Today we’d like to introduce you to Cheyenne Baker.
Hi Cheyenne, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Thanks for having me! I have a strong background in the church – on both sides of my family, we have founded churches and my mom is a Pentecostal minister.
I’ve always been curious about spirituality, but it wasn’t until college that I began exploring my own connection to God. As I started exploring, I realized that my gifts could be a blessing to others, so I taught myself Tarot and began readings for close friends and accepting coaching clients.
Earlier this year, I expanded by opening a metaphysical store so that other women exploring their spirituality outside of their Christian upbringing could have a safe space to explore, learn and grow.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Perfectionism has been my biggest challenge. I grew up with the logic that excessive hard work, abandoning myself for others benefit and doing everything “right” would make me win in life. Wrong. These were all beliefs that I’d adopted because of my Christian upbringing. So, when I felt the call to pursue a business based on ideals that seem contrary to the Word of God, you can imagine how scary that’s been. It’s like I’ve had to “come out” again.
Even though I’m grown and can do whatever I want, I felt this huge amount of guilt and shame. Flashbacks of the fire and brimstone messages still surface, but I remind myself of how peaceful it’s been since I’ve found faith outside the church. It’s also super cool when I hear how sharing my story has been helpful to other women from all walks of life. So, in short, it’s not been easy or smooth, but it’s been worth it 200%
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Soulful Soothe?
One of the biggest motivators for founding Soulful Soothe was taking notice of the brick-and-mortar metaphysical shops around me. They’re usually owned by cisgender, heterosexual, white people. I haven’t had the best experiences as a customer in those spaces, not out of malice, I’m sure.
But, as a queer black woman, I’ve always felt out of place and awkward in those spaces. They never really spoke to me or catered exactly to what I was needing. I also noticed how in most of the spaces, there’s not much education – sure, you can ask the cashiers, but most people aren’t comfortable enough to ask questions like “so what is this alligator head for?” because they don’t want to look dumb.
I knew I wasn’t the only one feeling this way. I’ve heard people say before not to cry about not being offered a seat at the table, so I gladly built my own table with the intention of being more inclusive and educational.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Go easy on yourself! Find a mentor. Lean on your friends. Trust your gut. These are all cliche, but they’re so true. You need to learn how to not be your worst critic because the more you belittle yourself, the less you’ll get done. You need a mentor to make you aware of the things you’re clueless on. You need friends you can vent to because the going can get tough. Lastly, you need to trust your gut because if you don’t, who will?
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/soulfulsoothe
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb4QCkB3_9tr_RmZ_3hKVKQ
- Email: soulfulsoothe@gmail.com
Image Credits
NitaAnn Photography
