The Power Transformation Podcast
The Power Transformation Podcast is where resilience meets real results.
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The Power Transformation Podcast
127. Breaking Barriers & Leading with Impact with Chasity Wells-Armstrong
Leadership isn’t just about titles - it’s about resilience, purpose, and the courage to break barriers. My guest today, Chasity Wells-Armstrong, knows this firsthand. From a challenging childhood to becoming the first Black woman mayor of Kankakee, Illinois she turned adversity into a platform for change. In this conversation, she opens up about the power of advocacy, the role of coaching in authentic leadership, and why women must boldly claim their space at the table. If you’re ready to lead with impact, confidence, and heart then this episode is for you.
Connect with Chasity:
Episode 127's Affirmation:
I lead with confidence, purpose, and clarity so that my voice and vision create meaningful change.
I invite you to leave a positive message with your insights, feedback, or uplifting message.
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She is a powerhouse in leadership and career. Own their authority, build strategic relationships and step into positions of power without compromising their well-being. And today's guest on the Power Transformation Podcast is none other than Chasity Wells- Armstrong, someone that I deeply respect. So prepare to listen to a conversation packed with wisdom, strategy and the mindset shifts needed to lead boldly. So welcome to the Power Transformation Podcast.
Alethea Felton:I am your host, Alethea Felton. I am so thrilled that you have joined me today, and this conversation is definitely one that will inspire you, and I want to dive right into this. Go ahead and follow and subscribe to the Power Transformation Podcast wherever you get your podcasts and we are now on YouTube. Bear with me as I load episodes onto YouTube. Everything will not be up there instantly, but there are a few. So bear with me, as that is. A major priority for this month is getting those podcast episodes on YouTube.
Alethea Felton:And I want to dive right into this conversation with Chasity, and let's begin with our affirmation. I will say the affirmation once and then you repeat it. I lead with confidence, purpose and clarity so that my voice and vision create meaningful change. Okay, y'all, today I am so excited to have Chasity Wells Armstrong here, because she's just not any person. This is someone that I have gotten to know over the course of nine months now, just about by the time no, 10 months or so by the time we're filming and recording this. Chasity and I were a part of a cohort, a program, and while we didn't have daily interactions, I would hear the powerful things she would say. I was keenly observing her and I can tell people whose hearts and minds and passions are really in the right place. And so, chassidy, welcome to the Power Transformation Podcast.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:Thank you so much, Alethea. I am so happy to be here with you.
Alethea Felton:I am glad to have you here y'all. This is a powerhouse when I tell you. So this interview, you are going to learn so much, just not about her journey, but about who she really serves and is passionate about, because I think it's needed in our society today. But before we jump into those heavy hitting kind of pro questions, let's just start off with something lighthearted that I ask all of my guests a random icebreaker so we can get to know you even more. Okay, Chasity, when you were growing up, what is something fun that you really liked doing and why?
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:I started playing the clarinet in the fifth grade and it really became an outlet for me. And so I had some challenges at home with my parents that were going through some challenges. And so I don't know if you remember the cartoon the Simpsons, if you ever watched the Simpsons so Lisa would play her saxophone. I was Lisa, so if I was sad or just not having a good day, I would throw myself into playing my clarinet and, as a result of actually enjoy learning how to play the instrument but also using it as a coping strategy, I became a very good clarinet player, wow. And so I played for several years. By the time I was in eighth grade I was put in the high school marching band playing. So I really enjoyed playing. I enjoyed competing at contests. Every year competitions won a lot of awards. It was a great outlet for me.
Alethea Felton:Oh, that is amazing. Now let me ask you this When's the last time you played?
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:It's been many years. I sold it, but it's on my list to play the saxophone because it's very similar to the clarinet and I love it, and so I plan to do that in the coming years well, actually, now that I think about it, yes, because in terms of the positioning and the keys, I can see now that connection.
Alethea Felton:that's really, that's really, really great. And to be an eighth grader in the high school, oh that is something, that is absolutely something. So we know this musical aspect of you, chastity.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:But if a person were to just come up and say who is Chastity Wells Armstrong, what would you say Well, I think it depends on the person and it depends on the person and it depends on the context, but I see myself as a mover, a shaker and a barrier breaker, and that's who I coach. I am a person of resilience and I'm a person that loves people and, in particularly, I love black people, and I want to see people win. I want to see all people win. But because people of color have been oppressed and underserved and marginalized for so long, I have a special passion for making sure that I am creating space, providing opportunities, supporting people in their own journeys.
