Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Cheryl Bevelle-Orange.
Retired Chief Information Officer (CIO) of FedEx Custom Critical and author of The Courage to Continue: Navigating Your Corporate Journey, shares her inspiring story of rising from humble beginnings in Bessemer, Alabama, to becoming a high-ranking executive in a Fortune 500 company. The conversation centers on her book’s core themes: mentorship, advocacy, and sponsorship.
🔑 Key Themes & Highlights
- Why She Wrote the Book
- Cheryl is a first-generation corporate American whose parents were a coal miner and a teacher.
- Initially written as a guide for her children, the book evolved into a broader resource for anyone navigating corporate life, especially first-generation professionals.
- The pandemic inspired her to add a section for leaders managing first-gen employees.
- Career at FedEx
- Spent 26 years at FedEx, culminating in her role as CIO of FedEx Custom Critical.
- FedEx Custom Critical handles specialized logistics, such as transporting refrigerated COVID-19 vaccines.
- Her role involved overseeing IT infrastructure, data, and systems—a rare position for African-American women in tech.
- Mentorship, Advocacy, and Sponsorship
- Cheryl breaks down the differences:
- Mentors help build skills and confidence (like background singers preparing the lead).
- Sponsors are like PR agents who open doors and promote you.
- Advocates speak up for you in rooms where you’re not present.
- These three pillars were essential to her success and are critical for young professionals, especially minorities.
- Overcoming Barriers
- Cheryl shares how racism and gender bias in tech were real challenges.
- Her first mentor was a white male who saw her potential and helped her navigate corporate culture.
- She emphasizes the importance of resilience, perspective, and turning frustration into action.
- Personal Motivation
- A pivotal childhood moment: seeing her grandfather sign an “X” at the bank because he couldn’t write.
- That experience ignited her drive for education and excellence.
- She wanted to see the world beyond Bessemer and use her knowledge to help others do the same.
- Diversity & Inclusion at FedEx
- Cheryl co-founded the FedEx African-American Committee, now a Business Resource Group (BRG).
- Initiatives included:
- Resume building and interview prep
- Black History Month events with speakers like Donna Brazile and Ben Hooks
- Creating safe spaces for Black employees to grow and connect
📘 About the Book
- Title: The Courage to Continue: Navigating Your Corporate Journey
- Available at: CherylBevelleOrange.com, Amazon, Barnes & Noble
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi.
Speaker 2 (00:00):
I am Rashan McDonald, a host of weekly Money Making
Conversation Masterclass show. The interviews and information that this show
provides are for everyone. It's time to stop reading other
people's success stories and start living your own. If you
want to be a guest on my show, please visit
our website, Moneymakingconversations dot com and click to be a
guest button Chris submit and information will come directly to me.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Now, let's get this show started.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
My guest, She's on the line, has authored a book
entitled The Courage to Continue Navigating Your Corporate Journey. She's
a retired Chief Information officer for FedEx Custom Critical. Please
welcome to Money Making Conversation Masterclass, Cheryl Bevil Orange.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
How you doing, Cheryl, Hi.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Rashan, thank you so much for having me today. I'm
excited to be here and to have this conversation.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
You got that little Southern twain working there, Cheryl? Were
you born and raised?
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Come on?
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Now? Where I'm originally from Bessemer, Alabama. Most people don't
know what that is, but it's right outside Birmingham.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
Well.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
I know what best of Well is all that good
barbecue country down there. Plus we always drive through you know, well,
as I twenty area up there, I always go down it.
But I had twenty up there. I was up there
because good friend of mine, Ricky Smiley. I always go
down to Birmingham to visit them, and he lives saying Birmingham, Alabama.
Let's talk about you, Cheryl, your book, The Courage to
Continue Navigating your corporate Journey.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Why did you write the book?
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Well, I am a first generation corporate American. My dad
was a coal miner, my mother was a teacher. They're
both retired, and I went into corporate America blind and
so I started jotting down things that I began to
build my family with my husband, and I was like,
my children is going to need to know how to
(01:51):
navigate in this space because most people are going into
corporate America or into the workforce at that time they
were Now we're all entrepreneurs, but I wanted them to
have a blueprint. But as I began to mentor and
coach others, I was like, everybody needs this information, not
(02:12):
just my children. So I started to officially write my
book and it has it has just grown from there.
Over the pandemic. I added a new layer to it
to speak to the leaders who are managing or supervising
or leading first generation corporate Americans. And that has just
(02:36):
it took the book to another level. So you know,
I started out for personal reasons and then it just
went from there. Figured everybody could use some good information.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Was some great information. I have the copy of the book.
You autographed it. Thank you very much, Sure for autographing
the book. The courage to continue to navigating your corporate journey.
Sure you are there, you retired, that's you say. Chief
Information Officer of FedEx Critical Custom Critical. First of all,
what is FedEx Custom Critical And then I'm gonna ask
(03:07):
you about the job title.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
So FedEx Custom Critical is a subsidiary of FedEx Logistics Company,
but it is the company that when we needed Codd vaccine,
it had to go from one place to the next
in a refrigerated container. And so FedEx Custom Critical trumps
(03:33):
the vaccine from one place to the next until it
got on the refrigerated plane to go somewhere else. So
it is a specialized When we talk about the pandas
going from one side of the country to another side
of the country to exhibit those types of things are
(03:54):
the things that FedEx Custom Critical moves on behalf ofs companies.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Well, I can understand that.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
That's kind of like you said, it's a specialized division
that takes on critical areas that just couldn't be handled
by regular, everyday employees.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Correct, correct, and logistical. You know, unit, a refrigerated container,
a refrigerated truck or refrigerated you know, it's something. It's specialty,
specialty item.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
We know.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
And so then I lead to the next Chief Information Officer.
