Today we’d like to introduce you to Devon Moody-Graham.
Hi Devon, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
So many people, places, and things have contributed to me being who I am and continuing to grow today. My parents are both creatives, business owners, and my favorite people. It wasn’t until recently reflecting that I thought about how my mother’s journey as a wife and mother wanting to reclaim something for herself after stopping full-time work and staying home to raise her children and growing a blended family. Seeing women get together at Mary Kay rallies and Tupperware meetings with my mom played a big part in my wanting to create spaces for women to thrive personally and professionally. I am who I am because she pushed me through motherhood to create something more for myself. This is the beginning of me redefining what motherhood looked like for me.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Whew, this is funny. Smooth ride and business do not even belong in the same sentence. It is a journey that I would not change but is not smooth. My struggles have mostly been with myself to creating something I didn’t see—a community for mothers that wanted quality relationships in business and personal. To create something you don’t see, you have to speak up and talk about the hard things such as white male-dominated rooms, capital, and a patriarchal society that was never set up for women who want a thriving career and a family. This is why I developed CEOMom, which is now The CEOMom Project.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I’ve been a serial entrepreneur for almost 14 years and a mother for 17 years. I’ve built my business around my life and helped many others to do the same. My accolades and achievements can be googled, but I’m most proud of the community of women I’ve been with worldwide to help us get out of our way. From business partnerships to collaborative partners and creating a platform for others to grow and thrive, this is how I set myself apart from others. I genuinely want to see others thrive in their business and personal lives. I was over the moon when my mother’s business community, CEOMom, was selected as a 2018 Missouri Finalist for the America’s Small Business Champion Sponsored by Sam’s Club and SCORE. All I wanted to do was help mothers see that they can have a career, business, and family. I was on my journey, determined to make it happen. It’s always been important to me to live out loud in front of my children so that they would do the same at an earlier age than I. Live without limits has been my biggest success, even when I am still afraid of the next best version of myself.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My biggest cheerleaders are my parents and children. My mom made everything look so easy, even when she struggled to hold on to herself. I’m also thankful for my many sister’s friends. Those who have helped me in business and with this community are Kristy Jackson, Kesha Kent, Shaneal Clayborne, Joslyn Sandifer, Camille Dangerfield, Deletra Hudson, Winnie Thompson, and Tamara Lewis, Morgan Owens, Pat Coleman, Sharece Johnson, Dionne Motley, to name a few. Naming names is difficult, but they were instrumental in the first CEOMom events, even before some were mothers, and I’m so grateful. There are many more; charge it to my head, not my heart. My office space TRex with Kathleen and Patty as huge advocates of CEOMom and what it’s grown to be.
Pricing:
- $30.00 Mom Can Do Whatever She Wants TShirt and Swag
Contact Info:
- Website: devonmoodygraham.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/theceomomproject
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ceomomchronicles
- Other: https://checkout.square.site/merchant/MLN5VF4AY62QD/checkout/YD4GVXKSWJANM3PRAULDYZ7B
Image Credits
Mena Darre Photography- Devon Moody-Graham J Harris Photography- CEOMom Group Photo
