August 27, 2025 • 28 mins
Episode Summary
In this episode of The Enlightened Life Podcast, Scott Allan sits down with Cassandra Crawley Mayo—a trailblazing executive, transformational mentor, and author of Is Your Way In Your Way? Cassandra shares her powerful story of rising through the corporate ranks as the only Black woman in the room, the hidden cost of “fitting in,” and the deep faith and family roots that shaped her resilience. Together, they explore authenticity, impostor syndrome, the dismantling of DEI, and what it really takes to live a purpose-filled life on your own terms.
Topics Covered
About Scott
WEB:
Want to connect with Spirit, get a private reading, or attend a live event? Visit mediumscottallan.com for bookings, event updates, and more.
PATREON:
If you love these stories and want to support more episodes, check out my Patreon for behind-the-scenes content, bonus Q&As, and special perks for supporters.
Scott's Patreon
In this episode of The Enlightened Life Podcast, Scott Allan sits down with Cassandra Crawley Mayo—a trailblazing executive, transformational mentor, and author of Is Your Way In Your Way? Cassandra shares her powerful story of rising through the corporate ranks as the only Black woman in the room, the hidden cost of “fitting in,” and the deep faith and family roots that shaped her resilience. Together, they explore authenticity, impostor syndrome, the dismantling of DEI, and what it really takes to live a purpose-filled life on your own terms.
Topics Covered
- Breaking through the “only one in the room” experience
- The hidden toll of imposter syndrome and burnout
- Faith, family, and the legacy of the Civil Rights era
- Why authenticity and transparency are non-negotiable for women leaders
- The rise and fall (and rise again) of DEI programs in corporate America
- Cassandra’s “RISE” framework for transformation
- Building your personal board of directors (and why you need one)
- Practical steps for getting unstuck and living your dash
- The power of mentorship, support systems, and asking for help
- Cassandra’s vision for the next generation of women leaders
- Cassandra’s website: cassandracrawleymayo.com
- Book: Is Your Way In Your Way? (Available on Amazon)
- Cassandra’s signature program: The Rise Journey – “Let’s Rise Beyond Limits”
- Connect with Scott: mediumscottallan.com
About Scott
WEB:
Want to connect with Spirit, get a private reading, or attend a live event? Visit mediumscottallan.com for bookings, event updates, and more.
PATREON:
If you love these stories and want to support more episodes, check out my Patreon for behind-the-scenes content, bonus Q&As, and special perks for supporters.
Scott's Patreon
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
She was the first one in the boardroom and often
the only one who looked like her. Cassandra Crowley Mayo's
journey from corporate leader to best selling author began with
a question, what if the greatest obstacle in my life
was me? Years of success, accolades, and leadership masked a
quieter battle, one with self doubt, burnout, and the invisible
(00:23):
barriers built from childhood and experience. But Cassandra's story isn't
just about the glass ceiling. It's about breaking through the
walls we build for ourselves and discovering the courage to
live a life that's truly our row. My guest today
believes that authenticity and transparency are the keys to living
our best lives, especially for professional women. I'm Scott Allen
(00:45):
and you're listening to the Enlightened Life podcast, where we
explore the mysteries of the soul's journey, healing and transformation.
Let's begin.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Thanks for having me, Scott, I am really looking forward
to our conversation.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Me too, Me too. You know you said that authenticity
and transparency're essential professional women. What does that look like
in real life and why is that so hard to achieve?
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Well? Let me tell you what it really looks like
in real life. When you're not authentic, it's kind of
like you're like a facade. That's when the impostor syndrome
comes in and the self imposed barriers because I'm unable
to be myself and as you indicate it in the beginning,
how I was the only African American female in the boardroom,
(01:40):
so therefore that it was stereotypical of many of the men.
I was in the room with a lot of white men,
and I felt that I had to be different, you know,
fit in and say the right things and do what
they did and wear the black and white suits and
all of that. So it was just very difficult to
(02:00):
be who I was created to be. It was very
hard for me. So that's what I mean about lack
of authenticity. People can see it, you know, I can
feel it. And a lot of that had to do
with my burnout, my self imposed barriers because I'm trying
to be something that I am not.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Yeah, well, you know, and it's funny talking about self
imposed barriers. Some people might think that sort of lets
organizations up the hook, you know, for systemic issues. So
how can you balance you know, your personal empowerment with
the need for that structural change.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Well, if I wanted to thrive and not just survive.
I came to a point where, you know, later on
in my career, I was like, you know what, I
was stressed. I was mentally exhausted. And that was back
in the time when you didn't talk about mental health.
You know, that was taboo and you just couldn't talk
(02:53):
about it. But I looked great on the outside, I
performed well, but on the inside, my stomach was churning
and churning and churning, and it was just so difficult
because that was not who I was. So that's kind
of my story. But I'm grateful that I did well
because I always thought I had to do better than
(03:15):
anybody else. I had to work harder, I had to
prove that I was an individual that could do the job.
I wasn't in the job because of my color, and
that was difficult.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Well, and look, I mean, here we are. It's still
like this in twenty twenty five. I don't know if
it's got any better. I mean, I'm not a black woman,
but I got to tell you it's not easy. I mean,
you know, we can see it in our elections. We
can see it in jobs. You know, it's tough, it's
tough to get your foot in and get a leg up,
so to speak.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Really exactly exactly. That's why I said, it's time to
get out of your way so that you can move
forward and do what you were here ordained to do
in this life.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
And you know, I think a lot of people can
use that advice. I mean, I know you're geared towards,
you know, empowering women, but honestly, you know, imposter systems.
Imposter syndrome is a real thing, and I've dealt with it.
A lot of people have dealt with it. I think
we can all use some guidance to help get out
of our own way, because otherwise we stand in the way,
(04:16):
you know, of real success. Can you share something, maybe
going back to your early childhood or career that shaped
your beliefs about success and self worth?
