What Nobody Tells You About Effort and Success with Sheryl Whitaker

In this episode of Career Coaching Secrets our guest is Sheryl Whitaker, a dynamic leadership and career development professional who shares powerful insights on personal growth, mindset, resilience, and building confidence in your career journey. Sheryl opens up about the realities of doing the hard work, breaking through self-limitations, and creating sustainable success through intentional effort and self-leadership.

You can find her on:

https://www.edenanthonyelitetalent.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheryl-raphael-whitaker/

Email: Sheryl.whitaker@edenanthonyelitetalent.com

Transcript

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker: 0:00

Weird too because when I made a decision this just this year in January, that's when I kicked off my website ready and all that good stuff. I was thinking fractional work. I was not thinking about a book. I was not thinking about speaking. Coaching wasn't gonna be a pillar, it was gonna be something I offered on the side. So where I am now almost a year later, it's a complete about fate.

Davis Nguyen : 0:20

Welcome to Career Coaching Secrets, the podcast where we talk with successful career coaches on how they built their success and the hard lessons they learned along the way. My name is Davis Wynne, and I'm the founder of Purple Circle, where we help career coaches scale their business to $100,000 years, $100,000 months, and even $100,000 weeks. Before Purple Circle, I've grown several seven and eight-figure career coaching businesses myself and have been a consultant at two career coaching businesses that are doing over $100 million each. Whether you're an established coach or building your practice for the first time, you'll discover the secrets to elevating your coaching business.

Pedro Stein: 0:51

Welcome to Career Coaching Secrets Podcast. I'm Pedro and today's guest is Cheryl Whitaker, a leadership strategist, executive coach, and founder and CEO of Eden Anthony Elite Talent Solutions. With nearly two decades of experience inside Fortune 100 and 500 companies, she helps leaders move beyond performance and into real leadership. The kind that strengthens teams, reduces burnout, and brings clarity when the stakes are high. Now, she works with ambitious leaders and their teams to rebuild trust, sharpen effectiveness, and lead with the presence instead of pressure. Her approach blends death, honesty, and her signature philosophy. Joy as a strategy, a framework that keeps leaders grounded and powerful. She also serves as a curator and board member for TEDx South Lake. Welcome to the show, Cheryl.

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker: 1:45

Thank you so much, Pedro. I'm happy to be here. Thanks for having me.

Pedro Stein: 1:49

Oh, yeah, I'm super excited to talk with you, Cheryl, too. So, all right, let's rewind a bit, okay? Like the origin story. So every coach has that moment where they look at their life and say, you know what? I guess this is what I'm doing now. So when was that for you?

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker: 2:05

Oh, well, in a positive way, I'd say that took place, it'll be almost two years ago, coming up this coming April, when I separated from my last organization. I've spent uh many, many years on the corporate side. And I really honestly thought that that was where I was going to stay, retire, and you know, go off into the sunset and all that kind of stuff. But honestly, Pedro, when I made a decision to not shrink and to make sure my voice was heard, I had to really think about it and be like, okay, what is coming next for me? And quite honestly, it really wasn't coaching for me at first. I thought that I was gonna start my own business and I was gonna do what I did for other organizations, but just do it fractionally and was an enterprise learning leader. And I decided to get certified in coaching is sort of like a you want prize with that? You know what I mean? Like, hey, put something on the side there. And then I remembered how much I love coaching and doing on the outside is a lot different than the inside. So yeah, so that was a big aha moment for me, just leaving corporate and then figuring out what was gonna be next and then landing up in coaching.

Pedro Stein: 3:09

I like that. The fact that you were you want to make sure your voice was heard, you know, that's very impactful. That's really interesting. And when did it shift from, you know, I'm helping people to I'm building real business around this, you know, that shift that we see coaches going through.

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker: 3:24

Yeah, that shift happened for me pretty quickly after I made a decision that I was going to do my own business. And then maybe after my first couple of clients realizing the difference between coaching on the outside versus on the inside. Like when you're on the inside, yes, we coach, but at the same time, you're still being supported by the organization, right? And of course, as coaches, we you know, some you know, clients have sponsors and that kind of thing, but it's still like really different, and not being tethered to an organization, just I find that the clients are just kind of like they just open up and it becomes a lot of times for us so much more than what we originally, you know, signed up for. And that's what it clicked for me. Like, ooh, this is a real opportunity to have a significant impact and to really, really help people through the power of coaching.

