Driven by love, compassion, and inclusivity, Chanté Thurmond continues to make her mark on the world. As a rising and eclectic Social Entrepreneur, she has found her true passion in teaching the art of empowerment, self-healing, and leadership to future generations.
She is a Community Activist who stands tall in her conviction that leaders must give back to their communities. Chanté is currently serving as the Board President of her Neighborhood Community Council in Saint Paul, MN. She also volunteers as a Leadership Coach and Youth Mentor to adolescent youth in Minneapolis, MN.
Thurmond, an Eastern Iowa native, relocated to the Twin Cities a few years ago to pursue her Graduate degree in Organizational Leadership & Ethics with an emphasis in Healthcare. Chanté is a proponent of leading both authentically and daringly! This is why she is working meticulously to infuse Holistic Healing techniques such as Transpersonal Energy Healing into her leadership consulting business.
Chanté Thurmond is a powerful force promoting community change, profound intelligence, and self-love! The best way to find her inspiration is on Twitter.
Describe yourself… As if you were your very best friend / lover / secret admirer.
Chanté embodies the essence of a free spirit! Her friends, family & admirers describe her as a natural born-leader whose vision to change the world is inspiring and extremely admirable. They describe her persona with the following words: exuberant, colorful, bright, enchanting and extremely authentic.
When you first meet Chanté you may be intrigued by her smile, her big curly & unruly hair, or even her ability to make you feel like you’ve known her for a lifetime — no matter the situation, you’ll soon find yourself a full-time believer in her spirit & vision –as her desire to do good in the world captures your heart.
Not only does she win you over with her intention of being a catalyst to change this world, you can’t help but fall in love with her undeniable charm & wit. Spend five minutes or less with her and Chanté will have you giggling and having plain ol’ FUN! This woman is a true gem and if you ever have the honor to meet her in person, there will be no denying that her energy is both electrifying & magnetic!!!
If you parents / teacher / god / whoever holds your sense of personal propriety in check
was GONE (poof!) and there was no one to upset, offend or disappoint…..who would
you become?
Well, I’m half-way there…I’d be a true Gypsy.
I would love to make enough money as an Energy Healer by day so I could be a Ninja & Belly Dancer by night!
I want to travel freely around the world in the attempt to constantly meet my long lost soul-mates. I dream of embracing those magical moments of time where kindred spirits come together to exchange life stories and our affinities in the physical world. All the while, I’d be living my truth and purpose of this lifetime which is to spread LOVE & LIGHT to all of whom I encounter!
Describe what you do to earn money.
I’m an entrepreneur so I’m always doing a myriad of things to bring in money.
Many times I find it advantageous to trade work with my colleagues; it’s a great way to build your network and realize the small things often lead to something bigger. My skills & expertise range from Healthcare & Non-Profit Leadership to Business Planning & Program Development to Energy Work (such as Reiki, Healing Touch, Chakra clearings, etc) to Visual Arts.
What is the best business and or life advice you have ever learnt?
The best business advice I can offer is actually “life advice”. It’s vital to understand the following concept: energy follows thought. Therefore, be mindful of what you think. Soon those inner thoughts will manifest in the form of your words and become your actions.
For example, instead of proclaiming that you are chasing your dreams, make a pivotal shift in your thoughts and start saying that you are LIVING your dreams. The sooner you one can adopt this affirmation, the sooner they will begin to realize they have the inherent power to create their future. Leaders don’t sit around and wait, they take action RIGHT NOW!
What’s your biggest fear? How do you overcome it?
To be honest, I am fearless…nothing scares me anymore.
I’ve learned to become fearless by embracing solitude. In my solitude I learned to be still and assume the role of the watcher of my own life. The position of the watcher is extremely enlightening as opposed to always assuming the role of the main actor in your own drama. If you fail to take a step back and look at the bigger picture, you will likely fail to see things in their truth and in their light.
Many times, we get caught up in the moment and succumb to the fear because we don’t give credence to our intuition. The more I practiced being the watcher and trusting my intuition, the more I began to recognize that my fears were not reality.
Fears can only grow and fester when we give them the energy, space, and time to do so.
I refuse to be held hostage by fear.
The more I practiced being the watcher and trusting my intuition, the more I began to recognize that my fears were not reality. Fears can only grow and fester when we give them the energy, space, and time to…I refuse to be held hostage by fear.
