We were lucky to catch up with Michele Vaughn recently and have shared our conversation below.
Michele, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?
What sort of legacy are you hoping to build.
The legacy I aim to build is one that speaks “hope” to the hopeless with the intentionality of helping people discover the power of living a life of purpose.
This is important to me because I was once lost with no sense of true purpose in my younger years. When I reflect on my journey as a former college track athlete who dropped out due to an unforeseen pregnancy at the age of 19 years old, and then became a divorced single mom by 24 with the responsibility of raising two sons alone while their dad served an 18-year prison sentence, there was really no plan “b” for me. It was in this moment; I became intentional about my spiritual journey with God and serious about discovering my true purpose in life. A decision to return to higher education to pursue my postsecondary education while living in poverty was the gamechanger for me and my two sons. That one decision eventually afforded me opportunities to gain professional experience in higher education and eventually discover my purpose while working in the community. My two sons and I transitioned from living in poverty to homeownership. I went from earning $7.50 an hour as a single mom to earning 6 figures as a higher education executive leader and eventually published multiple books, traveling the country speaking to various organizations delivering a powerful message of “hope!” Today, I serve as the Chief Executive Officer and only Black CEO in the State of Illinois for United Way a global nonprofit organization. I whole heartedly believe in the concept of “failing forward.”
What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?
It is my hope to be remembered as a woman who was intentional about building up the lives of others and impacting the local community with hope, resources, and positivity. While I am sure everyone will have their own perspective about their interaction with me, the overall aim is to gain a majority consensus that my life was felt by others in a very authentic and loving way. I hope to be remembered for my fearless faith, selfless acts of kindness towards others, and intentional actions of advocacy for the voiceless. I want people to recognize that the light shining in me was never my own, but the greater one who created me.
Michele, 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?
Since 2015, I have served as a certified leadership coach, speaker, and trainer with the John C. Maxwell Global Leadership team and have trained a diverse group of leaders on the power of influence as well as individual coaching. My passion in the field of nonprofit service and education stems from my own past struggle as a college dropout who was labeled as “just another pregnant teen.” But I refused to surrender to the pressures of rejection, suicide, and uncertainty by deciding to complete my education and become a well-equipped role model to my two sons.
Today, I am a personal development speaker who inspires single moms, women in leadership and nonprofit professionals to reignite their purpose and activate their why I have been privileged to help countless individuals achieve their goals and reach their full potential. My approach to personal development focuses on practical steps to overcome obstacles and achieve success with a combination of real-life experience integrated with future goal declared. I consider myself to be very passionate in building up the lives of others, particularly underserved communities, and single mothers. As a thought leader in the nonprofit arena and higher education sector with +20 years of experience in various roles, I’ve led collaborative efforts to reimagine community in innovative ways that enhance stakeholder involvement and equitable outcomes. “If You Can Birth a Baby, You Can Birth Your Dreams” was my first authored book in 2012 that created an opportunity to share my story openly and inspire others to not give up on their dreams. Most humbly, I have been recognized for my drive as a passionate humanitarian, Inspiring leader, multiple published book author, and a highly pursued public speaker. It is my hope to provide intentional coaching and consulting to support individuals and organizations to inspire change that promotes growth. To learn more, visit www.drmichelevaughn.com.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
After leading in higher education as an associate dean for community education for six years our department funds were reduced and my position was eliminated, but I was prepared to pivot and launch my own nonprofit to help single moms. I felt prior to my position cut that it was coming to an end and had already began working on my nonprofit 501c-3 paperwork with the state and federal government. At this time, I had recently defended my doctoral dissertation which was a qualitative research about teen moms who dropped out of high school and returned to a Family Literacy program to complete their GED. I knew that I didn’t want to park the body of my work on a shelf and boast about earning my doctoral with no substance after the research. So, I took advantage of the pivot and launched a nonprofit in 2014 called the Teen & Single Mother Resource Center, Inc. This was by far no easy accomplishment because while I was serving in this new CEO role as a volunteer, I was also parenting two young men who both had need of their mom. This season taught me the art of intentional multitasking while leading in a very different capacity. I failed forward and for eight years the nonprofit assisted single moms transition from homelessness to homeownership with a feature on HGTV House Hunters. Additionally, the nonprofit raised over + $50k to help single moms return to college and become self-sufficient with 1:1 life coaching. This was a season in my life where the 24 year old me who was broke and broken with a dream to one day become successful and in return help other single moms finally came to pass. Those eight years will forever be embedded in my heart. In 2022, I experienced a second pivot with a big decision to dissolve the nonprofit as we believed the work was complete and I launched out into the workforce with another nonprofit who is nationally known as their new Chief Executive Officer.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My entire life is what motivates me to really roll up my sleeves and do what I can to properly equip others with the necessary tools needed to not only survive but thrive in life. I was once living inside of the picture of poverty and lack and understand what it feels like to not have enough or feel insignificant and judged due to my status. I believe we all have a unique mission in life to live and experience for the greater good of humanity and it is my goal to speak life, coach others, and help people realize that nothing is impossible if you only “Believe.”
Contact Info:
- Website: www.drmichelevaughn.com
- Instagram: drmvspeak
- Facebook: NA
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmv
- Twitter: NA
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq-Hgwp0vYE1FfWd9uKcBUQ
Image Credits
Images provided by Dr. Michele Vaughn