That's your job title that you had before you retired
at FedEx. How long did you have hold that position.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
I was in that position not a long time at FedEx.
I had been at FedEx twenty six years and I'd
held a lot of different positions. Managing director and CIO
was where I ended with my FedEx career. I was
there for about a year in that space, but I
(04:54):
had been in it and business going back and forth
throughout my entire career. So it was just a culmination
of everything that I have learned and experienced I could
bring to that space and it was a really fulfilling position.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Well, you know when I bring individuals, because you know,
we here COEO, we here a CFO, we hear COO.
But you know, c iOS, that's a title you rally
here in the corporate space. Is that one that's unique
to FedEx or is something that's in all Fortune five
hundred companies.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
It's just not heavily promoted.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
It's an all Fortune five hundred companies. As you said,
it's not heavily promoted. And having an African American in
that space is even less. But it's the chief information
officer and it is in the ITIC space handling all
of the information and the data and the infrastructure and
(05:57):
all of that that makes companies work.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Now, the reason I'm just getting all the backstory because
you know, you achieved something that's like you said, an
African American in that space, that position, that's a rarity.
You know, let's say there are only two CEOs or
black that are running corporate Fortune five hundred companies in
America right now. So just to just to hold these
positions around. Now, you come from right outside of Birmingham,
(06:25):
you know Birmingham. How many people in that city that
you came from?
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Sure, well I would I would say I actually checked
some months ago. It's about fifty five thousand people in Basketball, Alabama.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
But I'm talking about back when you were there. You know,
when you when you decided to venture out. You know,
it's grown, it's grown, it's become a suburb. You know,
people people have found best of now, But back when
you were you know, nineteen ninety ish, what was it?
Speaker 3 (06:53):
What was the population?
Speaker 1 (06:55):
Oh goodness, I would say, back then, it was I
can't even amass.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
It's fall fall.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
I understand that because I a would say that because
a lot of people, you know, it's not It's not
where you start all the time, because a lot of
people hold themselves back at that starting position, you know,
they you know, I grew up in the in the
in the hood, you know, a two bedroom shotgun house.
I tell that story all the time to remind people,
don't let your starting positions stop your your winning opportunity. Now,
(07:30):
what was driving you to get out a Bessemer, to
seek higher education and also the end of the corporate world.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Well, let me just tell you it's an interesting story.
When I was a little girl, I used to spend
a lot of time with my grandparents, And one day
I was out of school and I went with my
grandparents to the bank and my granddad we went in
decided it was normal. You know, you get your sucker
when you come out of the kind of the bank,
(08:02):
you know, going in investment Alabama, and I was excited
to go in there to get my candy. And I
saw I was learning to write at this time, and
my granddad was doing his business. He signed an X
on the line and I said, you know what you know,
(08:23):
brand Dad? Why are you signing an AX? Because at
this time I'm thinking I'm learning to write. Everybody knows
how to write. And my grandmother signed her name next
to his, and so my grandmother was like, hush, girls,
get your can, then let's go. So when I got home,
my mother is a teacher, I said, Mom, Granddad's signing
to X. What is Dad? And so she began to
(08:47):
tell me. Of course, I think I was in second grade,
so I was learning curses, so I didn't really understand.
But as I grew up, I learned, you know, that
was his mark. My granddad, my idol. At the time,
he couldn't He couldn't even write, and I thought he
could read because I would see him reading the Bible.
But he might've just been memorizing things. I really don't know,
(09:12):
but that started me to say, you know what, I've
got to get my education. That's that's what I know
I can have. I can have the knowledge to help
me to go further. And then as I began to
see the world unfold growing up, I decided, you know,
I used to my parents used to take us to Detroit.
(09:34):
That was our vacation to visit a.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Relative Detroit, and everybody going to Orlando Disney, You're going
to Detroit.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
Huh, I'm going to Detroit. So and we would drive too.
Now we wasn't getting on a bus or plane. So
from Beth, Alabama to Detroit that's twelve hours. Okay, so
we're in the family driving. But I began to see
that there was something else out there than the from
my Alabama And at that point I could combine education
(10:06):
with some experiences and I had I had to have it.
So I had to get out and see all I
could see outside of Beth My Alabama. Now I'll go
back because my parents are there and my family is
still there, so I go back frequently. But I want
to see what's out in the world. I want to
(10:27):
visit and get all the knowledge and experience that I
can get so that I can help somebody else to
leave bes my Alabama if they want to.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Wow, you know, I really appreciate you telling me that
honest story, because I know some friends who cannot read
and they do, they do or learn to acclimate themselves
to the real world based on how You wouldn't even
know if you met them. You wouldn't know they couldn't
read the rite because they've learned over the years how
to hide that deficiency. But that's something that you shouldn't
(11:01):
be hot. Education is available to you and once you
get it. I always tell people my degree is in mathematics
and minor and sociology. I always tell people they can't
repoll my degree. They can't repote my education once I
get it. They can't come and say, hey, you know
some of you owe some money. Hey hey, hey, it's
right there. You can't take it back, can't repot Okay,
le mail on, remall on and so. But your book
(11:24):
was It covered three areas that I really wanted to discuss.
