I’m so excited to be back with a brand new season, and this time, we’re diving deep into the experiences of women of color in business. My first guest of the season is the incredible Cher Hale - founder and director of Ginkgo PR, an agency committed to creating a more equitable media landscape by amplifying historically excluded voices.

Cher’s story is deeply personal, incredibly inspiring, and wildly relatable, especially if you've ever struggled with stepping into your identity or navigating the expectations placed on you as a woman of color.

What we cover in this episode:

- Cher’s early love for reading, writing, and storytelling (and yes, she wrote a novel at 13!)

- How a “wrong” college class led to her first PR opportunity

- What it felt like to be young and burned out working in nonprofits

- The challenges she faced breaking away from traditional career expectations, especially in a multicultural family

- How Cher stumbled into communications career by accident, and started her first business even though she was encouraged to find a more stable job

- How the loss of her mother became a turning point in reclaiming and embracing her heritage

- Why she walked away from telling stories that didn’t feel aligned - and who her agency is really here to serve

We also got into some honest talk about internalized oppression, learning to find pride in our identity, and the pressure to “perform” in professional spaces that weren’t made for us.

This episode is for you if:

- You’ve ever felt the pull between “security” and your dreams

- You’ve wondered what it looks like to build a mission-driven business as a woman of color

- You’re navigating identity, legacy, and visibility in your own work

Cher’s vulnerability and clarity are such a gift, and this conversation set the tone for what’s to come this season.

About Cher Hale:

As a first-generation Taiwanese-American, Cher is passionate about leveraging the power of media to tell diverse stories through online, print, TV, radio, and podcast mediums. She is the founder and director of Ginkgo Public Relations – a national boutique agency that believes in using storytelling and public relations as a force for good. They specialize in boosting visibility for underrepresented or marginalized authors, experts, and entrepreneurs through comprehensive communication and media relations effort.

If you enjoyed the show and you want to join our community of other women of color who are embracing their voice head over to https://embracingyourvoicepod.com/

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