We’re looking forward to introducing you to Chellie Phillips. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Chellie, 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 ice breaker: What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned about your customers?
After years of speaking, training, and consulting with organizations across industries—from electric cooperatives to corporate teams—the most surprising thing I’ve learned about my customers isn’t how different they are. It’s how similar they are.
No matter the industry, title, or location, people everywhere crave the same thing: to know they matter.
That’s the universal heartbeat behind every workshop I lead and every conversation I have with leaders. Employees want to feel seen, heard, and valued. Leaders want to inspire trust and build environments where people thrive. And organizations want to create cultures that attract and keep great talent. Those aren’t just business goals—they’re human ones.
Over time, I’ve discovered that the real transformation doesn’t come from a new communication strategy or a fresh set of values printed on a wall. It happens when people reconnect to why they do what they do and recognize the impact they have on others. When a lineman realizes how his reliability builds community trust, or a manager sees how her words shape morale, that’s when culture starts to shift.
In my workshops, I often say that communication isn’t just about what you say—it’s about what people feel after you’ve said it. My customers have taught me that success, whether in leadership, teamwork, or member relations, begins with a sense of belonging.
So yes, I teach leadership. I teach communication. I teach culture.
But the most surprising thing my customers have taught me is this: at the end of the day, we’re all just humans who want to know that what we do—and who we are—matters.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a speaker, author, and corporate trainer passionate about helping people and organizations create success from the inside out. As the founder of Successfully Ever After, I work with companies and leaders to build thriving workplace cultures using my V.A.L.U.E. Culture™ framework—where Vision, Accountability, Leadership, Uniqueness, and Engagement come together to drive results and retention.
Alongside my corporate work, I serve as Vice President of Communications and Public Relations for Coweta-Fayette EMC, an electric cooperative where I see firsthand how strong communication, trust, and purpose power both people and progress.
I’ve written several books, including Culture Secrets, When In Doubt, Delete It!, and Get Noticed, Get Hired, along with the Susie the Detective children’s series, which supports a children’s ministry founded by my late father. Whether I’m speaking to executives, coaching emerging leaders, or inspiring kids through storytelling, my mission is the same: to help people realize their value, use their voice, and make a meaningful impact wherever they are.
Right now, I’m focused on helping organizations turn culture from a buzzword into a measurable advantage and empowering individuals to lead with authenticity and heart.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who taught you the most about work?
Without a doubt, my dad taught me the most about work and not just how to do it, but how to approach it.
He believed work was about more than a paycheck; it was about purpose. Growing up, I watched him pour his heart into everything he did, whether it was his job, our church, or the community he loved. He led by example, showing me that integrity wasn’t something you talked about; it was something you lived.
He taught me that your name and your word matter, that showing up with consistency builds trust, and that serving others is one of the highest callings you can have. Even after he passed, his lessons continue to shape how I lead and what I teach.
Every time I stand on a stage or step into a training room, I carry a piece of his wisdom with me. That’s the belief that when you do your work with heart, it has the power to impact lives far beyond your own.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
That turning point came after one of the hardest professional experiences of my life. Getting an email that questioned my skills and working for a boss who seemed determined to tear me down rather than lift me up.
For a long time, I tried to hide the hurt. I told myself to tough it out, to stay quiet, to not make waves. But inside, the constant criticism, lack of trust, and toxic environment were chipping away at my confidence and joy.
Then one day, I realized something powerful: if I stayed silent, I was agreeing with the version of me they were trying to create. That’s when everything changed.
I stopped seeing that season as a wound and started seeing it as wisdom. I turned the pain of that experience into purpose, using it to help others find their voice, build their confidence, and create workplaces where people can thrive instead of survive.
That difficult chapter gave me empathy for those who feel unseen or unheard at work, and it became the foundation for much of my speaking and training today. I learned that when you transform pain into purpose, it becomes a force that not only strengthens you but helps others rise too.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
One of the biggest lies the corporate world, and especially the leadership and training industry, tells itself is that culture can be “fixed” with a single workshop or slogan.
Too often, companies think if they hang posters about teamwork, roll out a new set of values, or bring in a motivational speaker once a year, the culture will magically change. But culture isn’t a campaign—it’s a commitment. It’s built in the everyday conversations, the way leaders show up, the trust they create, and how people feel after interacting with them.
Another lie we tell ourselves is that people leave for better pay or perks. They don’t. They leave because they don’t feel valued, heard, or connected to the mission. That’s why I focus so much on helping organizations create V.A.L.U.E. Cultures™—where Vision, Accountability, Leadership, Uniqueness, and Engagement aren’t just words, but daily behaviors.
The truth is, culture doesn’t happen by accident, it happens by intention. And when leaders stop believing the quick fixes and start investing in people, that’s when everything changes.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people say I left every space I entered a little brighter and every person I met a little better.
I want the story to be that I used my voice to help others find theirs. That I turned challenges into lessons, setbacks into stepping-stones, and that I always led with heart.
I hope people remember that I believed work should mean more than a paycheck; that it’s about purpose, people, and the difference we make along the way.
And most of all, I hope they say I lived what I taught: that culture, kindness, and courage matter… and that I never stopped believing in the power of helping others write their own successfully ever after.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.chelliephillips.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chellie_phillips/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chellie-phillips/
- Twitter: @p_chellie
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chellie.phillips
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@chellie_phillips
Image Credits
Chellie Phillips
