Today we’d like to introduce you to Gayle Cheatham.
Hi Gayle, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Today, I am a wife, mother of two, certified life coach, business owner, and founder of Look Up Nonprofit. I naturally empathize with others and encourage everyone I meet to be the best version of themselves and live their best life. My love of people, especially teens & children, and my emphasis on human connection all have a lot to do with my story. I have faced challenges like being daughter to a teen mom, lived through divorce, lived through the dissolution of apartheid and segregation in South Africa, moved multiple times as a child, and across the world when I was 19. I’ve survived a couple hurricanes, which damaged and flooded my home. I’ve spent multiple weeks in hospital for mysterious health causes and had two high-risk pregnancies. I am the first in my family to earn a college degree and was the first in my family to become an American citizen.
I was born in South Africa and moved to Texas when I was 19. I attended Sam Houston State University and graduated with a BA degree in marketing in 2002. I started at a small oil & gas company in The Woodlands in 2003 and bought my first home. I worked as an office admin, event planner, and marketing assistant for almost 5 years.
In April 2007, I got married, got a green card, bought a second home, and was recruited to work at another oil & gas company in Houston. My son was born November 2008 (coincidently the same year the iPhone came out), my daughter was born in 2011, and by 2013, I was struggling to balance full-time work constraints with being a mom & wife. It was then that I started my consulting firm to do the same work I had been doing but with flexibility. I consulted for over 7 years, but during this time was keenly aware of the impact that Blackberry’s, phones, email, and technology was having on all of our lives. I felt lonely and overwhelmed when my kids started expressing an interest in devices. I researched polled parents and had done my own personal work in therapy.
In 2021, when my last oil and gas client canceled my contract due to the pandemic, I decided to pivot and follow my passion of helping people, especially in the area of how to navigate parenting in the digital era. December 2021, I completed my Coach Training Alliance Certification and launched Cambelyn Coaching; it’s through this avenue that I met Tessa Stuckey. She and I have now co-founded Look Up Nonprofit, which aim to inspire a culture of mindfulness and balance with intentional technology and social media use. My kids are now teens, and I apply the knowledge I’ve learned every day.
In 2021, I also authored and published my first children’s book with the intent of helping kids with tools I wish I’d had when I was younger.
My husband and I also co-partnered a restaurant in Montgomery, Texas; it combines my love of food, quality time with family, and being outdoors.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
LOL! I think you already know the answer to that from my story.
Nothing worth having in life is easy. This is true of my health, my relationships, career choices, and even pursuit of the American dream.
I’ve struggled with perfectionism, people-pleasing, self-doubt, and worrying about the opinions of others.
I’ve done a lot of work in this area and still have a lot to do.
Publishing my children’s book was very vulnerable for me to put my creative work into the world.
Moving from being a 20-year oil & gas professional to parent coach, I struggled with imposter syndrome and defining my worth and value because it was tied to financial gains before, which are much less now.
Starting a nonprofit from the ground up has had its challenges; most the time, it’s pure faith in the cause that keeps me going.
I also co-own a restaurant, which has given me a whole new appreciation for the hospitality industry. That has probably been one of my biggest hurdles to overcome, with partners, high construction costs, and slow returns.
At the end of the day, living my authentic life, doing work I believe in, and answering only to my family and God is all that really matters.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Look Up Nonprofit?
Look Up Nonprofit is dedicated to empowering and educating families to live a healthier life by encouraging them to Look Up from their devices and connect with the world around them.
We are parents, licensed therapists, and coaches who provide support and resources to help individuals and families develop positive habits, strengthen relationships, and enhance their well-being.
We partner with schools & churches, provide free resources, host community events, speak at organizations to promote awareness, and members have access to individual support & curriculums to introduce devices or reset from too much technology use.
Technology has advanced at such a rapid pace that many are unaware of the potential harms, especially on youth mental health.
Our goal is to inspire a culture of mindfulness, balance, and intentional living in an increasingly digital world.
How do you think about luck?
Ha! This reminds me of a (drunken) discussion my mom and I had MANY years ago. She didn’t believe in luck, and I did. Today, I think we both were right.
Life is full of “good & bad,” which I don’t even like classifying that way because some of my worst moments, like being let go from my only oil and gas client, lead me to becoming a coach and fulfilling my passion. Even our flooded house gave me the opportunity to see how cluttered our life had become and have a fresh start.
The key is to live in the present, live in gratitude, don’t take things personally, and realize what is within our control. Be ready to seize and enjoy the opportunities (“ups”) life brings and learn from the hard times (“downs”), knowing that we are going to get a good dose of both and have little control over the ride.
Pricing:
- $15/ month membership
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lookupnonprofit.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lookup.nonprofit
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lookupnonprofit
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/look-up-nonprofit-33ab68279/