Pedro Stein: 4:13

To get that business out of the way and let's talk, you know, let's talk feelings, let's talk what actually is holding you back. Right. So that shit was something in a way kind of sparked your interest. Is that it?

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker: 4:24

Yeah, well, it more than sparked my interest. It it helped me realize that you know I had an opportunity to really, really help people because that's why I got into learning and development in the first place. That's where that's why I spent most of my career because I loved watching those light bulbs go off. You know, you see the lights light up, you know, and I wanted that same thing. This wasn't expecting to get it from coaching, and it's the same, same feeling. I love it. Helping people.

Pedro Stein: 4:49

Okay, yeah. So after you got rolling, right? Who are the people that kept showing up? You know, the ones you realized, okay, these guys, this is my crew, you know, these are my people.

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker: 4:59

Oh, my people. The ones who want what we all want, which is to have more joy. So leaders who are just performing and just going out there and it's a grind. I mean, gosh, I was one of them. And you sit down one day and you realize, like, what am I doing? I don't even love my work. I'm not even sure if I love the people. And if you don't love the people, then you really need to seriously wonder whether or not you belong in leadership in the first place. And so my people are those who are either looking for joy, they never had it, they had and they lost it. And I even love those, I call them just the skeptics, the ones who are like, what's this whole joy thing about in the leadership sense? And then watching again the aha moments happen as they change their perspective, and then the change of perspective changes the way they see the world and how they see their leadership. So, and it doesn't matter. I mean, I tend to work with mostly senior executives, but I mean, I work with high school students, I'm work with, you know, folks who are thinking about leadership, those who are new to leadership. It really runs the whole gamut for me because we're all people, right? Having this experience, right?

Pedro Stein: 6:04

I mean, that's super interesting, especially the joy, the way you put it, you know, joy that's in a way it's simple, but at the same time, so complex, you know, and people often forget to ask themselves, hey, is this fun, right? So am I having fun while doing this?

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker: 6:18

Well, am I feeling good, like at my core? Is it giving me fuel? Because a lot of us, I mean, we use the word burnout a lot, but it's a burnout, it's a real thing. And I often say that joy is feel, but joy is also the infrastructure for how you see your world. For me, it's my chief operating officer, it's my COO, it's the operating system, it's the operating system for how I see life and then how I see work. And so, what I do in my work is inspired to help leaders get to that place too, because then everybody wins when you leave from that place.

Pedro Stein: 6:51

Right, I like that. Okay, so that's the coaching side, right? Now let's talk about the part nobody's gate, marketing. Oh, right? So, how do people usually find you?

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker: 7:01

So they find me in multiple ways, so but mostly social media and then referrals, word of mouth. It's so funny because we are in this world of like obviously we're talking about AI, AI, AI, and everybody's talking about this, like, you know, AI is taking over the world and that kind of thing. But really, at the end of the day, we are becoming more connected as people because AI is taking care of a lot of different things, right? And so the reason why I'm bringing this up is because it comes back to your network. My mom always says it's not who you know, it's who knows you. And so my mom is very wise, but every single way think about it, every single coaching client I've had to date has been either someone who has known me in my past life or a connection there, and then like and then referrals, you know what I mean? So people who've been coached by me recommend me to somebody else, and then that's how it works. And I, from a marketing perspective, to answer your question, it's I spend a lot of time on LinkedIn. Yeah, a lot of time there and Facebook, Instagram.

Pedro Stein: 8:02

I mean, I know it's pretty fresh, the the coaching world, and actually you mentioned something that's very interesting. It's the AI. So a lot of things are super fresh, right? So, what did you end up trying, you know, as you figure out how to reach people? Yeah, I know you mentioned referrals, but have you tried some other ventures? Oh gosh.

