We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Cleere Reaves a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Cleere , thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

Thinking about this question, I am not sure how any business successfully operates without having a clear mission in mind. It is crucial for building any sort of team, reviving passion, assessing priorities, and stewarding your resources well. The mission of Cleerely Stated has always been to provide tools and content to help others see their lives from a Heavenly perspective. I have always said that if you take the time to see your life from Heaven’s point of view, your circumstances don’t have to change in order for everything to shift. How you see determines what you do, how you respond, and ultimately, how you live. In our fast-paced, FOMO culture, it’s really easy to live a distracted life full of things that pursuits that still leave you empty; the mission at Cleerely Stated is so personal to me because I know that Jesus came to give us the fullest, most intentional, free, and fruitful life. I don’t want myself or anyone else to miss it! Life is full of a million little moments and my prayer is that our products, podcast, and posture as a company help others realize the goodness around them and the Holy Spirit within them– that would change the world.

Cleere , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I always say that Cleerely Stated was started “on accident” but what I really mean is, I had no idea what the Lord was doing when I first put pen to paper. I often don’t think we realize how big the leap of faith is until we are in the air and courage is somewhat forced because we so tend to choose what’s comfortable and safe. I started the product line out of my own need; I was dealing with a breakup, navigating a lot of transition, and needed the Word to travel from head knowledge to heart knowledge. Hard times have a way of clarifying what’s important and clearing the clutter; it felt urgent to help my heart believe and coach my own spirit when my emotions felt frazzled and unreliable. After creating my first set of “Scripture Declaration cards”, my local boutique asked to sell them and we quickly learned that my personal need was also a need for others. Once I began creating, it was like a volcanic eruption that had been brewing for quite some time and I continued to create, design, and develop practical tools that I felt were missing, especially in the Christian marketplace. I was determined for people to see that Jesus is the most creative, relevant, and necessary source we all have access to; He is anything but stale or ethereal. By the grace of God, things continued to grow and He helped me show up and do the next right thing. I think so many times, people see the success that’s visible — the harvest that happens after years of plowing the field– but looking back, I realize how necessary every step of the journey has been so that my hands would know what to do with each thing and position the Lord has allowed me to hold. Now, several books and many products later, I feel the Lord asking me to be brave and get uncomfortable. I’m excited for what’s next and just wildly grateful I still get to call myself a small business owner after six years– I realize how rare that is after connecting with others and having more conversations with creatives amidst the madness of COVID and everything else going on in the world right now.
My prayer for Cleerely Stated is that it would always maintain a posture of humility and be a student of Jesus above everything– I think that’s our protective measure and the key to our success. I pray people want to open the Bible after using our products. I pray people stop and receive the love that their Maker has for them because something we created whispered deep into their soul. I pray that relationships are restored, empathy is gained, and forgiveness is extended because the Holy Spirit used Cleerely Stated to nudge someone’s heart. I pray that people realize they’re not alone– that wherever they are, Jesus is already there. That truth influences everything. THAT is our goal!

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I feel like the past three years of my family’s life has been one of constant pivots; through this, I am learning that our faith is ultimately portrayed in our willingness to be flexible and trust the Lord’s plans. I didn’t realize how much of a control freak I am until my schedule or particulars are challenged! Anyway, the biggest pivot I can think of that really changed the trajectory of my life personally and therefore, Cleerely Stated, was the birth of my son at 26 weeks old. I went in for a glucose screening and had added an ultrasound (something in me told me something wasn’t right), and ended up delivering him a few hours later. My husband and I spent five months in the NICU warring for Sledge’s life and had the absolute miracle blessing of bringing him home. During that time in the hospital, it was really hard to know where to put my time, energy, and resources. Sometimes, as a small business owner, it feels like the only solution is cloning yourself because you wear so many hats! For me, especially as the content creator of all products, books, and all things Cleerely Stated, I couldn’t delegate that to someone else, so I continued to write in the hospital. It was honestly therapeutic and unbeknownst to me, God was already using Sledge’s story to spur the faith of those around us. I felt like I had this incredible front-row seat to constant miracles and the veil between Heaven and earth became very thin. However, I don’t want to sugarcoat it– it was definitely hard to know what to hold and what to release and I quickly learned I simply couldn’t do it all. Dying to my own expectations and altering my perspective, I feel like God helped us walk this time with open eyes and willing hearts and I wouldn’t change it for the world. This season was a marker for myself, my husband, my entire family, and of course, for Sledge and his legacy. This was also a time when I was able to watch my small but mighty team at Cleerely Stated hold down the fort, continue to get orders out and handle what I couldn’t in this season, and it was so incredible to watch. I’m not sure they’ll ever realize how grateful I am for allowing me to be the mom to Sledge that I had to be during such an intense, high-stress season of our lives. Also, looking back, I am amazed at how the Lord multiplied my time when I kept the important things important. It was pure mercy. Obviously with Sledge being born three months early and having to have more respiratory help, we are still navigating some things with his development and growth. His life is a constant reminder to me that I am not in control and that our God is trustworthy– this helps me pivot with all things business and personal.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I feel like I get asked this question a lot– How did you grow your audience? The truth– HARD WORK AND CONSISTENCY. There is no glamorous way to put it or any shortcut around it. Deep, lasting roots require fertile soil that has been cultivated through time and surrender. Even when no one was listening (or so it felt that way), I knew that showing up everyday and trusting God with my position, platform, and place was the only way to have any longevity. I constantly ask myself the question, “How can I show the watching world an example of an intimate relationship with the Lord while also keeping the sacred, sacred?” That is a hard question to answer, especially when you want to be vulnerable and authentic, while maintaining boundaries that protect your peace and joy. My advice for those wanting to build their social media is this: Stay consistent. Don’t be discouraged by the lack of immediate growth. Be serious about your mission but don’t take yourself so seriously or you will remain offended. Keep your eyes on your own lane and know that you were set apart for a reason– own that, let God drive your confidence, and have a purpose far bigger than yourself.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.cleerelystated.com
• Instagram: @cleerelystated
• Facebook: facebook.com/cleerelystated