Meet Sherita Carthon

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sherita Carthon. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Sherita , we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
From birth, I was SOLD hopelessness. Nearly 8 months pregnant, my mother was hospitalized for weeks on strict bed rest and prescribed Miller Lite Beer to preserve the life of my twin sister and I. Coming into the world, society stacked me with its own set of hopelessness. You are a woman. You are African-American. You were born in poverty. You are Plus-Size. You’re a Mom. You got a Divorce. You Have Lupus. You have Diabetes. Immediate defeat, right? Wrong. See, every single day we have the opportunity to block out distractions, get focused and tap into our true nature. Resilience for me comes in the form of society saying “No,” and my mind, heart, body and soul saying, “Yes.” Everyday, I wake up at 4am and get my mindset ahead of the world. I pray. I meditate. I cry. I do affirmations. I have trainers and coaches. I journal. I go to counseling. I do the ABSOLUTE most to build mental muscles to combat the social norm.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
How it all started | I was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, and lived on the west side of town with my twin sister, brother, and parents. As far back as I can remember, I have always been in sales! Like most kids, I got my first start in the industry by doing door-to-door candy sales for the school fundraiser. By the age of 10-years old, I was making at least $300.00 dollars a week by walking dogs and re-selling my candy at school. I attended Cleveland School of the Arts and took a deep fascination in drama and media development.

By 13 years old, my parents sold our Cleveland home as we were headed to a mission trip to Zimbabwe, Africa. Only problem was, we never got there! Our Visas were lost en route, and we were stuck in New York City. Our family lived homeless in the Sunday School room of a Brooklyn church for 3 years before finding a stable place to live. I eventually graduated from Madison High School in Madison, NJ. Out of high school, I knew exactly the profession I wanted to pursue: Print Journalism! I wrote for some of the most notable newspapers in the country, including, The Palladium-Item, The Toledo Blade, The Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Sun Newspapers, and The American University in Cairo. I attended Wilberforce University and graduated with a BA in Mass Communications. I stayed in the profession for 4 years. Print journalism didn’t intrigue me, and I felt like I needed a career change.

One day, I went to a local BBQ restaurant called “Kym’s Wings,” and they had an advertising board with business cards and ads attached. My #1 thought was, “They could make so much more money if their advertising looked more appealing.” I ripped all of the ads off the board, took them home, and redesigned them. I called up to 55 people. Talking to each person – I explained how I learned about their business and that I had a “business re-design gift for them.” From that group, around 25 people took me up on my offer to do more graphic design work, and that launched my design business. I used this same exact method to work with and brand national celebrities like Lamar Odom, Brandy Norwood [ Branfanland], Actress Brely Evans, Coach Christina Johnson of VHI, Michelle Williams, Producer with The Today Show, Norelle Simpson [ Background Singer for Rihanna, Alicia Keys & John Legend, Marvin Sapp, Chandra Currelley-Young of Tyler Perry Productions and many more. This journey has allowed me to be featured in numerous publications and media, including CNN, VHI [Black Ink Crew], Live with Les Brown, CBS, and NBC.

Outside of doing luxury brand design, I also enjoy hosting funding and marketing mixers and conferences for creatives and entrepreneurs called “Powerbrand Conference & Expo.” We have thought leaders and experts locally and nationally talk about new technology and different ways entrepreneurs can secure financing and elevate their brand strategies in order to stay competitive in the current business market. This year we hosted over 50+ speakers from across the nation. We also had more than 400+ people who attended locally and virtually.

I’m also the author of two books, “The Ultimate You & The Celebrity Sales Method | Volume 1 ” My goal is to simply continue. I absolutely love what I have been called to do. On the homefront, I am happily married to my partner Mark, and I have two children, both attending college. I am a Toastmaster. I am a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. + I have Diabetes II and Lupus.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Three of areas of knowledge that was most important for my journey was trusting my tribe, networking, and being the face of my brand. I am a brand designer, so a majority of the work that I do is behind the scenes. Just being in the entertainment industry, a large part of vetting and getting high-end contracts and clients is all about networking. Low-self esteem kept me in the house and unknown. The very second I got around the right people, started networking and being the face of my brand, my life completely changed. I will add a bonus, clean your mindset. When your mind is clear, you can make the best decisions about who you are and the next moves you need to make.

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
The book that has played an important role in my development is, “The Subtle Art of Not Giving AF” by Mark Manson. Being a former co-dependent person, I constantly cared what other people thought about me. This book gave me so much context on why it is so vitally important to “Just Be Myself.”

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Image Credits | All professional headshots Natasha Herbert Photography All Selfies | Sherita Carthon

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