Relaxation is….
● ART
● Walking
● Meditation
● Yoga
● Music
● Nature
● Reading
● Creative Writing
What are you freakishly good at?
Doodling and taking selfies! ;)
What do you geek out about?
● Holistic Health
● Energy healing
● Leadership
● Social Business
● Transpersonal Psychology
● Noetic Sciences
● Astrophysics
Creativity in your life is….
Visual & Healing Arts – I like to feel my vibes and express myself through different mediums such as painting, creative writing, drawing, & jewelry making. I especially LOVE painting acrylic on canvas!
What do you want to be known for?
For starting a revolution…for reminding people to they have an inherent birthright of FREE WILL…to teach people to authentically love themselves….for encouraging people to live their truth…for reminding the world that we belong to each other..
I want to show people that we can live in peace & harmony when we make a paradigm shift to abandon co-dependency and adopt a healthier tenet to co-exist amongst each other in peace and love. First and foremost, that requires SELF-LOVE.
What do you value in your partner?
● Integrity
● Truth
● Non-conformity
● Whim
● Fearlessness
● Tenacity
Tell me something that will shock me…
My best friend and I are working on a launching a social business that involves music, leadership, and love!
Describe your relationship with money…
If you want to make money you’ve got to be willing to spend it and/or be willing to detach from it!
I’m a big believer that when you give the universe always puts you in position to receive. The trick is seeing the value in the things that do not seemingly hold monetary value because it is those very things that will often manifest to money & wealth.
Lastly, money will never define me. I’m more than my credit score, my student loan debt, or an annual salary.
If you had a year to yourself with a ridiculous amount of money, how would you spend
it? The time? And the money?
Make no mistake, I’d spend a pretty penny to take myself around the world but in doing so I’d spread that wealth and give it away to perfect strangers. My only request is that they would have to take a portion of that money and share it with someone else. It would be the ultimate gift…the one that keeps giving! :)
Describe the last time you remember feeling happy…
Just a few moments ago. Not a day passes that I don’t feel overjoyed with happiness. In fact, I wake up happy and fall asleep happy! Happiness is a state of mind and well-being that we’re all entitled to and capable of experiencing on a daily basis!
What is your BIG DREAM? (Don’t be afraid to dream a little bigger darling!)
My BIG DREAM involves teaching people that they are the co-creators of their life which means we each have the power to manifest our own destiny.
This dream is so big and so mighty that I spend nearly all my extra time (and money) refining my plan to launch a social business that will introduce my vision to the world in the form of curricula that transcends gender, race, ethnicity, class, educational background, etc. My dream is exclusively inclusive! Stay tuned and follow me for more information!
What is your greatest regret?
Hmmm my greatest regret would have to be learning at the age of 30 (as opposed to the age of 15) that spending your time & energy agonizing over regrets is nothing but a BIG waste of my precious time!
What’s the one thing you’d change about the world?
My knee-jerk reaction is to go for the obvious such as world peace, more compassion, to end violence, to end hunger & poverty, etc…but then the truth settles in…we are all here together, experiencing this world and each other the way we were intended to. To change the world would be to change our truth. I do not desire to change a thing – I embrace the world as it is…right here, right now.
Tell me 10 things that no one else knows about you.
Hmm..just 10? I could go on & on but for the sake of time here it goes…
I’m a Lightworker
I love solitude
My favorite colors are GLITTER & SPARKLE ;)
I’ve had the great honor of being named the recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Award twice in my life
I’m bi-racial: I’m a first generation immigrant born to my mother who immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico and my father is African-American
I’m the eldest child
My western astrological sign is: Virgo & my vedic sign is Leo
I love dancing to House Music
I have a Bachelors Degree in Nursing
I have the ability to make peoples ears bleed – I sing in the car & sometimes in the shower…beware!
What is your primary spiritual practice?
Over time, I’ve learned that I serve myself and those around me best when I can find peace and solitude on a daily basis. I am able to do this when I practice these essential practices each morning & each night:
● Thinking & speaking positive affirmations to myself
● Setting my intentions – I keep a daily journal
● Meditation (which can also include self-Reiki & Chakra clearing)
● The use of essential oils – the aromas and sensations help to calm my mind, body & soul
● Grounding myself to the earth below me – this helps me feel connected to everything around me, especially when my soul wants to soar!