Today we’d like to introduce you to Marchelle Sterling.
Marchelle, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
The journey – well it has truly been a journey. One that started a little over a year ago and it has not slowed down. It began with a conversation on the way to work simply thinking about what else I wanted to do with my life. I decided early on that faithful morning, I was going to take a leap of faith and bet on myself for a change. I simply said, “Yes, I’m going for it! I am going to do something I know nothing about.”
It was a little frightening to think about and my self-talk or questioning was at an all-time high. “So, you are going to leap and become a speaker?” You’re going to stand in front of people and tell your story?” All I knew was that I deeply desired a change to something new. My husband and friend saw my gift of speaking all along and had been making little deposits of encouragement for a while.
Initially, I was only speaking at church if asked, but this decision was different because I was owning it, desired it, and was willing to make it happen. In July 2021 everything changed, and I was going for it. I stumbled upon my speaker coach (Dr. Kristen Guillory) through a dear friend and inquired about her services. I scheduled an appointment and afterward signed up for her Next Level Speaker course.
The Next Level Speaker course was everything I didn’t know I needed. I was pushed out of my comfort zone and challenged beyond measure. It was exactly what I needed to stay committed to the speaker journey I had chosen and so desired. My speaker journey was kicked into motion with a big assignment. I had to host a 3-day series via Facebook live and follow it up by going live weekly. I remember thinking, “How many weeks or months do I have to do this? How long does each live have to be?”
Truthfully, I leaped, but I was still dealing with coming out of my shell (STOP HIDING, GIRL). My entire life I had been an expert in hiding, shrinking, and not speaking out. This new speaker journey (LEAP) had me all out here doing it afraid. My 3-day live series was fittingly named “Overcoming Obstacles”. The 3-day series transitioned into a weekly live 10- Minute Motivation providing my audience with real talk and strategies about my life experiences and motivation to never give up.
Somewhere along the road of encouraging others, it hit me, right in the middle of speaking “Vitamin M.” The M stands for motivation. My weekly motivation is just like your recommended dose of vitamins to keep you healthy. Vitamin M – Motivation with Marchelle Sterling is recommended once a week to keep you motivated and inspired. Who doesn’t need a little motivation, encouragement, and inspiration to get through a difficult week or that little hiccup along the road of life?
I never expected the journey to move so quickly. I celebrated my one-year SHINE-A-VERSARY in September. Now Vitamin M – Motivation with Marchelle Sterling has transitioned to a TV Show on The InspireU Network broadcasting in 200 million homes via ROKU, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, as well as Android and Apple mobile devices. My speaker journey all started with a, “YES” and a “LEAP.” I’m still leaping….
Alright, 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?
This path has not been smooth, to say the least. My speaker journey is a daily walk that requires me to take my own dose of Vitamin M and never give in to the feelings of defeat. I learned from a friend, “Challenges are Rewarding”! I now embrace each challenge recognizing it as a steppingstone along the way of being better than I was the day before. As I continue to embark on this journey, I have found myself struggling with three things: self-doubt, social media, and creating time to REST.
Self-doubt begins to creep in when you don’t get the call, land the pitch or it is just a difficult day being an entrepreneur. You get down on yourself and wonder if this is what you need to be doing. I am constantly telling myself, “You said, yes!” Then I tell myself, “I am enough! Keep leaping, keep shining and keep being a light to others, even when you don’t think that they see your light. They need to keep hearing your voice and encouraging words.”
Before this yes and leap, I was not really into social media. I posted randomly, but nothing consistent. Learning the ins and outs of different platforms has been challenging. I’ve had to teach myself not only what and when to post, but I am also learning the different algorithms of each platform.
Throughout this entire journey, I’ve had to set boundaries and REST. I can get so focused I forget to pause and take care of myself. Starting a new business at times means working long hours to make dreams come true, however, self-care is more important. So, it is essential to take a day (or two, or three) and devote more hours to self-care than the business. Through it all, I am learning to lean into my challenges and put one foot in front of the other. I remind myself that I cannot be there for others if I am not there for myself.
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 am a speaker. I am not just any speaker, but a Motivational Speaker. I am known to my audience as authentic, energetic, and engaging. My life experiences with speaking began as a little girl fighting to overcome stuttering. Quickly realizing teaching and motivating others was the secret to conquering my challenges at the age of nine, “Dabney School to Learn” was created. I didn’t realize at the time; this school was where the motivational speaker was born.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I am a born and raised Texas girl. I have lived my entire life in the DFW area and could not imagine anywhere else I would genuinely want to live. I have one answer for both questions. We have so many options for activities to do. We have theme parks, botanical gardens, museums, symphonies, stockyards, choice school districts (Grand Prairie ISD) and so much more. We are the home to the Dallas Cowboys, America’s team, the Texas Rangers, the Dallas Stars, Dallas Mavericks, and Dallas Wings.
Having so many options is sometimes overwhelming, and you are sometimes forced to choose between several events that you know you’d enjoy equally. If I could add one thing to our city that would set it completely apart for me, I’d like more authentic vegan eating options. When it comes down to the end of it all I love DFW and wouldn’t trade living here for anything.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.marchellesterling.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marchelle.sterling
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marchelle-sterling-9270417a/
Image Credits
AIR Designs
