4. Cheryl Lau Gonzalez on Using Personal Experience to Enhance Your Professional Life

Cheryl Lau Gonzalez is a mother of two, a wife, and an entrepreneur and small business owner living in Miami, Florida. Cheryl is the co-founder and co-owner of State of Kid in the Miami Design District which offers a curated array of classes for expecting parents, babies, and kids up to age 8. In this episode of The Know, Cheryl highlights her personal journey and the importance of using her life experiences as tools to reach her professional goals. Cheryl discusses how State of Kid, which opened right before the pandemic, not only survived but thrived during Covid-19, and the peaks and valleys of navigating such an unprecedented time. Cheryl explains how she and her business partner were able to pivot while remaining true to their intentions and were able to think outside of the box and ultimately create a safe space for families. She also provides valuable insight on finding your business’s guiding light. We discuss our personal choices to create happiness wherever we are, which for Cheryl, ultimately led to helping parents, whatever state they’re in. This episode highlights: · The uncertainty of starting a business right before a global pandemic · Pivoting to thrive during unprecedented times · The importance of having a mom network and sense of community in parenthood · The importance of understanding what drives your business and finding your business’s guiding light · Transitioning from corporate professionals to becoming entrepreneurs · The “expat curve” and moving to another country · Dealing with loneliness and depression · The hesitation to look inward · Breaking the unhealthy mindset of tying success at work to personal worth Favorite quotes: “You can find happiness anywhere. We are so adaptable and so resilient. Step into experiences fully and embrace it even if it’s uncomfortable.” “I can build a happy life anywhere.” “Things aren’t going to just happen for me… I have to take the bull by the horns.” “Don’t wait to look inwards. There’s never going to be a good time to look inwards and evaluate. It may be uncomfortable; it may be hard. It’s going to take time. Waiting to do that will only postpone pursuing what you want to do.” --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nikki-spo/supportSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-know-with-nikki-spo/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.