Shelly L. Henderson is the co-founder of full-service real estate firm Henderson Properties. She is also the author of Starting from Scratch: One Woman’s Pursuit of Family, Business and the American Dream.
As a successful entrepreneur who helped her husband, Phil, build a strong business while raising a family, Shelly’s mission is to inspire and empower women to be the best that they can be and lead a successful and fulfilling life.
An inspirational, straight-talking storyteller and motivational speaker with honesty and empathy, Shelly offers well-founded advice whether you’re beginning your career or starting over. She encourages people to chart a new path and break out of the mundane life they’ve been living.
Some need a push to begin a more fulfilling life. Shelly was once one of those people.
Looking back on the chaos of being a stay-at-home mother, Shelly now realizes she was undergoing a huge transformation. She was receiving training from her new role as a mother that would benefit her in the future, both personally and professionally. She was gaining leadership skills, determination, time-management, and persistence.
Shelly had always had aspirations but didn’t always have the confidence and leadership skills to see them through to fruition. That changed when she became a parent. It was an intense, challenging time that included her oldest son, Blake, being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at age 7.
Having the entrepreneurial spirit and trying to make that dream a reality helped Shelly and Phil turn a hobby into a business. Together, they have quite the extensive real estate portfolio, having put into practice “how to start from scratch” by building wealth through real estate. That thought crystalized in Henderson Properties, a Charlotte, N.C.-based company that has grown to now manage almost 1,000 properties.
The venture embodied the high-risk, high-reward mindset of many successful entrepreneurs. She and her husband overcame obstacles early on – such as limited financial resources, lack of technology, market fluctuations, and tenant issues. They learned how to balance family and work, build a strong work culture, and grow the business.
Another part of Shelly Henderson’s women’s empowerment message is that she wants to guide women on how to invest in the right real estate for their unique needs. She manages the company’s corporate culture and branding via content marketing and social media strategies. Shelly also runs Henderson Properties’ leadership development courses and assists in running the day to day operations of the company.
It’s been a remarkable journey for Shelly, who earned a degree in elementary education at Appalachian State University, where she was also a member of the Women’s Golf Team and Social Chair of Sigma Kappa Sorority. Prior to starting Henderson Properties, she was an elementary and middle-school teacher. She then pursued her dream of professional golf for a year on the LPGA Futures Tour.
Shelly L. Henderson is the mother of two young adults, Blake and Grant. She currently volunteers with Seeds of Hope Scholars and proudly serves her home and work families well.