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker: 8:19

So I've been putting myself out there again, social media, building my personal brand. Because before I started my business as a corporate executive, I was posting mostly about my team, the company, the things you've done, the things I'm proud of. And I've never really ventured into myself as a brand and like getting out there with my point of view, things that are important to me and how I see the world, how I see leadership and how that impacts my business and coaching and all that good stuff. So a lot of that, a lot of that's happening. But at the same time, I'm also putting myself in places where I can get past my like my close network and you know, going through like, you know, networking events, conferences, things of that nature. I wrote a book, my book came out in September, became a bestseller on the first day that it came out in several categories, hitting number one. Okay, Pedro, writing a book was that was never on my agenda, but I just try to think about ways that I can get my voice out and help people in a way that was scalable. And so, you know, working with, you know, like a great editor and publishing team at AFCO Publishing really, really like has been able to accelerate the number of folks who have an opportunity to hear the message and start to think about leadership in a different way, which is really what I'm excited about.

Pedro Stein: 9:37

I mean, that's awesome. I mean, the fact that I gotta point this is that you mentioned coaching as a tool that it was not in your agenda. Now you're mentioning a book that was not in your agenda. Come on. What's happening, Cheryl?

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker: 9:49

I mean, what's up with my agenda, Pedro? I know exactly. I know, I know. It's so weird too because when I made a decision that just this year in January, that's when I kicked off my website ready and all that good stuff. I was thinking fractional work. I was not thinking about a book, I was not thinking about speaking. Coaching wasn't gonna be a pillar, it was gonna be something I offered on the side. So where I am now, almost a year later, it's a complete about face. And I'm still figuring things out and kind of just throwing things, you know, out there and seeing what works. I mean, that's how you learn, right? Test and learn, see what works, innovate, be creative, do things a little bit differently than other people are doing it. Try things that some people might be a little nervous to do, I might be afraid or a little nervous myself, and just do it anyway.

Pedro Stein: 10:33

I mean, Cheryl, as much as you try to avoid it, sounds like you're meant to be, you know, the coaching side, the book, you know, that's so cool in a way because sometimes it shows you this is the right path, right? As much as you're struggling with it, they're like, hey, come on, Cheryl. Yeah, come here, write a book.

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker: 10:48

Yeah, you know, yep, exactly. It's like, who me? You're like, Yes, you're gonna write a book.

Pedro Stein: 10:53

All right, that's all fun. I mean, I want to change topics for a second, okay? You've been in business for a while and I want to talk business, okay? Okay, people find you, they resonate with your work, and eventually they want to know what working with you actually looks like. So everyone builds their coaching business a bit differently, obviously. So when someone actually becomes a client, what does that experience look like right now?

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker: 11:15

Oh, so interesting. I love that question because the way that I structure my coaching experience is just that it's an experience and it's different for every person. So I know that there are coaches out there. I mean, I was thinking about this when I first started, and I was just like researching and trying to figure out how my business was gonna work, where it's like, okay, I have these packages, you know, like these signature packages, and you could package this and package that, and then you know, A B C D. And you know, but what I quickly realized as I was having conversations, because as you can tell, Pedro, you and I talking, I love people and I love people, I love engaging, I love connecting. And as I started connecting with each individual client, I realized that each client needs something different, right? So there might be some things that are similar from client to client, but what we do is I work with them individually, figure out what it is that they're trying to accomplish. What does good look like when we get to the end of our six months, 12 months, three months, whatever the case may be, however long that engagement is, what will make you feel good? What will make you know that this was worth your while and worth your investment, quite frankly. And then I work backwards from there, same way I worked in corporate, would figure out what was the end goal, what are we trying to accomplish, and then I would work backwards to ensure that individual is going to feel good by the time they get to the end of their time with me. And so there are some, there are some structural parts that may be similar from client to client. But I also like to make sure that when you and I get together and we sit down to have our session for that day, we always start with what's going on with you, what's like top of mind for you right now, today, as we sit and talk. And sometimes that ends up taking up the whole session, and other times we're able to get to whatever it is that we're focused on as part of our program. So it depends.

Pedro Stein: 13:03

Okay. It sounds like it's a pretty customized experience, and you're pretty hands-on too. It is, yes. So, how do you think about capacity so you don't stretch yourself too thin?

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker: 13:12

Oh, yeah, I think about it all the time. And as now I'm working on, I have my those kind of clients that I just mentioned to you, but now I'm getting ready to elevate and leverage my book. It starts with joy. There's a methodology to help individual move through the different phases of what I call the joy shift method. And so now I'm like, I'm getting ready to do a podcast and elevating my speaking side of my business, and I am building, you know, a curriculum and looking at an app. I mean, I'm just going through and just trying all different things because I know that at a certain point in time I'm not going to be able to, I can't, I can only spread myself so much, right? Yeah. So I'm thinking about all the different things I can do to expand my business and still have an impact.

