Meet Cynthia Washington

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

Cynthia , so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

When I was younger, I was quite naive and had no backbone.

It took time for me to develop my confidence and self-esteem.

Ethnically, I am mixed, very mixed and I never fit into a box.
I have always been an “other.”
I have always been me.
I felt like a chameleon.
I was born with Snow White skin and dark brown hair. Both change in the sun. My skin instantly tans. My hair takes on natural highlights.
People were either intrigued by it or jealous about it.
Growing up, I felt insecure about it.

I served on my elementary school’s Student Council.

I was in Girl Scouts. I excelled in Girl Scout cookie sales. I attended Girl Scout camp. I led in the polar plunge. I loved swimming and that led me to synchronized swimming, also known as water ballet. I was never coordinated nor disciplined enough for classical ballet.

I was one of the first girls in my Girl Scout troop to get boobs. I would slouch and hunch to hide them. Wearing sweats was never an option. I was always dressed in dresses, skirts with nice blouses or in my school uniform. I lived in a swimsuit during the Summers. I remember my Girl Scout troop leader teaching us about body confidence, assertiveness and self-esteem in that awkward pubescent stage of my life. Love your body as your temple. Stand straight. Shoulders back. Stand tall. My struggle with that was real.

As a result, my parents thought it was best for me to attend an all girls’ private Catholic school, a convent, for 7th to 12th grades. They were right! Being in that environment was the best thing for my growth and my development.

I aspired to be on the Rose Parade Court.
To help prepare me, my mom put me in Cotillion, Job’s Daughters and countless pageants, which led to my metamorphosis.

“I never was a pageant queen. I was crowned princess and served on a court. I was also Miss Congeniality a lot. I was never really graceful and always confused my lefts and my rights in choreography. I would genuinely smile and wave when I was going left while the whole stage would be going right. The pageant experience taught me a lot about competition, failure and rejection. Like sports, being in pageants develops character and resilience.

I did not play sports beyond P.E. I tried softball and got a black eye on my very first catch. Mr. Yee taught me not to apologize for missing shots on the basketball court and to use sorry sincerely when it was important and necessary. He made me run laps a lot because I could not break the habit… I eventually learned what he meant about the significance of a true apology and the words I am sorry. I ran on the track team and swam on the swim team. I did long distance for both. I have always had the physical and mental stamina needed to be competitively focused and go the distance with a steady pace to win the race…

Although I was never involved in student council during high school, I was a social butterfly. I had friends and associations with all the girls and all the cliques. I had friends at all the other all girls’ Catholic schools too. I never belonged to one group. I was ‘at the very center’ of all the groups.” – Mind Matters: The Story of My Life

Eventually, I grew into my body.

When I went to college, I pledged a sorority. I ventured into sorority leadership, which propelled my confidence and self-esteem to a whole new level. Naturally, I was friends with all the girls in all the sororities. The Panhellenic sisterhood strengthened my core values and my belief to stand together as one community to help improve the lives and livelihood of others through philanthropy and service.

By the time I ventured into my career and climbed my first corporate ladder, my confidence and self-esteem were strong.

“I had always dreamt of traveling to Rio. It was on my bucket list. As a result, I went to Rio.
It was the first time I traveled solo internationally…
It was a magical trip…
I did a lot of sightseeing: the Sugarloaf Mountains, Ipanema, Copacabana, and the Christ the Redeemer statue. While on the beaches of Ipanema, I saw the beauty of the people. I found the beauty in me. Up to that point in my life, I obsessed about my body image and felt insecure about being different, an ‘other.’ I saw many others, like me, who changed color instantly in the sun. I also saw women embrace the true beauty of their bodies with confidence despite their shape or their size. I learned then to love myself, my difference and my body as it was. The message was reinforced when I went to the Christ the Redeemer statue. The magnitude of it up close is surreal. Everything that I had experienced while in Rio was amplified and etched into my soul.” – Mind Matters: The Story of My Life

From that moment forward, I was and still am, unapologetically me.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

Thank you for the opportunity to share my story.

