Today we’d like to introduce you to Cheryl Mosley.
Hi Cheryl, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a creative at heart. As I look back over the story of my life, the one theme that stands out to me is that I have always enjoyed life most and thrived when I was able to create. As a child, I spent a lot of time daydreaming about the life that I would create for myself. In my younger years, this creative gene manifested itself in several ways: writing poetry and short stories, drawing floor plans of dream homes and filling the pictures with images of furniture and decorations. Imagining beautiful spaces was always a favorite pass time. I also enjoyed drawing dresses and gowns and imagining that I would one day be featured in a magazine.
When I became an adult and started my family, I was bit by the entrepreneur bug. I absolutely loved the idea of creating a business for myself that would provide inspiration and offer the freedom to create that I crave. Since I had a family, operating the businesses full-time wasn’t necessarily an option, but I was able to leverage things that I loved to start a few creative side hustles. I took a love for fashion and shoes and started a shoe boutique. In honor and memory of my grandmother’s love of baking, I opened a bakery with my daughter, which we operated for 12 years. In radical transparency, I used my missteps in operating small businesses and became a small business consultant-coaching small business owners around the pitfalls of business ownership. I named it Inspired to Create. To someone on the outside, it may have appeared that I changed my mind from time-to-time. But personally, I have enjoyed the thrill of starting something new, developing the process around it and seeing it manifest into something that I enjoy and that benefits others.
Now that I have gotten older, I am able to use my experiences, and exercise the wisdom I have gained over the years along with improved self-awareness to better define the areas in which I create. I am a little more focused now. I know myself well enough to know that not every idea needs to or will become a money-making opportunity. Some of the things that I love to create are intended to be sacred for me to enjoy personally. – Just for me. This isn’t a wildly normal perspective because society often pushes us toward the hustle culture. But, it is becoming more and more important to me. So, I am very selective when it comes to accepting customers or monetizing activities. There are creative hobbies that I have now such as interior design and DIY that are more therapeutic than anything else. At this stage in my life, I am interested in creating for the love of it and how it makes me feel. That is not to say that I wouldn’t be open to the idea of taking on clients, it’s to say that I find as much joy in making a life as I do in making a living. That balance is a priority!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Having a large variety of interests and abilities and being a creative may sound like a win to the average person and for the most part, it has been. But it hasn’t always been a smooth road. One of the primary struggles that I have encountered along the way has been consistently putting too much onto my plate. Fortunately and unfortunately for me, I am able to successfully juggle many things at one time. This often translated into me taking on more than I should for years.
When I entered into my 40s (best decade of my life so far by the way), it began to become extremely important to me that I not only created for accomplishment but that I created for personal fulfillment. This meant that I would have to learn how to say no, acknowledge and understand my limitations and make more space for rest without guilt. All of those were a struggle because often my value and self-worth were tied to my accomplishments. I say that my 40s have been the best decade of my life because that became a turning point during which I embraced more than ever the concept of self-love and giving myself grace. It was then that I began to really know myself and what brought me joy. I feel that despite the struggles of shedding the former perspectives I held for so long, I finally embraced myself fully. Not only despite the struggles, but many times because of overcoming the struggles, I am more creative at this age, than I have ever been. Not only creative, but I have more space mentally, physically and emotionally to create.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
In my career, I have been in non-profit leadership for over 15 years. I was a principal for a non-profit school of K-12 students with differing abilities for 10 years. I have been a director at a non-profit that provided food equity and access to the community. I am now Vice-President of Community Impact at a large non-profit in my city. This work is so important to me because I have my own lived experiences turned expertise. Because of my experiences, I can relate to almost anyone that I come in contact with. I find joy in being a blessing and being a part of work that can potentially transform lives. It is vital to me that I not only give back to the community that raised me but that I also open pathways of access and success, as others have done for me along the way.
In my community, I would like to think that I am known for going above and beyond to empower other people. And that I do this with love and a genuine spirit. My faith is extremely important to me and I desire to live a life that exemplifies the grace that God has shown me. My hope is that anyone who comes in contact with me will know they are seen, heard and valued no matter their walk of life. What am I most proud of? That is a great question. I don’t sit back often and assess what I am proud of, I just do the work. But, one thing I am proud of is to be in a personal space now that allows me to be bold, fearless and fully myself. That wasn’t always the case. There are many opportunities to play small in a world that doesn’t always want to hear from or even see a person. But, I am proud that I have had a shift in my thinking later in life and that has been a life changer for me. It has changed the way that I am able to show up for others within my community, it has changed the trajectory of my career and it has opened doors that I never knew were possible but hoped for. I believe that if you are really going to be able to create change and move mountains, you have to be willing to bring all of yourself to the table. I am proud of that because it has transformed how I show up in the world and how I show up for others.
I am also very proud that my dream of one day being featured in a magazine came true this month. I was featured in the Sept/Oct 2022 Homes Edition of The Roanoker Magazine for DIY interior design work that I am currently doing to my own home. That was a wonderful feeling!
What sets me apart is something I have mentioned before. The fact that my life has truly been a journey of ebbs and flows and I have been able to bounce back from it all – and come back better each time, keeps me humble but hopeful. And in humility but with hope, I am able to respond to the needs of others in a way that offers inspiration for their own lives.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I love collaboration. I love being able to network and bring a multitude of gifts to the table to create something amazing. So, if anyone has a love for their community and would like to brainstorm on local community issues and develop solutions, I am always open to that. But be warned, I enjoy working with people that really want to do the work most!
I am also always learning and would love to meet other black people who are in the interior design space. I am a novice, but enjoy what I do and welcome the opportunity to learn more!
Contact Info:
- Website: Lyrehcstyles.homes
- Instagram: lyrehc_styles
