Today we’d like to introduce you to Chynell Lee.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Chynell. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
“My pleasure,” the two words most people know from the famous Chick-Fil-A response, embedded in my brain with the concept of customer service from the age of 15. Born and raised in Flint, Michigan, by a middle-class married couple, I learned work ethic and treating people with love and respect at a young age. My father’s job moved us across the country a couple of times where I landed in Longview, Texas, for high school. With such a focus on sports and small-town values, I really got to compete and exercise leadership skills at a high level. Then, going off to college at the University of North Texas gave me a chance to mix social skills with professional skills to become the person I am today.
My first job in the industry included marketing for McDonald’s in Dallas, Michigan and then Houston. Many great ideas came to life during my time at McDonald’s, which really helped me define who I was in my realm of creativity and how I wanted my profession to look. I am a CREATOR and EXECUTOR of unique ideas. All of my greatest ideas have come from working on great teams with people who valued my creativity. I’ve made it my passion as a marketing professional to make sure diversity is always represented properly, especially at a time like now. Some of my most notable campaigns include The Revolt TV and McDonald’s Local Love Tour, “Keep Breakfast Trill” billboards and the McD Mural in East Downtown highlighting digital ordering platforms.
At the same time that I was finding my creative niche, there were a host of other talents that were calling my name, like public speaking, modeling, producing content/shows and motivating people. With family challenges, love life struggles and tough professional decisions, I find happiness in knowing I’ve overcome a lot and hope everyone feels the same about their life’s challenges. There is a lot to show from simply caring about people and being considerate, that has guided me through marketing campaigns that target all different kinds of people or speaking engagements that display the new perception of professionalism to the next generation.
In 2017 I was diagnosed with an extreme case of fibroids and nearly lost my life. Two surgeries and seven blood transfusions later, I understood the concept of living a full life and not living just to work. I needed to be unapologetically me, going after the things I love the most and learning how to capitalize on it. Although I don’t have all the answers, I think I’m running my race and doing it at my pace, aiming for my personal best.
Has it been a smooth road?
Of course, every journey comes with obstacles. I think a lot of us try to separate professional struggles from personal struggles but in reality, they all go together. In 2014 at the tail end of my first year in my career, the person I was dating at the time attempted suicide in my presence. Kind of hard to focus at work when your life seems to be in turmoil in so many other areas, but I still had to excel so I learned how to push through and cope. I moved around the country twice for work, and as a young adult, that added pressure to adjust to new living, working and social environments. In 2017, I became extremely ill and still had to push through at my job. At this time, the help of an understanding employer and a team that valued life over work is the only thing that got me through. Emotional intelligence is KEY! Life is all about the push-through and how you mold difficult situations into the winning ticket. I urge people to find their purpose. Don’t just live to exist.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I am a woman of many endeavors. I am a full-time account director at a marketing agency in Houston and on the side, I have two big passion projects. Producing my show, The Catch Up Roundtable (TCUR) and the Get up. Get out. Get active. Initiative. For TCUR, I partnered with Black Wall St. which is launching its own media platform. I pitched my show idea to them, and they have been instrumental in the process. The first episode was shot right before mandatory quarantine here in Houston, but the reception has been great. My co-host, Marvin Atkins and I invite special guests to talk about current events, lifestyle and relationship topics while engaging with our live audience for their perspective.
“Get up. Get out. Get active.,” has been a slower process as this initiative was rooted from a really dark place in my life. I went through a divorce in 2019 that really had me in the slumps. I had a friend encouraging me to get active when he would visit and from there, I started running and recording encouraging videos for other people to do the same, especially in a stressful, emotional time. Many people all over the country now post the phrase and tag me when they hear my voice telling them to “Get up. Get out. Get active.” Merchandise is in production now and will drop at the end of August.
All of the things I do, I do with intention. I don’t take speaking engagements if I don’t feel I can reach the audience like I should. I speak up for what’s right and put thought and energy into everything that I touch. The goal is to be a light in the world and I believe that sets me apart from others.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Having moved around the country so many times, I’ve noticed that a city is what you make it. Houston is very progressive and a place to express creative freedom. It has a lot of fresh talent as many people are moving here, I would encourage locals to be more welcoming of new creatives, influencers, professionals, etc. that are looking to make Houston home as well. It’s not about competition when the focus is building off of each other. There are enough opportunities for success to go around, I’m very honored to call Houston “home”.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.chynell.com
- Email: info@chynell.com
- Instagram: @chylyfe
- Twitter: @chylyfe
Image Credit:
@_raylucas_
@rickyhaggerty_
Suggest a story: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