Alethea Felton:Wow, indeed you do, and you are a history maker that will get into that even more. And the fact of it all Chastity is that you have beaten so many odds is that sometimes people think of you know people in leadership and breaking barriers as these people who have just always arrived and have had it. But you actually shared with me in our pre-screening that you didn't necessarily come from affluence nor a political type of a background, and I bring that up with the time of this interview being big election season coming up. But take us back to your earlier years growing up and what was a pivotal moment that sparked your desire to actually lead and create change despite obstacles that you faced, despite obstacles that you faced?
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:That's a great question, alethea. I'm the oldest of five kids and so I jokingly say I was born the leader. When I ran for public office, I would talk to audiences and I said my parents primed me for managerial skills, so I was one of the kids. That latchkey kid came home from school and I had a lot of responsibility as a child, not only for myself, but for my four siblings that were younger than me, I think a pivotal thing that happened for me.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:There was a member of the family, an extended family member, that was harming me as a child, and this person told me that if I spoke and said anything that I would be harmed, that my parents would be killed.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:I was, I believe, six years old when this started, so of course I was very traumatized by that and scared, and once I saw that this person was pursuing my younger siblings, that gave me the courage to speak out, because I've always been extremely protective, not only of my siblings, but people that I love, people that are vulnerable. That's always been a part of who I am and who I remain today, and so what I learned from that experience is when I had the courage to speak out. I've learned that my voice is powerful, that my voice had the power to not only stop what was happening to me, but to prevent and protect and bring some awareness about what was going on and protect other people who were even more vulnerable than I was, and so that was a pivotal moment. Of course, at six you're not processing it all in quite that way, but as I look back on my life's journey, the work that I've pursued over my career and the advocate that I have become, that certainly would be a defining moment.
Alethea Felton:That actually brings up for me something that the late Maya Angelou said. Dr Maya Angelou said is that when she too, of course, was a child, she was harmed and when she spoke up, her uncles ended up doing something to the person, kicked that person to death. And that's when she realized, oh, my voice is powerful. But she did the opposite initially, where she became mute and I know that you're aware of this, but I'm sharing it for the audience that might not know until she came across a teacher who told her you don't love poetry, because if you did, you would say the words out of your mouth. And then it clicked to her like hold up, my voice doesn't have to do harm, it doesn't. It's powerful where it can do good and Chasity.
Alethea Felton:You knew then your voice could do good for so many people, including those in your family. And so, as you continue to grow and shape, there were certain circumstances in your life where perhaps people could have written you off for your potential for leadership. So how did certain experiences in your childhood shape, and just not childhood, but even young adulthood? How did those experiences shape your drive to succeed? And what was, even more, of your inner strength source? Where did that inner strength come from, that caused you to envision a greater life for yourself and others.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:I would say it started with my family. My father was a Vietnam veteran. My grandmother, my paternal grandmother, was born with polio and my father is one of eight and they grew up in poverty and the thing that I looked up to my dad, I mean tremendously. I was a daddy's girl, for sure, and I adored him and so you know I was his little sidekick as the oldest and you know I spent a lot of time with him.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:I learned how to play chess at seven. You know he's an avid reader. Everyone in my family, all of us kids, are avid readers. You know he would play outside with us, but he always taught me that I had to work twice as hard being black. So that was just instilled in me. It was just instilled in me and I just happened to be wired in such a way that I am an achiever. I recently took my StrengthsFinders test.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:If any people listening are familiar with that, my number one strength is achiever. That is my number one strength, and my second is learner, and so I've always been an avid. My mother is an avid learner. She always had books as well, always was in school, practically my whole life going to school for something. So I was just really primed and conditioned in that type of an environment to learn, to be educated, to work hard, working hard. That was instilled in me.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:I made, you know, a lot of mistakes as a as a young person, like we all do in our journey, particularly when we start dating and fall in love and lose our minds but I was always a good student. I was a good student through school. School was really an escape for me from some of the the the challenging things that was happening at home and I was adored and you adored by my teachers because I was a good student. I love to learn. I was the kid raising my hand going ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh. I know the answer. I was that kid and despite that, I made some bad decisions as a teenager when I started dating, got into a very dysfunctional relationship with a young man in high school and I stopped going to school my senior year.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:I was in classes. Finally, the principal called my dad and said she cannot come back. She can't come back to school, and I was devastated. They wanted me to go to op ed. They called it alternative school at the time. Okay, at night for like three hours, I was embarrassed, I was mortified.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:I had always been an honor roll student. I was known even to this day. If you talk to people in my class about me, they describe me as the girl that always had the books. They make fun of me because I was always carrying a stack of books or in my clarinet. But I was in this really dysfunctional relationship and so when I found out I had to go to alternative school, that was like the wake up call. It's like are you going to be a high school dropout?
