Hi! My name is Shelby Stennes and I work at Bear Financial Solutions. My passion is empowering people to become successful entrepreneurs and achieve financial independence. Ironically enough, the very reason I wanted to go into finance is also the reason I decided NOT to run my own business.

As an enneagram 7 I naturally gravitate toward new projects and love having new problems to solve; every consultation, bookkeeping rabbit hole, and business plan is something new to be excited about. My super power is delivering a new strategy to a client and imbuing them with my own level of enthusiasm at the same time, despite most people’s natural discomfort with change. However, when I started trying to grow my business, I quickly realized that I was avoiding the day-to-day business management tasks any time I could justify working on a project for a client instead. I was energized by the work I was doing for my clients, but dreaded the same work for my own business.

I became discouraged with the amount of time I would have to spend on strategy and maintenance to grow my own business into something sustainable. The cobbler’s children have no shoes right? With my second daughter on the way, I couldn’t fathom how I could maintain my own sanity, run my own business, offer the level of excellence I wanted to my clients, and be a mom of two. Right as I was about to take a 9-5 job out of necessity, I met Erin, the owner of Bear Financial Solutions!

Her vision for providing a holistic and refreshing experience in the world of business finance was so in line with my passion for taking the stress out of business management (for other people) that I couldn’t resist. As a mom, I am so thankful to have the flexibility and opportunity that comes along with being an entrepreneur and the stability I need to support my family. Not only am I doing the work that I’m most passionate about, but I’m getting to put my skills to work to help grow a company that I have come to love as if it were my own.

The people here at Aught challenge each other, encourage each other, and support each other in a way that is absolutely inspiring and I’m so thankful that I have the opportunity to participate in a community filled with solopreneurs and entrepreneurs, while staying true to my own strengths and personality.

Shelby Stennes is an Account Advisor at Bear Financial Solutions.  She is a Circle Member at Aught Coworking, Downtown Knoxville.