Episode 13: Pivoting into success, story first with Dr. Cheryl Robinson
Dr. Cheryl Robinson is an international speaker, founder, advisory board member, leadership coach, and regular contributor at ForbesWomen where she pens a column that showcases the stories of high profile businesswomen who have successfully pivoted in their careers.
In this episode, Cheryl gives us an inside look into the life of a Forbes Contributor, what she looks for… how she screens over 1500 pitches a month… and the notion that she prefers to read about STORY before PRODUCT. We discuss why it is so important for women to master their own story, find their WHY, and be prepared for the opportunity BEFORE it comes knocking.
As for HER story, Cheryl says that during her career, she became an expert at failing forward… or, shall we say, embracing the pivot. According to this successful businesswoman, in order to find your place in the world, you simply have to get comfortable with failure.
Follow your passions
Cheryl began writing sports columns about her high school’s teams for her local newspaper at just 14 years old. Fast forward to after graduating with her Masters degree and working in sports, she realized that her dream was to be a New York Times bestselling author.
In 2015 she started her own company, Ready to Roar, and focused 80% on her writing and 20% on her business. Shortly thereafter, Cheryl met a contributor to Forbes Women and the rest, as they say, is history. It has been four years since she started contributing five articles a month to Forbes Women and has received her 20th Editor’s Pick.
Be prepared for the opportunity
Because opportunities come unexpectedly, being prepared is key to getting what you want. Cheryl knew what her end goal was. To be ready, she started building her portfolio early. She expanded her content and started writing for different business journals to have a variety of material and experience. After reconnecting with her former editor, Cheryl went through three portfolio rounds before actually becoming a contributor to Forbes Women.
Learning How To Pivot
Cheryl shares that she has “pivoted” in her career about 12 times so she considers herself an expert at “failing forward.” The pandemic allowed her to start her own podcast, Embrace the Pivot.
Two of the most common skills needed to successfully pivot are self confidence and networking. Cheryl expresses that pivoting can be as small as going for a promotion or as big as starting your own company; you just have to believe in yourself to take the risk and invest in your own dreams. Networking helps connect you with people who have different insights that can help with your own.
“And then after all the initial feelings are over, the people who successfully pivot are the ones who just say, it's now or never, I have to take a chance and invest in myself.”
Master your own story
Dr. Cheryl’s first piece of advice for women writers is to be able to tell their personal stories. Since the pandemic, about 80% of the businesses started have been either CBD oil, fashion, or skin care. With a saturated market, Dr. Cheryl expresses how important it is for women to be able to tell a story that is engaging, intriguing, and attracts interest. A unique, captivating story separates the ordinary from the extraordinary.
“There's something unique about everyone's story. And it's just a matter of tapping in and finding that. Why? Because the biggest question when you should be going after the media is asking, who cares? Like, why should they care? And if you can answer that, you are going to get that press. “
Start local
Local press is key for start-ups. Cheryl encourages us to embrace all the little steps in the journey and take advantage of the initial local press. National publications like Forbes Women go after the big stories: big numbers, big sales, big impact. Having articles and coverage from the local press in your portfolio serves as validation. Having proof that your community is interested in your story and work serves as a strong foundation to get that big coverage. Cheryl advises women to use the local press publications to help pitch to the bigger outlets.
With all that Cheryl has already accomplished, she still has yet to scratch the surface. What’s to come is a new book called Pivotology, where readers can find data supporting the art of pivoting as well as real life testimonies. It will be her second self-published book and used to help her scale out writing clients for Ready to Roar.
Cheryl shared that her strength is giving advice and helping other people structure their stories for the media world. With the help of her awaiting book, she can teach others about media coaching and how to strategize telling and publishing their own stories.
Thank you, Cheryl, for sharing your story with us!
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