Crystal Washington is a marketing strategist and international speaker for CWM Enterprises, the Black-Market Exchange. In her former life as a revenue manager for a large hotel chain, Washington says that although she was promoted rapidly and earned a great salary, the downside was everything else. “I worked in a toxic environment where racism, sexual harassment and unethical business practices were both accepted and rewarded,” she says. “I knew that, while I was meant to learn lessons there, I was not meant to stay there.”
In 2006, she envisioned herself: “Owning a marketing company, consulting, speaking to business owners and corporate professionals about marketing … So I began setting the wheels in motion to start my business.”
Today, Washington says education is vital to success. “Read voraciously and invest in personal development,” she states. “Don’t be afraid to invest in yourself.”–zondra hughes
