Starfish Partnerships - October Business Spotlight

Introduction and Background:

With over 29 years of experience serving as President of the Walton County Chamber of Commerce, I founded Starfish Partnerships to extend my expertise beyond the chamber world. I now collaborate with chambers, non-profits, cities and businesses of all sizes, helping them create stronger teams, develop strategic initiatives, and foster personal and organizational growth.

Products/Services:

Starfish Partnerships offers a wide range of services designed to help organizations thrive, including facilitation, leadership training, team building, and strategic planning. Our tailored programs are aimed at enhancing collaboration, setting clear, measurable goals, and fostering leadership development within teams. Whether it’s helping to create a strategic roadmap for a business or training non-profit executives and boards on their roles and responsibilities, I align offerings to meet the unique needs of the organizations.

Community Involvement:

As a long-time leader in Walton County, I’m deeply committed to serving my community. Separate from my Walton Chamber role, which is all about community and member support, I have personally supported United Way, Team Up Mentoring, FISH and other local organizations. I have served as President of PTO many years ago and most recently, two years ago at Youth Elementary School.  Our family is active member of Corinth Christian Church.

Success Stories:

One of the first digital programs I offered was my “give back” program – All Things Chamber.  This is a program with information I wish I knew when I began my career almost thirty years ago!  This program is sold through chamber state associations, and they keep just over half of each sale to use for scholarships for chamber staff to attend their conferences.  It is six and a half hours of pre-recorded content covering governance, operations, membership, events, programs, community and then the extras that just didn’t fit into one of those areas.

And here are a few testimonials from our partners:

"We are a small vertically integrated real estate sales, property management, development and construction company based in Monroe, Ga. We asked Teri Smiley with Starfish Partnerships to help us out with some visioning and strategy sessions along with team building exercises. Our time with her was very fun, energizing and helped provide much needed clarity. The results far exceeded the investment. We highly recommend Teri and the team at Starfish." Chad Draper, The Eulalia Group

“Thank you again for a successful retreat. I cannot think of a better retreat we’ve had!” Tommy Jennings, President & CEO, Barrow County Chamber

"I highly recommend Teri Smiley of Starfish Partnerships! From the start, she ensured every detail of our board retreat was covered. Her expertise in chamber governance guided our discussions and encouraged open dialogue. Teri’s genuine care for our success stood out, even using our branding and creating a custom strategic plan infographic. Thanks to her, our board left energized and aligned for the year ahead!"  Cammie Lumpkin, Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce

Challenges and Solutions:

As a small business owner in a part-time business, one of the biggest challenges is time.  While I feel I am great at time management, some days, there just are not enough hours left.  I think another challenge for me has been trying to figure out some of the technology aspects – website and updates to it, social media scheduling and growing it, as well as other programs I know would help me be more efficient, yet it would take time to “figure them all out”.

Future Plans:

Looking ahead, I plan to expand our digital offerings, creating more online courses and virtual workshops to accommodate the growing demand for remote training. Be on the lookout for the announcements on the next (non-chamber specific) digital program announced soon!

Chamber Benefits:

Being a chamber member has been a bit of a challenge for me as I also serve as Chamber President.  I do not promote Starfish Partnerships at chamber meetings and events – except through this paid Business Spotlight and our Expert Article, also paid for, earlier in the year. 

Having said that, I want to give you two recommendations. 

1-Go to the chamber office and meet the chamber staff team.  Make sure everyone understands what you do so that the team knows how to refer you to potential clients. 

2-Show up.  That sounds simple and I know it isn’t really that simple as you are all running your own businesses.  The Walton Chamber offers 8:30 am Coffee & Connections for those of you who do not open your businesses until 10 am – a great chance for you to attend and market your businesses.  Then, the chamber also offers luncheons, referral groups and volunteer opportunities for you.  I encourage you to “show up” and see who you meet!  It’s not “what you know but who you know” many times in life and business.

Advice:

To anyone starting a business in our community, I would say, don’t underestimate the power of relationships. Surround yourself with people who can help you grow—whether they’re mentors, peers, or fellow business owners. Being an active participant in your local chamber is a game-changer. I’ve learned that success doesn’t happen in isolation; it’s the result of collaboration and relationships.

Fun Fact:

Starfish Partnerships is named after the starfish’s remarkable ability to regenerate. Just like starfish, chambers, businesses and organizations must be willing to grow and regenerate to remain relevant.   The starfish is a symbol of resilience, transformation, and limitless potential—values that are at the core of everything I do!