Today we’d like to introduce you to Coco Gunn.
Hi Coco, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Yikes, where do I start… well, I have always been a leader in the community and most of that experience came from being a military brat. Moving around from city to city often gave me opportunities to “start over”. At each city we moved to, I would make it a point to find a leadership position. It was as if that was how I helped cope with relocating. Learning new skills, showing my talent, and making sure that I made a great impression.
Why… well I was always the “new kid”.
As I continued to grow, I participated in pageants, and the skills I learned there, I knew would be with me the rest of my life. Learning how to walk in heels, how to make great eye contact, how to be confident in yourself, and how to think on your feet.
All while wearing a smile.
When you think about it, not all women have the opportunity to compete, so I figured why not share what I have learned with other women.
When I realized this, I had become extremely passionate about salsa dancing. I was part of studio, I was performing…and after watching the movie Burlesque….well the idea of having my own ladies styling team came to life. I have been in the dance community for over 15 years and I have directed 6 ladies’ styling teams, two co-ed teams and now working on my solo. However, I never saw myself as a dance director…I saw myself as a mentor, leader, confidant, coach, and friend to each team. I had experienced what it was like to be under bad leadership, have people not look out for you, not encourage you while you pursued something you loved. So, my goal has always been to make sure my teams never felt that.
I moved to Florida in 2018 and continued to have my ladies’ styling team, but after learning some tough experiences in my last city, I had a different vision for my Orlando team. I wanted it to be more than just dance.
I wanted it to be about women supporting women.
Creating Queens for Life started at my first event in 2019…”I’m a Woman. What’s Your Super Power”
This event was designed for women to hear from different women leaders in our community. How they became successful, and how to achieve your goals. It was also designed to help build confidence. We included a self-defense class as well as a confidence-building workshop.
It was amazing and the ladies really gained a lot from it. I decided after that event that I need to refocus on my vision and my goals for what I wanted that vision to be. I decided to put CQ4L on hold, and pursue something that I always wanted to do.
A Podcast.
I knew I had more to share with the world. More experiences that I learned from…and my goal growing up was to always be behind a microphone. So, I put my thoughts together, surrounded myself with the right people to encourage me, and in July of 2021, I launched…”Let Me Live Podcast…my life…my rules”.
I knew I didn’t want to put a lot on my plate, so I decided that two episodes a month would be a good place to start.
We are currently at 16 episodes, 566 downloads…and counting.
To be honest… stats to me aren’t as important as what any listener can gain from it. It’s funny, informative, real, and inspirational.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In life nothing is easy, but that’s where the fun is! I think had it been a smooth road, I wouldn’t have enjoyed the journey as much.
I find that I have to stay busy.
It’s more of a feeling of constant accomplishment that pushes me. Success for me breeds the desire for more success. However, with success comes many failures and every entrepreneur has struggles. Mentally, financially, spiritually…for me the struggles were mostly mental. I knew if I set my mind on a goal, I would make it happen but negative self-talk, doubters, naysayers will creep in. “You’re not good enough”, “No one will listen” No one will support”…were all things I either thought about myself, or I heard on a consistent basis. There is power in self-love and mentality shifting that will allow for you to push through those challenges.
We’ve been impressed with Xenex Germ Zapping Solutions, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I have worked for Xenex going on seven years now and it has definitely been one of the most rewarding careers I have had. It’s a UV technology company, who mission is to destroy deadly pathogens to improve peace of mind. I am currently a Sr. Account Executive and I manage of 60 accounts throughout Florida, Missouri, and Kansas.
I really enjoy my role, because we are constantly on a mission to help clients bring peace of mind to their patients and staff.
Lightstrike is our UV robot and is able to provide 360 disinfections using a uvc lamp. You can find our robots in your local hospitals, schools, and convention centers.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I don’t believe people can be successful unless they take risks. I believe this is part of the growth process. Every day you wake up to pursue your dreams, you will find that there are risks. However, there is a difference between risking it all and taking calculated risks. I usually take the latter of the two. I think starting my own dance team, my own women empowerment organization and my podcast were all huge risks.
I don’t do any of these things full time but they still require time and effort to manage. Time and effort that has to be well thought out so I wouldn’t burn out. Taking risks doesn’t have to be reckless…but it should definitely be thought through and calculated to avoid the consequences if it doesn’t work out in your favor.
Contact Info:
- Email: letmelivepodcast@gmail.com
- Website: letmelivepodcast.com
- Instagram: @letmelivepodcast @coco_gunn
Image Credits
Natasha Rodriguez
