Meet Cheri Glover

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Cheri Glover. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Cheri below.

Hi Cheri, great to have you with us today and excited to have you share your wisdom with our readers. Over the years, after speaking with countless do-ers, makers, builders, entrepreneurs, artists and more we’ve noticed that the ability to take risks is central to almost all stories of triumph and so we’re really interested in hearing about your journey with risk and how you developed your risk-taking ability.

I came into the world when my mother was 24 weeks pregnant, which is six months. I weighed one pound and twelve ounces. Due to being born early, my heart did not fully develop and I had a heart murmur. As I got older, the heart murmur worsened. I did not realize the heart condition worsened until I went to the doctor one day for a check-up. At this time I hadn’t been to the doctor in two years. The cardiologist informed me that my blood started flowing in the opposite direction, due to the heart murmur. As a result, I had to get open-heart surgery to correct the problem. Therefore, I became a Heart Disease Survivor at the age of 27 years old in 2009.

I believe experiencing heart surgery at a young age is one of the major reasons why I take risks. The surgery taught me that it is never too late to stat living the life that I wanted to live. But, I learned that I had to be willing to take risks and let go of my fears. One of the things that I did was pursue modeling. I’ve always wanted to model as a child. But, I was too nervous and did not think I could do it. However, I shook off the fear and inadequacy. At the age of 35, I became a fashion model.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I am a fashion model born and raised In Queens, NY. I overcame heart disease at the age of 27 after having open-heart surgery in 2009. As a result of being honored by the American Heart Association in 2020, I used my modeling platform to raise awareness and funds for the organization.


Since I stated modeling in 2016, I have been featured in various fashion shows and magazines, including New York Fashion Week, ELLE Magazine, and many more. I also assisted in coordinating fashion events in different states.
In addition, I am a motivational speaker, known as The Model Motivator. In 2023, I published my first book, “The Model Motivator: One Woman’s Journey Past the Runway.” Now I am releasing The Model Motivator podcast in 2025, with inspirational stories and tips from professionals in the fashion industry.


If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I believe that one quality that I have is tenacity. Entering the fashion industry at a later age has not been easy. I have had a lot of days where I wanted to “throw in the towel” and give up. But, I decided to be tenacious and move forward. I started having conversations with people who were in the same field, but were further along than me. They encouraged me to keep going.

A skill that I believe I had was networking. I learned how to network early in my. Networking helped me to stay in the “know”. Meaning, I was informed about upcoming projects in the fashion industry. Lastly, I can say that I was hungry to learn about the fashion industry. I not only researched the industry, but I also volunteered at different events to gain insight about the field.

My advice for people who are getting into a new field or starting a new business is to learn as much about that “thing” as they can. They may want to take a class to learn how to execute that thing effectively. In addition, they may want to listen to podcasts and read books about that thing they are trying to create or achieve. Lastly, my advice is to humble yourself and ask for help if needed. You want to make sure that you have the right tools to achieve your goals.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

Recently, I turned my brand, The Model Motivator into a small business. The business is called The Model Motivator Consulting & Training Services. I will be having trainings and events for people to learn more about the fashion, beauty, and entertainment industry. I am willing to collaborate with professionals in the fashion, beauty, and entertainment fields to either be featured on the The Model Motivator podcast or participate in the trainings.

I can be contacted at www.themodelmotivator.com or on social media, Instagram @cheri_glover

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheri_glover/?igsh=MTk1ZjU1eTg1ZmhxeQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr#
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheri-glover-4a052768/

Image Credits

Sarah Camille Art
Billy Graham Photography
Kim Craven
Tony Tren’l Brunson
Vera Djackova