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Niagara College Community Employment Services 905-641-2252 ext 4670

Leader Spotlight – Sharon Reeds

Sharon Reeds – Co-Founder/CEO, Intuitive Shipping

Sharon is the co-founder and CEO of Intuitive Shipping, a shipping calculation app for Shopify. A charismatic and intelligent individual, she is passionate about educating Shopify merchants on the impact that a well thought out shipping strategy can have on their success in the e-commerce space. She hopes to grow Intuitive Shipping into the industry standard for shipping calculation, across all e-commerce platforms.

A native to the Niagara Region, Sharon is thrilled at the potential of offering innovative employment to graduates of Brock University and Niagara College and putting Niagara on the map as a technology hub.

In her spare time, Sharon can be found playing Legos or trucks with her son, Theodore, or shopping for dresses. She loves dresses.

 


 

How do you define community leadership?

To me, community leadership is being someone who is or aspires to be a pillar in the community they are a part of. Someone who creates a positive impact and encourages others to follow in the footsteps.

 

“Change is inevitable, and I want to be a part of Niagara’s growth and change towards a more ‘youthful’ place to work, play and call home. “

 

Why are you personally motivated to explore community leadership?

I’m personally motivated to explore community leadership because a lot of our success in the Shopify ecosystem has been through community involvement in various Shopify groups and meetups, I want to bring this same approach to the Niagara business community. As we grow, we want to remain in the Niagara Region, I want to have a positive impact in the Niagara community, Change is inevitable, and I want to be a part of Niagara’s growth and change towards a more ‘youthful’ place to work, play and call home.

 

What, in your view, is the most significant issue/opportunity facing our community? Why?

In my view, the most significant opportunity facing the Niagara community is that we have two amazing schools who shape young minds to be really great at what they do, but this talent, especially in tech, that we spend so much time shaping and encouraging, tend to move to Toronto or Kitchener/Waterloo after graduation. Additionally, this trend discourages innovative minds from moving to our area.

How would you go about tackling this issue? 

I would tackle this issue head-on. Our software is incomparable, and we have the opportunity to become a huge tech employer in the Niagara Region. Much like Stathletes and Caddle, two innovative tech companies who have made an effort to remain in Niagara, I want to build on the momentum they’ve started and make people aware that Niagara isn’t just somewhere to come to retire or work in hospitality.

 

“It’s amazing what one can accomplish
if they believe that they can do it. 

 

In your view, what’s the most important attribute of a leader?

In my view, empowerment is the most important attribute of a leader. It’s amazing what one can accomplish if they believe that they can do it.

I hope to develop more confidence in being a leader. I’m a confident person, but things have moved so quickly for us and I’m still young, so sometimes it’s hard for me to accept in that I’m someone that others are looking up to and looking for answers. From the outside looking in, I have everything together, and I’m hoping that this program can help me feel this way on the inside as well.

Another leadership attribute I hope to expand on is delegation. We’ve been a two-man team for so long that I know I’m going to have a hard time letting go of aspects of the business that have, up until this point, been my responsibility. I know that for us to grow to where I know we can be, I need to be able to let go, and I’m hoping to gain the skills to effectively delegate tasks and follow up when appropriate.

 


 

December 21st, 2018