Sunny is an evangelist and beacon for unconventional business success. Only the brave need apply.
Sunny grew up in the Appalachian mountains and started playing guitar at the tender age of eight. By the time she was eleven, she was a prominent bluegrass player. Hailing from a long lineage of female storytellers, she was raised on gospel and bluegrass, and spent many summer nights surrounded by music. She describes her upbringing as “poor, but rich, oppressed, but magic.”
Her father was a self-made, driven entrepreneur who grew up in a coal mining camp. Her mom was a phenomenal cook, perfectionist, and gave the warmest hug you can imagine. They both taught her anything is possible if you give yourself fully to it. Their influence shaped her tremendously.
Sunny dropped out of pre-vet school to found Motto in her early 20’s. A year later, Sunny enrolled in the prestigious Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) where she pursued an MFA in Design & Visual Communication.
A gifted speaker, storyteller, and wordsmith, Sunny writes for Fast Company and is featured in the press and media for her bold point of view on brand, culture, and leadership. She is also a member of the YEC, an elite organization comprised of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs. She was named GDUSA’s Top 25 People to Watch.
On September 3, 2019 she co-authored and released her new book Rare Breed, A Guide to Success for the Defiant, Dangerous and Different (HarperCollins). The book’s thesis is that rebellious, audacious, obsessed, weird and emotional are traits that should get you fired, but in the 2020’s, that’s a virtue for the successful in a world mired with lookalikes, bs artists and best practicing practitioners. At the heart of Rare Breed is an unorthodox business book that focuses on seven so called “vices” that society deems as unconventional and counterintuitive to success. Sunny and Ashleigh reframe them as virtues to be celebrated.
The book became a bestseller and went from a book to a movement. It has garnered rave reviews from the business community including endorsements from Seth Godin, USA Today, NY Post, Blinkist, CNBC, Yahoo! Bloomberg and gets regularly featured as a top book on platforms like Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Inc. Interested? Grab a copy now.
She’s also the executive producer and co-host of the YouTube series, Rare Breed TV. Sunny and Ashleigh sit down with cultural provocateurs like famed Breakfast Club Host and Bestselling Author Charlamagne Tha God, PJ Morton of Maroon 5, Grammy Winner Jon Batiste of The Stephen Colbert Show, and many more.
Sunny is fascinated with humans, instinct, and meaningful conversation. You’ll never see her without a fedora and she loves anyone that can make her laugh or cook the perfect breakfast
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