And this is why I brought you on the show. Mentorship, advocacy,
and sponsorship because those are three things and I'm doing
a series. I had an individual on the show two
weeks ago talking about mentorship, and a lot of people
are not understanding the value of mentorship when I was
(11:46):
growing up because we didn't use that word. You know,
it was just somebody who came along and it advised
you or we now know they were mentoring. I now
know my looking back at my life, sure, I know
I was being mentored. I didn't get to this radio
sh shoe by myself. Mentorship, advocacy and sponsorship drove me
(12:07):
through these paths where I didn't know or didn't see
the value of myself, didn't understand how to get a promotion,
and it helped me. Before we go to break how
important was the mentorship in your life?
Speaker 1 (12:21):
Mentorship? You know, as you can see in my book
as you read, mentorship is keen. Sponsorship is powerful. So
mentorship is keening. Sponsorship is powerful, and so we'll we
can break those down so everybody can understand the difference.
(12:44):
Because some people use those words interchangeably, they are not
the same. For me, I was being mentored. In my book,
I talk about you know, my first mentor. I learned
to play the piano by ear when I was a
young child, and I had a mentor that helped me
(13:04):
through that process, and I talk about that. As you said,
I didn't name her my mentor. I didn't even know
that what she was until you know, you look back
at things and how things happened, and you just like, hm,
they helped me, they mentored me, they guided me through
the process. So people have mentors throughout their lives. They
(13:27):
just have to see them and take advantage of them.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Absolutely, the key is seeing them and understanding them. Now
the young people get it. I'm going to go to break.
We're gonna come back and continue this conversation about mentorship,
advocacy and sponsorship, doing extra work and not being paid
for it. I've talked about that a lot on my show.
I'm telling you when I got this book, I went like,
this is my book because this is all I've been preaching, Cheryl.
(13:53):
So you you came to the right door. You're knocked
on the right door on money making. Comes to these
master class because we're gonna tell your story and let
everybody know how important this book is for them to read.
We'll be right back with more money Making Conversation Masterclass.
This is Rashan McDonald, your host.
Speaker 5 (14:09):
Please don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with more
money Making Conversations Masterclass. Welcome back to the Money Making
Conversations Masterclass hosted by Rashaan McDonald. Money Making Conversations Masterclass
continues online at Moneymakingconversations dot com and follow money Making
(14:32):
Conversations Masterclass on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
I'm speaking to Cheryl Orange. She wrote the book The
Courage to Continue Navigating Your Corporate Journey and three pillows.
I call them pillows because they stood out for me
when I read the book. Mentorship, advocacy and sponsorship. Those
three pillows gave her the career and the navigation ability
(14:57):
to go and rise.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
Through the corporate world. Am I correcting an assessment?
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Sure that that is correct? That is correct? And I
want to make sure that everybody understands, especially my college student,
that mentorship and sponsorship, UH and advocacy are different. You
know mentorship you can. I put it in the analogy
(15:24):
of of of a choir. My mentors. I am the
lead singer. You know, you are the lead singer of
your choir. Your mentors are the people that are the background.
They're helping you, you know, rehearse. They're helping you to
get your voice right, get your tone, correct. They're helping
(15:49):
you to get all the skills so that when you
are so lowing at your your you're the best that
you can be. Your sponsors are kind of like your
pr They're out there knocking down doors to get you
gigs and to get you in a position where you
can show off your tools, your pipes, you can sing.
(16:11):
They're out there on your behalf getting you the job.
They're in rooms that you're not in. They're speaking about you.
They're saying you can do it. You've just got to win.
It's your time. You just got to get up and
lead and do and be the best singer that you
can beat. So your mentors are helping you build your skills.
(16:36):
You have to perform, But your sponsors are people that
are helping you to get out in front, get the
new jobs, get the position, get the gig. If you will,
they're out there promoting you. Your advocates are the people
when you are not in the room and your sponsor is.
(16:57):
Your advocates are the people that are sitting around on
the table that's saying, you know what, Yeah, I heard her,
I heard her at her last gig and she was born.
You know. They are the people that are supporting you
as well, but they are in the room when you're
not there. So I don't know if that makes sense.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
But it makes a lot of sense because that's why
I'm letting you talk, because I've used all those examples
because when I was in doubt, you know, it was
my sponsor who pushed me out front when I didn't
know what I had to say. It was my advocate
who encouraged other people to understand and listen to what
he can do, believe in him. It was the mentor
(17:39):
that was the person I didn't really understand that. That
was the silent that was the silent parent that you know,
the teacher, you know. I always tell people I got
in college because my teacher signed me, have me sign
an application that I didn't know what I was signing,
and it turned out that's the application that got me
into the University of Houston.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
That was a mentorship. She didn't have to do.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
That, and so and I could think of back many
people in my life who stepped to the plate because
they saw me when I wanted to go. I always
tell people, they put bumps in your life, They bump you,
you know, when I wanted to go left and take
the easy route. They bumped you and kept you right.
And I always share this story because you shared a
lot of great stories in your book. When I went
(18:22):
from the eighth grade to the ninth grade, I was
tired of being you know, the drum, you know, the
drum major as doctor Martin Luther King, being out front.
