We ultimately have no control over hard things that happen in life (loss of relatives, health issues, etc.) Suffering leads to perspective, resilience, and growth.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
The public and private versions have converged. I know how to behave in serious situations, but I approach more situations these days with humor and frankness.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
Hell, yeah!
As a woman of the 1980s I was encouraged to pursue corporate title AND motherhood.
At any time, I couldn’t do both well — especially with no technology and a 3-hour commute.
But I’d like to think that the sacrifices women of my generation made have laid the groundwork and confidence for women today (including my own daughters) to make saner choices about work/life balance and priorities.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nancyaf.com
• Instagram: nancyaf_
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyashenker/
• Twitter: @theonswitch
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nancy.shenker/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@NancyShenker
• Other: https://linktr.ee/nancyaf_?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=1a6e82ef-12de-4386-a25c-59beb716ccfe