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Well, in my childhood, I grew up with under both
of my parents. They were My dad worked in the
post office. My mom was a teacher, and my mom
would say that's all they could do. She could only
teach or be a nurse. But what I also saw
they were very hard workers They were like, if you're
(04:45):
not on time, you're late. So you want to be
on time. You want to be there like fifteen minutes
before your start time. You want to work hard, you
have values, you want to do the right thing. You
want to treat people the way that you want to be.
Although you know they liked to say the sky is
the limit, but they were aware that there was a
(05:06):
roadblock in my way, that it would be tough. And
I grew up in the time of Civil rights movement
and I really had a rude awakening when I graduated
and it was relocated to Birmingham, Alabama. And my faith
helped so much because I grew up in the church.
My grandfather was a minister. We went to church every Sunday,
(05:29):
and it didn't go to church. My grandfather would come
over and say, were you guys sick of what's going on?
Didn't realize my faith had so much to do with
where I am today, because if it were not for
the faith that I had, I would have I always
said I wouldn't even be here. I would plummet. I
would already minimize myself. I already couldn't be who I
(05:53):
was created to be. But that part of my life
helped me. And then my parents were role models because
they were treated in a certain way, but I saw
how they responded, So my behavior came a lot from
my parents.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Did your faith play a part in your book?
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Absolutely? Absolutely? And that's why would enabled me to use
that title, because you know, Scott, I had been wanting
to write a book forever, always wanted to write a book,
but it was something that I just could not do it.
Every time I'd sit down and try to do it, Yeah,
(06:29):
who wants to read my book? I don't want to
tell my story. I don't want to be exposed. So
I really really struggled with that. And when you talk
about my faith, it was like I could not let
it go. It burned in my stomach. That fire was burning.
Every year someone said what about the book? What about
the book? I'm like, God, will you leave me? You know,
(06:53):
could you leave me alone? And He did not let
me go until I made the decision his grace and
mercy to sit down and write that book. And that's
when I found out that I was in my way.
There was no other reason why I couldn't write the book.
It was me. It was all about me. It wasn't
about anybody else, all about you. It was me. You know.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
I'm curious though, I'm thinking of you growing up you know,
in the in the church, in your community, and I
don't know where you grew up, but I wonder sometimes
if and I don't know that you were necessarily isolated.
But when we talked about being isolated in your community
influenced by the Civil rights movement, were you a trendsetter
(07:35):
or in other words, I almost feel like there's comfort
in what you know and the people around you, like
this is just did you find those people that would say,
but this is who we are, this is how we
have we have to adjust because this is how life
is for you the one that sort of stepped out
of that and they said, what is that girl doing?
Or were they all? Did you have that kind of
(07:57):
people around you that said go, go, go and push
you on?
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Well? I would consider myself a trailblazer. And the reason
I say that because during the Civil Rights movement we
had not integrated schools. And during that time it was
like a study that the administration decided that the Education
board that you know, I think we should integrate now,
(08:21):
and so it was like a test. So my mom
was selected because she was known as one of the
better teachers. So they selected her to go far away
to teach at an all white school. And I could
hear the ruling and talking with her girlfriends and my
dad where she had to go. And of course she agreed,
(08:42):
she wanted, she needed a job. But guess what when
she went to that school. I didn't volunteer. She volunteerld
me that I was going with volunto. Yeah, she volunteerld
me because she said, I do not want you home
alone because I have a distance to drive and I
would get back when and you would be home by
yourself and not that's something that I don't want from you.
(09:05):
And so I went to school with her, My mom, myself,
the janitors, and the cooks were the only African Americans
in that school from first through sixth grade. I started
going there in the sixth grade, and boy was at
a rude awakening. So things started happening. And I say
all of this was ordained because I always said God
(09:26):
knew my future, He knew my ending before my beginning.
So in other words, I was being prepared for that,
I you know, and I was I felt I was
in a safe place because my mom was there, and
I would get these names, you know, the guys would
call me these different names and everything. But then there
was a group of individuals who really liked me. They
(09:48):
would invite me over their home, they would have me
for dinner, we would have pajama parties, and we would
have all of that kind of stuff. And so when
all of that happened, I made a decision that, you
know what, when I graduate from high school, I want
to go to a historical black college. I want to
(10:08):
know what it's like to be around people that look
like me, act like me, have a behavior like me.
And when I did do that, I felt so comfortable
because I was around individuals that looked like myself and
it was just a great experience. And so I and
of course, when you know, when I graduated from college,
(10:30):
I went to Birmingham, Alabama, and every position that I
was in, I was the first African American female in
an executive role, every position throughout my life. So that's
why I said, my child and all that prepared me
for that.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
So how did you recognize the imposter syndrome and the
burnout in yourself? What did that creep in, but you know.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
In the beginning, I didn't recognize it. I remember when
I was hired to be the first African American female
to a general manager at a Marriott hotel. It was
a Marriotte Courtyard, and I was so naive when I
went there. I was like, this is my hotel. I'm
gonna work like it's my hotel. I'm gonna run it
(11:14):
like it's my hotel. And then as you are surrounded
by different people, your employees, the guests, that's when I
started saying, you know what, I'm different, and that's why
I'm being treated like this. You know. I'd have guests
come out and say, you know, they wanted to see
the general manager, and when I walked out, just not
(11:34):
their expression, but the things they would say to me, said,
oh my gosh. So that's when the imposter started coming
because I had to I had to recalibrate on things.
I said, you know that the stereotype like she's going
to act like this, and she's going to act like
an angry black woman. And I'm like, you know, I'm
gonna be me. And so that's why I believe I
(11:59):
had those speriences. And then it started as I got older,
more mature, more experience. That's when I started thinking, I
can't do this. I'm a fraud. They're going to think that,
you know I can. And so therefore I worked long hours.