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:The positive thing out of all of this is that, because I was such an avid learner, I had taken so many credits that by the time I got to my senior year, I only needed three credits to graduate. Oh, I see, even though I had missed first semester, I only needed three credits and I was still able to graduate with my class. Wow, and so you know, if you look at moments like that, people there there are people that would have said this is not a kid that's going to go to college. This is not a kid, that's going to amount to anything.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:I did manage to get in college without ACT prep, didn't do well on the ACT, didn't have prep or anything. My parents didn't know anything about that kind of stuff and we certainly didn't have the resources. And so a community member helped me to get into his alma mater, and we certainly didn't have the resources, and so a community member helped me to get into his alma mater and I got pregnant my freshman year in college. Wow. And so if you just look back on some of the decisions, some of the things you know, choices I made, most people probably wouldn't say that I would have achieved what I ended up achieving to become a history maker.
Alethea Felton:Oh, my goodness, Gosh, Chasity, all of this. Look, I know that you have to do things in your own time, but just know I will be one of the first people to buy your memoir whenever you are ready to write that, because this right here so far is so inspirational. Let's talk about that, about becoming a mother While you were always driven. How did your pregnancy and subsequent birth of your son, how did that catapult you even more to saying, look, I am going to make something of my life and be who I am created to be.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:Yeah, he was definitely my motivation. I started running away in high school at 15. My grandmother, my paternal grandmother I always adored her because she had nothing. This is a person that lived on $768 a month from Social Security. Oh my gosh. She worked as a cook at a restaurant.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:Like I said, she had polio. One of her legs was shorter, so she walked with a limp. You could visibly see that she had a disability. She was legally blind in one eye and she walked everywhere. She walked from one side of my hometown to the other.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:She never felt sorry for herself. She never made excuses. Oftentimes she wouldn't even take a ride because she wanted to exercise and to walk, and so she just always. She wanted to exercise and to walk, and so she just always. She just always was somebody that I look to that has so much strength and resilience.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:And you know, even though I was being a knucklehead in high school, running away and, just you know, not getting along with my parents when I had my son, it was the wake up. It's like you have got to get your stuff together because now you had this baby and I love my baby and I was terrified because I had a black boy and at the time in my community that's when gangs had really started to become prevalent there was a lot of gun violence industry. It was leaving our hometown, there was white flight in the community and I knew he was a statistic. I knew that he could end up being somebody that was shot from gun violence, and so it just really motivated me to do better. You have to do better, you have to get serious, you have responsibility.
Alethea Felton:And Chassidy, I forgot to ask you this where is your hometown?
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:my hometown is kankakee, illinois it's about an hour south of chicago, and that's exactly and that's where I grew up. I don't live there now.
Alethea Felton:I've moved about three years ago but, that's where I grew up okay, and thank you for that clarity, because there's something else that happens in that city that we're going to talk about, but I wasn't sure if that was your hometown or not. But that is powerful to know that it is, and we'll talk more about that later, but I wasn't going to ask this, but I think it's something that you said is so important. You said clearly that it came to like you're raising a Black boy. I don't think sometimes people understand, because with this podcast I have a diverse listenership. Could you elaborate more on why that is so important, specifically as a Black American boy? You're raising a Black American boy. What is the significance of that chastity?
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:Well, if you look at any of the data, the statistics on Black men, they oftentimes don't fare well in the United States. They are targeted and feared, particularly if they are darker skin or larger stature. Oftentimes their behavior is criminalized. So in schools, for example, the NAACP has done studies showing how there's disproportionate amounts of discipline that's administered to Black boys versus their white counterparts. Right, not only are they punished more frequently, they're punished more severely, they are expelled more frequently from school, and when a kid is out of school, they're more likely to become delinquent.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:Most of us have heard the term driving while Black. They're pulled over. We've seen instances where the police are able to deescalate issues with others that belong to other groups and demographics, but when it's a Black man, they're shot, they're killed. So you know, in terms of when you look at the negative outcomes and challenges that people overall have in our country, black men often don't fare well. That's true Unemployment rates. When you look at health outcomes, mental health, and so I knew I did not want him to be a target, I didn't want him to be subjected to those things.
