We were lucky to catch up with Chanel Green recently and have shared our conversation below.
Chanel, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
From a young age I have been surrounded by black women who were examples perseverance and resilience. My grandmother for example made sure that I understood the importance of working hard and not letting anything keep me from my goals. She and my grandfather also ensured that I had access to opportunities that others in my community might not have been able to experience. I grew up a dancer, they kept in classes as a way to encourage my interest but also a way to make sure that I didn’t have time to get into situations that might prevent me from reaching my fullest potential. As I got older, I was introduced to some of my closest friends and by extension their parents, all of whom made sure that we worked hard and knew that the world wasn’t going to hand us anything. They expected us to put forth our best effort no matter what we were attempting to do. I have carried those lessons forward into every aspect of my life while also trying to teach my daughters that same level of resilience.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
For the last few years, I have endeavored to make a positive impact in my community. Between Green Goals Beauty Academy and Green’s Way Naturals I have been able to make an impact on my customers’ and students’ lives. Green Goals Beauty Academy is a black owned and led Lash Technician and Nail technician training academy. I originally founded this program as a way to ensure more young black people would have the skills needed to work in a field that disproportionately services black women yet employees so few of us. In addition, the program endeavors to provide our students with the ability to be more than just employees, we want them to have the skills needed to start their own businesses. With back-to-school season being in full swing we have participated in several community outreach programs, including our own, to provide students with hygiene services and the school supplies they need to start the school year on the right foot.
When I’m not working on projects for the Beauty Academy, Greens Way Naturals is my other focus. I created a line of organic skin care products to help women heal as well as feel good about themselves. Our line of products is meant to help deal with common skin irritation and help with the appearance of scars. This line of products has helped with my own healing process after surgical procedures. The Greens Way Naturals line has always been intended to help those using find the confidence that is hidden with them.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Looking back on my life I can point out three unique skills, qualities and areas of knowledge that have helped me to get where I am in life:
Surround yourself with like-minded people.
The quote “no man is an island” is one of the truest statements ever. I would not be where I am today if not for the people who have helped me along the way. My support network has allowed me to take greater risks and put myself in rooms I would have never thought of if they weren’t there. Having people that share your vision and want the best for you is the only way to achieve your greatest potential. Some of the people on my team have been by my side since we were in middle school together. My grandparents taught me the importance of surrounding myself with good people and it works for both life and business.
Advice
Building your team is a lifelong journey and there is no one way to do it. The best advice I can give for developing this skill is understanding that not everyone who loves you can or needs to be part of your team. Some people are team players and others should be cheerleaders. You can love your friends and want to take them with you on your journey but some of them can’t come with you. Its not that these people don’t love and support you, nor does it mean that you cut them out of your live. One just has to learn that everyone can’t play the same role in your life because they don’t have the skills needed to do so and it is okay to understand the difference.
ii. Respect is more than just how you speak to people
People often misinterpret what it means to respect someone. It’s more than just using a tone that isn’t condescending. Respect is understanding that everyone has their own unique experiences that color the way that they react to situations. It’s also creating an environment where people feel that they can contribute to the conversation or task being completed without having to be fearful of repercussions. Respect is also ensuring that the members of your team feel like they are in a safe environment, where they will not encounter any of the “-isms” or “-phobias”.
Advice
In this instance, I want you to think about every uncomfortable work situation you have ever experienced. Do you have that image in your head? Good now I want you to think about all the changes you would have made to that environment and make them. Respecting the people, you encounter is making sure you don’t put them into situations that you would not want to deal with. If you could have made changes to that work situation, then make sure your foster an environment where those things can never occur. This is the simplest of all the lessons to learn because it truly does come down to “treating others how you want to be treated” a lesson most of us were taught at a young age.
iii. Work is more than just the labor needed to complete a task.
One of the hardest lessons to learn is the true meaning of work. Figuring out that work starts in the mind rather than the moment you attempt a task. You must mentally prepare yourself to properly complete something to the best of your ability. Work is also putting together a plan so that you don’t end up bumping your head against a wall because you haven’t put together a plan on how to complete a task.
. Advice
Reframe how you define “work” in your mind. I know it’s a hard concept to grasp but it is the truth all the same. From the moment you start your journey understand that everything you do is now work. If you are going to a function, all conversations you have are you working towards or for your goal. Have a function at your child’s school, take those business cards with you and hand them out like candy. Headed to a church event, then take some samples with you. Sister Blanche and them might enjoy a sample of your product. If you are a fashion brand that means every outfit you wear needs to consist of at least one outfit from your brand. There is a TikTok sound that goes “everything is content, everything is content”, the same applies for work. Everything you do is an opportunity to work for or towards your brand.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
I count my maternal grandparents as the two most helpful influences in my life. MY grandmother who is longer with me and my grandfather have been with me for every pivotal moment in life ensuring that I have the knowledge I need to become a successful adult. My earliest memories involve them placing me in classes to support my dreams and anything else that I put my mind to. I spent years in formal dance lessons because they wanted me to learn self-disciple and how to stick to a task. Even when I didn’t necessarily make the choices that they would have me make, they were always there to pick me up and evaluate the lesson I learned from the experience. I learned more at my grandparents’ knees than I have in any formal classroom. The older I get the more I understand the importance of having a good foundation to build your skills upon. I would not be where I am today if not for those childhood lessons about how to treat others, the importance of hard work and the biggest lesson of being a service to the community around you. They made sure and continue to make sure that I know my actions impact more than just myself. While my grandmother is no longer with me, my grandfather acts as a reminder to see beyond myself and how I can use my skills to be a positive force for my community. I founded my business on the idea of being a service to those around me and make sure that everyone I partner with also understands that we are here to be positive force.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.greengoalsbeautyacademy.com/
- Instagram: @greenswaynaturals and @greengoalsbeautyacademy
- Facebook: Cee Green and Green Goals Beauty Academy
- Other: TikTok: @the_cgreen_hustle and @greengoalsbeautyacademy