I worked hard to prove that I could do the
(12:19):
work that I was hired to do. So that's when
I discovered and you know what, that created a lot
of stress, That created burnout because that couldn't be me.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Yeah. Yeah, you know some people might say too that
any to anyone I'm talking about now that's in that
kind of a role that you know, they might say
that self neglect is just part of the job. So
what do you say to women who feel that they
don't really have a choice but to deal with that?
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Well, the best way that I can say that comes
a lot out of my book is Your Way and
Your Way. It's a self discovery guide for women on
how to restore yourself, learn from the experiences that you've had,
and be your true self again. And therefore, from that part,
after I wrote the book, finally like, oh finished the book,
(13:06):
I'm done, and I felt in my spirit that God says, no,
you're not. You have to show people create, which I
have a signature program that will help women to start
those of these are the women that are exhausted, burn out.
To show them that you can start living your life,
best life on your terms, and let me share with
(13:29):
you how you do it, because I wasn't living my
best life. So I am just when I see individuals, men,
men trying to do something, make something out of their life,
do something with the life that brings me joy. When
people are stuck and have all these limiting beliefs that
(13:50):
bothers me because I want them to live a life.
I want them to have a purpose fulfilled life while
they're here because life is so short.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Sure is, you've led efforts to recruit and promote African
American leaders, So what are some of the biggest challenges
and maybe even opportunities when it comes to diversity and
leadership that you've realized?
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Well right now, I think the challenge is this administration
has made a decision not to have any diversity and
inclusion programs, And to me, that's a challenge because if
it were not for those programs, I would not have
been hired in my roles, and that means all of them.
And as a result of that, you know, in the
(14:34):
jobs that I were in, we started diversity and inclusion programs,
you know, and I would be I was the chair
of the African American Group. And because I said, as
a trailblazer, because I was the first to get in,
and it gave others people an opportunity to see it
wasn't about our race. We are actually qualified to do
(14:54):
what we are hired to do. Yes, individual's an opportunity
we wouldn't get it.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
And that's exactly what I was going to say. Yes,
that's what I was just going to say. People need
to understand that it is not that you were not qualified.
You were qualified, yes, and maybe even more qualified than
some of the others. But it helped you get your
foot in the door and get that opportunity. That's why
I think this whole dismantling of DEI is just terrible too,
(15:22):
just a I do too, just awful.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
Right.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
So, yeah, you know your experience as the first and
only in so many of the rooms, how did that
impact your sense of self and how did you overcome
some of those feelings of isolation at the time.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
Wow, if people knew the stories, boy do I have
so many stories of how I was treated, yeah, unapologetically.
What people would say to me, how I would handle that?
Do I let human resources be aware of having someone
get so angry with me that they threw a chair
across the room, things like that. I'm like, this is crazy.
(15:58):
You know. Even in my colleagues would talk about me
to the senior executives that I was not qualified to
do the job that I do. And what was interesting
about it, things fell, It went full circle. It was
kind of like there's a saying in the Bible that
the Lord said, I'll make your enemies your footstools. And
(16:21):
there would at the times where I was in the
organization and we had problems and I was always selected
to go in and turn things around. So therefore I
was like, wow, I was like a problem solver if
anything happened. And these were individuals that talked about me
that had accounts they needed me to go in and
(16:41):
help them fix that account so they would not lose
that account. And you know what, I did a lot
of praying. I also had a mentor, I had a coach,
and that was very helpful because you can't do anything
on your own. And it's just good to what I
call a border directors, my person on border directors, individuals
(17:02):
in my my community that could help me with certain
things so that I could maintain my sanity, so to speak,
you know. And that's when I talked about that's why
I'm so big on this burnout. And that's why my program,
my signature program is called the Rise Journey, and it's
(17:23):
called the Signatures the Rise Journey. But my program is
let's rise beyond limits. And that is so important to
me because I want people to know that we are
here for a reason. Why aren't we doing what we
want to do, feel led to do, but yet we're stuck?
(17:44):
What is that all about? So it's time to get
on stuck. Start living your life. Start living your dash.
Your dash. You were born this set, right, you gotta
start living it. That's critical for you to start having
a fulfilling life.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
Live your dash. I like that, It's true. It's true,
you know. So for people who are listening, can everyone
really pivot to a purpose feel life or is that
is that privilege?
Speaker 2 (18:09):
That's a great question. Everybody living can live a purpose
filled life if they want to, if they're realizing that
they cannot do it by themselves, if they know the
right person, if they find the right mentor or the
right coach, or It's kind of like if you are
(18:30):
sick and tired of being sick and tired. You know,
it gets to a point where how you look strong
on the outside, but in the inside, you're just unraveling,
You're stagnant. Everybody has that opportunity because everybody that was
born is born for a reason. And if in fact,
you see individuals that are in a good space, that're
(18:53):
doing well, they're doing what they want to do. A
lot of people are miserable, particularly now, they're really struggling
with life, and you get to a point where like,
why am I here? I used to say that what
wh am I here? Am I here? To go through
all this drama and trauma? Am I? Like? Why? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (19:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (19:14):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (19:14):
So what practical steps can you give for women who
want to break through their own barriers but really don't
even know where to begin?
Speaker 2 (19:21):
Well, one of them. I'm going to talk about my
program a little bit, which is called the which I
talked about the Rise Beyond Limits and one of the
things that I talk about, and it's an acronym. First
of all, the acronym for rise is to recognize. The
r is to recognize. I always say, you can't heal
(19:42):
what you can't name, So there's a reason why you
are stuck. And furthermore, and doing the recognition, what what
are two things personal and business that you like to do?
What what is it that you like to do? If
you want to live your best life on your terms?
Would is that? So we kind of go through that
part and the recognized part, and then we do the
(20:06):
interrupt What is when you can't interrupt that will continue
to run your life? For example, social media is an addiction.
