Today we’d like to introduce you to Shandra Stringer.
Hi Shandra, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My journey began in one of the most difficult seasons of my life. I was homeless with my eight-month-old daughter, and I did not have the resources or support I needed to find my way forward. In that moment, God placed someone in my path who helped us, and that act of kindness changed everything for me. I vowed to God that I would spend the rest of my life helping others the way I had been helped.
I kept that promise by starting a nonprofit organization through my local church. For six years, I served families and individuals in our community, and I did that work for donations and love offerings because it was never about the money. It was about making sure that no one else had to walk through a hard season without someone standing beside them.
As the work grew, I saw that many of the organizations and small businesses in our community had a heart to serve but lacked the structure, funding, and guidance to sustain their mission. In 2006, I incorporated Grassroots Consulting, Inc. to provide consulting services that help nonprofits and small businesses build strong foundations, secure resources, and grow their impact. Because I have always loved teaching, professional development became a natural extension of that work, giving me the opportunity to equip leaders and teams with the knowledge and tools they need to succeed.
Today, everything I do still comes back to that vow I made to God. I went from homelessness to hope, and I count it a privilege to help others find their way to hope as well.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, it has not been a smooth road. I’ve worked full time in my business as a solopreneur since 2010, so for the last 16 years I have carried every part of it myself, and that hasn’t been easy. There have been lean months and even lean seasons when I had to trust God for the next contract, the next client, and the next step.
In September 2019, just before COVID, I opened the Inspiration Station Creative Solutions. When the pandemic hit, small businesses needed a home base and a business address to apply for available relief funds, and I wanted to make sure they had a place to land. I have kept the doors open ever since as a resource for businesses in our community. I did not just give my time during that season; I gave my own resources to keep that space going. Some months the budget simply didn’t balance, and I covered the difference because I believed in what the space meant for the people it served. Looking back, my heart to help sometimes led me to overextend myself, and I didn’t always leave enough for my own business or for myself.
Then in 2023, I went through major personal and financial setbacks that tested me in ways I did not expect. It was one of the hardest seasons I have ever walked through. But just as God brought me through homelessness years ago, He brought me through that season too. Every struggle has taught me something, and I believe those experiences have made me a better consultant, a better teacher, and a more compassionate person for the people I serve.
As you know, we’re big fans of Grassroots Consulting Inc. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Grassroots Consulting, Inc. is a consulting firm that I founded in 2006 to help nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and small businesses build strong foundations so they can grow and sustain their mission. I bring 30 years of nonprofit and small business consulting experience, along with a Master of Science in Nonprofit Management, and I proudly serve clients in all 50 states. Over the years, I have had the privilege of working with more than 300 small businesses in addition to the many nonprofits I have served.
Our work includes nonprofit formation and IRS reinstatement, capacity building, strategic planning, board governance, grant writing and funder research, and government contracting readiness. Because I love teaching, professional development is a natural extension of our work. As an Everything DiSC® Authorized Partner, I provide training for municipalities, employers, and nonprofits in areas such as leadership and supervisor development, team communication, conflict resolution, and anti-harassment and anti-discrimination compliance. Grassroots Consulting, Inc. is also certified as a Small Business Enterprise, Minority Business Enterprise, and Woman-Owned Small Business.
What I believe sets us apart is that I understand the organizations I serve from the inside. I know what it is like to start with a heart to help and very few resources, because that is exactly how I began. Many of the leaders I work with are doing powerful work in their communities, but they have never had someone walk alongside them to put the right structure in place. I meet them where they are, and I take the time to teach them, not just do the work for them, so they leave stronger and more confident than when we started.
The brand I am most proud of is Foundation First™, which is the approach that guides everything we do. So many organizations rush to chase funding before they are truly ready to receive it and manage it well. Foundation First™ helps them get their governance, systems, and operations in order first, so that when the resources come, they are prepared to steward them and keep them. We have built a complete Foundation First™ Development Blueprint toolkit to support that process, and it is exciting to see organizations grow from that place of readiness.
I also serve individuals and small business owners through Stringer & Associates Financial Services™, where I offer a full range of insurance, including life, health, final expense, property and casualty, and small business benefits, along with retirement and lifetime income planning and individual and small business tax preparation. It’s another way I can help the people I serve protect what they are building and plan for their future.
I want your readers to know that whether they are just starting out or have been serving for years, they do not have to figure it out alone. My door is open, and I would be honored to help them build something that lasts.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
My advice for anyone just starting out: build your foundation before you try to build your reach. When I began, I had a heart to help people and a promise I made to God, but I didn’t always have the structure, systems, or financial plan to support the work. Take the time to set up your business or organization the right way, with your legal documents, your budget, your policies, and the right people around you. Those things may not feel exciting at the beginning, but they are what will carry you through the hard seasons.
One thing I wish I had known sooner is that taking care of your business is not selfish. For many years, I gave my time, energy, and resources to help others, and there were seasons when I didn’t leave enough for myself or my business. I have learned that you cannot pour from an empty cup, and the best way to keep helping people is to make sure what you have built is healthy and sustainable. Know your numbers, pay yourself, and be honest with yourself about what you can carry.
I would also encourage new business owners and nonprofit leaders not to try to do everything alone. Find mentors, ask questions, invest in learning, and surround yourself with people who will tell you the truth and help you grow. There is no shame in needing help, because that is how I started, and it is still how I grow today.
Most of all, stay connected to your why. There will be lean months and seasons when things do not go the way you planned, but if you keep your faith, stay committed to your purpose, and keep learning along the way, you will see that every season, even the hard ones, is preparing you for what is ahead.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.gcifl.com
- Instagram: bit.ly/iamshandrastringerinstagram
- Facebook: bit.ly/facebookgrassrootsconsulting
- LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/shandrastringerlinkedin
- Other: https://bit.ly/grassrootsimpactnow