You know, I was tired of that. So I dropped
all my core classes and signed up for baking and
auto mechanic and so on. Seriously, I signed up all
(18:44):
those classes. And my teacher, who I didn't even know,
didn't even know this lady. She went and called my
mom and said and had my mom come up to
school and said, he cannot do that. This one right
here cannot do that. He has a very special place
in this world, and we have to keep him on track.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
She said that to me.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
I was just crying.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
I was just crying. That was my mentor. That was
my mentor. I didn't know.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
That was the same lady who four years later had
me sign an application to get me into the University
of Houston. And I didn't even know. And all I
wanted to do when I graduated from high school was
to be a forklift driver. That's all I wanted to be.
Cheryl was a forklift driver, and that's what the sponsorship
came in and said. No, that's when the advocate comes
(19:33):
in and say you can be better and I'm gonna
show you how. So when I read those three pillars,
I went, this is a book that a lot of
young people need to understand. Now, my question to you, Cheryl, mentorship, sponsorship, advocacy,
can that help want overcome racism in the corporate world?
Speaker 1 (19:57):
You know, I don't know if it will owe were calm,
but it will definitely help in my opinion, because I
will I will share that not all of my mentors
have looked like me. And quite frankly, my very first
mentor was a white male and he saw, as you said,
(20:22):
something in me and says, you know what, I'm going
to spend time with you to help you learn what
you need to learn, because you you fresh off the boat.
Help you. And he took me in and showed me
all the different ways you can do things and and
(20:42):
how you can get things done within the organization and
so but with his co signing, and at that age,
you know, you think you need to be co signed
at an early age. You know, with his co signing,
that helped me mean to maneuver throughout the company. You know,
(21:04):
as I've gotten older, you know, co signing is not
as important from that perspective, but you do need some
some part of that. Somebody is to vouch for you,
as you said, advocate for you. You need people to
do that, and so that may help you from a
racism perspective when others say just look at you and
(21:29):
count you off. If you have someone co signing you
that doesn't necessarily look like you, that may help you
get over the hunt just a little bit.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Absolutely, you know, you being a female and you in
that tech industry. You know, because if you believe your
degree was with.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
M a s.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
Right mm computer computer science, yes, ma'am.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Uh, navigating that dominated industry or technology? How did it
did it that? That did you get frustrated by? And
how did you have come those moments of male and
I'm sure's a white male world that you were in
that allow you to still have this conversation with me
and still be positive.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
Well, of course I was frustrated, and to be quite
frank with you, still can be frustrating today being the
only black, the only female in the room. It's quite
frustrating sometimes, but you know you have to go back.
For me. I go back and I think about, you know,
(22:33):
my granddady was frustrated, probably marking that X. So what
you're talking about, you know you need to get over
that and keep pressing. And that's what I think we
have to do. In my book, I talk about a
concept of three teams. When you're getting frustrated, take a
deep breath. Sometimes you have to raise your finger like
(22:54):
you in church and tip out the meetings. Go and
get yourself together because you know it will be frustrating.
But we've got to see the bigger picture, the bigger vision,
and say, you know what, don't come out the bag
on this one. You need to get it together and
come back in and and sit in your space because
(23:16):
you're here for a reason. Everybody is in a space
for a reason. Wow, So make the best out of
your space and where you are. And that's what I
think the beauty is when we can understand we're here
for a reason, we're here for a time, and so
we've got to do the best we can with what
we have and don't just be frustrated. Turn that frustration
(23:40):
into action. I talk about take those lemons, you got
that frustration and make some lemonade.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
Figure out how to Now you're gonna cut your on
me now, sure, lemonade, come on now. But as I'm
talking to the author of the courage to continue to
navigating your corporate journey. As we wrap up this interview,
I got a couple of minutes left here. As a
founding member of the FedEx African American Committee, what initiative
initiatives did you champion to promote diversity and inclusion within
(24:09):
the company.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
So, as I shared with you earlier, I was at
FedEx about twenty six years and you know, my first
couple of years we created this African American Committee was
what now is today a BRG, a business resource group
in corporate America, that's what they call them. And so
(24:32):
what we started to do was bring to the forefront
issues of African Americans in the company, and we created
forums where people could get interview help so that they
can progress on into you know, management positions. We did
(24:52):
resume building. You know, we were starting now, mind you,
this is twenty years twenty six years ago, so we
were starting to build that network and even today they
are still doing those things at FedEx for the resource group.
We actually every Black History we have a Black History
(25:16):
Month celebration where we have people like Donna Brazil and
Ben Hooks came before he passed away. We have major
people coming in and motivating us to keep moving because
we've got to keep moving. We can't just stand still,
and so we created forums and places for us to
(25:39):
just be and feel safe, build feel a part of something,
not just work work work. We have a community now
where we can come together and do all kinds of
things together. And I feel really good about, you know,
being a founding member of making that happen across the
company that now has five hundred thousand employees.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
She's special. Her name is from Bessemer, Alabama, right outside
of Birmingham, and got fifty five thousand people over there.
When she was raising it about just twenty of them.
She threw some extra numbers. She threw extra five thousand.
I looked it up. It wasn't nothing but twenty thousand
running around there. But she's little. She thought big, big
numbers her book. They're courage to continue navigating your corporate journey.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
Cheryl. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Wow, It's always appreciate you. Know, the life I led
had relevancy and your book allowed me to see that
and I want to continue to help you promote this
as we exit.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
Where can we get this book?