I know people that are on social media all the time.
They can't get anything done. So we go through what
do we need to do to interrupt that pattern because
(20:27):
that's not serving you? And that's the Then you go
to the ass and we talk about surrendering. What aren't
you not surrendering? Why are you trying to control something
that you cannot let it go? And that's where I
bring in the divine, the God, whoever people have served
the universe. Let's kind of talk about that. And then
once once we get all of that done, then you
(20:49):
start embracing what it is that you want to accomplish.
It's time to embrace it, and then we build. We
build on what it is that you decided that you
wanted to do. That's the yond, and then it's time
to launch. It's a six month program. But the first
thing that I always say is you need like you
know what, Scott, I do a lot of book tours
(21:11):
and I remember I asked people if I gave you
a scale from one to ten, ten being the highest,
and I ask you, are you living your best life
on your terms right now? And one to tends the highest?
Tell me what that is? And people sit up there
and like, you know, I never thought about that or
the people that have avoidance issues that I'm living. I'm
(21:32):
a tend but people who really that's why I do
what I call purpose driven. So there's a certain audience,
certain clients that I'm inclined to work with because if
you don't want to do it, I don't want to
waste your time or waste their time. So I always say,
if this is something you want to do, and there
are a lot of people out there doing doing but
(21:55):
I just you know a lot, And I call myself
a transformational mentor not. Ah, it's time for you to
transform and be the person that God created you to be.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
And for people wondering do you only mentor women?
Speaker 2 (22:07):
I do?
Speaker 1 (22:07):
Do you have male clients? So that's good to know.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
And that's interesting you said that because lately I do
a podcast as well, and the podcast is your Way
and your Way, and I have had more men in
the last month that would love to be on my
podcast because they think that well, they believe they have
something to share why they believe women are in their way.
(22:31):
So I thought that was interesting and I may do
that maybe for a month, but right now audience women, Yeah,
that's all right.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
But that's good for people to know that are sitting
here listening. You know, can you share it? Can you
share a story, maybe there's some transformation that occurred with
someone you've mentored.
Speaker 2 (22:46):
Yes. Absolutely. I have a young lady who she had
this thing like, you know, I want to be like
you because you've done this, and I'm like, no, you don't, sweetheart,
you don't to be like me, because if you want
to go through what I've been through, and I don't
think that's something that you want to do. So let's
(23:06):
sit down and let's kind of talk about what is
it that you want to do and one of the
things she wanted to do was move up in her career.
She was not in a good place, and a lot
of people like, if you have to move up, and
you can't move up there, let's go somewhere else. Let's
identify what it is that you really wanted to do.
(23:27):
And she wanted to work in the human resources arena.
And I'm like, okay, you know, so we kind of
work towards that. And now she is an executive on
the West Coast doing a lot of good things. And
she says that she owes it all to me in
the program, and you know, and the thing about even
(23:48):
though I'm in a program, but she'll check with me
every now and then when she's having some challenges to
ask me certain things about what she's experiencing on her
job with her colleagues.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
So, just pivoting just a little bit, I'd like to
just quickly talk about the support systems and how do
you help them build these support systems and why is
that important as they're going through their challenges.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
Sample. I like individuals number one in their support system
to have accountability partners, you know, somebody they trust, somebody
believe in that that has their best interest at heart.
So what they share with them stays with them. Is
like Vegas, whatever you do in Vegas stays in Vegas.
You know. The other thing that I support individuals with
(24:30):
is finding a finance person, a financial advisor, and there
are a lot of them out there, but you definitely
want to make sure that you are secure in the
things you do. A lot of people like, well, I
don't have the money, but when you look at and
see what they're spending their money on, of course you don't. Yeah,
Starbucks every day. You know, you don't have to have
(24:50):
all these cable channels. So I do that. I had
charge them to find what I call a spiritual person,
somebody who who believes in what they believe and so
stay connected with that. And that's kind of what I have.
So I'm sharing things that I have. I also have
an attorney in my circle. You know, when I'm having
(25:12):
some legal issues, some things going on, you know, I
have an attorney that I fall back on also, And
I always say, never underestimate the relationships you've had. You
have a lot of relationships. What is it that they
can do to help you? And vice versa. I also say,
have a friend, a good friend that keeps you round it,
(25:33):
I say, somebody to make you to keep it real. Yeah,
so those are the five things that I encourage people
to have like and I have all those things. I
have my accountability partner. We speak every Wednesday. We set
out our goals that we want to do, and then
we follow up every week on how we're doing. You know,
(25:54):
we set that up and just you know, at every
quarter then we figure out what where are we with
this goal. So that's when I talk about a support group, your.
Speaker 1 (26:04):
Community perfect perfect what's your vision for the next generation
of women leaders and is there anything organizations can do
to support that?
Speaker 2 (26:11):
Yeah, well, my vision is to empower a generation of
women to mitigate those barriers that are preventing them from
living their best life on their terms. I deal with
church groups, corporations, women groups, also mentoring programs, and I
(26:32):
just continue. I'm also a speaker, so I network and
build my community. It's not just the five but just individuals.
I always follow up stay in touch if I feel
that we have a commonality, and that's what I do.
