I'm the trusted advisor ambitious women want in their corner to help them fully embody their potential.

Sometimes I wish this online space were an actual place, where we could sit down with mugs of hot coffee and chat. Wouldn't that be fabulous? So go ahead, pour yourself a cup, and settle in for a minute or two so you can get a feel for what I'm all about.

I'm Cherylanne

First of all

I'm a former corporate-ladder-climber who forged a new path as an entrepreneur.

The decision to leave my corporate life didn't come easily, and it took everyone around me by surprise. To understand why, we’ll need to go back a few years.

When I was a little girl, my Godmother once asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up. My answer? "Sit behind a big desk and give orders." Charming, right? Let's just say I didn't struggle with confidence or ambition in those days!

By all accounts I was a born leader who directed other children's play and set the agenda for my family's free time. Coupling that with a hefty dose of God-given academic talent made business a pretty clear career choice.

I wasn’t as drawn to the manufacturing of widgets as I was to the world of fancy restaurants and luxury hotels so I earned my business education at the Cornell Hotel School where the course catalog had me at hello. The internships weren’t bad either – I spent my first one at a resort on the Big Island of Hawaii, living in a suite and traversing the island eating macadamia nuts and drinking Kona coffee on my days off. It was a dream.

After graduation, I landed at Procter & Gamble where I learned my way in and out of a P&L and studied the art of servant leadership. No matter which assignment I was in, and there were many over the course of 15 years, I most deeply cherished the opportunities I had to lead and mentor bright, ambitious, talented men and women. It was during these years that I learned that everyone has a story, and that most of that story lives well beneath the surface.

Welcome to my online home.

People are wonderfully complicated, and I love discovering what lights them up.

When I first joined P&G, I thought I’d stay there until I retired – my dad was an AT&T lifer and my mom taught kindergarten for 40 years – loyalty runs deep in my veins. But at some point after my second child was walking, I started dreaming about starting my own thing, pondering how I could meld my passions into a new body of work. I was terrified of leaving my steady paycheck, profit sharing, and predictable path to promotion, but one day late in 2009, I took a deep breath and did it anyway.

And that same week, we learned I was expecting Baby #3. Yep.

So in 2010 I gave birth to two babies – my youngest daughter and a brand new company.

A decade later, I've learned a lot about what matters most to me, and what matters most to my fellow professional women. I'd sum it up as having choices, the ability to choose where and how we spend our time and energy - for me that means my growing business, my family, and my own well being.

Believe me, I love my work, but I also take care to leave space for those other things that matter to me. Like cooking. And running. And reading. And coffee dates. And dinners with my husband and three children gathered around the table.

I’ve earned some accolades for my work in the last few years, and it’s taught me something important - what people admire more than success is courage. It takes courage to redesign your life. People get that. Maybe that’s because success isn’t easily defined, but courage is.

Success is something you have to define for yourself on your own terms.

I care about a lot of things – 

That’s exactly why I’ve dedicated myself to supporting women who have no issue acknowledging their unfulfilled potential, but who struggle to do it with self compassion.

Women who know they want more, even though they are incredibly grateful for what they already have.

Women who yearn for the deep sense of fulfillment that comes from aligning your life with your priorities.

Women like you.

Listen, if you are wrestling with your life, it's a clue. If something has changed in you and the pieces just don’t seem to fit together anymore, it’s time to take a big deep breath and clear space to figure some things out. If what you always thought you wanted doesn’t make you feel the way you want to feel, we should definitely talk. You were made to shine, sister. Nothing less will do.

People sometimes ask me what I do. The answer is that my work is about understanding people, and helping them to understand themselves. I have learned to see how the little things we haven't noticed impact the big things we care about.

For a long time I defined success as having the corner office or a “C” in my title or bringing home a hefty paycheck. If those are your things, then by all means, run hard after them.

