Exploring Life & Business with Janette Phillips of Share Detroit

Today we’d like to introduce you to Janette Phillips

Hi Janette, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I have been working my entire life. In college, I worked as a waitress and loved the aspect of getting paid for my level of service (tips). After college I went into corporate sales and earned commissions by helping large companies solve problems that our products and services could fix. Later, I moved from for-profit work to non-profits. Today, I use my skills in sales, solution solving, with my hard work ethic to create a better community. I no longer receive commissions or tips; my reward is knowing I am making the world a better place, as best I can.

At Share Detroit, we are making an impact by bringing 425+ local nonprofits’ to the cellphones and computers of thousands of metro Detroiters who want to give back and do good. Share Detroit is the place you go to give. I am using my experiences connecting people and solving problems on a larger scale: trying to connect nonprofits and their missions/needs with neighbors who want to help but need information on how to make a difference.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Nothing in life is smooth, especially when you decide to pivot your life. “You can’t get there from here.” is a quote I hate. I owned and operated a medical clinic at one point in my career with zero knowledge of healthcare, but I had tons of business experience and the drive to make people’s lives better. Many in healthcare felt I should not and could not do what I was doing. Well, they were wrong and I did “get there from here.” It was a struggle opening a small business in a field I had no knowledge of. But that struggle and those challenges helped me realize that anything is possible and if a person is determined, they can succeed. This experience and knowledge helped me eventually pivot to supporting nonprofits and ‘start up’ Share Detroit from an idea in our founder’s minds, to an organization strongly supporting 425+ area nonprofits. Struggles lead to breakthroughs which leads to success. I have become good at start-ups, which are the hardest businesses to launch. Someone needs to do it!

As you know, we’re big fans of Share Detroit. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Share Detroit is a website devoted to the missions and needs of 425+ local metro Detroit nonprofit organizations. Our mission is to bring their needs and goals to the fingertips of our metro Detroit community of more than 8 million people. By making it easy for neighbors, students, church groups, clubs, corporate groups and seniors to find ways to give back, they will. It is often hard to know how to research area nonprofits and find one that resonates with a person’s values and skillsets. Share Detroit is making it easy for folks to DO GOOD.

We have 4 pillars of support offered on our website: donate funds, donate items from a wish list, attend an event, and volunteer. Our volunteer pillar is the strongest and most frequented area of our website. We have search filters to make it easy for people to drill down into the type of volunteer opportunity that might appeal to them. We include filters for group size, suitability for children to participate, skills based ideas, one day projects, and the type of nonprofit. By utilizing the filters, we help visitors find ideas that will suit their goals. If it is a high school club that wants to support animals, they can filter to find animal nonprofits that will accept teenagers in their work. If it is a Cub Scout or Brownie troop wanting a community service project, they can select suitable for children and find ways to help, typically collection drives, making blankets or fundraising.

We also have a Do Good Work area for those who want to pivot into the nonprofit space like I did. Part-time or Full-time positions are available and might also be good for second careers for recently retired people.

What were you like growing up?
Growing up I was quiet and not sporty. I was bookish and as the oldest daughter of 4 other siblings, the one who had to watch my sisters and help clean up and pay attention. I loved to ride my bike to friends’ houses and get a break from our hectic home! I still love to ride my bike!

In high school, I found some great friends and we did our nerdy things, like debate club, manage the props for the school plays, singing in the choir, and participating in the National Honor Society. Looking back now, I think I found that my innate skill is to support projects and ideas to get them to the finish line. And I was a good debater which I guess led me to sales and now to leading Share Detroit as the spokesperson and connector to others. Watching my sisters for years helped me with the skill of mediation and building consensus, which is very helpful as an adult!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sharedetroit.org
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/share.detroit
• Facebook: http://facebook.com/ShareDetroit
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janette-phillips-b9725211/