Alethea Felton:Thank you for really expressing that, because that is so important and it's relevant in today's society and while you are passionate about women in leadership, specifically having Black women leaders, it is so key to understand the importance of us as a people in this nation, but also to really describe how you know, with our Black men, they are going through their own type of a transformation on how to evolve, adjust, how to not be labeled stereotype, and it's something that can be burdensome and very, very weary.
Alethea Felton:So I really applaud you for really mentioning that, because I think it's important. And being a mother and going through all that, that is a leadership role, and so leadership can feel isolating at times, especially when you're a trailblazer. Now I want to take this shift Chastity, because who you are now was also formed into a very courageous move that you made in politics. That you made in politics. So talk to us about that remarkable journey of something that you did right in your own hometown, where you made history, and share with us what was one of the greatest challenges you faced during your rise of leadership in that role and what was also one of your greatest victories.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:Well, as I got older, I was very engaged with my son's academic journey. I put him in private school. I was a room mother. I was the mom at the game, screaming and yelling like a lunatic at basketball games and embarrassing him. I love it because I just wanted him to have support. I wanted him to have opportunities to explore different things and find out what he was good at and build his confidence and feel good about himself and self-esteem. Eventually I was a nontraditional student. Obviously, I didn't go straight to college, like many people had the opportunity to do, because I had already started a family. So I was in school, very similar to my mother, my kids. For a lot of their lives they saw me going to school, to college, and sometimes it was one class a semester. It took me a long time to get through school because of that, because I had to work as well and take care of my family. I did meet my husband when my son was 18 months and we got married. So we've been married 33 years.
Alethea Felton:Oh, that's beautiful.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:Yes, thank you. And so, as they started getting older, I started becoming more involved in the community, and once I got into my undergrad social work program, I met a wonderful professor, dr Adele Sanders, who is now deceased. May she rest in peace. She was a Native American woman and she influenced me so much in terms of policy. A lot of social workers are interested in more of clinical work counseling, case management and I'm kind of the nerd social worker that wanted to pursue public policy, and it's because of her um I ended up starting to um join um boards, my national association of social workers.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:Um harbor houses our domestic violence shelter in the in town that took care of our, and I got on the school board at my son's school. It was just a private Catholic high school. Then I went to work for two members of Congress. I started volunteering for our state senator, who was the first woman in our state to be the majority leader. Wow, she happened to represent my district.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:I was her constituent, and so I contacted her office and asked if I can volunteer just to learn more about public policy, and so I would go there a couple of days a week for a couple of hours, and then I was recruited to apply for a fellowship in Washington DC, and so this fellowship was provided for one social work student an undergrad social work student in the nation. I applied in 2006. I was not selected because I hadn't done my field placement yet and I was shouting you know, having a tantrum because I didn't get picked and I don't like to lose. And the next year my professor same professor, dr Sanders said you are applying for this fellowship again, and so I applied and they selected me in 2007. One person in the nation.
Alethea Felton:Right Undergrad social work student. That's amazing, oh my gosh.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:OK, wow. So I had an opportunity to come to Washington DC for nine weeks. I come from a small town and it was like a complete cultural shock for me. I remember reporting to my work site and asked, and my supervisor said we have these meetings lined up for you today. And I'm like, ok, how am I going to get there? Am I taking a cab? And they were like no, you're getting on the metro. And I was like what is the metro Like? We didn't have public transportation in my town when I was a kid, so this was like a complete culture shock. But the thing that she did that was amazing and I actually just had dinner with her last night. I asked her if I could interview social workers that worked in different fields. That would allow me to expand the idea of what a social worker can be and what they can do.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:And she did, and I met one that worked for a member of Congress, and so I ended up working for Congress. I went to work for two members of Congress in the US House of Representatives and then I decided to run for city council in my hometown and I got elected in 2015 as a city council member, being the first Black woman to serve in my ward there's seven wards in the community and that was a four-year term. At the time when I was elected, our first woman had been elected as mayor, and I went to talk to her because I was concerned about the state of our city. It was really a tale of two cities on the side of the community that wasn't faring so well. They had been neglected for years, they had seen decades of disinvestment and she really wasn't interested, and so at that point I I believe that all of us, if they gave out PhDs for complaining, could have a PhD.
