Cherise Williams on Reinvention, Burnout, and Corporate Authenticity
Mon Feb 02 2026
Executive presence is one of the most talked-about leadership conversations in corporate America today.
In this episode, Michelle sits down with Cherise Williams, Director at Maker’s Mark, inclusive leadership expert, and cultural catalyst, for an honest and deeply personal conversation about identity, reinvention, corporate authenticity, and what it really means to lead as a woman of color.
Cherise shares her powerful story of navigating pregnancy, autoimmune illness, family crisis, divorce, corporate pressure, and the constant demand to “perform” executive presence in environments built around someone else’s standard.
In this episode:
-Executive presence and why it’s often measured against a white male standard
-The pressure women of color face to “fit” corporate leadership expectations
-Cherise’s life-changing reinvention story during 2020
-How stress, motherhood, and health forced her to rebuild her identity
-Why authenticity matters more than corporate performance
-Leadership through joy, cultural competency, and accountability
-The legacy of impact: leaving everything better than you found it
*Follow*
Michelle May O'Neil
https://www.instagram.com/themichellemayoneil/
Cherice Jenelle Williams
https://www.instagram.com/chericejenelle/
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Executive presence is one of the most talked-about leadership conversations in corporate America today. In this episode, Michelle sits down with Cherise Williams, Director at Maker’s Mark, inclusive leadership expert, and cultural catalyst, for an honest and deeply personal conversation about identity, reinvention, corporate authenticity, and what it really means to lead as a woman of color. Cherise shares her powerful story of navigating pregnancy, autoimmune illness, family crisis, divorce, corporate pressure, and the constant demand to “perform” executive presence in environments built around someone else’s standard. In this episode: -Executive presence and why it’s often measured against a white male standard -The pressure women of color face to “fit” corporate leadership expectations -Cherise’s life-changing reinvention story during 2020 -How stress, motherhood, and health forced her to rebuild her identity -Why authenticity matters more than corporate performance -Leadership through joy, cultural competency, and accountability -The legacy of impact: leaving everything better than you found it *Follow* Michelle May O'Neil https://www.instagram.com/themichellemayoneil/ Cherice Jenelle Williams https://www.instagram.com/chericejenelle/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.