

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Shelley Plumb.
Dr. Plumb, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was born just outside of Seattle in Renton, Washington. As long as I can remember, I have had a deep, intense attachment to nature. Growing up a tomboy, I was always handling snakes, jumping my bike and climbing trees. When I was seven years old, I was involved in a car crash which took the life of my mother. My father remarried and I grew up with a younger brother and sister in Vancouver Washington.
Through my school years, I was driven internally to excel. I initially went into the Field of Communications in College but turned to medicine gradually over time. I graduated with honors from Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. I met my first husband and got married while in undergraduate college. I was extremely athletic and competed in bodybuilding and powerlifting contests and always loved camping and hiking.
Fascinated by the world of surgery, I made the decision to study Podiatric Medicine after graduating from undergraduate college. I moved to Chicago, Illinois where I resided for four years and earned my doctorate in Podiatric Medicine. My goal was to perform surgery, so I applied and was excepted to a surgical residency in Philadelphia, PA. After completing my residency my husband and I moved to West Palm Beach Florida where I obtained my first job as Podiatric Surgeon.
I built my Podiatric Medical practice into an entity I was proud of. I liked my job and loved my patients. Over the course of the next several years, works were all I knew. I spent my days, early mornings, and late nights in the hospital tending to patients. In 2002, I was thrilled to become pregnant with my first son. My daughter and second son came soon after that. I quickly returned to work but struggled. In the years following the birth of my children, I struggled with balancing a marriage, three young children and active surgical career. The concept of “me” or “Shelley” became non-existent as I wrestled with what seemed to outsiders to be a perfect life.
Soon after the birth of my third child, my husband and I separated and later divorced. It was a rock bottom moment in my life. There was a point in my life when I remember asking myself… “What are you going to do?” I recall my thoughts at the time…” You can either let your life spiral down and out of control or you can pull yourself up and do something productive.” I vowed at the time to do something productive… something that makes a significant difference in the lives of others. One morning, I sat down with pen and paper and listed on the left why I was so unhappy with my current situation. I then followed with writing on the right side of the paper what I could do to pull myself out of the perils I was in. That paper later turned into an outline… then a draft… then a business plan for my current company, PlumbTalk Productions.
You see, I realized when I hit rock bottom after my divorce that something had been drastically missing in my life through my medical career. I had lost sight of who I was as a person. The last time, I was truly happy was when I was a communication major in college studying production and writing promotional videos for the local television stations. Little by little, with my three beautiful children, incredible friends, and wonderfully supportive second husband by my side, I began to learn the production world. I was thirsty for knowledge and hungry to express the creative side of my brain that had been silenced for many years. Through the course of several years, I learned everything… the cameras… the audio… the editing software, the lighting… streaming equipment… social media… web design… graphics. You name it, I was fascinated by it and was on a mission to learn it. The production world is not easy. I had many people tell me to my face that I would fail. I made mistakes. Many of them. I viewed mistakes as mere speedbumps on the way to success. I will never give up. I am on a mission. Today, I know who I am. I am a darn good mom, a loving wife, a loyal friend and CEO of PlumbTalk Productions – a company that with the assistance of an incredible team is growing steadily. Standing together as a team our crew truly “puts the heart back in video production.” I am so proud. Most importantly I am Shelley Plumb, a woman who still loves nature, riding bikes and climbing trees. A woman that is finally getting to know herself.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
No, it was not always a smooth road. It was quite bumpy actually. In college and professional school I struggled with gender inequality issues and sexism. I had many people tell me flat out… “you will fail.” When confronted by pessimism and narcissism we must turn and walk away. When we truly know who we are and what we are meant to do struggles do not present as obstacles. They turn into opportunities.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with PlumbTalk Productions – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I am CEO and executive producer at PlumbTalk Productions, a full-service production company in West Palm Beach Florida. We specialize in promotional videos, talk show, and documentary production. We have found a comprehensive public speaker support program called “Standing Ovation” designed to assist speakers of all levels to achieve excellence in their fields.
I am most proud of the team behind the brand. I am honored to work alongside a team of professionals who are dedicated to the PlumbTalk mission. We work hard to make sure that our studio environment is comfortable and professional. We want our clients to feel like they are home when they are with us.
What sets us apart from others? We put the heart back in video production. We care about our clients and truly want them to succeed. Each client’s project is treated as if it were our own. You see, we don’t feel like we have succeeded unless our client is successful.
What role has luck had in your life and business?
I don’t believe in luck. I believe everything in life unfolds as it is meant to unfold. Resistance in life is encountered when we do not respect that process. “Good luck” moves us in a straight line towards our goal. “Bad luck” is not really bad at all… it merely moves us in a different direction. The direction we are meant to go in.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2701 Vista Parkway A-9
West Palm Beach, FL 33411 - Website: https://www.plumbtalkproductions.com/
- Phone: 561 855-0764
- Email: info@plumbtalkwomen.com
- Instagram: @plumbtalkproductions
- Facebook: @plumbtalkproductions
- Twitter: @plumbtalkvideo
Image Credit:
PlumbTalk Productions, Teri Roberts Photography
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Lorraine Garafola
April 21, 2019 at 6:01 pm
Shelley is remarkable. I have worked with Shelley and her company, PlumbTalk on some videos about Ralph Garafola. She without a doubt “puts the heart back in video production.” Her attention to detail and producing the best outcome is outstanding. I highly recommend PlumbTalk Productions.