Her Story
About Chantel
I've been working in economic and community development for almost 2 years now. As a rural fellow with the Department of Economic and Community Development, I've been placed in two counties in West Tennessee, Hardiman and Haywood counties, where my job is to be a liaison between local and state leaders. Through my fellowship, I've become a Tennessee certified economic developer as of last week, and a certified public manager as of a couple months ago. This role is building me up to be an economic developer working in Tennessee and helping rural Tennessee, while also setting me up in my career long-term to get my foot in the door. My background is in English with a writing concentration from Middle Tennessee State University, and I also have a Master's in Business Administration from Middle Tennessee State University, which I completed in August 2024. While at MTSU, I worked with the Business and Economic Research Center under the Jones College of Business, where I helped professors with things like the business plan competition, proctored exams, and graded assignments. I also worked as a writing tutor at MTSU. Working specifically with the Business and Economic Research Center is how I found out about my current role.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Chantel
01What do you attribute your success to?
If I'm just narrowing on myself, I would say listening to people and giving people space to talk and to express themselves. Just being a listener is a very important skill, and I understand people. That's going to translate over into helping communities that I'm in. I would say my ability to listen and building meaningful relationships with people has been key to my success.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Building relationships comes to mind. That's the best advice in the world that I'm in. Honestly, a lot of people today, you know, we all kind of sound the same on paper, and a lot of people are just inserting AI into their applications when filling out a job application. I think that even more so today, building relationships with people and networking with people is one of the greatest pieces of advice that I've been given.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say keep going, and even if you walk into a room and you do not feel completely comfortable, lean into that discomfort and do it anyway. Challenge yourself in rooms where you may not feel comfortable or like you belong. I would say welcome that discomfort and utilize it to grow and to become even better. It's easier said than done, but basically you belong, you have the right to take up space, and remember that when you go into a room around people who maybe don't even look like you or think like you. That's okay, and nobody knows what they're doing anyway. We're all just trying to figure it out. So take that stress off of yourself and just lean into the discomfort and challenge it by just being in the room anyway. You have the right to take up space, that's what I would say.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
No matter what I do, I would like to be of service to others, and that's something that kind of goes hand in hand and translates over from my personal to my professional life, and it anchors me. It's like my compass whenever I am searching for a role or whenever I'm trying to figure out what's next. I like to be a part of an organization, a part of a team, a part of an entity where their goal is to help others, and especially in Tennessee, something that is bettering Tennessee. It's very cheesy, but I just would like to do something that's meaningful, even if it's something small. If I'm doing something impactful for others and touching lives and touching people's lives and doing something meaningful, then being of service to others, whether it's in my personal life or professional life, it guides me like my compass.
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