And I always say my vision is who I touch
every day, what I do. All of that to me
(26:54):
is my legacy. I want to make a difference in
everybody that I speak with. Nice.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
Yes, nice. For anyone listening who feels stuck or overwhelmed,
what's the first thing you'd want them to hear.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
You can get unstuck. You don't have to be overwhelmed. Yes,
there is a way to be And I can say
that because I've been there. I'm qualified to say that
because that's where I've been. I can't always say you
can't tell me anything if you've not been there, So
I get it. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
Yeah, I'd like to give you an opportunity to to
share anything that's on your heart, whether it's a story,
a message, or a practice you'd love listeners to try.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
Yeah, this is something that if you are ready to
start living your best life on your terms, when you
are ready, and I always say when the student's ready,
the teacher will appear. So think about that. If you're ready,
that's only that's the only time when somebody will appear
(27:50):
and to be open to it. So that's that's what
I'll say. So you know, within your heart, Okay, I'm ready,
and stuff will start happening.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
Put it out, start happening. Yeah, thank you so much
for sharing your story, your insights, and your mission with us,
and for listeners who want to learn more, you can
find Cassandra's book Is Your Way and Your Way on
Amazon and connect with her through her speaking and mentoring
and organizational partnerships and on her website Cassandra Crawley dot
(28:19):
com and that's c R A U L E Y.
And as always, you can visit my website at Mediumscott
Allen dot com, The Book of Reading, check out my
upcoming live events, or listen to other episodes of the
Enlightened Life Podcast. Thank you for joining us, and remember
living with your best life begins with believing you're worthy
of it. We'll see you next time.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
Thank you, thank you,
She was the first one in the boardroom and often
the only one who looked like her. Cassandra Crowley Mayo's
journey from corporate leader to best selling author began with
a question, what if the greatest obstacle in my life
was me? Years of success, accolades, and leadership masked a
quieter battle, one with self doubt, burnout, and the invisible
(00:23):
barriers built from childhood and experience. But Cassandra's story isn't
just about the glass ceiling. It's about breaking through the
walls we build for ourselves and discovering the courage to
live a life that's truly our row. My guest today
believes that authenticity and transparency are the keys to living
our best lives, especially for professional women. I'm Scott Allen
(00:45):
and you're listening to the Enlightened Life podcast, where we
explore the mysteries of the soul's journey, healing and transformation.
Let's begin.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Thanks for having me, Scott, I am really looking forward
to our conversation.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Me too, Me too. You know you said that authenticity
and transparency're essential professional women. What does that look like
in real life and why is that so hard to achieve?
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Well? Let me tell you what it really looks like
in real life. When you're not authentic, it's kind of
like you're like a facade. That's when the impostor syndrome
comes in and the self imposed barriers because I'm unable
to be myself and as you indicate it in the beginning,
how I was the only African American female in the boardroom,
(01:40):
so therefore that it was stereotypical of many of the men.
I was in the room with a lot of white men,
and I felt that I had to be different, you know,
fit in and say the right things and do what
they did and wear the black and white suits and
all of that. So it was just very difficult to
(02:00):
be who I was created to be. It was very
hard for me. So that's what I mean about lack
of authenticity. People can see it, you know, I can
feel it. And a lot of that had to do
with my burnout, my self imposed barriers because I'm trying
to be something that I am not.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Yeah, well, you know, and it's funny talking about self
imposed barriers. Some people might think that sort of lets
organizations up the hook, you know, for systemic issues. So
how can you balance you know, your personal empowerment with
the need for that structural change.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Well, if I wanted to thrive and not just survive.
I came to a point where, you know, later on
in my career, I was like, you know what, I
was stressed. I was mentally exhausted. And that was back
in the time when you didn't talk about mental health.
You know, that was taboo and you just couldn't talk
(02:53):
about it. But I looked great on the outside, I
performed well, but on the inside, my stomach was churning
and churning and churning, and it was just so difficult
because that was not who I was. So that's kind
of my story. But I'm grateful that I did well
because I always thought I had to do better than
(03:15):
anybody else. I had to work harder, I had to
prove that I was an individual that could do the job.
I wasn't in the job because of my color, and
that was difficult.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Well, and look, I mean, here we are. It's still
like this in twenty twenty five. I don't know if
it's got any better. I mean, I'm not a black woman,
but I got to tell you it's not easy. I mean,
you know, we can see it in our elections. We
can see it in jobs. You know, it's tough, it's
tough to get your foot in and get a leg up,
so to speak.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Really exactly exactly. That's why I said, it's time to
get out of your way so that you can move
forward and do what you were here ordained to do
in this life.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
And you know, I think a lot of people can
use that advice. I mean, I know you're geared towards,
you know, empowering women, but honestly, you know, imposter systems.
Imposter syndrome is a real thing, and I've dealt with it.
A lot of people have dealt with it. I think
we can all use some guidance to help get out
of our own way, because otherwise we stand in the way,
(04:16):
you know, of real success. Can you share something, maybe
going back to your early childhood or career that shaped
your beliefs about success and self worth?
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Well, in my childhood, I grew up with under both
of my parents. They were My dad worked in the
post office. My mom was a teacher, and my mom
would say that's all they could do. She could only
teach or be a nurse. But what I also saw
they were very hard workers They were like, if you're
(04:45):
not on time, you're late. So you want to be
on time. You want to be there like fifteen minutes
before your start time. You want to work hard, you
have values, you want to do the right thing. You
want to treat people the way that you want to be.
Although you know they liked to say the sky is
the limit, but they were aware that there was a
(05:06):
roadblock in my way, that it would be tough. And
I grew up in the time of Civil rights movement
and I really had a rude awakening when I graduated
and it was relocated to Birmingham, Alabama. And my faith
helped so much because I grew up in the church.
My grandfather was a minister. We went to church every Sunday,
(05:29):
and it didn't go to church. My grandfather would come
over and say, were you guys sick of what's going on?
Didn't realize my faith had so much to do with
where I am today, because if it were not for
the faith that I had, I would have I always
said I wouldn't even be here. I would plummet. I
would already minimize myself. I already couldn't be who I
(05:53):
was created to be. But that part of my life
helped me. And then my parents were role models because
they were treated in a certain way, but I saw
how they responded, So my behavior came a lot from
my parents.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Did your faith play a part in your book?
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Absolutely? Absolutely? And that's why would enabled me to use
that title, because you know, Scott, I had been wanting
to write a book forever, always wanted to write a book,
but it was something that I just could not do it.
