On today’s episode of Happy Black Woman, Rosetta chats with an incredibly inspiring entrepreneur, Lucinda Cross. Lucinda has overcome tremendous odds to achieve a life of success and happiness doing what she loves: sharing a message of hope. Her mission is simple: to help those who are considered the best-kept secrets. Lucinda works with people who are “hidden gems” - people who hold back from sharing their gifts - so they can expose their missions and messages. Her talent for bringing out the best in others is clear and through her story, it’s obvious that her life experience has fed her desire to serve others.
Authenticity has no competition.
For Lucinda, the key to unlocking the potential of others is to help them overcome the mindset of comparison. She shares insight into her view that, if you are authentic, you have no competition. For Lucinda, it’s all about connecting with your true self, your true mission, and sharing that with the world. She works with clients through workshops, group coaching, speaking engagements, and more to help them understand that you don’t need permission to be who you are. Lucinda shares some tips and strategies that can help you get started on your journey to an authentic life, which includes identifying your gifts and “tooting your own horn”.
There’s a fortune in your frustration.
Lucinda discusses the years of frustration she felt when she spent time building the dreams of others, while ignoring her own. She shares the value in this frustration and how it served to help her find the courage to say yes to herself and her own dreams. For Lucinda, it was all about building credibility and establishing herself as a thought leader in the industry. She also offers insight into the value of looking at the giants of your industry, rather than your peers. For Lucinda, that meant studying greats like Tony Robbins and Les Brown and aiming to set herself apart from the rest in the same way.
The role of a vision board in turning your life around.
As Lucinda shares her story, she discusses how she went from saying yes to something she should have said no to, to serving 4 ½ years in a federal prison. It was during this time that she devoted herself to vision boards, which transformed her future and that of fellow inmates. For Lucinda, a vision board kept her hopes high while in prison and paved the way for future successes. Today, she shares her passion for vision boards with the world through workshops and coaching sessions to help women who are ready to bring their vision to life.
Refusing to be a public success and a private failure.
As she closes out her chat with Rosetta, Lucinda discusses what life looks like today - after working so hard to overcome the many obstacles she’s faced. Happiness didn’t come easy for her, but she fully believes the frustration made her the success she is today. Lucinda shares one of the most important lessons in her life today: realizing she needed help and asking for it. Hiring help, Lucinda says, truly saves the day for her. In closing, she shares her go-to quotes and a book that has inspired her on her journey. When it comes to inspiration and beating the odds, it’s hard to find someone better than Lucinda Cross.
Outline of this great episode

[0:40] Rosetta’s introduction of her guest, Lucinda Cross.
[1:52] Lucinda’s mission and the work that she does.
[3:31] How Lucinda works with clients and helps them achieve their goals.
[4:12] How can women stop being the best-kept secret and put themselves out there?
[7:37] What inspired Lucinda to start her business?
[12:28] How Lucinda’s vision board process played a part in her success.
[14:20] Lucinda’s journey to start working on collages as part of her vision board process.
[17:42] A typical day in Lucinda’s life.
[21:21] Lucinda’s process of figuring out how to fit time in for everything that matters.
[27:20] A book that has inspired Lucinda in her journey.
[29:11] Lucinda’s personal mantra.
[30:42] Lucinda’s #1 piece of