Meet Dr. Cecelia Martin, PhD | Leadership Strategist & Motivational Speaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Cecelia Martin, PhD and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Cecelia, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Some call it risk, I call it faith and it is a the very center of my life. Faith is the key ingredient to an abundant life. I would not be where I am today and would not have accomplished anything if I played it safe. Acting on what you believe and taking risks is like Tarzan swinging from one vine to the next. It’s the reach in between each grip that is the scariest. But if you keep momentum and stay focused on the next goal, the next objective, the next outcome, the next vine, you can’t fail. Just keep swinging! There are indeed pros and cons but but the greater and most detrimental risk is not swinging or trying at all.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
TEEM Leadership is a principle-centered business. It intersects leadership principles with educational best practices. TEEM is an acronym, to improve programs, processes, and people. It stands for Train, Equip, Empower, and Mobilize.

What sets us apart from the rest is that the business is “the framework” and can be applied to any industry, business, or entity because we strengthen your existing infrastructure and build the capacity of your team through our unique four-step process. We have TEEMed all over the spectrum from government agencies, faith-based institutions, and community-based organization, down to individuals and aspiring leaders because the framework is effective. We are in the business of making people efficient and passionate about their work, mission, or cause and building skills that are transferable no matter where you find yourself in life or in your career. Once you have been TEEMed you will want to be “excellence in motion” whether you are cleaning toilets or running the board room.

I’m most excited about the youth component of TEEM Leadership that’s under development. I have a heart for troubled teens because I was one of them. My mom was a teen mom and my father was incarcerated most of my life, serving a 36 year sentence. I was a mess in my teen years, hurting and hopeless. Had it not been for key individuals believing in me and divine intervention I would not have lived passed the age of 25. But now I have a formula that I believe is effective and want to offer it to teens around the world. I want to offer hope to kids like me who were hopeless.

It was not at all easy to get to where I am today. There’s been a lot of blood, sweat, tears, sleepless nights, highs and lows, failures, and more failures but it has all been worth it. I equate it to having a baby, there is a lot of internal fear carrying a baby. First you keep your pregnancy a secret because you want to make sure it real and viable. Then you’re ever so careful to make sure you do all you can to make sure the baby is healthy – god-forbid you miscarry. And then the labor comes and al the pain, discomfort and pure exposure that accompanies it. Once you take a brief sigh of relief you realize the baby has got to eat and there’s a new fear of ensuring that you can take care of this very fragile life. They are literally dependent on you for life. That’s what it feels like being an entrepreneur. There’s nothing easy about it but if you are truly called and committed to the dream you are pursing it will is worth the grit and grind.

I overcame my challenges in the same way I would handle a new born. You don’t expose your dreams to just any and everyone at first, because it could become contaminated. I didn’t let just anyone hold and carry my ideas. I crying privately when I had no glue of what I was doing. I stayed away from negativity and negative people. But most importantly, I kept getting up after every up after I fall.

What I want the world to know is: don’t be so quick to count out the “at risk” marginalized troubled youth, whatever label we are giving them these days. Many of them are leaders in disguise, operating out of hurt marinating in toxicity. I was one them destined to be a statistic. Before you count them out let’s make them a TEEM Player!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
There are so many wonderful places to eat in Texas. If I had good friend visiting the area I would likely take them to the Breakfast Klub as I usually do. The chicken and waffles and fish and grits are worth waiting in the line that’s ALWAYS outside the door and around the corner. But I couldn’t let anyone come with out a little Tex Mex because I love mexican food. I’d go to Don Ramon’s or Pappasitos. And no one would leave Houston with out a horseback ride on the trails and some good ole fashion Texas barbeque from a neighborhood favorite, Triple J’s.

I also love to fish, so a drive to Galveston to fish out on the pier or just lie out on the beach and sleep by the waves is also enjoyable.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My grandparents Ben Smith and Pearl Smith are both deceased but they don’t get enough recognition in my story. My mom was a teenage mother and they were in essence like parents in many regards. They were always so loving and supportive of me.

Website: www.teemleadership.com

Instagram: teemplayer

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/dr-cecelia-martin-726a08123

Twitter: @teemplayers

Facebook: Dr-Cecelia Martin