Speaker 1 (26:40):
You can get this book on Cherylborrange dot com. That
is if you'd like an autographed copy, But if you
would like to just have the book, it's on Barnes
Andnoble dot com, Amazon dot com. Anywhere you can buy books,
you can probably get my book.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
Thank you, my friend. I really want to appreciate you
coming on the show. And we're gonna talk soon because
this is a book mentorship, sponsorship advocacy.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
You can't go wrong. And you have a great day.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
And again, thank you for calling money Making Conversation Masterclass.
Speaker 1 (27:12):
Okay, thank you for having me. I enjoyed it.
Speaker 3 (27:15):
You're amazing.
Speaker 2 (27:17):
This has been another edition of Money Making Conversation Masterclass
hosted by me Rashaun McDonald. Thank you to our guests
on the show today, and thank you for listening to
audience now. If you want to listen.
Speaker 4 (27:27):
To any episode I want to be a guest on
the show, visit Moneymakingconversations dot com. Our social media handle
is money Making Conversation join us next week and remember
to always leave with your gifts.
Speaker 3 (27:39):
Keep winning,
Hi.
Speaker 2 (00:00):
I am Rashan McDonald, a host of weekly Money Making
Conversation Masterclass show. The interviews and information that this show
provides are for everyone. It's time to stop reading other
people's success stories and start living your own. If you
want to be a guest on my show, please visit
our website, Moneymakingconversations dot com and click to be a
guest button Chris submit and information will come directly to me.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Now, let's get this show started.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
My guest, She's on the line, has authored a book
entitled The Courage to Continue Navigating Your Corporate Journey. She's
a retired Chief Information officer for FedEx Custom Critical. Please
welcome to Money Making Conversation Masterclass, Cheryl Bevil Orange.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
How you doing, Cheryl, Hi.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Rashan, thank you so much for having me today. I'm
excited to be here and to have this conversation.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
You got that little Southern twain working there, Cheryl? Were
you born and raised?
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Come on?
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Now? Where I'm originally from Bessemer, Alabama. Most people don't
know what that is, but it's right outside Birmingham.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
Well.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
I know what best of Well is all that good
barbecue country down there. Plus we always drive through you know, well,
as I twenty area up there, I always go down it.
But I had twenty up there. I was up there
because good friend of mine, Ricky Smiley. I always go
down to Birmingham to visit them, and he lives saying Birmingham, Alabama.
Let's talk about you, Cheryl, your book, The Courage to
Continue Navigating your corporate Journey.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Why did you write the book?
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Well, I am a first generation corporate American. My dad
was a coal miner, my mother was a teacher. They're
both retired, and I went into corporate America blind and
so I started jotting down things that I began to
build my family with my husband, and I was like,
my children is going to need to know how to
(01:51):
navigate in this space because most people are going into
corporate America or into the workforce at that time they
were Now we're all entrepreneurs, but I wanted them to
have a blueprint. But as I began to mentor and
coach others, I was like, everybody needs this information, not
(02:12):
just my children. So I started to officially write my
book and it has it has just grown from there.
Over the pandemic. I added a new layer to it
to speak to the leaders who are managing or supervising
or leading first generation corporate Americans. And that has just
(02:36):
it took the book to another level. So you know,
I started out for personal reasons and then it just
went from there. Figured everybody could use some good information.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Was some great information. I have the copy of the book.
You autographed it. Thank you very much, Sure for autographing
the book. The courage to continue to navigating your corporate journey.
Sure you are there, you retired, that's you say. Chief
Information Officer of FedEx Critical Custom Critical. First of all,
what is FedEx Custom Critical And then I'm gonna ask
(03:07):
you about the job title.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
So FedEx Custom Critical is a subsidiary of FedEx Logistics Company,
but it is the company that when we needed Codd vaccine,
it had to go from one place to the next
in a refrigerated container. And so FedEx Custom Critical trumps
(03:33):
the vaccine from one place to the next until it
got on the refrigerated plane to go somewhere else. So
it is a specialized When we talk about the pandas
going from one side of the country to another side
of the country to exhibit those types of things are
(03:54):
the things that FedEx Custom Critical moves on behalf ofs companies.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Well, I can understand that.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
That's kind of like you said, it's a specialized division
that takes on critical areas that just couldn't be handled
by regular, everyday employees.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Correct, correct, and logistical. You know, unit, a refrigerated container,
a refrigerated truck or refrigerated you know, it's something. It's specialty,
specialty item.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
We know.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
And so then I lead to the next Chief Information Officer.
That's your job title that you had before you retired
at FedEx. How long did you have hold that position.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
I was in that position not a long time at FedEx.
I had been at FedEx twenty six years and I'd
held a lot of different positions. Managing director and CIO
was where I ended with my FedEx career. I was
there for about a year in that space, but I
(04:54):
had been in it and business going back and forth
throughout my entire career. So it was just a culmination
of everything that I have learned and experienced I could
bring to that space and it was a really fulfilling position.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Well, you know when I bring individuals, because you know,
we here COEO, we here a CFO, we hear COO.