My bold journey began with a “Humble Quest” to make the world better for my daughter, her friends, and ultimately all of our children. It has been rooted in love and filled with gratitude. I attended Columbia University, lived a socio-economic experiment, which became my reality, launched LVL UP with CW and served my “mom mission” in an attempt to create a better world for her and for future generations. I believe that positive lasting change comes from working together with a framework of faith, family and fun built on a foundation of love, kindness and compassion in a hope for peace.

I live a simple life. I wrote and self-published a book, Mind Matters: The Story of My Life. A memoir written while on sabbatical. It is a heartfelt reflection of love, resilience, emotional intelligence, a “grind with grit” journey that shape reality sprinkled with Hollywood, music industry stories and so much more. When the mindset is positively focused, leading life with love and gratitude, makes the hardest chapters of life easier to endure. Thus, proving the power of the mind is stronger than the circumstance. My hope is that my story helps and inspires others. My daughter’s artwork wraps my book with love and a thank you hug.

Recently, Michael Hingson invited me to record an episode on his podcast: Unstoppable Mindset, which will be published soon.

LVL UP with CW began as a means to keep my strategic marketing and business skillsets sharp while on sabbatical. It has transformed into a multi-dimensional service that is dedicated to helping people and businesses grow with authenticity, purpose and heart. It is about using my influence for good coupled with a sphere of networked leadership to amplify the good works of local and global businesses, their efforts, bridging societal gaps and strengthening communities, to improve and change the trajectory of the world.

Recently, I was recognized at The Women Tech Awards, as a SheTech Champion Impact Award recipient. I have spent over 5 years in the “tech” space as a role model for thousands of high school students showing up as a mentor, a volunteer and proof “that you can do anything you set your mind to, man.” – Lose Yourself by Eminem

What drives me most is seeing others rise, watching people step into their strength, embrace their power and realize what is possible when they believe in themselves. Through mentorship, brand partnerships and community engagement, my work expands globally beyond my wildest dreams. I remain humble and grounded knowing that I began this journey as a “mom mission” and not for fame or recognition, I have learned that true influence is not about likes or followers, it is about leveraging authenticity with integrity to create lasting impact.

“Don’t reduce the standard for some, but raise everyone up to the highest standard instead.” – It’s Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy by Captain D. Michael Abrashoff

My bold journey is far from over. Today, I am focused on continuing to grow, give back and inspire others to live boldly.

Take the first step. Because every bold journey begins with one.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back, three qualities that were most impactful in my journey are the following:
1) Grit and Sisu
2) Authenticity
3) Adaptability

While on my bold journey, Grit and Sisu were necessary to maintain as the waters of my voyage grew extremely challenging to navigate at times. There were times that I thought I was on this never-ending path alone, all by myself. Looking back, I not only built a strong foundation, but also enriched my knowledge to forge this path as a pioneer, an advocate for women, youth and families, bridging societal gaps, in what became a freepeople parade, a freepeople movement.

Authenticity has been important because often times, I was entering unfamiliar spaces, meeting new people and building trust. I had to remain true to self, my core values and have my actions reflect that as I gained buy-in to my work, my story and my initiatives. I am a type A personality, an over achiever, and set high performance expectations for myself producing high quality work with results in every aspect of my life. Moreover, sharing my journey real-time via social media, means there are no scripts, no do-overs, just one shot and one opportunity, I have to be me, my authentic self every step of the way.

“Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.” – Stephen Hawking
The ability to let go of an ego and possessions that I valued as I lived a socio-economic experiment was the ultimate adaptability test. The more I let go of my ego, the fear of what others think and the worldly possessions that I treasured, the more I realized the most valuable thing I wear is my brain. My ability to adapt to change strengthened the core of Who I am enriching my value and my worth.

How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?

In May 2022, I nearly died.
“I’m lucky, some of us don’t get a second chance.” – Cinderella Man by Eminem

As a result, I was given a second chance to do this work,

If I only had a decade of life left, I would continue to do this work.
I would continue to live each day to the fullest with a spirit of love and gratitude.
I would make sure that my daughter was stable and well-established in her career post-college graduation.
Then, I would rent my place, maybe move somewhere different, definitely travel the world and continue to be a vessel for good amplifying this good work.
I would marry the love of my life, my soulmate, and cherish every minute of our true love, together, as one. One Love.

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