Conversations with Chenae Erkerd

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chenae Erkerd.

Hi Chenae, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My name is Chenae Erkerd. I began writing poetry at age 11 when my cousin Chad Alexander was killed in North Philadelphia, PA. From there, I used poetry as an outlet. I began speaking in church and won my high school talent show. I moved to Raleigh, NC to attend Saint Augustine’s University.

There, I was affectionately known as the “Poetry Girl.” I began speaking with a Christian organization called God’s Chosen Generation and participating in talent shows. I wrote my first book in 2013, my second in 2016, and my third in 2019.

I’ve had the pleasure of doing poetry at Bus Boys & Poets, North Carolina Central University for Sybrina Fulton (Trayvon Martin’s mother), and meeting Nikki Giovanni, Jonathan McReynolds, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, and Sheryl Underwood.

I participate in conferences; I am a guest speaker at different universities and an advocate for mental health.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Poetry became my way out and my way to. I use poetry as my escape and my gift has opened doors for me to meet so many influential people. It hasn’t always been easy though. In 2019, I spoke and “hustled” so much that I was very burned out. During that time, poetry was my job because I couldn’t find a steady job.

People didn’t know that when they asked me to speak, they helped me pay car payments and credit card bills. I took a break from writing and speaking in 2020 because I wanted the passion to come back. When it did, I wrote “Recognize Me,” a poem dedicated to black people being treated fairly and being tired of police brutality.

I recited that poem in front of a white audience, posted it on TikTok, and got very nasty feedback. God and my husband encouraged me to keep writing because people needed to hear what I had to say. So I kept writing.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am currently a technical recruiter for Microsoft. I specialize in recruiting Software Engineers and Program Managers. I am known for motivating my candidates in the application, interview, and hiring process as I understand people get very nervous along the way.

I was a candidate for four years after I graduated from North Carolina Central University School of Law. I know what it feels like when people don’t want to give you a chance. I encourage people to keep going until their door opens. I am most proud of the fact that I reach back even after I have triumphed. When people get their blessing, they have a tendency to forget those who are still waiting.

I make it my mission to never forget and to always remain cognizant of the fact that there is an urgency a candidate has that you won’t understand until you have been a candidate. I am someone who listens. The thing that sets me apart from others is my personal experience with being a candidate.

That space can be an empty space when you feel like you are being overlooked. I give candidates a platform to ask questions, pick their brains, and learn so they can get to the other side. Some people won’t take the time to do that.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Confidence is the most important thing.

When I was in law school, it was an unwritten rule that if you answer a question that our law professors ask, even if your answer is wrong, be “strong and wrong” or confidently wrong. In law school, we were taught to stand by our argument until we were corrected. Standing by your argument helps with your confidence. You are also being taught in the process.

If you make your point with confidence, it will sound right (lol). I impart that to everyone. Be confident in everything you do. While that is an understatement for some, it takes a great deal for others. Confidence gets your foot in the door. It helps you sell yourself, love yourself, and love others.

When your confidence is gone, your entire demeanor changes. You become miserable, feel worthless, and you take that out on others. Always remain as confident as you can even if you don’t feel it. Confidence can change your life.

Pricing:

• $15.00 (Vent: The Different Faces of Me)
• $15.00 (I Almost Held On)
• $20.00 (Woman)
• $25.00 (Tshirts)

Contact Info:

• Website: www.iamcletheartist.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamcletheartist/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inspired.lavette
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/imcletheartist
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjoJWWgNP3m00LmRHY3zkUQ
• Other: Home of the Best Waist Trainer | Linktree

Image Credits
In Gods Image Photography ( Tanisha Walker) and Suzo Photography