by Cyrus Webb
Chanelle Coleman Wesley is a person on the move.
It's been great watching her pursue her passion, pour into others and expand her creative tent throughout 2025.
We talk about the year, her growing brand and advice for others looking to live life without limits.
Chanelle, it’s great to catch up with you again. You’ve had another busy year. What has it been like for you to continue to see how your message of self-love and female empowerment is resonating with your audience?
It’s been nothing short of incredible. Every time I receive a message, hear a testimony, or see a woman light up because she finally gave herself permission to choose her, I’m reminded of why I do this work. My message is personal—because I lived it first. I know what it feels like to lose yourself while showing up for everyone else. So to now see women embracing self-love, reclaiming their voices, and walking in purpose unapologetically—it lets me know the seeds I’m planting are taking root. It’s not about popularity for me. It’s about impact. It’s about transformation. And watching that unfold year after year? That’s powerful.
A big part of your platform is saying yes to YOURSELF. How has that benefited you, remembering to put yourself first?
Saying yes to myself has been one of the most powerful decisions of my life.
I had to learn that it’s up to me to serve from a place of overflow—not from an empty cup. God desires that we operate in a space of abundance. But for so long, we’ve believed the narrative that it’s our birthright—serving in a space of deficiency. As women—especially Black women—we’ve been conditioned to become minimalists with our needs. We serve from scarcity and call it strength.
I would have kept living that way… if life hadn’t handed me a set of life-altering cards. Cards that came with undeniable pain. But that pain pushed me into purpose. I needed the disruption. For me, it was my rock-bottom moment. That experience forced me to pivot.
I asked myself: How much more impactful could I be if I gave myself what I so freely give to everyone else? What would it look like if I chose rest, joy, and wellness as requirements—not rewards?
That change allowed me to show up—not just present, but powerful. Not just surviving, but thriving. And when I operate from that space, everything I touch—my family, my business, my community—benefits from the overflow.
That shift changed everything. It allowed me to show up not just present—but powerful, healed, and ready.
I’ve noticed this year you have also been pouring into young girls and young women. Why has that been important for you?
That part of my work has been deeply personal. I started this journey by serving women—women who had been through the fire, who had survived betrayal, heartbreak, trauma, and setbacks. I saw them because I was them. I understood the pain of showing up broken but still trying to carry it all. I thought equipping women with the tools that they needed to happy, healthy, and whole was the assignment. But then, during an interview I was asked a powerful and provocative question, “What about the girls?” And that question wouldn’t leave me. It took me back to the young girl inside me—the one who was trying to grow through abuse, navigate life with low self-esteem, confusion, and identity struggles. That girl didn’t get the tools, the support, or the strategies she needed. So I thought—what if we reached the girls before they were broken? What would the next generation look like if we caught them now, equipped them with confidence, coping tools, and the truth about who they are? That’s why I do it. Because prevention is just as powerful as healing.
Yes! I’m the proud Editor-In-Chief of Hustle Her™ Magazine, a publication designed to celebrate and elevate Black women of faith. I didn’t just want to speak to women—I wanted to intentionally create a space for women who look like me. Women who’ve had to shrink themselves, dim their light, or delay their dreams because the world wasn’t ready for their brilliance. Hustle Her™ is her space. Her reminder that it’s her time, her turn, her season. We tell stories of women who have overcome, risen, and redefined what it means to lead with purpose and power. It’s more than a magazine—it’s a movement.
You were a part of our Amazon live event STRONGER TOGETHER this year. Share with our readers what inspired your message.
My message was inspired by the movie Finding Nemo. There’s a scene where Dory tells Marlin, “Just keep swimming.” And as simple as that sounds, it hit home. I related that to the mother-daughter dynamic—how many women are still trying to parent while navigating trauma. I wanted to speak to that space. The in-between space where women are attempting to hold it together for everyone else but silently unraveling. I wanted mothers to see that if they don’t heal that instead of handing down the keys to break cycles we will hand them pretty packaged trauma if we don’t heal. I wanted daughters to understand their mother’s journey to motherhood wasn’t paved along a crystal staircase. wanted mothers and daughters alike to know: I wanted mothers to know you can clip or wings or watch her soar and I wanted them to choose which type of mother they wanted to be. I also wanted to them to know that despite the sometimes rocky and turbulent waves of mother-daughter relationships-You can keep swimming. You can heal together. You can grow together. You are stronger together. The moment was bigger than me. It was a heart-to-heart reminder that even in deep waters, we don’t have to drown. We can rise—together.
There’s a lot going on in the world. What has helped you to stay encouraged, even when things don’t go your way?
Honestly, my faith has always been my anchor. But it’s also been having a community around me—people who can pray for me and over me, even when I didn’t have the strength to pray for myself. I’ve had seasons where I’ve poured out everything—where I’ve fasted, prayed, held others up—and then I’ve had times where I needed that same love poured back into me. And God always sent someone. That’s what’s helped me keep going: knowing I don’t have to carry it alone. Reflection, rest, and real relationships have kept me grounded. And when I remember what I’ve survived, I know I’m built for whatever comes next.
You and I have had discussions about the importance of taking care of yourself. How has that played a role in not just what you say YES TO but also what you say NO to?
Taking care of myself has been a radical act of obedience. For so long, I said yes to everything—to prove my worth, to avoid guilt, to be accepted. But healing taught me to be intentional. Now, I say yes from alignment—not obligation. And just as importantly, I’ve learned to say no. No to what drains me, what distracts me, or what dishonors the version of me I’m becoming. My yes is powerful—but so is my no. Taking care of myself has helped me become a better leader, mother, speaker, and woman. Because I’m not giving people what’s left of me—I’m giving them what’s real in me.
What advice do you have for our audience, Chanelle, about the importance of prioritizing themselves in life?
Prioritize yourself without apology. Stop putting yourself on layaway, hoping one day you’ll get around to you. Today is that day. You don’t need anyone else’s permission to put yourself first. You don’t need another title, degree, or validation to start treating your needs like they matter. Your peace matters. Your rest matters. Your healing matters. Give yourself the same energy, love, and grace you give to everyone else. You are worthy of being a priority in your own life.
Thanks for all you do, Chanelle. Let readers know how to stay connected with you.
Thank you, Cyrus. It’s always a joy to share space with you. You can stay connected with me through my website: www.shesaidyestoherself.com, and follow me on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn @ChanelleColemanWesley.
And of course, Hustle Her™ Magazine, the Unapologetic & Unplugged with Chanelle Coleman Wesley Show, and my books he Said Yes to Herself Unapologetically, The E.M.P.O.W.E.R. H. E. R. Blue-Print available on Amazon are all powerful ways to stay inspired and empowered.
Let’s keep doing the work—unapologetically.