Pedro Stein: 13:56

Okay. So one thing that every coach wrestles and struggles with at some point is pricing, you know, and how to package the work.

Speaker 2: 14:03

I knew you were gonna say that. I knew you were gonna say that. The people Oh my god.

Pedro Stein: 14:07

Okay, yeah. I mean, because how do you think about it today? Were there any lessons along the way that shape how you landed there? Because to be candid with you, Cheryl, we see people that, hey, I'm doing one-on-ones, I'm charging an hourly rate, hey, I'm doing program-based, I'm doing group coaching, you know. So this is really something that resonates with our audience. So I would to hear from you how that fell for you. How to to, you know, take a look at your self-worth in a way, you know, because it's your time at the end of the day.

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker: 14:34

You know what's so funny? And I knew you were gonna talk about this. I knew you were gonna ask when you said when you start going in that road, I'm like, he's gonna ask me about price. I know, and what I find really interesting is that okay, I'm a newbie, really. It's probably a good person to talk to about this, right? The funny thing is, I talk to, I've got folks in my circle who've been doing this for five years, nine years, 15 years, and everybody still struggles with price. Why is it? I mean, and to me, it's an absolutely fascinating thing. I learned really fast from my very first client not to charge an hourly rate.

Speaker 4: 15:06

Okay.

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker: 15:06

Because, and I thought about it all wrong. I thought about it like, okay, it's gonna be this many sessions, this long, before this long, and I'm gonna charge this much an hour. But then I realized very quickly, no, that's wrong because you're doing a whole lot more before, during, and after that coaching session that you're not really, I wasn't anyway, I wasn't accounting for in you know, in my rate. And so what I do now is I try really hard, Pedro, and it hurts me and it's so uncomfortable. But I price at what I think I'm worth for that particular client. You know, is it a corporate client? Is it a client where you know the sponsor is their job is paying for it, or is it someone who found me on LinkedIn and they're just trying to figure something out? It'll be a different, I'll price differently for that. But no matter what I do, I always try to keep it at a price that makes me a little uncomfortable. Because if I'm feeling a little bit uncomfortable about asking for that price, then I know it's the right price. Does that make sense?

Pedro Stein: 16:08

Makes sense.

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker: 16:08

Okay, it's a little bit comfortable. It's kind of like how I think about salary negotiations. They always say, ask for more than what makes you comfortable.

Pedro Stein: 16:16

That's interesting. The way you put it, the uncomfortable part, that's really interesting. I have never heard anyone saying like that, you know, but the hourly dilemma, I'll call it. Yeah, yes, that's something we see people struggling with. Well, let's call it a dilemma.

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker: 16:32

I learned that lesson super duper fast. And then the other thing, too, is that I don't know, you just have to really, for me anyway, I'll just talk for myself. I have to believe in myself and I know that I am worth I'm worth what I'm asking for. I'll give options to one particular client. I will say, like, it could be this, it could be this, it could be this, right? So you've got like three different, you know, lanes you can go down, but I'm still making sure that in each one of those lanes, I'm still pricing it at what I feel is an appropriate level and investment for me, what I'm offering to that client.

Pedro Stein: 17:03

I love the fact that you customize a product and you also customize a price, okay? So, but I'm curious about where you're taking all this, you know, looking ahead, where do you see the business going? Are you thinking about scaling, hiring, or is that a next step you're excited about? You know, you just launched a book, coaching world still fresh. I wouldn't understand where you're going with it.

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker: 17:22

Yeah. So, what I'm really excited about, if I can write this story myself, the book and talks becomes a business and not a career. I was reading an article on LinkedIn the other day that talked about the difference between speaking as a career versus speaking as a business. So, speaking as a career is just getting out there and talk, talk, talk, talk, talk. Speaking as a business is it's an entrance, it's a funnel for coaching and you know, leadership development and all that kind of stuff that comes on the back end. And so if I can write it my way, I will I'm expanding the speaking side of my business. And then my wish is that, and my desire, and what I think is gonna happen, is that folks are gonna want more from me. And then behind that talk is an offer for coaching and then leadership development for senior teams. I've already experienced that even when I was an executive on the corporate side, hired someone to come in and do a talk, and then they'd walk off that stage and it's like, but wait, how do we get more? Oh well, we've got I've got this coaching program, I've got this workshop, I've got and that's what builds the business and not just the career. So for me, it's just like it's a cycle of coaching, speaking, workshops, the book, you know, all of that just kind of it's just like a churn. That's the way I see it in my mind.

