From our Glow Through the Season Issue
Dr. Cheryl Wood is a powerhouse in the world of personal and professional development. As an international keynote speaker, best-selling author, and Editor-in-Chief of Voices of Change Magazine, Dr. Wood amplifies the stories of women creating impactful change. With her role as Executive Communication Strategist and CEO of Global Speakers University, she has committed her life to transforming leaders into influential communicators. Having coached top executives, professionals, entrepreneurs, and leaders to elevate their communication skills, she helps them command any room with confidence to drive success and leave a lasting legacy.
I first heard Dr. Cheryl speak at The Table Women’s Empowerment Summit, which was presented by Polished Events, LLC in College Park, MD, and I was impressed with how she commanded the room with her dynamic storytelling. She spoke vividly and raw of family interactions. She briefed the audience about a traumatic incident with her dad. I thought to myself that she is a Black woman who likes to keep it real and I concluded that our community would benefit in learning about her experiences. So I’m excited to share this interview with you all.
In our discussion, Dr. Cheryl reveals her insights on the art of crafting one’s own story, finding strength in the “ugly parts” of life, and overcoming the poverty mindset. She shares invaluable lessons on tapping into your voice, no matter the circumstances, and embracing the hard parts of your story as fuel for growth and resilience.
Fancy: Dr. Cheryl, you started public speaking by being invited to an event to speak about your T-shirt business. It’s been said that our first business is usually just our entry point into entrepreneurship. It’s not the business that is going to be the breakthrough through. Do you agree with the statement, and do you still operate your T-shirt business?
Dr. Cheryl: That’s such a good question. I agree with that statement. I feel like the T-shirts were just that. It was literally just the beginning or, as you say, the entry point to my real purpose. And I think the critical part of that is I would have never had the entry point had I not got started with the T-shirts. So, the T-shirts taught me so many lessons that I would incorporate as a part of my speaking business a couple of years down the road. I still incorporate those lessons today. My initial business taught me how to speak up and express who I am and what I do.
Sitting at those vendor tables praying that somebody would come over and buy a T-shirt taught me how to engage in conversation. I learned not to be crushed and devastated by “no.” You just understand that’s a part of business. It taught me how to network effectively. It taught me the real grind of being in business and that sometimes, when starting, you will give so much more than you initially receive. But as time progresses, you can incorporate all those lessons and those failures as a part of your ultimate success.
So today I am not doing the T-shirts. Thank you, Lord! [Laughs.] There was nothing wrong with doing T-shirts, but I was sick and tired of packing up T-shirts and taking them to an event, then bringing them back home. That’s why I’m always so adamant about supporting exhibitors and vendors when I’m at events. But I don’t do the T-shirts anymore. I feel like it divinely detoured me into my true calling, which is speaking. That’s why I spend my time pouring myself into speaking and speaking life into other people and their dreams.
Dr. Cheryl – The Public Speaker
Fancy: Right. I was just curious because I didn’t think she still had time for that. So then at what point did you decide you could make a career out of public speaking?
Dr. Cherly: Oh, that’s a good question. I think there are two different answers to that. There was a point when I knew I wanted to [speak for a living], but then there was a point where I felt like it was a viable business that could replace my full-time income. So when I started the T-shirt business and detoured into public speaking, I was still working full-time as a legal secretary in corporate America. My very first speaking engagement was at Morgan State University, September 18, 2010. It was then that I knew I wanted it to be my career. But it wasn’t until several years later, when I got my first paid speaking engagement, that I felt like this could be a viable career that I could utilize to replace the income that I was earning with my full-time job.
It was someone else seeing the value in what I could bring to the table and not just say, “Oh, Cheryl, you’re such a great speaker.” It was not only the fact that I was being applauded, but that I was actually being compensated for the service I delivered to that room. And that check was from the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System. I will never forget it. I will never forget being in their big, packed auditorium. I think there were about 150 people there. I was like, “Wait–all these people came here to hear me speak?” I was the only speaker, and it was for Women’s History Month. And they wrote me a check for that speaking engagement.
So, I already had the feeling of knowing that my life was bigger than me every time I spoke. I was inspiring, empowering, educating, and informing others. And I also could earn a check, a good check. That was the piece that made me think, “Okay, I could possibly turn this into a real career that compensates me adequately for what I do.”
