Shelley Taniguchi of WISE (Women in Sports and Events) Talks Mentoring and Giving Back

Shelley Taniguchi has seen it all. As the board president of WISE LA (Women in Sports and Events) and a sports event producer, her wide gamut of experiences has made her a better, wiser businesswoman, more prepared to tackle any curveball thrown her way. Her professional approach is a refreshing mix of positivity and tenacity, with her main goal at WISE to help female athletes reach their full potential and overcome obstacles in a primarily male-dominated industry.

2014 marks Taniguchi’s first year as president, though it is her fifth year on the WISE board, a national membership organization that currently boasts 11 chapters across the United States. It offers women career development, networking opportunities, and perhaps most important of all, the ability to connect with a mentor — usually another female in the same industry. The latter can be on either a peer or senior level, but either way, are able to offer priceless, “been-there-done-that” career advice and encouragement to young female athletes who will inevitably encounter the normal hardships of a budding career.

Though it may seem like a full-time position, all of the members of the WISE board, including the president, work on a volunteer basis. Members around the country put in work hours with WISE because they want to give back to the sports communities that have supported them, and to inspire young women to find a rewarding career in sports. The board presidents of each chapter meet at least once a month to discuss chapter management, upcoming events, and how to better their organization as a whole. Currently, they’re planning the first WISE Presidential Summit this year, hosted by Taniguchi and the Los Angeles chapter.

As a successful woman working in sports and events, Taniguchi believes that WISE is an organization imperative to continue the healthy growth of women in the sports industry. She notes that in general, athletics offer vital life lessons, but “in a safe space.” As she explained further, “Sports are such a catalyst for leadership skills, team-building, learning how to fail and make mistakes,” and that these essential “life principles” can help kids and teenagers later on, both personally and professionally.

Imagining, Creating and then Relaxing: A Prescription for Success

In addition to becoming the board president of WISE LA, Taniguchi has also worked for fifteen years as a sports event producer. As a producer, she confers with clients (usually in sports and wellness) to create live sporting events, develop an audience, and build engagement. One of Taniguchi’s favorite things about being an event producer is the process: visualizing an idea and then creating a live event that will positively impact all who experience it.

Despite any setbacks a growing career is bound to encounter, Taniguchi’s advice is “Go for it! Be your own champion and don’t be afraid to fail.” She quotes the philosopher G.K. Chesterton: “’Anything worth doing is worth doing badly,’ so take that leap and believe that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. It doesn’t matter if it’s perfect; it matters that you did it.”

Even with her all experience, Taniguchi says that each event she produces is a new learning experience. She tries to keep everything fresh, and approach each new job in a positive and open-minded manner. However, as she notes, with all that effort, it is important to keep a good balance. As busy as she is, she says she purposely schedules time off for herself: she feels that rest and recuperation make for peak performances at work, and finds that if she doesn’t care for her health and mental well-being, she sees her overall performance diminish at the office and in her personal life.

This need to be at the top of her game is especially true regarding her position with WISE, as she continues her work with this ground-breaking organization and its crucial aim of developing programs to support future generations of women.