Alethea Felton:Yeah.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:So good, but. But we needed solutions, and so I believe in being a problem solver, and so I started talking to some of the gatekeepers in the community, some of the black men who were considered the leaders, and just expressing my concerns and asking if anyone thought about running against her in the next election. And they said they weren't going to do it. And so I decided to run for mayor, and so I was elected the first black mayor to represent the city of Kankakee, illinois my God, it's history. And the second woman. And in terms of the biggest thing to overcome, I believe it was helping black people to see what is possible.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:So many of them were doubtful that you know, people you know question my qualification the same thing that we see happening to the vice president, right, no one at the time. We have 14 members on city council. There was no one in that chamber that had the congressional, the government, across the political except you, across the political spectrum that had worked local, state, federal, um. I had a master's degree, um, but the first thing that comes up is I'm not qualified, and there were even black people you know, are you qualified? Oh my gosh, no one is born out of their mother's womb being a mayor nobody, that's right, that's, that's right Chasity?
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:Nobody is. You have to learn skill sets and, as a social worker, a lot of my skill sets are transferable and the fact of who I am being an avid learner, you know, being somebody that seeks knowledge and I learn that's what I do. So I think helping black people really see that it was possible because it had never been done and there had been another man in the community who's pretty prominent they have ran before and he was unsuccessful. The other thing is that you know, I ran as a Democrat. I'm a Democrat. There were four of us in the primary race and we were all black and so I had.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:Another person was like there's no way you can win, it's too many of you. I was the only woman. My mantra was that nobody will outwork me and they did because I walked the entire community. None of them did that, Even the incumbent woman that I was running against. She was not walking the whole city. She had been the incumbent twice. She was running against. She was not walking the whole city. You know, she had been the incumbent twice. She was running for her third term, um, but I said nobody's gonna outwork me you know what that's?
Alethea Felton:a powerful tactic, that that you use first of all, confidence and just walking into that space of who you knew you were created to be, without having the actual role yet you were already doing that but then also walking throughout the entire city is key. I will never forget. It was former DC Mayor Adrian Fenty, and he had some controversy during his time, but the one thing I can say about him is when he was running, he literally knocked on people's doors, because I remember the day when he knocked on my house door, introduced himself. I was floored by the fact, and then I started talking to other people that I knew, who were in different wards in Washington DC, who said the same thing about him that he actually knocked on their door and, yes, indeed, and he won. I voted for him, but he won. But that made a difference is because he sincerely took the time and just didn't knock. He actually had a conversation.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:Absolutely, and that's amazing for me. You know it's my hometown. You know I knew a lot of people there. My hometown has transitioned a lot. There's a lot of people there that aren't originally from my hometown.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:My thing is, I don't take anything for granted. I asked people for their vote. I didn't assume the black people were voting for me or that white people were voting or anybody was voting for me. I knocked, I introduced myself and I asked for their support and for me it was that works. I've never been high before, but for me it was kind of like a high because municipal elections you are running in the dead of winter.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:Now, keep in mind I live in Illinois. I'm about an hour south of Chicago. It is cold, freezing. I have a picture I think I posted it on LinkedIn when I was in a blizzard out knocking doors. The snow was literally 10 inches deep and I just get a rush from that because I'm like nobody is going to outwork me, no way. When you knock on somebody's door and it's cold like that and they see you and your glasses are fogged up and walls might be running a little bit, they like, okay, she's serious, she is serious, this girl is serious, and if she's going to get out here and do this, then I can at least give her a chance.
Alethea Felton:Oh, my goodness, chastity, that is oh wow. That is so inspiring and encouraging. And so you go through this time as mayor and I know that could be a whole podcast episode in and of itself. But let's shift now because we don't have a lot of time left. But I want to shift into the fact you had that you were successful in getting to be mayor. You made history, trailblazing and everything.