Every time I'd sit down and try to do it, Yeah,
(06:29):
who wants to read my book? I don't want to
tell my story. I don't want to be exposed. So
I really really struggled with that. And when you talk
about my faith, it was like I could not let
it go. It burned in my stomach. That fire was burning.
Every year someone said what about the book? What about
the book? I'm like, God, will you leave me? You know,
(06:53):
could you leave me alone? And He did not let
me go until I made the decision his grace and
mercy to sit down and write that book. And that's
when I found out that I was in my way.
There was no other reason why I couldn't write the book.
It was me. It was all about me. It wasn't
about anybody else, all about you. It was me. You know.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
I'm curious though, I'm thinking of you growing up you know,
in the in the church, in your community, and I
don't know where you grew up, but I wonder sometimes
if and I don't know that you were necessarily isolated.
But when we talked about being isolated in your community
influenced by the Civil rights movement, were you a trendsetter
(07:35):
or in other words, I almost feel like there's comfort
in what you know and the people around you, like
this is just did you find those people that would say,
but this is who we are, this is how we
have we have to adjust because this is how life
is for you the one that sort of stepped out
of that and they said, what is that girl doing?
Or were they all? Did you have that kind of
(07:57):
people around you that said go, go, go and push
you on?
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Well? I would consider myself a trailblazer. And the reason
I say that because during the Civil Rights movement we
had not integrated schools. And during that time it was
like a study that the administration decided that the Education
board that you know, I think we should integrate now,
(08:21):
and so it was like a test. So my mom
was selected because she was known as one of the
better teachers. So they selected her to go far away
to teach at an all white school. And I could
hear the ruling and talking with her girlfriends and my
dad where she had to go. And of course she agreed,
(08:42):
she wanted, she needed a job. But guess what when
she went to that school. I didn't volunteer. She volunteerld
me that I was going with volunto. Yeah, she volunteerld
me because she said, I do not want you home
alone because I have a distance to drive and I
would get back when and you would be home by
yourself and not that's something that I don't want from you.
(09:05):
And so I went to school with her, My mom, myself,
the janitors, and the cooks were the only African Americans
in that school from first through sixth grade. I started
going there in the sixth grade, and boy was at
a rude awakening. So things started happening. And I say
all of this was ordained because I always said God
(09:26):
knew my future, He knew my ending before my beginning.
So in other words, I was being prepared for that,
I you know, and I was I felt I was
in a safe place because my mom was there, and
I would get these names, you know, the guys would
call me these different names and everything. But then there
was a group of individuals who really liked me. They
(09:48):
would invite me over their home, they would have me
for dinner, we would have pajama parties, and we would
have all of that kind of stuff. And so when
all of that happened, I made a decision that, you
know what, when I graduate from high school, I want
to go to a historical black college. I want to
(10:08):
know what it's like to be around people that look
like me, act like me, have a behavior like me.
And when I did do that, I felt so comfortable
because I was around individuals that looked like myself and
it was just a great experience. And so I and
of course, when you know, when I graduated from college,
(10:30):
I went to Birmingham, Alabama, and every position that I
was in, I was the first African American female in
an executive role, every position throughout my life. So that's
why I said, my child and all that prepared me
for that.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
So how did you recognize the imposter syndrome and the
burnout in yourself? What did that creep in, but you know.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
In the beginning, I didn't recognize it. I remember when
I was hired to be the first African American female
to a general manager at a Marriott hotel. It was
a Marriotte Courtyard, and I was so naive when I
went there. I was like, this is my hotel. I'm
gonna work like it's my hotel. I'm gonna run it
(11:14):
like it's my hotel. And then as you are surrounded
by different people, your employees, the guests, that's when I
started saying, you know what, I'm different, and that's why
I'm being treated like this. You know. I'd have guests
come out and say, you know, they wanted to see
the general manager, and when I walked out, just not
(11:34):
their expression, but the things they would say to me, said,
oh my gosh. So that's when the imposter started coming
because I had to I had to recalibrate on things.
I said, you know that the stereotype like she's going
to act like this, and she's going to act like
an angry black woman. And I'm like, you know, I'm
gonna be me. And so that's why I believe I
(11:59):
had those speriences. And then it started as I got older,
more mature, more experience. That's when I started thinking, I
can't do this. I'm a fraud. They're going to think that,
you know I can. And so therefore I worked long hours.
I worked hard to prove that I could do the
(12:19):
work that I was hired to do. So that's when
I discovered and you know what, that created a lot
of stress, That created burnout because that couldn't be me.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Yeah. Yeah, you know some people might say too that
any to anyone I'm talking about now that's in that
kind of a role that you know, they might say
that self neglect is just part of the job. So
what do you say to women who feel that they
don't really have a choice but to deal with that?
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Well, the best way that I can say that comes
a lot out of my book is Your Way and
Your Way. It's a self discovery guide for women on
how to restore yourself, learn from the experiences that you've had,
and be your true self again. And therefore, from that part,
after I wrote the book, finally like, oh finished the book,
(13:06):
I'm done, and I felt in my spirit that God says, no,
you're not. You have to show people create, which I
have a signature program that will help women to start
those of these are the women that are exhausted, burn out.
To show them that you can start living your life,
best life on your terms, and let me share with
(13:29):
you how you do it, because I wasn't living my
best life. So I am just when I see individuals, men,
men trying to do something, make something out of their life,
do something with the life that brings me joy. When
people are stuck and have all these limiting beliefs that
(13:50):
bothers me because I want them to live a life.
I want them to have a purpose fulfilled life while
they're here because life is so short.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Sure is, you've led efforts to recruit and promote African
American leaders, So what are some of the biggest challenges
and maybe even opportunities when it comes to diversity and
leadership that you've realized?
