Discover how women are transforming personal adversity into powerful platforms that inspire meaningful change, redefine leadership, and create lasting impact across industries through purpose-driven influence and authentic storytelling.
In Conversation
Cheyenne Upson for Bold. Brilliant. Unstoppable.
Read the transcript
Cheyenne Upson: Success is knowing that there is no glass ceiling when it comes to being an influential woman.
What does being an Influential Woman mean to you?
Cheyenne Upson: What being an influential woman means to me is a woman that carries impact across nations, a woman that lives out her truth on a daily basis, and the legacy that she leaves with multiple people. It's a woman who is poised with greatness, a woman who knows that success is not just limited. To her being a woman, success is not limited to or her own beliefs about herself or what others believe about her. Success is knowing that there is no glass ceiling when it comes to being an influential woman. An influential woman leaves a legacy. Not only for her children but families across regions. An influential woman is someone that is not intimidated by the success of another woman, but she co-labors with other women to be influential as well. To me, influence means that what you are and what you stand for speaks louder. Then even what people may say about you. But it's what you believe about yourself. It's how you see yourself. You influence your own life, you influence your own thoughts, and you become a woman of grace and excellence by first believing that you are an influential woman. An influential woman leaves a dent on many people's lives just by her being authentic. An influential woman is someone that lifts other women up and not tear them down. An influential woman is someone that carries burdens for many. That is what an influential woman means to me.
What's one piece of advice you would give to younger women chasing their dreams?
Cheyenne Upson: One piece of advice that I would give to younger women chasing their dreams is that the sky, there is no limit. And there are no glass ceilings when it comes to you becoming everything that you have envisioned for yourself. You are not too young for you to make an impact in this world. You are not incapable. Your dreams are not incapable of making a difference. There are no limits to what you can do. You have all the ability to change nations. You have the ability to change regions just by your gifts and the talents that are on the inside of you. You are not too young to be a world changer. And you are not too young to have influence. You don't have to succumb to what society says about being a woman. But you can complete everything that your heart desires. If you want to be a politician, if you want to be a teacher, if you want to rule nations, if you want to be a speaker. Everything is already on the inside of you to make impact. You are a girl and you are a woman of impact. Chase your dreams and don't allow anybody to stop you from reaching the top. You belong at the top and there is room for all of us to be at the top.
Full transcript available
Her Story
About Cheyenne
Chey Ministries International is a global faith-based ministry founded by Cheyenne Upson, dedicated to empowering individuals to discover purpose, strengthen identity, and step into transformational leadership. The ministry is rooted in a mission of restoration, healing, and spiritual growth, equipping people to move beyond life challenges into purpose-driven impact.
Through prophetic teaching, mentorship, leadership development, and international speaking engagements, Chey Ministries International provides tools for inner healing, clarity of calling, and personal transformation. The ministry bridges spiritual principles with practical leadership development, helping individuals apply their faith in everyday life and leadership spaces.
With a growing international footprint across the United States and Africa, Chey Ministries International engages women, emerging leaders, and community influencers who are committed to growth and impact. Its work extends through conferences, outreach initiatives, and global collaborations designed to inspire lasting change.
At its core, Chey Ministries International exists to raise empowered, faith-driven leaders who are equipped to influence their communities, transform systems, and walk boldly in their God-given purpose.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Cheyenne
01What do you attribute your success to?
Chey Ministries International attributes its success to disciplined execution of a faith-based mandate, sustained obedience to spiritual direction, and a clear commitment to purpose-driven leadership.
The ministry is rooted in structured spiritual practice, prophetic alignment, and consistent decision-making guided by prayer and principle. These foundations inform its strategy, global outreach, and leadership development framework.
Its growth is further driven by a focused emphasis on identity formation, inner healing, and leadership activation. This approach ensures outcomes extend beyond inspiration into measurable personal and organizational transformation.
Expansion across domestic and international platforms has been supported by strategic engagement in speaking, mentorship, and philanthropic initiatives, with a consistent emphasis on service to diverse communities and leadership ecosystems.
Ultimately, Chey Ministries International credits its success to disciplined faith application, operational consistency, and a mission-centered model focused on developing leaders who generate lasting impact.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The strongest career advice is to focus on consistency over intensity.
Opportunities don’t usually come from isolated moments of high effort, but from showing up repeatedly with excellence, even when results are not immediate. Over time, consistency builds credibility, and credibility creates access.
Another key principle is to stay aligned with purpose rather than chasing titles or trends. Roles change, industries shift, but clarity of direction keeps decisions stable and reduces wasted effort.
It also matters to develop depth in a specific area before trying to expand too broadly. Broad visibility without substance limits long-term growth, while depth creates authority.
Finally, reputation is built in private before it is recognized in public. How work is handled when no one is watching often determines the level of trust and opportunity later.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
If I were advising a younger woman entering a similar field, I would tell her to move forward with confidence and clarity of purpose.
There are systems and environments that can often discourage women from using their full voice, but that should not define her trajectory. Her responsibility is to speak up, use her gifts, and lead from where she stands.
I do not believe in ceilings on potential. The only limits that exist are the ones that are accepted. She has the capacity to break barriers, expand her influence, and shape outcomes through her talent and conviction.
The key is action. Step forward, even in uncertainty. Operate with courage, consistency, and discipline. Move beyond hesitation and commit fully to what she has been called to build.