But you know, c iOS, that's a title you rally
here in the corporate space. Is that one that's unique
to FedEx or is something that's in all Fortune five
hundred companies.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
It's just not heavily promoted.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
It's an all Fortune five hundred companies. As you said,
it's not heavily promoted. And having an African American in
that space is even less. But it's the chief information
officer and it is in the ITIC space handling all
of the information and the data and the infrastructure and
(05:57):
all of that that makes companies work.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Now, the reason I'm just getting all the backstory because
you know, you achieved something that's like you said, an
African American in that space, that position, that's a rarity.
You know, let's say there are only two CEOs or
black that are running corporate Fortune five hundred companies in
America right now. So just to just to hold these
positions around. Now, you come from right outside of Birmingham,
(06:25):
you know Birmingham. How many people in that city that
you came from?
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Sure, well I would I would say I actually checked
some months ago. It's about fifty five thousand people in Basketball, Alabama.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
But I'm talking about back when you were there. You know,
when you when you decided to venture out. You know,
it's grown, it's grown, it's become a suburb. You know,
people people have found best of now, But back when
you were you know, nineteen ninety ish, what was it?
Speaker 3 (06:53):
What was the population?
Speaker 1 (06:55):
Oh goodness, I would say, back then, it was I
can't even amass.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
It's fall fall.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
I understand that because I a would say that because
a lot of people, you know, it's not It's not
where you start all the time, because a lot of
people hold themselves back at that starting position, you know,
they you know, I grew up in the in the
in the hood, you know, a two bedroom shotgun house.
I tell that story all the time to remind people,
don't let your starting positions stop your your winning opportunity. Now,
(07:30):
what was driving you to get out a Bessemer, to
seek higher education and also the end of the corporate world.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Well, let me just tell you it's an interesting story.
When I was a little girl, I used to spend
a lot of time with my grandparents, And one day
I was out of school and I went with my
grandparents to the bank and my granddad we went in
decided it was normal. You know, you get your sucker
when you come out of the kind of the bank,
(08:02):
you know, going in investment Alabama, and I was excited
to go in there to get my candy. And I
saw I was learning to write at this time, and
my granddad was doing his business. He signed an X
on the line and I said, you know what you know,
(08:23):
brand Dad? Why are you signing an AX? Because at
this time I'm thinking I'm learning to write. Everybody knows
how to write. And my grandmother signed her name next
to his, and so my grandmother was like, hush, girls,
get your can, then let's go. So when I got home,
my mother is a teacher, I said, Mom, Granddad's signing
to X. What is Dad? And so she began to
(08:47):
tell me. Of course, I think I was in second grade,
so I was learning curses, so I didn't really understand.
But as I grew up, I learned, you know, that
was his mark. My granddad, my idol. At the time,
he couldn't He couldn't even write, and I thought he
could read because I would see him reading the Bible.
But he might've just been memorizing things. I really don't know,
(09:12):
but that started me to say, you know what, I've
got to get my education. That's that's what I know
I can have. I can have the knowledge to help
me to go further. And then as I began to
see the world unfold growing up, I decided, you know,
I used to my parents used to take us to Detroit.
(09:34):
That was our vacation to visit a.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Relative Detroit, and everybody going to Orlando Disney, You're going
to Detroit.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
Huh, I'm going to Detroit. So and we would drive too.
Now we wasn't getting on a bus or plane. So
from Beth, Alabama to Detroit that's twelve hours. Okay, so
we're in the family driving. But I began to see
that there was something else out there than the from
my Alabama And at that point I could combine education
(10:06):
with some experiences and I had I had to have it.
So I had to get out and see all I
could see outside of Beth My Alabama. Now I'll go
back because my parents are there and my family is
still there, so I go back frequently. But I want
to see what's out in the world. I want to
(10:27):
visit and get all the knowledge and experience that I
can get so that I can help somebody else to
leave bes my Alabama if they want to.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Wow, you know, I really appreciate you telling me that
honest story, because I know some friends who cannot read
and they do, they do or learn to acclimate themselves
to the real world based on how You wouldn't even
know if you met them. You wouldn't know they couldn't
read the rite because they've learned over the years how
to hide that deficiency. But that's something that you shouldn't
(11:01):
be hot. Education is available to you and once you
get it. I always tell people my degree is in mathematics
and minor and sociology. I always tell people they can't
repoll my degree. They can't repote my education once I
get it. They can't come and say, hey, you know
some of you owe some money. Hey hey, hey, it's
right there. You can't take it back, can't repot Okay,
le mail on, remall on and so. But your book
(11:24):
was It covered three areas that I really wanted to discuss.
And this is why I brought you on the show. Mentorship, advocacy,
and sponsorship because those are three things and I'm doing
a series. I had an individual on the show two
weeks ago talking about mentorship, and a lot of people
are not understanding the value of mentorship when I was
(11:46):
growing up because we didn't use that word. You know,
it was just somebody who came along and it advised
you or we now know they were mentoring. I now
know my looking back at my life, sure, I know
I was being mentored. I didn't get to this radio
sh shoe by myself. Mentorship, advocacy and sponsorship drove me
(12:07):
through these paths where I didn't know or didn't see
the value of myself, didn't understand how to get a promotion,
and it helped me. Before we go to break how
important was the mentorship in your life?
Speaker 1 (12:21):
Mentorship? You know, as you can see in my book
as you read, mentorship is keen. Sponsorship is powerful. So
mentorship is keening. Sponsorship is powerful, and so we'll we
can break those down so everybody can understand the difference.