Alethea Felton:And so now in this space, post your political career as mayor, you are in this space now where you have actually become a professional coach. You are always coaching people in some aspects, but it's more than just coaching that you do. You are big on mental health empowerment. You are big on mental health empowerment. You are huge on, you know, helping people to shift in their mindsets. You encourage women that you don't have to be of a certain pedigree to be in leadership, okay. And so you know you have had so many different experiences in dealing with all types of communities, especially those in marginalized communities, thinking about women in general and even if you want to drill down to Black women. We carry a lot, we have a lot on our plates. We are seen as these strong people, but again, our mindset means a lot to it, but what are some of the key barriers that women face in stepping into leadership roles, and how can they begin to break those barriers, even if at times, they feel powerless?
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:Yeah. So we are conditioned in this country to not be ambitious. We are conditioned to serve, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with serving. And so, you know, one way that I've been framing mindset with people that I, you know, work with and encounter is that business is about service, right. Business is about seeing that there's some type of problem in the market, in the environment, and you have the solution to that problem. And men have been making money on business, businesses, business scene and solving problems and providing solutions for a long time, and there's nothing wrong with women doing the same. But we are conditioned to be helpful.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:Even as a social worker, going through my training, you know, I remember one of my instructors telling us it's almost like a badge of honor to be, to live in poverty and to be, you know, to be struggling. You know, you doing the work, you know. But it's like you can do more work and you can be more powerful and more impactful if you are putting on your mask first, so to speak, and positioning yourself in a way to be economically successful. And one of the people that I follow and who I love is Rachel Rogers. She's a business coach. I follow her too, so aligned to her because she's right. And women, we take care of people, that's what we do, right. We take care of our families, we take care of community. So, if we have wealth, if we can shift that mindset, you know we, our world is going to be better because that's what we do. We, we are the nurturers. We do take care of people, Um, but we need to be taken care of too. We need to put on our masks first, um. But yeah, you know, in terms of barriers, we're taught to be nice, we're not taught to be ambitious. You know, when I remember being mayor and the gentleman was telling me, you know, like well, when I first saw you, you know you weren't smiling, you know you weren't. I didn't know, you know, I didn't know if you were, you know, approachable. And I said, first of all, would you be saying this if I was a man? Nobody is measuring the, the effectiveness, the worth of a man based on if, how frequently he smiles. There's a woman named Barbara Lee. There's a black congresswoman in Oakland named Barbara Lee, but I'm referring to a white woman named Barbara Lee, oh, okay, barbara Lee Foundation, and she has done research for years on this.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:You know what makes women electable. Women have to be likable to be elected. I mean, we see this right now. In this day and age, the name that must not be mentioned is running for president Does horrific things, says horrific things. Nasty mean evil things. If a woman candidate was doing that, there's no way she would be elected. She would be canceled quickly.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:There's a gender dynamic at play here, you know, in terms of women and the expectations of women, and so you know we get to design the life we want. We have permission now, and I think, because women make money, we're not in the 1940s where you're depending on your husband to go to work and your home being because you have the ability to make money. Women now can make different decisions. They don't have to stay in relationships where they're disrespected and harmed, they don't have to put up with certain things because they're and black women are the most educated and are the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs, yes, ma'am. And so you know we get to define what quality of life and what life looks like for us, and I encourage, you know, women to do their work, to make the investment in themselves, to do that work, to recognize their own value, to honor themselves and to share the gifts that they have and leverage those gifts.
Alethea Felton:And I think even with your actual company's name, and I want you to kind of talk about that in terms of what was that vision for it? But you are the CEO of Catalyst Coaching and Transformation. Talk a little bit about that in terms of what really inspired you to say, okay, this is what I want to do, and then explain what you do in that company and how you help serve women to be their very best in terms of really shaking their lives up and being movers and shakers.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:Yeah.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:So catalysts, you know, you think about a catalyst.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:A catalyst is a spark, right, it ignites, it sparks, it creates a reaction, and so that is something that I've been doing in my journey, um, with women, and you know, when I was mayor, one of the things I was most proud of is that I put women in positions that had they had never been in before, you know. And so a lot of times, as you know, as a coach, a lot of times we are casting a vision for people and seeing a vision for them that they don't even see, or they may see it, but they don't believe that they can achieve it. And so, for me, that term, that word I'm big on words that word really resonated with me in terms of the work that I want to do to help women transform their lives, you know, in a way where they have more impact in the world, but they're doing that in a way where they're healthy, um, and and they're taking care of themselves holistically, you know, and they're experiencing joy, because, you know, life shouldn't just be about working ourselves to death either.