Pedro Stein: 18:38

So it sounds like you're building that structure, you know, the intention behind the speaking, not just the speaking for itself. It's like you're trying to create that machine, that well-oiled machine that will put intention towards an offer and then revenue. But of course, impact too.

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker: 18:55

That's obviously yeah, because if it's not respectful, then it's like a one-hit wonder, right?

Pedro Stein: 19:00

Exactly. So, of course, whenever we're aiming toward the next chapter, there's always something we're refining the present, obviously. Like you said, the machine, right? So, what are you currently trying to improve or tighten up in your business? Anything specific?

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker: 19:12

Anything, right? Because I'm only a year into this. So my systems and processes, those kind of things, I am hyper focused on, will be hyper-focused on as I go into 2026. Because this year was just, I guess they say, like it takes two years, like you're really an your baby for two years in business, in a new business. And so I'm like halfway in. And so I am testing, learning, making mistakes, giving myself grace with that. But I recognize very much so that from a system perspective, there needs to be a lot of focus on that in this coming year so that I can come out of my second year really strong and ready to like hit the ground running and really start to make a difference. So I can scale and do all those wonderful things that are gonna support me going forward.

Pedro Stein: 19:56

Okay. We're in building phase then. That's nice.

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker: 19:59

I'm in building phase.

Pedro Stein: 20:00

Building phase. So I want to switch gears for a second and do something a bit more fun. Not that this was not fun. I just wanted to try something different here. If you're down for it, I'll just got a quick game for you.

Speaker 2: 20:10

I'm down.

Pedro Stein: 20:11

Okay.

Speaker 5: 20:11

I love games.

Pedro Stein: 20:12

Okay. We'll look at this through the lens of business investments. Okay. Things like coaching, training, marketing, team, masterminds, you name it. And especially since you're you told me you're fresh. I want to see your point of view, okay? Because we have all of this noise. Hey, look at this offer. Look at this. Look at that. And you're never sometimes we're we see people unsure of what's the next step, right? So it's pretty simple. I'll give you four prompts and you tell me the first thing that comes to mind. If there's a story behind it, even better. Can we do it? Sure. So what's the what was that? I said I hope. Okay. What's the first business investment you remember making?

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker: 20:49

First business investment I remember making. I should really remember that. Oh, I remember it. You want me to share it with you what it was? Of course. Oh, it was Super Connector with Jen Gottlieb and Chris. Jen and Chris. Okay. That was the very first one.

Pedro Stein: 21:02

Okay. What's the most recent one you made? Sorry. What was that?

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker: 21:05

Oh, the most recent one is I'm really, really excited about it with Angelique Brewers and Boldhouse. And it is called Edge, the mastermind that is starting in, for me, it's starting in January. And it's a year-long mastermind. That is definitely the largest investment I made, but I kind of tested the waters. I went to her conference, which is really like a funnel, November of last year. That's where I really made the decision that I wasn't going back to corporate. I was gonna go full in. But I wasn't ready to join her mastermind yet. It was gonna be my first year getting into business. I promised myself, I'm gonna work my ass off and I'm gonna be able to make that investment based upon the work that I did, you know, in 2025. I'm gonna go back to that conference, that funnel, and I'm gonna sign up for whatever her offer is. And I did. And so I'm starting that in January. She's a badass, she focuses on boutique, firm owners, business to business, doing what you need to do to get all your systems and processes in place, and also, you know, getting in front of those decision makers on the B2B side. And so I'm very excited for that work to begin with.

Pedro Stein: 22:09

Okay. Best financial business investment you made and why?

