We recently connected with Charlene Hicks and have shared our conversation below.

Charlene, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

Many who advertise to give readings as psychics or mediums have no accreditation or formal training. I was trained and pasted the certification at City Hall in Atlanta to be a professional Astrologer in 1980 and was appointed by the Mayor in 1985 as chairperson
of the Board of Astrological Examiners to give the seven hour test to those applying for certification. I trained at Camp Chesterfield in Indiana from 1987-1997 to receive my certifications in Clairvoyance, Healing, Associate Minister and full ordination in 1997 as a Spiritualist Minister. I have been heard on more than 300 radio stations live giving readings on air. I have worked on various missing and murder cases and found bodies in lakes and areas where law enforcement could not. Yet there are many who advertise and claim special gifts who offer sessions for a minimal fee until they tell you your chakras are blocked and for an additional $2,800.00 they can remove the blockages and guarantee results. Jesus nor Say Baba would extort money from innocent people in this way yet their are many who do and I end up helping thousands who have lost their homes and lots of money to these so called psychics. What sets me apart from the many is my formal training and experience over the past forty-four years as a professional psychic medium I have consulted for over 30,000 and have worked for Fortune Five Hundred companies forecasting. I record my sessions and email them to my clients because many cannot remember all that is said in a session. I document my work and for clients who lose their recording I can resend them. Many clients are shocked to find out months and years later the information about their lives goes way into their future on these recordings. Most people are concerned only with three major questions and do not hear the otherthings that come up in a session and because of this I record them. One client informed me that her soon to be x-husband confiscated her cassette tape recording out of her purse. He told her he was going to use it in court to show that she was incompetent to convince the jury he should have custody of the four kids and she would not get the alimony in the settlement. On the recording I described an older women he was dating with blonde hair and that she worked with him. My client knew about this lady. It was played in court and the jury voted in my clients favor. Needless to say my client went on to remarry and have a much better life. My client told me about what happened in court sixteen years later. I help my clients find the middle of the road and know that there is always help from above and many times from people we do not even know. Spirit is watching and if you are being of service when you can there is always help when you need it.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?

Apart from my certifications in Astrology, Mediumship and Hypnosis I joined many organizations to network and build my business. From joining the Women’s Commerce Club and Zonta International in 1986 I met top female professionals who inspired and helped my business acumen grow. My business grew not only locally but internationally as well. Many of the organizations I went to were predominately men and they wondered why I was there. I explained I am a professional not a fortune-teller. In each organization I joined various committees to help in any way I could. I wanted to be seen as reliable member and an asset to the organization. I have created an incredible network internationally over these past forty-four years from joining and be involved in these various organizations.

During those years I was also a columnist for several different publications writing horoscopes. From 1993-2003 I wrote for Southern Flair Magazine as a feature, travel and horoscope columnist. I have appeared in over 168 articles nationally and in Canada. In Georgia I am the “Top Psychic” on Google and have been for the past five years. I am currently offering “Zoom Clairvoyant Circles” worldwide.

Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?