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Well right now, I think the challenge is this administration
has made a decision not to have any diversity and
inclusion programs, And to me, that's a challenge because if
it were not for those programs, I would not have
been hired in my roles, and that means all of them.
And as a result of that, you know, in the
(14:34):
jobs that I were in, we started diversity and inclusion programs,
you know, and I would be I was the chair
of the African American Group. And because I said, as
a trailblazer, because I was the first to get in,
and it gave others people an opportunity to see it
wasn't about our race. We are actually qualified to do
(14:54):
what we are hired to do. Yes, individual's an opportunity
we wouldn't get it.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
And that's exactly what I was going to say. Yes,
that's what I was just going to say. People need
to understand that it is not that you were not qualified.
You were qualified, yes, and maybe even more qualified than
some of the others. But it helped you get your
foot in the door and get that opportunity. That's why
I think this whole dismantling of DEI is just terrible too,
(15:22):
just a I do too, just awful.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
Right.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
So, yeah, you know your experience as the first and
only in so many of the rooms, how did that
impact your sense of self and how did you overcome
some of those feelings of isolation at the time.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
Wow, if people knew the stories, boy do I have
so many stories of how I was treated, yeah, unapologetically.
What people would say to me, how I would handle that?
Do I let human resources be aware of having someone
get so angry with me that they threw a chair
across the room, things like that. I'm like, this is crazy.
(15:58):
You know. Even in my colleagues would talk about me
to the senior executives that I was not qualified to
do the job that I do. And what was interesting
about it, things fell, It went full circle. It was
kind of like there's a saying in the Bible that
the Lord said, I'll make your enemies your footstools. And
(16:21):
there would at the times where I was in the
organization and we had problems and I was always selected
to go in and turn things around. So therefore I
was like, wow, I was like a problem solver if
anything happened. And these were individuals that talked about me
that had accounts they needed me to go in and
(16:41):
help them fix that account so they would not lose
that account. And you know what, I did a lot
of praying. I also had a mentor, I had a coach,
and that was very helpful because you can't do anything
on your own. And it's just good to what I
call a border directors, my person on border directors, individuals
(17:02):
in my my community that could help me with certain
things so that I could maintain my sanity, so to speak,
you know. And that's when I talked about that's why
I'm so big on this burnout. And that's why my program,
my signature program is called the Rise Journey, and it's
(17:23):
called the Signatures the Rise Journey. But my program is
let's rise beyond limits. And that is so important to
me because I want people to know that we are
here for a reason. Why aren't we doing what we
want to do, feel led to do, but yet we're stuck?
(17:44):
What is that all about? So it's time to get
on stuck. Start living your life. Start living your dash.
Your dash. You were born this set, right, you gotta
start living it. That's critical for you to start having
a fulfilling life.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
Live your dash. I like that, It's true. It's true,
you know. So for people who are listening, can everyone
really pivot to a purpose feel life or is that
is that privilege?
Speaker 2 (18:09):
That's a great question. Everybody living can live a purpose
filled life if they want to, if they're realizing that
they cannot do it by themselves, if they know the
right person, if they find the right mentor or the
right coach, or It's kind of like if you are
(18:30):
sick and tired of being sick and tired. You know,
it gets to a point where how you look strong
on the outside, but in the inside, you're just unraveling,
You're stagnant. Everybody has that opportunity because everybody that was
born is born for a reason. And if in fact,
you see individuals that are in a good space, that're
(18:53):
doing well, they're doing what they want to do. A
lot of people are miserable, particularly now, they're really struggling
with life, and you get to a point where like,
why am I here? I used to say that what
wh am I here? Am I here? To go through
all this drama and trauma? Am I? Like? Why? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (19:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (19:14):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (19:14):
So what practical steps can you give for women who
want to break through their own barriers but really don't
even know where to begin?
Speaker 2 (19:21):
Well, one of them. I'm going to talk about my
program a little bit, which is called the which I
talked about the Rise Beyond Limits and one of the
things that I talk about, and it's an acronym. First
of all, the acronym for rise is to recognize. The
r is to recognize. I always say, you can't heal
(19:42):
what you can't name, So there's a reason why you
are stuck. And furthermore, and doing the recognition, what what
are two things personal and business that you like to do?
What what is it that you like to do? If
you want to live your best life on your terms?
Would is that? So we kind of go through that
part and the recognized part, and then we do the
(20:06):
interrupt What is when you can't interrupt that will continue
to run your life? For example, social media is an addiction.
I know people that are on social media all the time.
They can't get anything done. So we go through what
do we need to do to interrupt that pattern because
(20:27):
that's not serving you? And that's the Then you go
to the ass and we talk about surrendering. What aren't
you not surrendering? Why are you trying to control something
that you cannot let it go? And that's where I
bring in the divine, the God, whoever people have served
the universe. Let's kind of talk about that. And then
once once we get all of that done, then you
(20:49):
start embracing what it is that you want to accomplish.
It's time to embrace it, and then we build. We
build on what it is that you decided that you
wanted to do. That's the yond, and then it's time
to launch. It's a six month program. But the first
thing that I always say is you need like you
know what, Scott, I do a lot of book tours
(21:11):
and I remember I asked people if I gave you
a scale from one to ten, ten being the highest,
and I ask you, are you living your best life
on your terms right now? And one to tends the highest?
Tell me what that is? And people sit up there
and like, you know, I never thought about that or
the people that have avoidance issues that I'm living. I'm
(21:32):
a tend but people who really that's why I do
what I call purpose driven. So there's a certain audience,
certain clients that I'm inclined to work with because if
you don't want to do it, I don't want to
waste your time or waste their time. So I always say,
if this is something you want to do, and there
are a lot of people out there doing doing but
(21:55):
I just you know a lot, And I call myself
a transformational mentor not. Ah, it's time for you to
transform and be the person that God created you to be.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
And for people wondering do you only mentor women?
Speaker 2 (22:07):
I do?
