Leadership is about changing the game, and Dr. Sharalyn Payne is the game changer you need. She is a speaker, strategist and executive performance coach who helps leaders strengthen retention, engagement and performance in their organizations. With more than 20 years of experience leading talent and performance management across Fortune 500 companies, startups, healthcare systems, financial services, technology, and manufacturing, she brings a blend of strategic insight and real-world execution to her work. Dr. Payne teaches leaders how to build high-performing teams and transformational cultures that thrive. She also hosts The Game Changer with Dr. Sharalyn, a podcast dedicated to leadership and meaningful change and has authored two books.
Tell us about yourself and your business
I’m Dr. Sharalyn Payne, founder of SMP International Management Consulting. We partner with leaders and organizations when the cost of standing still is too high. We solve the expensive problems that quietly drain influence, revenue and credibility. These problems include misaligned culture, leadership bottlenecks and execution gaps. We equip leaders to see what’s breaking beneath the surface and what’s coming next.
What makes our work one of a kind is that we establish order, set new standards and build frameworks that endure long after the immediate crisis is over. We step in when the pressure is high and the stakes are even higher, anticipating risk and offering the clarity to align people and priorities. Our clients emerge more agile, influential and future-ready. This means they are able to drive innovation, generate revenue and create a ripple effect that extends far beyond their walls into industries, communities and even nations.
What inspired you to start your business?
My journey into entrepreneurship began unexpectedly. I wasn’t even looking to start a business. Someone referred me to a potential client, but I hesitated to call because I didn’t have much confidence in the referral and didn’t want to waste time. Eventually, the person who made the referral followed up, and I decided to make the call. I put together a proposal within a week and had my first five-figure client. That moment taught me two lessons that still guide me today. First, opportunities often arrive disguised as interruptions. Second, momentum comes from action, not perfect plans.
The deeper spark came from my experience working in an environment where leadership, accountability and ownership were missing. The absence of strong leadership hurt performance, drained energy, stifled potential and created stress. I saw firsthand that workplace dysfunction doesn’t stay at work. The dysfunction seeps into families and communities.
So I built the solution I wish I’d had. I built a business that helps leaders eliminate the cultural and leadership breakdowns that quietly cost revenue and human potential. When leaders get it right, the positive effect extends far beyond the office.
Describe your company in three words.
- Impactful
- Innovative
- Transformative
What was the first step to starting your business?
My own journey into entrepreneurship began unexpectedly. I wasn’t even looking to start a business. Someone referred me to a potential client, but I hesitated to call because I didn’t have much confidence in the referral and didn’t want to waste time. Eventually, the person who made the referral followed up, and I decided to make the call. I put together a proposal within a week and had my first five-figure client. That moment taught me two lessons that still guide me today. First, opportunities often arrive disguised as interruptions. Second, momentum comes from action, not perfect plans.
How do you differentiate your company from other similar offerings?
At SMP International, we go beyond diagnosing problems to delivering results. In our work, we eliminate misaligned culture, leadership bottlenecks and execution gaps that quietly erode performance. We help leaders identify risks and opportunities, enabling them to reclaim millions in lost productivity by addressing the performance gaps that most organizations overlook.
Our work positions organizations to become unshakeable in high-pressure, high-stakes environments. We build sustainable systems and help leaders anticipate what’s next. Our clients generate new revenue, accelerate innovation and claim market advantage, and their leaders emerge as the ones shaping what’s next in their industries.
What’s one mistake you made early on in your business, and what did you learn from it?
One mistake I made early on was believing that nonstop grinding was the fastest path to growth. I pushed through late nights and early mornings, convinced that more hours meant faster success—but the pace was unsustainable. It quietly drained my energy, made me irritable and strained the relationships that mattered most. The turning point came when I chose to protect time for rest and renewal—observing a weekly Sabbath. What felt counterintuitive became my competitive advantage. Stepping back restored clarity, sharpened my strategy and fueled the kind of energy and focus that nonstop hustle could never provide.
What’s your proudest business milestone so far?
One of my proudest business milestones was walking away from a client who kept asking for more while refusing to give in return. I had been genuinely excited to work with this client, and saying no in that moment was a defining act. That one act set the standard for the kind of business I choose to build.
What excites you about your work?
What excites me most about my work is stepping into high-pressure, high-stakes moments, helping leaders cut through the noise and repair what’s breaking. When my clients unlock influence and innovation, the result is revenue and impact.
What’s a business myth you’d love to bust?
The myth I’d love to bust is that entrepreneurship is easy and that passion alone will carry you. Passion is powerful, but it’s not a business plan, and it won’t pay the bills. The road to true freedom, legacy and impact is never effortless. Sustainable success comes from pairing what you love with what the market values and having the strategy, systems and grit to navigate the messy middle long before the harvest shows. The entrepreneurs who win are the ones who keep showing up long after the excitement fades.
What advice would you give to other female entrepreneurs?
The advice I give other female entrepreneurs is this: stop comparing your today to someone else’s yesterday or their year ten.
- Your energy is your greatest currency, and comparison bankrupts it.
- Focus on building your own lane with intention.
- Track the metrics that truly move your business forward, rather than attempting to duplicate someone else’s milestones.
- Protect time each week for strategic thinking because your best ideas won’t come when you’re tired, stressed or overworked.
Entrepreneurship rewards endurance and alignment, not speed. Build your foundation first, honor your own timing and your harvest will come.
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