(12:44):
Because some people use those words interchangeably, they are not
the same. For me, I was being mentored. In my book,
I talk about you know, my first mentor. I learned
to play the piano by ear when I was a
young child, and I had a mentor that helped me
(13:04):
through that process, and I talk about that. As you said,
I didn't name her my mentor. I didn't even know
that what she was until you know, you look back
at things and how things happened, and you just like, hm,
they helped me, they mentored me, they guided me through
the process. So people have mentors throughout their lives. They
(13:27):
just have to see them and take advantage of them.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Absolutely, the key is seeing them and understanding them. Now
the young people get it. I'm going to go to break.
We're gonna come back and continue this conversation about mentorship,
advocacy and sponsorship, doing extra work and not being paid
for it. I've talked about that a lot on my show.
I'm telling you when I got this book, I went like,
this is my book because this is all I've been preaching, Cheryl.
(13:53):
So you you came to the right door. You're knocked
on the right door on money making. Comes to these
master class because we're gonna tell your story and let
everybody know how important this book is for them to read.
We'll be right back with more money Making Conversation Masterclass.
This is Rashan McDonald, your host.
Speaker 5 (14:09):
Please don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with more
money Making Conversations Masterclass. Welcome back to the Money Making
Conversations Masterclass hosted by Rashaan McDonald. Money Making Conversations Masterclass
continues online at Moneymakingconversations dot com and follow money Making
(14:32):
Conversations Masterclass on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
I'm speaking to Cheryl Orange. She wrote the book The
Courage to Continue Navigating Your Corporate Journey and three pillows.
I call them pillows because they stood out for me
when I read the book. Mentorship, advocacy and sponsorship. Those
three pillows gave her the career and the navigation ability
(14:57):
to go and rise.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
Through the corporate world. Am I correcting an assessment?
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Sure that that is correct? That is correct? And I
want to make sure that everybody understands, especially my college student,
that mentorship and sponsorship, UH and advocacy are different. You
know mentorship you can. I put it in the analogy
(15:24):
of of of a choir. My mentors. I am the
lead singer. You know, you are the lead singer of
your choir. Your mentors are the people that are the background.
They're helping you, you know, rehearse. They're helping you to
get your voice right, get your tone, correct. They're helping
(15:49):
you to get all the skills so that when you
are so lowing at your your you're the best that
you can be. Your sponsors are kind of like your
pr They're out there knocking down doors to get you
gigs and to get you in a position where you
can show off your tools, your pipes, you can sing.
(16:11):
They're out there on your behalf getting you the job.
They're in rooms that you're not in. They're speaking about you.
They're saying you can do it. You've just got to win.
It's your time. You just got to get up and
lead and do and be the best singer that you
can beat. So your mentors are helping you build your skills.
(16:36):
You have to perform, But your sponsors are people that
are helping you to get out in front, get the
new jobs, get the position, get the gig. If you will,
they're out there promoting you. Your advocates are the people
when you are not in the room and your sponsor is.
(16:57):
Your advocates are the people that are sitting around on
the table that's saying, you know what, Yeah, I heard her,
I heard her at her last gig and she was born.
You know. They are the people that are supporting you
as well, but they are in the room when you're
not there. So I don't know if that makes sense.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
But it makes a lot of sense because that's why
I'm letting you talk, because I've used all those examples
because when I was in doubt, you know, it was
my sponsor who pushed me out front when I didn't
know what I had to say. It was my advocate
who encouraged other people to understand and listen to what
he can do, believe in him. It was the mentor
(17:39):
that was the person I didn't really understand that. That
was the silent that was the silent parent that you know,
the teacher, you know. I always tell people I got
in college because my teacher signed me, have me sign
an application that I didn't know what I was signing,
and it turned out that's the application that got me
into the University of Houston.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
That was a mentorship. She didn't have to do.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
That, and so and I could think of back many
people in my life who stepped to the plate because
they saw me when I wanted to go. I always
tell people, they put bumps in your life, They bump you,
you know, when I wanted to go left and take
the easy route. They bumped you and kept you right.
And I always share this story because you shared a
lot of great stories in your book. When I went
(18:22):
from the eighth grade to the ninth grade, I was
tired of being you know, the drum, you know, the
drum major as doctor Martin Luther King, being out front.
You know, I was tired of that. So I dropped
all my core classes and signed up for baking and
auto mechanic and so on. Seriously, I signed up all
(18:44):
those classes. And my teacher, who I didn't even know,
didn't even know this lady. She went and called my
mom and said and had my mom come up to
school and said, he cannot do that. This one right
here cannot do that. He has a very special place
in this world, and we have to keep him on track.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
She said that to me.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
I was just crying.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
I was just crying. That was my mentor. That was
my mentor. I didn't know.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
That was the same lady who four years later had
me sign an application to get me into the University
of Houston. And I didn't even know. And all I
wanted to do when I graduated from high school was
to be a forklift driver. That's all I wanted to be.
Cheryl was a forklift driver, and that's what the sponsorship
came in and said. No, that's when the advocate comes
(19:33):
in and say you can be better and I'm gonna
show you how. So when I read those three pillars,
I went, this is a book that a lot of
young people need to understand. Now, my question to you, Cheryl, mentorship, sponsorship, advocacy,
can that help want overcome racism in the corporate world?
