If I’m being very vulnerable and honest, I always wanted to be in TV. But I didn’t think I was thin enough or pretty enough to do it. So I didn’t ever say out loud that’s what I wanted to do, even to myself.
Shelly Horton’s High School career guidance counsellor told her she was too opinionated and warned her to tone it down.
Instead, she ignored him and turned it into a career!
Shelly is a journalist, TV presenter and producer and her opinions can be heard multiple times each week on Channel 9’s Today, Today Extra and Weekend Today.
She is also the lifestyle presenter and columnist for 9Honey and co-host of 9Life’s Talking Married.
Shelly is not afraid of open and honest conversations about difficult topics.
After all, she co-hosts a web series called “Things You Can’t Talk About On TV” so I knew she would be the perfect guest for Sparta Chicks Radio!
In this conversation, Shelly and I discuss:
*whether she’s always been comfortable talking about difficult topics, or if it developed later in life,
* the early days of her career (which started in radio) and the very personal reason she didn’t explore a career in TV,
* the “Bridget Jones” style moment during her first TV role in the UK which led to an incredible opportunity,
* the “soul-destroying” conversation with her boss about her weight that destroyed Shelly’s confidence and derailed her TV career for almost 2 years,
* the goal-setting course (and the exercise she learnt at that course) that fundamentally changed her life,
* the times in Shelly’s career when she’s adopted the “fake it ’til you make it” approach as opposed to the times she had to, rather methodically and deliberately, develop tools and techniques to build her confidence,
* the biggest myths around confidence,
* her experience with the Imposter Complex,
* the best advice she received on what to do when feeling overwhelmed by the fear of failure and the importance of separating facts from feelings,
* how she deals with online trolling and public criticism (including some examples of the horrendous online trolling she’s received),
* her experience with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and how she manages it, and
* how she recharges her batteries and prioritises self-care in her busy schedule.
This conversation was so much fun! Shelly is vibrant and generous, as well as very honest and vulnerable.
I really loved this conversation (and I took a lot of notes I’m going to apply in my own life) so I know you’ll love it (and Shelly) too.
Click here to listen on iTunes.
Notes and resources:
To find out more about Shelly or to say hello, you can find her on Instagram or via her website at Shellshockedmedia.com
Check out the Confidence course here or Shelly's media training or online presentation training program.
You can find the web series "Things You Can't Talk About on TV" here on YouTube
