Faith and hard work are two descriptions that define Independent National Sales Director Cheryl Fulcher. Gifted with the ability to see the best in others, seeing what they can be and not giving up easily are qualities that Cheryl believes made her successful. She works on being genuine and has learned to inject joy and grace into her encounters, so others see they want to be a part of the journey. Consistently reaching and never letting herself fall below her standard and goals are non-negotiable for Cheryl.
She came by her strong work ethic honestly, being raised by entrepreneurs in the Georgia countryside. “We worked hard on our land and I thought it would kill me,” Cheryl says, but that true grit and tough core ran deep and prepared her for the defining moments to come in her Mary Kay journey. One of those defining moments came early on, when “I drove to a party an hour away and the hostess peeked through the blinds at me and never opened the door. I cried all the way home, thought it was too hard and almost quit. Then, I made a decision…that someone else’s lack of integrity was not going to define my destiny.” Cheryl went home and booked five more parties. That was the beginning of the journey that held its reward at the top of Santorini, Greece, on the Top Sales Director trip that year. Standing there, “I said to my husband, ‘Thank God that I didn’t let the woman who peeked through the blinds control our future.’ Success has come from letting God define me. You cannot build a business by starting and stopping. Trust in God during the gaps and be consistent.”
The husband sharing that breathtaking view with her atop the mountain was her high school sweetheart. Cheryl and Larry married at age 20 and have raised daughter Kaley and son Trip in Mary Kay style. The impact her Mary Kay business has been on Cheryl’s family is immeasurable. “Having a business that allows me to live out my calling, have time with family and a powerful business, while being a high-earning room mom in the school is just unheard of in Fayetteville, Georgia,” Cheryl quips.
Cheryl credits her Independent Senior National Sales Director Gay Super for being a strong influence. “She’s inspired me to see that, through adversity, you can succeed. She’s been a trooper in sickness and in health and still reached the top.” Cheryl also gives great credit to her Independent Senior Sales Director, Blanche Jarvie, as one of her mentors. “And my mom…her ability to help others in ways that most people would not think of has taught me so much about leading women and letting them know that I care.” Cheryl’s first Seminar was Mary Kay’s last. “I have the picture of her on stage when we all lit those candles. It sits on my desk.”
A leader in her own right, Cheryl says she believes in pushing people to be their very best and not letting them settle. “I also believe that people deserve to see you at your best. Bad days should be private. We don’t have a right to have a bad day in front of people. I give my best by the grace of God, consistent work and God’s favor. When faith and hard work collide, miracles happen and God is glorified.’”