Featured Member: Cheryl Cope

Let’s get the basics out of the way. Who are you? Where are you from? Married or Single? Any children? I am Cheryl Cope, a Christian Life and Wellness Coach. I reside in the Greater Nashville, TN area. I am married to a semi-retired tool and die maker, and we have 4 children-3 girls, 1 boy.Two girls are married and have given me two grandchildren and one more is on the way.

When and why was your business started? My business was started in March 2007. I wanted to be able to help other women and in such a way that I was paid for some of the time for it.

What do you love about being a female entrepreneur? I love the flexibility most of all. I can schedule things at times convenient for me and as little or as much as I want.

How did you launch your business and/or dream? I launched my biz by going online with my website, www.CherylCope.com, and by telling family and friends about it.

What is your mission statement? My mission is to incite fervency and faith towards God, to affirm and impart truth, to encourage growth, and to inspire hope to those around me.

How do you stay inspired? My daily devotional time is of utmost importance for this. I also feed my soul and creativity by reading (mostly Christian books), listening to Christian music, reading and writing poetry, going to Christian conferences, silent retreats and prayer meetings, and most recently engaging in various forms of arts and crafts.

Why do you feel Inspired Women Succeed? Most importantly Inspired Women Succeed by having a close intimate relationship with God and relationships with other Christian women. It’s so important that we are not an island to ourselves, but we get help from other people as needed.

What are the biggest challenges you have overcome as a female entrepreneur? My biggest challenge has been getting over some of my negative beliefs about being worthy.

What is your BIG DREAM for your business – what do you hope will happen? I hope to write a book that deeply impacts people for the good, that will be a legacy I leave behind.

How do you incorporate your faith into your business? In every way. I pray all the time. I pray with and for my clients. I use faith and Christianity in my marketing copy. I try to follow and obey the leading of the Holy Spirit in all aspects of my life, including things directly related to my business.

What are your favorite biblical parallels and verses that encourage you? Why?

Romans 8:37…we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

1 Cor. 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Cor. 2:14 Now thanks be to God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ…

Heb 13:5…I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.

It helps me to know that God will always be with me, that I don’t have to face anything alone. It helps me to remind me that I am on the winning side and that through Christ I am already victorious.

How do you promote/market your business? I am very active on several social media sites (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Digg, Friendfeed, Stumbleupon, Tumblr, Flickr, etc.). I post quotes, questions, links to by blog posts and links to other people’s websites or blog posts on a several-times-a-day basis. I also attend local networking meetings, meeting new people every time and exchanging biz cards. I also tell people what I do as I meet them in my daily life.

What is the biggest risk that you have taken in your business? Has it paid off? The biggest risk I’ve faced is just going forward with my group coaching weight loss program, even though it was not perfect and none of the handouts or call agendas were done ahead of time. Yes, it’s paid off. It’s going wonderfully and the next time I won’t have so much writing to do, as the handouts will be ready, only needing a little tweaking.

What risk do you need to take now? I need to use those handouts to start writing an ebook.

What media opportunities have you had? I was featured on Karen Well’s Blog Talk Radio show in April at http://t.co/8Uz2BnF.

What one woman epitomizes (for you) a model of Christian entrepreneurial leadership? Why? I do not have any one woman model for this. I admire bits and pieces from several different women. Almost anyone has something in them that I admire and that I can learn from.

What 3 tips would you share with a friend setting out on her own entrepreneurial adventure? Three tips I’d share with a friend would be: (1.) To save up way more money than you think you need.. (2.) Don’t do it alone—either get paid help, or at least emotional support from groups like NACWE or local networking groups. (3.) Be flexible as to how your business will look—what you offer as services or products.

What resources and books would you recommend—the ones which have best helped you? Leadership Coaching by Tony Stoltzfus—I am a Christian coach, so this book has been most helpful. But I also recommend it just for the Christian character that is recommended—he shares how to be a good Christian, not just a good coach. NACWE has been helpful for the emotional support side and friendships. I like Milana Leshinsky’s products on online marketing for coaches.

What do you have coming up? I plan to run my For God’s Glory Group Coaching Weight Loss Program again this fall—starting either late September or early October.

Tell us about your support group. My personal support comes from my family and friends from church, from prayer meetings, from online groups like NACWE, and from local biz networking groups.

Who were/are your mentors? My mentors are my spiritual director, Renee Farkas, and ladies from my church. Quite a few are book authors that I have never met, for example Andrew Murray (on prayer).

What else would you like to share with us? I have a free report available, Eleven Weight Loss and Nutrition Myths. You can get it when you sign up for my newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/XtHE.

Cheryl Cope is a Christian Life and Wellness Coach, helping women achieve healthy and sustainable weight loss and closer intimacy with God. She does this by focusing on her client’s habit changes, including their thinking habits, which are at the root of most habit change. She incorporates prayer, Biblical principles and the leading of the Holy Spirit in all aspects of her work. Sign up to get her free report, Eleven Weight Loss and Nutrition Myths, at http://eepurl.com/XtHE.