Today we’d like to introduce you to Chaun Vaughn.
Chaun, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am a country girl from Springridge, Louisiana who grew up loving to talk and entertain. I was surrounded by a lot of powerful, yet caring and loving women, my mom, grandmother, and aunts, who all taught me to always be my authentic self and to shoot for the stars. So, no matter what I did and all the grand ideas I had, my family was always there to support me. From being apart of 4-H and participating in Public Speaking to the many pageants I was involved in, I attribute all of that to setting the stage for me to do what I love, speaking and training while making it an enjoyable and fun experience.
Believe it or not, I graduated from Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA with a degree in Human Nutrition-Dietetics. YES! Nutrition! I never would have thought in a million years that this would be the profession to push me out into the world of professional speaking. It also aligned me with my platform, Heart Forward Leadership. I was able to put practices in place while in leadership positions that I am now able to share with other leaders and aspiring leaders who want to move away from the “traditional” style of leadership.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
For the most part, there haven’t been too many bumps in the road. When I encountered a bump, I never look at it as a failure, but a valuable lesson learned. The biggest roadblock I have encountered is learning that I cannot do this alone. I have learned and made it a practice to reach out to others and collaborate more. Once I did that, my business was close to smooth sailing.
Chaun Vaughn Speaks of Vaughn Media – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am the owner of Vaughn Media, LLC which is where Chaun Vaughn Speaks lives. I like to call myself a Heart Forward Leadership Expert. This all came about because far too many times I have witnessed too many leaders stuck in the traditional style leadership model, which has proven to be unproductive and ineffective for the workforce. So I spend most of my time and energy speaking and training on transitioning to a Heart Forward Leadership style based principles from an easy to read book I wrote, Being Heart Forward: An Others Centered Leadership Style and Workbook.
My overarching goal for leaders when this style is implemented is to equip them with strategies that will reduce employee turnover, drive engagement, increase productivity and efficiency, and cultivate a pipeline of successful leaders. I have been able to share my strategies with companies such as Comcast, The National Athletics Trainers Association, multiple school districts in Houston and so many more.
Some things I am proud of are my VIP Woman of the Year award from the National Association for Professional Women, and receiving a certificate of Congressional Recognition, designating February 13th, as Heart Forward Day in the 18th District in Texas.
My mission is to promote a leadership change that will not only propel a team to success but the leader as well. “Let’s change leadership one heart at a time!”
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Aside from accolades, my proudest moments are when leaders come to me and share that they have gleaned knowledge and insight into how to make a positive change in their leadership style. And after implementing the strategies, hearing that it has made a difference for them and their team makes my heart smile.
Contact Info:
- Website: chaunvaughnspeaks.com
- Phone: 832-756-9463
- Email: chaun@chaunvaughnspeaks.com
- Instagram: @ChaunVaughnSpeaks
- Facebook: Facebook.com/ChaunVaughnSpeaks
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