Speaker 1 (22:07):
Do you have male clients? So that's good to know.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
And that's interesting you said that because lately I do
a podcast as well, and the podcast is your Way
and your Way, and I have had more men in
the last month that would love to be on my
podcast because they think that well, they believe they have
something to share why they believe women are in their way.
(22:31):
So I thought that was interesting and I may do
that maybe for a month, but right now audience women, Yeah,
that's all right.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
But that's good for people to know that are sitting
here listening. You know, can you share it? Can you
share a story, maybe there's some transformation that occurred with
someone you've mentored.
Speaker 2 (22:46):
Yes. Absolutely. I have a young lady who she had
this thing like, you know, I want to be like
you because you've done this, and I'm like, no, you don't, sweetheart,
you don't to be like me, because if you want
to go through what I've been through, and I don't
think that's something that you want to do. So let's
(23:06):
sit down and let's kind of talk about what is
it that you want to do and one of the
things she wanted to do was move up in her career.
She was not in a good place, and a lot
of people like, if you have to move up, and
you can't move up there, let's go somewhere else. Let's
identify what it is that you really wanted to do.
(23:27):
And she wanted to work in the human resources arena.
And I'm like, okay, you know, so we kind of
work towards that. And now she is an executive on
the West Coast doing a lot of good things. And
she says that she owes it all to me in
the program, and you know, and the thing about even
(23:48):
though I'm in a program, but she'll check with me
every now and then when she's having some challenges to
ask me certain things about what she's experiencing on her
job with her colleagues.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
So, just pivoting just a little bit, I'd like to
just quickly talk about the support systems and how do
you help them build these support systems and why is
that important as they're going through their challenges.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
Sample. I like individuals number one in their support system
to have accountability partners, you know, somebody they trust, somebody
believe in that that has their best interest at heart.
So what they share with them stays with them. Is
like Vegas, whatever you do in Vegas stays in Vegas.
You know. The other thing that I support individuals with
(24:30):
is finding a finance person, a financial advisor, and there
are a lot of them out there, but you definitely
want to make sure that you are secure in the
things you do. A lot of people like, well, I
don't have the money, but when you look at and
see what they're spending their money on, of course you don't. Yeah,
Starbucks every day. You know, you don't have to have
(24:50):
all these cable channels. So I do that. I had
charge them to find what I call a spiritual person,
somebody who who believes in what they believe and so
stay connected with that. And that's kind of what I have.
So I'm sharing things that I have. I also have
an attorney in my circle. You know, when I'm having
(25:12):
some legal issues, some things going on, you know, I
have an attorney that I fall back on also, And
I always say, never underestimate the relationships you've had. You
have a lot of relationships. What is it that they
can do to help you? And vice versa. I also say,
have a friend, a good friend that keeps you round it,
(25:33):
I say, somebody to make you to keep it real. Yeah,
so those are the five things that I encourage people
to have like and I have all those things. I
have my accountability partner. We speak every Wednesday. We set
out our goals that we want to do, and then
we follow up every week on how we're doing. You know,
(25:54):
we set that up and just you know, at every
quarter then we figure out what where are we with
this goal. So that's when I talk about a support group, your.
Speaker 1 (26:04):
Community perfect perfect what's your vision for the next generation
of women leaders and is there anything organizations can do
to support that?
Speaker 2 (26:11):
Yeah, well, my vision is to empower a generation of
women to mitigate those barriers that are preventing them from
living their best life on their terms. I deal with
church groups, corporations, women groups, also mentoring programs, and I
(26:32):
just continue. I'm also a speaker, so I network and
build my community. It's not just the five but just individuals.
I always follow up stay in touch if I feel
that we have a commonality, and that's what I do.
And I always say my vision is who I touch
every day, what I do. All of that to me
(26:54):
is my legacy. I want to make a difference in
everybody that I speak with. Nice.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
Yes, nice. For anyone listening who feels stuck or overwhelmed,
what's the first thing you'd want them to hear.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
You can get unstuck. You don't have to be overwhelmed. Yes,
there is a way to be And I can say
that because I've been there. I'm qualified to say that
because that's where I've been. I can't always say you
can't tell me anything if you've not been there, So
I get it. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
Yeah, I'd like to give you an opportunity to to
share anything that's on your heart, whether it's a story,
a message, or a practice you'd love listeners to try.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
Yeah, this is something that if you are ready to
start living your best life on your terms, when you
are ready, and I always say when the student's ready,
the teacher will appear. So think about that. If you're ready,
that's only that's the only time when somebody will appear
(27:50):
and to be open to it. So that's that's what
I'll say. So you know, within your heart, Okay, I'm ready,
and stuff will start happening.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
Put it out, start happening. Yeah, thank you so much
for sharing your story, your insights, and your mission with us,
and for listeners who want to learn more, you can
find Cassandra's book Is Your Way and Your Way on
Amazon and connect with her through her speaking and mentoring
and organizational partnerships and on her website Cassandra Crawley dot
(28:19):
com and that's c R A U L E Y.
And as always, you can visit my website at Mediumscott
Allen dot com, The Book of Reading, check out my
upcoming live events, or listen to other episodes of the
Enlightened Life Podcast. Thank you for joining us, and remember
living with your best life begins with believing you're worthy
of it. We'll see you next time.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
Thank you, thank you,
Popular Podcasts
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Charlie is America's hardest working grassroots activist who has your inside scoop on the biggest news of the day and what's really going on behind the headlines. The founder of Turning Point USA and one of social media's most engaged personalities, Charlie is on the front lines of America’s culture war, mobilizing hundreds of thousands of students on over 3,500 college and high school campuses across the country, bringing you your daily dose of clarity in a sea of chaos all from his signature no-holds-barred, unapologetically conservative, freedom-loving point of view. You can also watch Charlie Kirk on Salem News Channel