Alethea Felton:That's right, you know that's true, because sometimes people work and work and work, and then you look back up and life has passed them by and that's the last thing that I think people need. And so you are unapologetically passionate about empowering women and we hear that word unapologetic so often but what exactly does that mean to you, and how are you helping women to adopt that same type of mindset in a world that does often tell them to shrink or conform?
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:Yeah, absolutely. I was unapologetic in my leadership as a mayor. I have values and ethics and integrity and that was demonstrated time again in my community. I actually brought a consultant who was highly revered in our community to justice because he had been stealing money from our community. He had stolen $2 billion and it took a lot of courage to go up against him because everybody in the community really valued and respected this man. He was an engineer, brilliant mind, but he was stealing from us and when I ran I told them I represent the people. I am here for the people, the affluent people, the poor people, the people who've been incarcerated, the children. I'm here for everybody and I'm unapologetic about that. Just helping women, helping people to tap into what it is they value and allowing that to play out in how they live their lives is what being unapologetic means for me.
Alethea Felton:Wow, and that is leading just your frame of mind on being unapologetic. That's what makes the change happen and the work gets done. Then, when you're confident in who you are and you know what you're all about, it shows to the rest of the world and it's almost, in a way, contagious, where people are going to want to learn more of your. You know the secret sauce as to okay, if chastities like this, without say people didn't even know anything about your background, you wouldn't think somebody who's gone through so many challenges and changes and transitions like you would even be in a place where you are now. And that leads me to wonder.
Alethea Felton:You've had well over 25 years plus of leadership experiences. Even more, I'll shoot. I'll say 30 something years, because even with your oldest son, that's a leadership role, even as a mom. But anyway, my whole point is with your years of leadership, what chastity do you think is the most significant change that you have actually witnessed in women stepping into leadership roles? But what still needs to be done to ensure that more women thrive in those roles?
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:One is that we need to support one another roles. One is that we need to support one another, and I just I have a newsletter called the Leadership Catalyst that people can subscribe to through my website or on LinkedIn, and my article last week talked about that. Oftentimes, other women two things. Oftentimes women will say well, I went through that, I had it hard, you know, I had to go through this, and they think that that's kind of a rite of passage when they see a younger woman coming behind them. Right, I am not of that mindset. I don't think that life should be hard and I definitely don't think that we should be making it hard for one another. I can pave the way and make it easier for another woman to come behind me. I want to do that, you know. But sometimes we see, you know women that are like, well, it wasn't easy for me, it shouldn't be easy for you, or they're jealous, or we have situations where we think that there's only room for one woman. You know, we get told that. You know. You know you see elections and they'll say you know, it's too many Black people. You know somebody needs to step out. That's why the work that's being done with organizations like Represent Women, where they're pushing for ranked choice voting is so valuable. So that's one aspect. Like we need to support one another. We need to. We're not going to agree on everything. There's no relationship you have in your life, whether it's your parent, your child, your partner, that you agree everything on. But when we have a woman that's leading, we need to support it. She's already got so many barriers, particularly if she's a woman of color.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:The second thing is for these white men, cisgender men, who the American, you know, the US systems, institutions were designed for, if they really want to see change, if they really want to be allies and, you know, see the United States function in a way that serves everybody and supports everybody, where everybody can thrive, then they are called to use their privilege and their position of power. They have power and privilege and position, just on being a white man. That's right, and so they have to take action, they have to speak up, they have to do their part to change systems where they can make decisions, to make things more equitable and fair. They have to do that if this is really going to change. So those two things, the power players, and then you have the women.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:You know, and women have been set up to you know pit each other. We've been set up to. You know the term cat fighting and pitting against one another and there's only room for one. You know all of that, you know. We have to, we have to, we have to reject that Not only verbally, but with action.