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker: 22:14

Best financial investment in business I've made so far. Hosh. You know what? This is gonna seem like a cop-out answer, but I'd have to say, every single dollar that I've spent this year, even when in the moment or afterwards, I can look back and say, like, did I really get everything I wanted out of that investment? Even if I did not, there's something that I got out of every single step that I made. I just don't believe that there were any mistakes. Even though in the moment, I'll give you an example. I hired a business coach. And to protect the innocent, I won't say who. I hired a business coach and I learned quite quickly that I had made a mistake. Like it was we were not aligned. What this person thought was fine. I don't like that word, fine. I call it the F word. I don't like fine. We just weren't on the same page at all. And I fired her, and it cost me money to get out of that agreement, right? So I had to like walk away from like money on the table. But when I think back, there were so many lessons I learned from that experience that if you asked me to go back and fix it, you gave me an opportunity to fix it and go back and maybe not sign up with her, I would say no. Because I know there were lessons I learned that were very valuable that you know enabled me to do the things that I'm doing today, right now, today. So okay.

Pedro Stein: 23:32

I think you do have, you know, uh you can future tell because my next question was gonna be what's the one investment you wish you could get your money back on? But you shifted that into your best, but you didn't see it as a mistake, you know, you see it as a learning experience. So, oh my god, what are you doing with my game here?

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker: 23:48

I know I told you I love games. But you know what though, Pedro? If you had asked me that same question six months ago, I would have easily said, Yeah, it was a big mistake. And I'm like, you know, it took me a minute to like get in a groove of understanding that as a business owner, as a founder, I am going to do and I'm going to invest in my own development and in my business. And there are going to be mistakes I'm gonna make along the way. It's just how I see them, it'll make the difference as to whether or not I'm stuck there or if I move forward, and I can't afford to get stuck and move forward.

Pedro Stein: 24:21

Okay. So, how has your approach investing in the business changed over the years? You know, I know in six months, we're talking about a change in six months, but have you seen any difference if you have a different lens now from what you've been through?

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker: 24:33

Oh, yeah, because even though I'm like, oh yeah, you know, I learned from that mistake and I wouldn't change it, that doesn't mean I want to go and make future mistakes like that, right? So, yeah, so my lens, I'm not taking what you're saying at face value. I'm doing a much better job of vetting. So, for example, I self-published my book, like that was an amazing investment that I made, but I didn't take the very first, you know, organizational company that I was looking at to help me get my book, to get my book in hand. I talked to many and then I checked myself. And it was because I had that experience with that business coach that I fired that I became a whole lot more thoughtful and a lot more inquisitive and interested. And, you know, the vetting was completely different. You know, I started telling people that I would talk to you, you know what? I fired my last coach. I fired my whomever, and then they look at me like, oh, well, sugar. Then let me make sure that we have a real conversation because I don't want to be a few months down the road and then Cheryl's not happy. You know what I mean? So it gave me new language to like to go to people with.

Pedro Stein: 25:33

Fine and average are not gonna cut it with Cheryl, right?

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker: 25:36

No, I had to deal with fine a lot in corporate, where it's just kind of like some other executive above me says, This is what we want you to do, and you have no idea what I do. You know what I'm saying? So in my own business, no one else is gonna tell me what's fine. That was like if I had hair, it was just standing up on the tent.

Pedro Stein: 25:55

You're killing me. Okay. Since you went through that experience, and I like the fact that you fired, not that you fired her, I don't even know what we're talking about, but I like the fact that you didn't settle, okay? I like that. And I went to tap into your experience for a second because people listening can really benefit from this. You know, you've been in the game, I wouldn't say long enough, but to hear all kinds of business advice. So in business, yes, more than 20 years. So yeah, you heard all business advice. So some that stick and some that really doesn't. So, what's one piece of business advice you hear all the time that you think, oh my god, this is overrated or maybe misunderstood?

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker: 26:30

Oh boy, that's that's a hard question. A piece of business advice that is overrated?

Pedro Stein: 26:35

Yeah, you see people like, oh, you should do X, and you're like, been there, done that, not really.

