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Cheryl Wood: “Disconnect from Fear and Drop the Call!”

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“I knew in my spirit I was meant to do this,” Cheryl said. “That first speaking engagement gave me a feeling I never knew, and it was amazing, especially when I realized my words transformed the audience. That is a gift I knew I had to pursue.” As her speaking business grew, she dissolved her T-shirt business and eventually left her corporate job, realizing that when you finally have the courage to close one door, an even bigger one will open more widely. There’s a reason the rearview mirror is smaller than the windshield, and she kept her focus on the exciting road ahead.

If you know what is on the other side of fear but are afraid to pursue it, turn an interested ear to the inspiring and movitational prowess that is Cheryl Wood. A veritable champion of personal development and economic empowerment of women (and men!) the world over, Cheryl is an engaging, thought-provoking and respected motivational speaker whose passion for her purpose knows no bounds.

There is one thing that this dynamic leader instinctively knows, and it rests in three simple words: Anything is possible, but she tempers that philosophy with tried and true wisdom. “You have to play big and focus on what you have; not on what you lack,” she asserted. “If you have fear, you cannot allow it to paralyze you. In fact, for 85 percent of women who have a dream, fear is the main reason they abandon their dreams. They stick with the familiar, like a bad relationship.”

Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, within the heart of the Lafayette projects, Cheryl bore daily witness to an environment littered with crime, poverty, violence and drug addiction. Raised by a single mom along with her fraternal twin sister and younger brother, Cheryl received some of her greatest lessons on perseverance and commitment from her mother. “She has always been my shining light,” Cheryl smiled. “She worked hard to support us, and I never saw her take a day off, nor did I ever hear her complain. It was from her that I learned my strong work ethic.”

After Cheryl graduated from high school with financial resources at a bare minimum, advancing to the arena of higher education was not an option at the time. However, she knew the depth of her intellect and the breadth of her skillset and was determined to use her own resolve and resources to carve out a rewarding and fulfilling life. Shortly after graduation, she transitioned into a job within corporate America, which she revealed was a double-edged sword. “It was a blessing to have a job, and I am not afraid of hard work, but I had this inner feeling that something was still missing; that there was something more for my life that made me feel discontent,” she noted. For nearly 20 years, she remained content, advancing well as a legal secretary despite the absence of a college degree. She enhanced her skills and was not afraid to roll up her sleeves and wipe the proverbial sweat from her brow. She was good at what she did and she knew it.

Still, a nagging and unsettling feeling tugged at her heart, as if to suggest something was missing in her life. During the course of her corporate rise, she married, had three children and was soon juggling all aspects of life—career, family and personal endeavors. Ultimately, Cheryl realized that she had all but fully accepted this life despite the appreciable demands it placed upon her shoulders. “I would work long hours, rush home for dinner after sitting in traffic, pick up the kids, and tag team with my very supportive husband to make dinner, give them their baths, help with homework, go to bed and then get up early the next day to start all over again,” she recalled. “I had no quality time with my family. I knew there was more to life than this, and I wanted a change.”

Just as many women do, Cheryl put her family responsibilities as a priority above finding her voice and pursuing her passion. “I kept pressing the mute button on my own voice,” she stressed. “I assumed it would take too much time away from my family to pursue my passion, until I realized that I did my family a disservice by not giving them the best version of myself.”

As she began to analyze her next move in life, she took baby steps. She knew she had to start somewhere, even if she didn’t know where the road would take her or to what it would lead. She began a T-shirt business in 2009 called Moms R the Best, creating an original line of shirts bearing slogans to celebrate women and moms. She spent countless weekends at various trade shows to showcase this endeavor while still tending to her full-time job during the week. This went on for 18 months. Then the call came.

“I got a call from someone at Morgan State University who wanted me to speak to other moms at their annual women’s conference, teaching them about becoming a mompreneur,” she recalled. Initially flabbergasted, Cheryl told the individual she most definitely had dialed the wrong number. No, it was the right number after all, and by the time the conference was upon her, she managed to create an impactful presentation, sweaty palms and all. That was her “aha” moment. She knew in her core she had found that for which she had been searching. Her soul was intoxicated!

“I knew in my spirit I was meant to do this,” Cheryl said. “That first speaking engagement gave me a feeling I never knew, and it was amazing, especially when I realized my words transformed the audience. That is a gift I knew I had to pursue.” As her speaking business grew, she dissolved her T-shirt business and eventually left her corporate job, realizing that when you finally have the courage to close one door, an even bigger one will open more widely. There’s a reason the rearview mirror is smaller than the windshield, and she kept her focus on the exciting road ahead.

Cheryl now speaks four to six times each month, both locally and nationally. As her presentation prowess has evolved, so have her dreams. “I want to stand on bigger platforms and reach the levels of Tony Robbins, Les Brown and Lisa Nichols, whom I consider my mentors,” she revealed. Well on her way to that goal, she recently spoke at a Women’s Empowerment session sponsored by Verizon in which she not only presented to a packed room, but also to women dialed in from all over the world. “It was amazing. I was speaking to female executives, directors and CEOs. Yes, the initial fear still popped up, but I turned to what I have always known, and that is to just be you. Tell your truth and tell your story. Afterwards, so many women came up to me in tears.”

One of her keynote presentations revolves around that four letter word of fear: Immobilizing Fear and Self Doubt. “Fear and self doubt will often call us and remind us we are not good enough,” she explained. “However, you need to disconnect from fear and drop the call!” Inspired beyond the speaking platform, Cheryl authored a book in 2010 titled How I Flatlined and Woke Up in 45 Days: A Guide to Empowered Living. A year later, she released a compilation of stories from 25 women called The GlamourLESS Side of Entrepreneurship: What They DIDN’T Tell You about Being a Woman in Business. Not one to rest on her laurels, Cheryl published The Power to Sizzle – Transformational Power Thoughts for Creating the Life You Want in 2013, a book of 150 power thoughts to kick start the day. She is also a contributing writer for WISE magazine, Enterprising Women magazine, FAHARI Magazine and Bliss magazine. Yes, she does have more books on the horizon and bears no shame reflex when it comes to admitting she one day sees herself on the New York Times best seller list.

To round out her growing resume, Cheryl also offers her services as a success coach, helping women who are within the first five years of their business startup and are struggling with how to clarify, articulate and monetize their message. “I am here to help them get real results if they are ready and willing to commit to the work,” she stated. And, to add to the fun, Cheryl also hosts an international global radio show, Playtime is Over, which airs 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. daily and can be accessed on listenvisionlive.com.

Has her success changed her at all? “It keeps me humble and grounded,” Cheryl reflected.

For more information on Cheryl Wood, visit her online at cherylempowers.com.