Turning Soft Skills Into CEO Strength: Crystal Smith’s Journey to Leadership

Welcome back to Care to CEO, the podcast where everyday caregivers transform into confident care entrepreneurs. In this episode, Crystal Smith - Mother, former CNA, Black Woman CEO, and City Councilwoman - digs into the real, often untold truth: women of color, especially caregivers, are not the underdogs. In fact, they’re uniquely built for business leadership.

Crystal shares her inspiring journey from managing a multigenerational household to founding her own care business and winning a city council seat. She unveils how the so-called "soft skills" develop through a lifetime of caregiving, like resilience, resourcefulness, and emotional intelligence. These are actually women's greatest business strengths. Crystal tackles the realities of impostor syndrome, being underestimated, and turning adversity into advantage.

Get ready for actionable insights, hard-won wisdom, and a strong message: those everyday skills you use to care for your family and community are the very building blocks of a powerful entrepreneurial legacy. If you’re a caregiver or a woman of a minority considering entrepreneurship, this episode will leave you feeling seen, equipped, and empowered to just start, because your story, your strength, and your leadership matter now more than ever.

Timestamps:

00:00 Innate Leadership in Adversity

03:57 Leadership Rooted in Compassion

07:23 Recognizing Undervalued Soft Skills

10:41 Empowering Entrepreneurs of Color

14:28 Entrepreneurial Journey: Triumphs and Trials

17:58 Mentorship for Marginalized Communities

21:28 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

25:12 "Embrace Trial and Error"

26:31 "Just Start Your Journey"

Care to CEO - Podcast Show Website - https://caretoceo.com/

Crystal Smith - https://www.crystalsmithandco.com/

Crystal Smith Mentoring - https://ft.crystalsmith.online/

TopHealth - https://tophealth.care/

“Disclaimer: Informational only. Not medical advice. Consult your doctor for guidance.”