In 2005, I was asked by a friend who lived in New Haven Connecticut if I would like to come up and do readings at her house. I said yes and the best time would the second week in January. I said it would be great if she could get me on a radio show to talk
about predictions for the New Year or do live readings on air. She was new to this and had a few friends who wanted sessions. I told her to locate a hotel room that we could promote an event called “Messages from Spirit”. I would give a class on mediumship
and readings of the audience. The radio station will have you on if the subject is interesting or your are from out of town. She called several and got me on WPLR.99.FM a Cox Communications radio station in Milford with Chaz and AJ Mann on the morning show
at 7:30am on January 12, 2005. The night before I arrived to snow and sleet in Hartford with a blizzard coming in to New Haven on Saturday three days later. On January 12, 2005 at 7:30am we arrived for the show with Chaz and AJ. They were making fun of me
like I was a fortune-teller who had come to town. I asked them if they knew who owned their radio station? Chaz replied there are two sisters Mrs. Cox. I replied no it is Anne Cox Chambers and your boss is my client in Atlanta. He said you can’t say that on
air and I said I know so you realize I not a circus act. Well the moment of truth came out. At the time I was on the schools and business were opening 90 minutes later due to heavy ice and snow so over a million were listening to the radio that morning. They
said: ” Charlene let’s take this the next caller who wanted to know about her brother on air.” I said his name was Robert but you called him Bob. He was 42 and died from an accidental death. He had two motorcycles and was a very good mechanic. You have had two dreams about him and he will always be there for you. So Chaz asked the women if anything I said was true? She responded yes 100%. You could hear a pin drop in the room. I flew up there and rented a room in a hotel for an event the night before a blizzard hit the next day to work. I have never been there before. It was a Thursday morning and I told Claire we should get some breakfast before going home because the phone will be ringing off the hook. We arrived home at 10:00 am and received ten calls every hour and I starting reading at 10:30 am and finished that night at 10:30pm. Next day I read from 9:00am until 4:30pm. Then on to dinner and head to hotel for presentation at 7pm until 9:00pm. Outside it was clear and zero degrees with a wind chill factor of minus twenty degrees with forty mile an hour winds whipping through the parking lot. We had thirty people come to the event and I was booked Saturday from 9:00am until 4pm when the blizzard was to hit with five feet of snow and fifty mile an hour winds. Claire lived two streets away from the ocean.The last woman I read for disappeared in the cloud of snow as she reached her car. I told her to call me so I know she made home. I am from Atlanta we do not have blizzards. Claire and I went to a seafood place two blocks away ate dinner and came home and passed out at 6:30pm. I had no voice and never did she from telling clients how to get to her house for their appointments. Sunday I read for her and Chip who got me from Hartford. On Monday the streets were clearing up and I read from 9:00am until 10pm that night and 9:00am until noon on Tuesday. Claire picked me up and we had lunch and off to the airport. I made $4,700.00 in a place I have never been to with no contracts other than the booked hotel room for the presentation. A leap of faith in a blizzard but I knew the Astrological aspects for me would be good. My teacher once told me if you are asked to go and work somewhere you should and plant some seeds. I asked my top client if he would have done this and he said no. Not without a contract and guaranteed amount plus air faire and expenses.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I started out in 1979 working the first Psychic Fair in Atlanta at the Foundation of Truth on the first Saturday of each month where I would bring a sandwich and read from 10 am until 6pm doing fifteen minute readings three per hour for $1 per person. The foundation kept the rest. If I had 18 clients I made $18.00 that day. My teachers started their own the second Saturday and I worked in her apartment all day for $2 per reading in the kitchen by the refrigerator. I did these fairs from 1979 until 1986 gaining experience and provided counselingfor those in need. I have worked on cases for the missing and murdered giving the extact location of when and where the bodies would be found with no pay or credit in many cases. I worked to pay for all of my classes in Astrology and Mediumship. As a student I never asked for a discount on a reading when I went to a professional psychic. I paid for their time I did not haggle for a better rate. I started a Spiritualist church in Atlanta so we could get our papers at Camp Chesterfiled to be ordained ministers. We offered weekly services and the money we collected at the end of the year went to women and children in need. Many would benefit from our weekly services. Remember the spirit world is watching and if you are of service when you can be when the time comes and you need help it will always be there. The one thing I know to be true as a minister is the following: “Without commitment there is no advancement, Spiritually speaking there is no advancement greater than being of service.” Many
have asked me when they can quit their day job and do readings full time like me. I would ask them to help at church once a month and be a greeter and make the guest feel welcome. We were busy setting up the room and the alter had little time to greet. The
response was that’s not what I want to do. They had received many readings and healings for perhaps a $1 in the collect plate and did not want to tithe to our church but wanted all the benefits. I responded that it would not happen for them because they were
not giving from the heart nor believed in spirit. The Spirit world requires a commitment to be of service they were not willing to help out except for themselves. Success comes from making a commitment to keep moving forward and know when it meant to be it will happen.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.charlenehicks.com
• Instagram: Rev Charlene Hicks
• Facebook: Reverend Charlene Hicks
• Youtube: Reverend Charlene Hicks
• Yelp: Reverend Charlene Hicks