Featured #bloomgirl: Cleere; Founder of Cleerely Stated!

This month's featured #bloomgirl is Cleere Cherry! We met Cleere a few years ago at the Atlanta Gift Show instantly fell in love with Cleere's bubbly personality, drive, passion, and energy! From the moment we met Cleere, we knew we had a larger story to share together. 

In 2018, we teamed up with Cleerely Stated and artist Brittany Rawls, and they designed a planner for our bloom gives back line! 8% of all proceeds from this planner are donated to this team, who has chosen to give back to Third Street Education Center. Third Street Education Center is an all-boys private school that focuses on minorities and poverty-stricken families where students are fostered, educated, and equipped in all areas so that they can grow to be loving, supportive, and stable adults.

We are so inspired by Cleere and we know you will be too! Read more about her story below! 

Tell us a little bit about yourself!

Hello! My name is Cleere Cherry and I am the founder of Cleerely Stated, an encouraging gift line that helps people remember who they are in Jesus.

I was raised and currently live in Greenville, North Carolina. I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a major in Interpersonal Communications. Growing up near the beach, I have a deep affection for saltwater and digging my toes in the sand. I am one of four children and love my family more than anything in the entire world! I recently got married in Isla Mujeres, Mexico and it was truly the most fun I have ever had! So now, I am navigating life as a newly married lady.

I started Cleerely Stated in 2016 and am so grateful I took that leap of faith. My passion has always been to deeply connect with others and remind them how significant they are to Jesus. I really did not anticipate what God had in store for Cleerely Stated or foresee the dots He would connect but I am so grateful that my limited mind couldn’t fathom His big plans. It has been incredibly exciting and humbling to see something that was once an idea in your head become a cherished gift in the hands of your customer. I am so grateful to be doing what I do!

Who or what is your biggest inspiration? 

This may sound weird but my biggest inspiration is grace. I know the amount of grace my life has required and how good God has been to me despite myself and this inspires me to press on and share that grace and love with the world. I think if all of us focused on seeing ourselves and others as Jesus sees us, everything would be different.

As far as a person though, besides Jesus, I would say my mom. She is the strongest warrior I know. Her tenacity and determination have always been such an example to me. She makes no excuses, shows up, and always puts her best foot forward. I have seen how this spirit of excellence resides in me simply by watching her life. She forgives all four kids quicker than we can often apologize and she would give you the shirt off her back. She is also the one who has believed in me when I did not believe in myself. It was her strength I depended on when I first showed my products in Atlanta gift market and I will never be able to repay her for the gift of helping me show up when I didn’t have the courage to do so on my own.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced, personally or professionally? How have you overcome it?

This is a tricky one because I think I am very much still in progress. Insecurity has always been a major stronghold for me and heavily affected my high school, college, and post-grad days. It still affects me. But to be honest, I believe it always will. I am learning that courage does not look like abolishing that fear from our lives but rather, speaking truth to it and deciding to show up anyway. My confidence has certainly grown in some areas but there are still some areas I really struggle to believe what God says about me. I think we all do, though. And the more transparent we are with ourselves and others, the more we allow that insecurity to turn into strength, connection, and hope. 

So, while this has been a challenge for me, it has also been a blessing because it has required me to lean in and gain some gumption. The more and more I come to understand that I will never “arrive” at this place of perfection I often dream of, the more I can accept exactly who I am and make a difference in my current reality.

If you could talk to yourself 5 years ago, what advice would you give yourself?

Oh man, so many things. But mostly?

Practice gratitude every single day.

Talk gently to yourself.

And God is for you.

I think we often look back and see that our circumstances were never really the issue or the struggle; it was our mindset, perspective, or habit that we really needed to change. The more that we can be here, in this moment, and steward it well, the better our tomorrow will be. Life is just too short to exhaust ourselves trying to figure it out… Maybe I should relay this message to my current self too :)

What are some key books/learning experiences that helped shape you/your company?

I. Love. Books!!!! It’s an issue. But I would say first and foremost the Bible. It is what makes anything I write have any value because that inspiration comes from reading His truth.

As far as for learning about business, I loved the book “E-Myth” by Michael Gerber. It helped me concretely see different aspects of being an entrepreneur and also highlighted some issues I needed to focus on in order to grow. I think for a lot of entrepreneurs, they start a company because of a particular passion or talent but they begin with no real understanding of what it means to run a business. This book opened my eyes to the importance of both. 

One particular life experience that shaped me as a person was my time being a summer staff camp leader in British Columbia, Canada. I had the honor of serving at one of the most beautiful Younglife camps and the final week I was there, we traveled to Bob Goff (one of my favorite author’s) lake house. I distinctly remember looking up and seeing ALL these people, men, and women, carrying on conversation, laughing together, serving each other, and really experiencing life together. It was the clearest picture of joy I have ever seen. That night we all washed each other's feet as Jesus did for the disciples in the Bible, and it set a precedent in my life that I hope to always live by: I am unconditionally loved by the King but the greatest joy I will find is by being a servant. It’s easy to forget this lesson but I think humility is so crucial, especially as a business owner and creative. It keeps you alert and willing to go where He leads.

What are your favorite bloom products, and why?

How do I limit my answer?! I love them ALL! My favorite product is, of course, the Cleerely Stated + Brittany Rawls Planner. I love the size and functionality of this planner and the inspiration that is interlaced throughout it. Also, the bright front makes me so happy and it’s easy to spot in my tote bag! I also LOVE the 6X9 Grocery List and the To-Do Pads. I am a major list-maker (like, for everything!) so this makes it easy and helps me organize all the thoughts swirling around in my head.

We hope you loved getting to know Cleere! Do you have a #girlboss story to share? Email us at bloom@bloomplanners.com for a chance to be our next featured bloom girl! 

xoxo,

the bloom team