Entrepreneurship and Resilience in the Journey toward Success
Cheryl Sanchez is an Unconventional Latina Entrepreneur
It’s not often that you meet people who are achieving great things every day and are incredibly humble about it, while at the same time modeling the kind of behavior we should all aspire to. My meeting with Cheryl Sanchez was such a meeting. Cheryl is an unconventional and unconventionally wise Latina entrepreneur, whose journey is a testament to resilience and to the power of forging your own path.
A complex academic trajectory
Cheryl’s academic path was anything but traditional—though it’s worth emphasizing that most people follow non-traditional educational trajectories, so Cheryl is certainly not alone.
Cheryl attended Bronx Science, a specialized high school in New York City with an extraordinary reputation and whose alums go on to attend some of the most selective colleges and universities in the nation. She initially resisted attending, returning to junior high before recommitting to her high school education. She was driven by a desire for independence, aiming to move out at 18. During her last semester at Bronx Science, she was accused of cheating on a final paper, which precipitated a bureaucratic struggle leading to an agreement requiring her to take a summer course at a college, and to do so she had to get a GED. She got the GED, completed the summer course, and eventually got her Bronx Science diploma. By now Cheryl was already living on her own.
A next phase in this bumpy journey led Cheryl to Westchester Community College, later to Pace University, and later still back to Westchester Community College, but her education was repeatedly interrupted. A complicated pregnancy forced her to withdraw for medical reasons, resulting in the loss of financial aid and credits. Yet, her determination remained undeterred. Cheryl found her way to Fordham University, where she completed her undergraduate degree when she was already in her 30s. She effectively juggled night classes with working as a Latina single mother. She even made the dean’s list and received a scholarship. Cheryl credits a supportive dean with helping her through the program, but her determination was a key component of her success.
A networking organization and research on entrepreneurship
Cheryl founded her own organization, TheNetWorks, which she established as a side project while also working full time. The idea grew out of her frustration with the limitations of traditional networking groups like chambers of commerce. Cheryl aimed for this organization to provide a low-barrier, cost-effective space for like-minded individuals to connect and build authentic relationships.
Over the course of 15 years, the organization has provided unique networking opportunities, with a majority of its members being women of color. It’s a welcoming space for all, including those involved in multi-level marketing, without judgment. Originally business-focused, TheNetWorks has evolved to encompass personal growth, causes, and community contributions. Cheryl’s goal was to create an environment where people could connect and support each other in becoming better individuals and making positive impacts.
Cheryl’s career led her back to Fordham for an Executive MBA. Her final project for the degree involved researching the impact of entrepreneurship on tourism in Rio de Janeiro, focusing on how to support women and minority entrepreneurs. This research illuminated for Cheryl the many barriers faced by entrepreneurs, particularly those marketing services across geographic lines.
Don’t just survive: Thrive!
As next steps for her organization, Cheryl envisioned a book and a conference focused on business success. However, life events shifted her perspective in a significant way. She realized that success is not just about reaching a destination but about the journey itself, insight that she describes in her book, The Journey of Success. The book’s subtitle, “even when success is just getting out of bed,” emphasizes the importance of recognizing and celebrating daily achievements, and the book itself is a comprehensive guide to reflecting on your journey, highlighting values of integrity, hope, knowledge, leadership, and much more. Cheryl reminds us that success is about thriving, not just surviving, and that living authentically is the way to be successful. She aims to capture how to thrive amidst chaos and share the message that everyone is successful in their own right, simply by trying.
In reflecting on Cheryl’s advice, I am reminded of the concept of ‘flow’ introduced by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Flow is most typically associated with peak moments of enjoyment leading to effortless productivity. Flow can also arise during times of significant challenge and struggle. When we face our most intense periods (for Cheryl, some of these would have been navigating high school, juggling motherhood and work and college, and building TheNetWorks from the ground up), we need deep immersion and focused effort. These are the hallmarks of a flow state. Some of the hardest times in our lives can paradoxically be the very moments when we experience flow and achieve our most profound growth.
The reminder to enjoy the journey is advice we should all pay heed to. Cheryl Sanchez’s trajectory was not linear and not always joyful, but her journey was defined by resilience, self-discovery, and the creation of meaningful connections, even during the most difficult moments of her life. In her book, Cheryl offers an inspirational quote from Paulo Coelho: “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it” (The Alchemist). Inspired by Cheryl’s accomplishments and advice, I might add that we need to tap the universe within ourselves.
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