Alethea Felton:That's right, with action and with that, that's a good segue. Everything that you said has been loaded and I think it's something for people to digest. And as I always ask listeners is you know, there are so many people that can resonate with this interview and to share it. And so say, if someone listening or hears it, even down the road, how can a person connect with you? Say, if it's a woman who might feel stuck or invisible in their current role or want more strategies on how to show up in their authority and leading, how can someone connect with you to say Chastity? I think I really need your help.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:Yes, so thank you for that, alethea. I just launched my practice catalyst coaching and transformation. The website is chastity one T, not a belt chastitywellscom. Chastity C-H-A-S-I-T-Y wells W-E-L-L-S dot com, and I have tons of resources. I am really passionate about creating tools and resources that can help everybody at every level, so I have some free downloadable resources on the website. I encourage people to subscribe to the newsletter. It comes out every week. Subscribe to the newsletter. It comes out every week. I am launching a coaching program group coaching program right now. That will start actually in a couple of days, but that'll be relaunching in the spring of 2025 as well. I'm releasing my Catalyst Coaching Cafe webinar series starting October 25th, so people can sign up for that. That's okay. So you know, just you know, follow me on LinkedIn. You can reach out to me on the website.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:I do guest podcasting. I do. You know, training and facilitation. You know I'm here to serve training and facilitation. You know I'm here to serve, and excuse me, you know my, my ideal client is a woman. You know, a woman that's transitioning to public service or elected office and they're looking for support in developing their leadership presence, and with that comes you know what are their values, what are their boundaries? You know. You know, helping them to build the confidence to truly lead authentically.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:I'm also very passionate about helping women to build authentic networks. You know, networking is not just you know, hey, let's get a phone number, like it's really. It's a skill to build relationships and to maintain them, and that's actually what my first webinar is about on October 25th. It's about mastering authentic connections for women leaders. The other thing that I work closely with is I'm doing some research with the University of Wisconsin on the dynamics of being a woman leader in the mayoral office. So I've been interviewing women mayors across the country. There's been increased harassment, threats to women mayors and challenges to their authority once they assume the role, and so I'm actively part of a research project on that. And so the other thing I work with women on is navigating leadership, the complexities of leadership, the complexities of policymaking, because gender definitely plays a role in these higher level positions.
Alethea Felton:Your episode won't be out by October 25th. Is there going to be a way for people to maybe purchase or catch a replay of the webinar in the future? The?
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:webinars are free. I will be doing the series. They're scheduled out to January of 2025, but I'll be doing them every month.
Alethea Felton:Oh, good Okay, Very good Okay.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:People can go to the website or check LinkedIn. Very active on LinkedIn, so people can either check LinkedIn or go to the website to stay in touch with me in terms of when the webinars are coming out and what the themes of the webinars will be.
Alethea Felton:And I'll have your website, I'll have the LinkedIn, I'll have everything in the show notes and, as we come to a close, chassidy. I would, of course, like to thank you for being here, but also, as a closing question, is from who you were as a teenager, or even child, going through so many challenges, to where you are now and I don't ask every guest this is that question, but I'm compelled to ask you this what are you most proud of about yourself?
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:I think I would say that I'm most proud of my heart that I could have that.
Chasity Wells-Armstrong:At times I was very angry as a young child, um, and as a teenager, especially a rebellious, angry teenager but I have never lost my love of humanity and I've always wanted people to be well, and my work has been around that. I've been a substance abuse counselor, I'm a social worker. Even when I was in public office, I told people I'm not a politician, I am a public servant, and that is how I approach the work that I do, no matter what position I'm in. That's my lens, and so I'm proud that, despite challenges that I've had and we all have them, we all have our stories. We all have had unfair things happen. We've all have had traumas in some kind of way. Most of us have. I would say I could have let my heart become hardened and bitter, but I haven't, and so I'm really proud that I have maintained my connection to my why and is here to serve and to impact and to improve the lives of other people, particularly uplifting women and Black women in specific.
Alethea Felton:And this has been incredible. And, of course, you're such a layered, multifaceted person where, even outside of these professional roles, the fact that you have been able to manage and show up strongly as a wife, as a mother, as a sister, as a daughter, as a friend and so much more all of these other roles and to know there have been other experiences that we didn't even tap on that has really shaped and formed your resilience and tested your heart, because your heart could have grown cold and hardened throughout your life at multiple points. And I just thank you, Chastity, for being you. I'm so glad that our paths crossed. I have so much respect for you and I thank you again for just being you and I hope nothing but continued success for you and we're definitely going to keep in touch. But you definitely, your voice is powerful and it has shown up today and also in my life.
Alethea Felton:So thank you again for being a guest on the Power Transformation Podcast. Thank you, Alicia, Take care. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of the Power Transformation Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow or subscribe, leave a five-star rating and write a review. It helps us inspire even more listeners and don't keep it to yourself. Share it with someone who could use a little power in their transformation. Until next time, keep bouncing back, keep rising and be good to yourself and to others.
