UF Tourism, Hospitality & Event Management alumna Chynna Clayton is director of travel and event operations for Michelle Obama at the Office of Barack and Michelle Obama.

Q&A

What is one exciting thing you are currently working on?

I’m currently working on an array of projects for Mrs. Obama including her new Netflix kids show "Waffles + Mochi," season 2 of the Michelle Obama Podcast on Spotify and her upcoming virtual College Signing Day event to celebrate high school seniors who have committed to continuing their education after high school.

However, on a personal note, I’m working on a business venture that is pretty exciting. I recently established an LLC, Matriarch Made Assistant Development. The program is designed to develop the strengths and be a resource to administrative staff and the individuals they support. Assistants receive no formal training and in my experience as an assistant in corporate, government and personal capacities, I’ve learned and noticed that this lack of training, access to networks and contacts can lead to a steep learning curve when hiring an assistant, rough transition periods and high turnover rates.

While oftentimes undervalued, assistants are vital and the lifeline to the vast majority of celebrities, executives, families and government officials. They are worth the investment and deserve the support. A principal can only be as good as the people that support them. When they soar, we all soar… and they are able to soar at their highest heights largely in part to their administrative staff. 

What advice would you give to the next generation of women?

There are no diamonds without pressure. Build resilience. Things may not always work out the way you would have hoped and you’ll likely hear quite a few no’s before you hear your first yes, but you have to find it within to keep pressing on… have your plans A-Z so that you aren’t’ defeated if plan A doesn’t’ pan out.

I know this may sound cliché but also put in the work and treat others the way you want to be treated. I always make it a point that no matter how small someone may make me feel at times or how offensive someone is, I remember how that person’s actions made me feel and I vow to never impose those feelings on others. I vow to be better and do better.

What have you sacrificed during your career?

The biggest sacrifice that I’ve made during my career thus far has been forgoing personal time. The pandemic helped me in realizing that I hadn’t truly connected with so many of my friends and family in the ways in which I used to before my career took off. We tend to make work the priority and as a result our relationships suffer but the pandemic has taught me to re-prioritize those relationships and self as well.

If you started all over tomorrow, what would you do differently? What would you keep the same?

I would keep a large number of things the same. I have been fortunate enough to not have many regrets in life. My journey is what made me, me. But I would tell my younger self not to count herself out and to never sell herself short on account of others. The ambition she has is a good thing and will hopefully inspire others to dream big too! I never saw myself where I am today, partly because I rarely saw Black women in a lot of these positions but once you see it and you know that it’s possible, something shifts.

Who is one of your female heroes and why?

My female hero is my mother. My mother has been the guiding force behind so many of my life decisions. She always provided the guardrails to keep me on track when I would stray. Her parenting style reminds me of the kid bumpers on the lane at the bowling alley. Always there if you need them, but never in the way, just providing that extra nudge/bump when you’re getting off course. For that, I will forever be grateful.

My mom sacrificed a lot for me as a single parent. She was a law enforcement officer and would work the graveyard shift so that she was always available to me during the day. She never wanted me to feel the void of a missing father. I owe so much of my success to her dedication and commitment to me.

Any parting or additional comments?

As women in America, life is full of its share of inequities. But if these past few years have shown us anything, it's that women have power: we have voting power, buying power, personal power, communal power and influential power. The journey to progress is slow but it's possible with work.

We have to pay it forward! We have to speak and share more and invest in those coming up behind us so that they get the most out of life and its experiences and aren’t stifled by the same things that stifled us.

“When you learn, teach, when you get, give.” -Maya Angelou

So all of the nuggets you’ve learned along the way, share them. The more younger women see us in these positions and succeeding, the more they see themselves and the more they have to strive for.

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