Meet Sheri:
In her own words –
“I love Dr Seuss’s quote, “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” Knowing that all of us don’t fit in in one way or another, instead of trying to I believe it is important to accept and embrace our uniqueness and from that vantage point, make a difference to ourselves and the world. I do this in my personal life and through my work at The Charmm’d Foundation, a non-profit organization which strengthens leaders, their teams and their organizations. It is important that we all know ourselves, stand strong in who we are, what we believe in and what we want. It is important that we all give ourselves permission to be that person.
©Amy Boyle Photography 2019
I truly believe we each have a special gift(s) to offer the world. Imagine if this special quality oozed out of each of us and helped to make this world a better place. It’s my work and intention to hold the mirror up to those I encounter so that they can see how uniquely wonderful they are. I listen to them and help them celebrate themselves. For the past 15 years, at Charmm’d our small and mighty team, has worked on the people side of leadership to make this happen. This means that we focus on emotional intelligence and the soft skills we all are capable of: communicating with others, having empathy, understanding what is going on around us and creating a culture that people want to be a part of.
©Amy Boyle Photography 2019
I have spent much of the past 15 years learning how to become a better me and embracing who I am so that I can help others achieve the best of them. I wouldn’t call myself altruistic. I’m selfish, really. Every time I find myself helping someone else become the best version of themselves, I learn as well. I’m able to see the ways in which they’ve been able to stand strong in their own truths. I realize I then can do that too. Each time I’m able to really be present with a person, I’m able to make a connection with them, and that to me is a gift.
©Amy Boyle Photography 2019
So, how do I embrace who I am in my personal life? It is a privilege to share that I am 60+ and to celebrate that. In fact, each year brings me more and more joy as I create a “bucket list” of opportunities I want to accomplish. The number of items on that bucket list depends on my age. At 60, I had 60 items. Now at 61 and with the help of family and friends, I am having the time of my life working on my bucket list of 61 things to do. Still on my list are things such as visiting a salt cave, seeing the Southside pf Chicago’s St, Patrick’s Day Parade and breaking bread with a famous person. …Hmmm. It would be fun to know what Dr. Seuss would have put on his list.”
*** Please follow along on instagram as well and learn more about Sheri. 52 Phenomenal Women is now in its second year! This is week 10 of 52.
Participants in this project will be supporting the efforts of Dress for Success Worldwide – Central. We are all stronger together and it is my sincere hope that we will be inspired by each other’s stories. Now is the time to celebrate as well as encourage one another. Tell your story!***