Speaker 1 (19:57):
You know, I don't know if it will owe were calm,
but it will definitely help in my opinion, because I
will I will share that not all of my mentors
have looked like me. And quite frankly, my very first
mentor was a white male and he saw, as you said,
(20:22):
something in me and says, you know what, I'm going
to spend time with you to help you learn what
you need to learn, because you you fresh off the boat.
Help you. And he took me in and showed me
all the different ways you can do things and and
(20:42):
how you can get things done within the organization and
so but with his co signing, and at that age,
you know, you think you need to be co signed
at an early age. You know, with his co signing,
that helped me mean to maneuver throughout the company. You know,
(21:04):
as I've gotten older, you know, co signing is not
as important from that perspective, but you do need some
some part of that. Somebody is to vouch for you,
as you said, advocate for you. You need people to
do that, and so that may help you from a
racism perspective when others say just look at you and
(21:29):
count you off. If you have someone co signing you
that doesn't necessarily look like you, that may help you
get over the hunt just a little bit.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Absolutely, you know, you being a female and you in
that tech industry. You know, because if you believe your
degree was with.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
M a s.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
Right mm computer computer science, yes, ma'am.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Uh, navigating that dominated industry or technology? How did it
did it that? That did you get frustrated by? And
how did you have come those moments of male and
I'm sure's a white male world that you were in
that allow you to still have this conversation with me
and still be positive.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
Well, of course I was frustrated, and to be quite
frank with you, still can be frustrating today being the
only black, the only female in the room. It's quite
frustrating sometimes, but you know you have to go back.
For me. I go back and I think about, you know,
(22:33):
my granddady was frustrated, probably marking that X. So what
you're talking about, you know you need to get over
that and keep pressing. And that's what I think we
have to do. In my book, I talk about a
concept of three teams. When you're getting frustrated, take a
deep breath. Sometimes you have to raise your finger like
(22:54):
you in church and tip out the meetings. Go and
get yourself together because you know it will be frustrating.
But we've got to see the bigger picture, the bigger vision,
and say, you know what, don't come out the bag
on this one. You need to get it together and
come back in and and sit in your space because
(23:16):
you're here for a reason. Everybody is in a space
for a reason. Wow, So make the best out of
your space and where you are. And that's what I
think the beauty is when we can understand we're here
for a reason, we're here for a time, and so
we've got to do the best we can with what
we have and don't just be frustrated. Turn that frustration
(23:40):
into action. I talk about take those lemons, you got
that frustration and make some lemonade.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
Figure out how to Now you're gonna cut your on
me now, sure, lemonade, come on now. But as I'm
talking to the author of the courage to continue to
navigating your corporate journey. As we wrap up this interview,
I got a couple of minutes left here. As a
founding member of the FedEx African American Committee, what initiative
initiatives did you champion to promote diversity and inclusion within
(24:09):
the company.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
So, as I shared with you earlier, I was at
FedEx about twenty six years and you know, my first
couple of years we created this African American Committee was
what now is today a BRG, a business resource group
in corporate America, that's what they call them. And so
(24:32):
what we started to do was bring to the forefront
issues of African Americans in the company, and we created
forums where people could get interview help so that they
can progress on into you know, management positions. We did
(24:52):
resume building. You know, we were starting now, mind you,
this is twenty years twenty six years ago, so we
were starting to build that network and even today they
are still doing those things at FedEx for the resource group.
We actually every Black History we have a Black History
(25:16):
Month celebration where we have people like Donna Brazil and
Ben Hooks came before he passed away. We have major
people coming in and motivating us to keep moving because
we've got to keep moving. We can't just stand still,
and so we created forums and places for us to
(25:39):
just be and feel safe, build feel a part of something,
not just work work work. We have a community now
where we can come together and do all kinds of
things together. And I feel really good about, you know,
being a founding member of making that happen across the
company that now has five hundred thousand employees.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
She's special. Her name is from Bessemer, Alabama, right outside
of Birmingham, and got fifty five thousand people over there.
When she was raising it about just twenty of them.
She threw some extra numbers. She threw extra five thousand.
I looked it up. It wasn't nothing but twenty thousand
running around there. But she's little. She thought big, big
numbers her book. They're courage to continue navigating your corporate journey.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
Cheryl. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Wow, It's always appreciate you. Know, the life I led
had relevancy and your book allowed me to see that
and I want to continue to help you promote this
as we exit.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
Where can we get this book?
Speaker 1 (26:40):
You can get this book on Cherylborrange dot com. That
is if you'd like an autographed copy, But if you
would like to just have the book, it's on Barnes
Andnoble dot com, Amazon dot com. Anywhere you can buy books,
you can probably get my book.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
Thank you, my friend. I really want to appreciate you
coming on the show. And we're gonna talk soon because
this is a book mentorship, sponsorship advocacy.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
You can't go wrong. And you have a great day.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
And again, thank you for calling money Making Conversation Masterclass.
Speaker 1 (27:12):
Okay, thank you for having me. I enjoyed it.
Speaker 3 (27:15):
You're amazing.
Speaker 2 (27:17):
This has been another edition of Money Making Conversation Masterclass
hosted by me Rashaun McDonald. Thank you to our guests
on the show today, and thank you for listening to
audience now. If you want to listen.
Speaker 4 (27:27):
To any episode I want to be a guest on
the show, visit Moneymakingconversations dot com. Our social media handle
is money Making Conversation join us next week and remember
to always leave with your gifts.
Speaker 3 (27:39):
Keep winning,
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