Live, Love & Travel with Global Citizen Cheryl Gentry
By Christina Murray – Homegirl
“It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.” – Lena Horne
This quote functions as a mantra for Cheryl Gentry. As a successful entrepreneur and event planning pioneer, the Horne quote indicates her level of passion and dedication to her craft. She’s built a career through meticulous attention to detail, a skill that’s necessary for her line of work—one that’s kept her at the top of her game for nearly two decades.
Part of what drives her to succeed is her fearlessness. “I love life. Don’t be afraid. Don’t live in fear,” she said. “Get on a plane, go skydiving, run a marathon, swim with the sharks.” These aren’t just empty suggestions. Gentry considers herself a global citizen with a penchant for adventure.“I’m lucky that my work allows me to travel.” She lists her favorite global hotspots as Kigali and London. Throughout her travels, she has walked with lions, swam with dolphins, trekked silverback gorillas in Rwanda and skydived at 10,000 feet. She has even summited Mount Kilimanjaro over the course of 5 days. “Life is short, so do what you love. Do what you want,” she said. When it comes to her career, she’s done just that.
Her advice to others, to live life to the fullest, isn’t just a suggestion. Those are words that she truly lives by. And her travel isn’t over; it’s just getting started. “I still have a lot to see,” she admits. However, it’s tough to imagine what’s left with such an enviable passport under her belt. She has visited 2 of the 7 Wonders of the World as well as 1 of the 7 Wonders of Nature and 3 of the New 7 Wonder cities (Durban, Havana, and Doha).
Gentry was always known as a hard worker. Her commitment to her education landed her at Howard University. Her first job after college was a Human Resources role with Marriott Hotels. It was there that she first discovered her love of event planning as she pulled together numerous corporate events, seminars, and launch parties.
She founded Glow Media (now Glow Global Events) in 1998. As a premier public relations and event marketing agency, she quickly attracted top tier clients like Vibe Magazine, Levis, Girbaud and the New Jersey Nets. Over the course of the next decade, Glow took home several prestigious industry honors from the International Special Events Society.
In life and in work, Cheryl Gentry approaches each day with the same philosophy. She fully invests herself, does what she loves and watches the results flourish. From Oprah Magazine to Huffington Post to Black Enterprise, the business world marvels at her work ethic and wants to share her secrets to success. Glowing isn’t just something she does at her company; it’s how she lives her life.
To follow Cheryl’s global adventure, visit Cheryl at cherylgentry.com.
