What’s the Secret to Sharon Linhart’s Success?

Before she became a successful entrepreneur and council to top brands, Sharon Linhart grew up in Colorado and earned a journalism degree from the University of Wyoming in Laramie.  Her entrepreneurial spirit may have been handed down from her father, the late John Haley, who was a founding partner of the Nelson, Haley, Patterson and Quirk engineering firm in Greeley.

Now Sharon runs one of the most successful and highly decorated PR firms in Denver. In the last decade Sharon Linhart can count numerous significant awards that have honored her personally or recognized her firm, Linhart PR.  In fact, the CWCC recognized Sharon as an ATHENA Award Finalist in 2009.  In 2011 alone the firm received major recognition such as ranking No. 3,668 on the Inc. 5,000 list of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies and PR News magazine naming it the Small PR Firm of the Year. Inc. magazine also picked Linhart PR as one of only 50 U.S. companies to receive its Top Small Company Workplace award.   And just announced this week by the Colorado chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, Linhart PR won the grand Gold Pick award for its “Culture Matters at Linhart Public Relations” campaign, plus five more golds and two silvers.

Yes, she’s got business smarts, but what sets her apart is her optimism, her unique style and motivation skills and her understanding of communications.  She’s a powerhouse when it comes to crisis communications and strategic planning, executive counsel and issues management.  No doubt this is why Sharon has been able to land big-name clients Tiffany & Co., Southwest Airlines, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Firstbank and United Health Care among many others.

Sharon is also actively involved in her community as a board member of Junior Achievement, Craig Hospital Foundation and she’s on the Boy Scouts Board of Trustees in addition to being involved with other local and national organizations.

So, we know she’s a dynamite business woman, a leader in her field and active in her community.  But what got her to where she is today?  What in her journey prepared her to be the kind of businesswoman who could start a company and grow its revenue by 43 percent, to $4.1 million from $2.9 million in three years during a struggling economy?

How did Sharon build not only a successful company but a culture that attracts great clients and sustains a talented, happy staff (Inc Magazine 2011 Top Small Company Workplaces winner)?  We can read her bios and list of accolades, but what isn’t captured there is how she became Sharon Linhart.  How did she become the respected leader and amazing businesswomen she is today?  What was her foundation for success? What obstacles did she face, and how did she overcome them?

For the answers to all of these questions and more, and to meet Sharon Linhart in person, reserve your ticket to the May 16^th, 2012 Downtown Luncheon. You won’t want to miss it.