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker: 26:41

Well, okay. For me, the first thing that comes to my mind is that collective, you know, checking with every single person before you make a decision. And that means you're not really trusting yourself. And I don't know if it really fits because we were talking about, you know, individuals, you're coaching, doing your own business, and you really do have to trust yourself. But I even learned that on the corporate side, that my instincts were really, really good. And folks who used to work with me would tell you that I was very collaborative in how we were together. You have to be willing to make a decision. And you also have to be able to do it, and you have to be kind of fearless about it in a lot of ways. So that whole like, you know, being safe and tried and true. And I mean, there are lessons to be learned there, but you know, the bread's been sliced already, right? I mean, there's no new things. But if you're not willing to like put yourself out there and try things that are different and trust yourself and be able to stand behind the decisions that you're making, you're probably gonna get stuck because there's gonna be somebody else out there who's gonna have the same idea, but they're gonna get ahead and do it. Like I think about Mel Robbins and her let them. She says herself in her book, she didn't create the let them theory, but she gave it wings. And there are other people out there being like, I could have done that. So that shoulda, coulda, woulda. I don't know if I'm answering your question, Pedra, but that's what came to mind.

Pedro Stein: 28:00

I mean, I'm not putting words in your mouth, but in a way it's to stand your ground and let it go a little bit, you know. And the fact that let the control freak out of business, you know, let people shine, let people grow in a way. Did I got that right? Like that.

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker: 28:13

Yeah, and we're all down for that. But it's also I've come upon a lot of leaders who are working from a place of fear. Either they're instilling fear in others or they're afraid themselves. And you can't do business that way. You have to ask yourself, what would I do if I wasn't afraid? Well, if I wasn't afraid, I would do this. And it's like, well, then go do that because other people will follow you.

Pedro Stein: 28:33

Okay. And on the other side, you know, what's a piece of advice you wish more people actually took seriously? In a way, it's almost like an answer to the first one. It's like, don't be afraid. I don't know. I'm just trying to understand here.

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker: 28:46

Yeah, and also, you know, I talk about an inner critic. You know, we get in our own way a whole lot, right? So, my inner critic, she's her name is Beatrice, and she's a big elephant. She was a tutu in high tops, and she lives in my head. And that inner critic is there to protect you and keep you safe, but at the same time, and protection safe also keeps you small. So it really is almost the same thing. It really is, it comes back to it's the same answer. You really do have to trust, you have to trust yourself and just don't listen to like the you know, the negativity and that buzz that's going on inside your head that's trying to keep you small.

Pedro Stein: 29:22

I I love that. Yeah, it's uh one answers the other, that's true. And uh, Cheryl, if someone listening wants to connect with you or follow your work, where can people find you and connect with you?

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker: 29:32

Oh, well, they can find me easily on LinkedIn, Cheryl Raphael Whitaker. I'm there all day, every day, it feels like. You can also find me on my website, iananthonyeletealent.com, or you can email me, Cheryl.witaker at IanAnthonyElite.com.

Pedro Stein: 29:46

Okay, nice. So there were a few things you shared today that really stuck with me. Okay. The first one is that you stepped out of corporate America to make sure your voice is heard. That is really impactful. That really struck a chord with me. Super interesting. And you know, the book, the coaching as a tool, it's almost like you're meant to do this in a way. It's like a happy accident. That is so fun, you know, like destiny. It's like, hey, I just tapped on coaching. Oh, okay. I just tapped on a book, oh, okay. I mean, that's so cool, you know.

Speaker 2: 30:16

Okay, but you just give me a hook for a post about the happy accident.

Pedro Stein: 30:20

Okay, yeah, that's a happy accident.

Speaker 2: 30:21

I'll just try to tag you because I love it. It's a happy accident.

Pedro Stein: 30:24

I also like I have to respect the fact that you don't settle, you know, for fine or oh, I'm just gonna give it a one more try. This contract, this coach, or this whatever tool you're using. It's like this doesn't work for me. Let's stop now, you know, because I see a lot of coaches sometimes they hire someone and they're fast at hiring but slow at firing, and then that backfires, you know. Yes. So, Cheryl, I appreciate what you do, and I appreciate you being here and sharing so openly today. It was great having you, okay?

Sheryl Raphael Whitaker: 30:55

Thanks. It was great being with you, Pedro. Thank you so much for those questions that made me really think and happy to help.

Davis Nguyen : 31:01

That's it for this episode of Career Coaching Secrets. If you enjoyed this conversation, you can subscribe to YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you're listening to this episode to catch future episodes. This conversation was brought to you by Purple Circle, where we help career coaches scale their business to seven and eight figures without burning out. To learn more about Purple Circle, our community, and how we can help you grow your business, visit joinpurplecircle.com.