Name: Shatha Barbour
Age: 40
Title: CEO & Founder Hera Hub Phoenix
Married/Single: Married to Diego Salcedo
Kids: 3. Zayd 13 yr old boy. Serene 10 yr old girl. Emmelle 4 yr old girl
City you live in: Scottsdale
A typical day in my life includes…
waking up early! First thing I do is brush my teeth and drink a full bottle of water. I usually meditate for 15 min and stretch/foam roll before I even leave my bedroom. I find that it really helps me start my day centered and relaxed, instead of frantic and frazzled. Then, I head downstairs to grind fresh roasted coffee (my husband roasts his coffee from all over the world for fun). I typically need 2 cups to really start my day. Usually, I read while I drink coffee. I like to get 20 min of reading in—sometimes business related and sometimes great literature to entice creativity! By 7 am all 3 kids are bustling and getting ready for school. The hustling starts with trying to help my husband get kids out the door as he does morning drop offs. I usually try to get my running or workout squeezed in the morning, otherwise it just doesn’t happen. By 9 am its all hands on deck with launching and supporting my business. I am busy connecting with women business owners, entrepreneurs and professionals all across the Valley. I also spend a bit of time working with and collaborating with female leaders across the Valley on many different initiatives. As you can imagine, my schedule is packed being an entrepreneur myself! Like so many moms, by 3 pm I’m heading out to pick up the kids and start my other work shift: shuttling kids between swim team, soccer practice, and/or music lessons as well as helping out with homework and squeezing as many cuddles and kisses from my 4 yr old “baby”. My husband and I enjoy cooking at home and creating family meals, so we’ll alternate cooking while we tag team with the family evening schedules. Sometimes, I might try to catch up on my work while my kids do homework. But on certain days of the week, I’m also working with a non-profit I sit on the board for, helping to create future programming. By 10 pm, I’m officially lights out in my bedroom and easing my mind, body and soul by doing the reverse morning routine! With the help of a little lavender body lotion and mist, I’m totally out!
I was born…
I was actually born in Homs, Syria but unfortunately it has been practically destroyed by the recent war. I came to the US as a child and grew up between Chicago and small town Georgia! I did eventually go back to Chicago to attend Northwestern University for undergrad, and then Univ. of Michigan for grad school in Healthcare Business and Administration.
My favorite thing about Arizona…
the sunsets and mountains. Best thing ever—sunset at the peak of a mountain!
I’m listening to…
U2, all day everyday.
My family…
is the most precious blessing and gift I have. I cant stop hugging and kissing my kids and have the most amazing and supportive husband.
If I could have dinner with anyone, it would be…
Eleanor Roosevelt (this month). Would love to have a schedule of monthly amazing dinners.
One thing I cannot live without…
great coffee.
When I was younger, I wanted to be…
a doctor working for World Health Organization.
I’m inspired by…
amazing leaders who have no fear and lead with the utmost integrity, always empowering everyone around them to be the best version of themselves and the best version of humanity.
The one person who motivates me is…
I don’t have one person. I’ve met so many amazing people that I look up to and am amazed how they are leading entire communities, despite how small they seemed when they started.
If I could change anything in the world, it would be…
right now, it would be the refugee crisis the world is facing. People just want their own homes, a place of security and love.
The perfect day would be…
having a few hours to get lost exploring trails and hiking in the mountains. I love finding adventures.
My first job was…
ever, was in college being a research assistant for Broadway shows.
My favorite escape…
hiking in the mountains. That’s where I can connect with nature and myself.
My life…
is one big adventure. I like to look at life as a series of adventures that I hope to share with my grandkids one day, filled with its highlights and challenges.
I’m currently working on…
launching Hera Hub Phoenix. A spa-inspired co-working space for women business owners, entrepreneurs and professionals. A professional, sophisticated yet relaxed environment that is designed by women for the way women like to work and collaborate!
Always…
connect with others, on a soul to soul level. If we truly see others in their full humanity and potential, we could accomplish amazing things in our lifetime.
Never…
carry baggage to the next day. Gotta let go of the past, even if it was just last week or last night. Resolve what you need to resolve and move forward with clarity, power, and lightness.
Favorite Quote…
right now: “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth” – Muhammad Ali.
Biggest Dream…
one? Really?! I have so many big dreams. If I can accelerate the growth and success of women business owners, not just here but across countries, to be so wildly successful that they fund other young girls and women to launch and pursue their own dreams to the point it becomes a cycle of abundance and giving back to perpetuity, I would have fulfilled one mission in life.
My Pet Peeve(s)…
people who slurp their hot drinks….really kills me.