There is no ceiling on what she can achieve when she decides to lead with purpose and pursue her assignment without limitation.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in this field is maintaining authenticity in an environment that often rewards visibility over depth. Many platforms prioritize attention, but sustainable impact requires substance, consistency, and integrity.
Another challenge is navigating limited access to resources and structured support systems, particularly for women-led ministries and organizations. Growth often requires building infrastructure while simultaneously delivering impact.
There is also the challenge of public perception. Faith-based leadership is sometimes misunderstood or generalized, which can limit how the work is received in broader professional spaces.
At the same time, the opportunities are significant. There is a growing global demand for purpose-driven leadership, emotional healing, and values-based guidance. Audiences are actively seeking clarity, direction, and frameworks that integrate faith with practical life application.
Digital platforms have also expanded reach beyond geographic boundaries, allowing ministries to engage international audiences, build communities, and scale influence more efficiently than before.
Overall, the current landscape presents a clear opportunity: those who combine authenticity, structure, and consistent value delivery are positioned to expand influence on a global scale.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The core values that guide my work and personal life are faith, integrity, and obedience to purpose.
Faith provides direction and clarity in every decision. It establishes clarity on priorities and keeps the focus aligned with what is assigned rather than what is simply available.
Integrity governs how work is executed. It requires consistency, accountability, and operating with the same standard in private and public spaces. It builds trust and sustains long-term credibility.
Obedience to purpose determines direction. It means making decisions based on assignment, not convenience, and remaining committed even when outcomes are not immediate.
I also value discipline, excellence, and service. Discipline ensures consistency, excellence ensures quality in execution, and service keeps the focus on impact rather than recognition.
Together, these values shape both leadership and personal conduct, ensuring that the work remains grounded, sustainable, and purpose-driven.
Her Content Hub
Articles by Cheyenne
From Pain to Power: The Rise of Purpose-Driven Women Leaders
From Adversity to Impact: How Women Are Redefining Leadership Through Authenticity and Purpose
In an era where influence is increasingly tied to authenticity, many women are discovering that their greatest setbacks can become the foundation for meaningful impact. Across industries—from business and philanthropy to media and ministry—women are transforming personal adversity into platforms that inspire, lead, and create measurable change.
For years, success was often associated with polished perfection. Today, audiences are drawn to something different: transparency, resilience, and purpose-driven leadership. Women who have endured difficult seasons are no longer hiding their stories; they are leveraging them to empower communities, launch initiatives, and challenge outdated limitations.
This shift represents more than a cultural trend. It reflects a growing movement of women redefining leadership on their own terms.
As the founder of Chey Ministries International, I have had the opportunity to engage with women from diverse backgrounds and nations. Despite differences in culture, profession, or circumstance, one common theme consistently emerges: many women possess untapped potential but have spent years minimizing their voice, vision, or capabilities.
The issue is rarely a lack of talent. More often, it is the result of fear, rejection, societal pressure, or environments that conditioned women to remain small.
However, the modern landscape is changing rapidly. Women are building international brands, leading nonprofits, creating digital platforms, influencing policy conversations, and generating economic opportunities at unprecedented levels.
According to global entrepreneurship trends, women-owned businesses and women-led initiatives continue to expand across multiple sectors, signaling a broader transformation in leadership and influence.
Yet visibility alone is not enough.
Sustainable influence requires substance.
Purpose-driven leadership is becoming one of the defining characteristics of influential women today. Consumers, audiences, and communities increasingly value leaders who demonstrate integrity, service, and genuine impact over performative success. Women who lead from a place of purpose often build stronger connections because their influence extends beyond image—it is rooted in mission.
This is especially important in a digital age where comparison culture can pressure women to pursue visibility without clarity. Many women feel compelled to compete instead of collaborate, perform instead of develop, or chase validation instead of building a legacy.
Long-term influence is rarely built overnight.
It is cultivated through consistency, endurance, and the willingness to grow through uncomfortable seasons.
One of the most overlooked aspects of leadership is capacity. Success often requires emotional resilience, discipline, and the ability to withstand pressure. Many women underestimate the developmental value of adversity. Difficult seasons frequently produce the endurance, discernment, and perspective necessary to lead effectively in larger spaces.
The reality is that leadership comes with weight. Whether leading a company, organization, movement, or platform, women are increasingly navigating responsibilities that require strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, and adaptability. Those qualities are often forged long before public recognition arrives.
Another significant shift is the growing emphasis on mentorship and community. Women are recognizing that collaboration creates stronger ecosystems than competition. When experienced leaders invest in emerging voices, industries expand and innovation accelerates.
Empowered women often empower others, creating ripple effects that extend beyond individual achievement.
This collaborative mindset is particularly important for younger women entering leadership spaces. Representation matters. Seeing women occupy positions of influence helps normalize the possibility of leadership for the next generation. It communicates that women do not need to wait for permission to innovate, lead, or create impact.
At the same time, women must remain intentional about protecting their vision and energy. Not every environment supports growth, and not every connection aligns with long-term purpose. Discernment, boundaries, and strategic alignment are becoming increasingly essential for women navigating high-impact spaces.
Ultimately, influence is no longer defined solely by titles or visibility.
True influence is measured by transformation—the ability to create opportunities, inspire change, and leave a meaningful impact on the lives of others.
The women shaping the future are not simply building platforms.
They are building legacy.
And many of them started with nothing more than a story, a vision, and the decision to rise despite adversity.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.