But what if you care about more than that?

being fully present to my family, building lasting relationships, having a strong faith life, using my gifts, investing in my community, doing work that matters, nourishing my own well-being, and enjoying financial freedom - so the life I’ve designed allows me to experience success on my own terms.

I ask questions. I encourage and inspire and give words to ideas. I illuminate a path.

MY REALLY OFFICIAL BIO:

Cherylanne Skolnicki is an expert on how to ease the tension between women's ambitions and their family lives. She has taught thousands of brilliant women around the world how to re-engineer their lives so they can play big both at work and at home while protecting restorative time for themselves. With a B.S. from Cornell and an MBA from Emory, 15 years as a marketing executive at Procter & Gamble, and more than a decade as an entrepreneur, Cherylanne is now a trusted advisor to female leaders in business, medicine, law, science, entertainment, and academia. As the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Brilliant Balance, she also hosts the top rated Brilliant Balance podcast. Her work has been featured on NBC, ABC, and CBS, and in publications like Forbes, Working Mother, and The Huffington Post. She is a Forty Under 40 Honoree, one of Cincinnati’s 100 Wise Women, and a member of the American Academy of Achievement. Together with her husband of 22 years, she is a proud parent of three dynamic teens. With her signature Brilliant Balance Blueprint, she teaches women how to make room for themselves in the middle of their very full lives.

Your at-a-glance guide to where I stand on all the truly important things.

THE QUIZ

Morning or night person

Morning!

Dream travel destination

Amalfi Coast

favorite book

Rules of Civility

First job

Waitress at a diner

best tv show ever

The West Wing

Favorite little luxury

Jo Malone scents

Always in my bag

Sunglasses...and pencils

Coffee order

Dark roast with a splash of heavy cream

can't stop buying

Pencils!

I'd love to meet

Brene Brown

MEET THE BRILLIANT BALANCE TEAM

Select a team member below to get to know them

KATHY EVANS

Kathy is our resident Work-Life Coach and the leader of Corporate Partnerships. 

She joined Brilliant Balance in March 2020 after an extensive career of successful leadership roles with several prestigious multinational companies such as Procter & Gamble, PwC, IBM and KPMG. Her experience transforming organizations and talent systems as well as coaching her teams, peers, and private clients has led her to “home” at Brilliant Balance. 

Kathy is the proud mother of two grown sons who have embarked on successful lives and careers of their own. She has also welcomed a granddaughter into this chapter of her life.  

Kathy applies the Brilliant Balance growth mindset to her adventures as an avid traveler, as well as in her enthusiasm for cooking and trying new recipes for her family and friends. 

FAvorite little luxury

Getting a massage

dream travel destination

Portugal, Turkey and Egypt

FAvorite Book

The Sun Also Rises

Can't stop buying

Lately, all things puppy related

HAYLIE GULASEY

Haylie joined the Brilliant Balance team in 2020 as the Director of Marketing.

Her primary objective is to help position Brilliant Balance as a highly sought-after brand and podcast by establishing a consistent and compelling presence and story across all platforms.

With over 13 years of experience in the creative marketing industry, Haylie boasts an impressive track record of accomplishments in marketing and brand strategy. Before joining Brilliant Balance, she supported marketing and branding efforts for a big city magazine and a renowned national digital marketing agency.

Haylie's creative spirit shines through her online persona at hayliesdailies.com, where she shares captivating fun facts, delightful designs, and random ramblings. She is a devoted dog mom to her beloved pup Joey, an adoring auntie to her niece and godson, a recent bride, an avid laugher, a Starbucks drinker, and a lover of hot chocolate all year round.


morning or night person

Total night owl!

always in my bag

Dog treats

first Job

Babysitter

BEST TV Show Ever

The Office

KOURTNEY HERBSTREIT

Kourtney is our Motivation Monday Coach who is always there to start your week with some good tunes, a positive mindset and help set you up for a great week.

She’s been with Brilliant Balance since 2019 and still maintains a full-time career working with Fortune 100 brands.
Kourtney is married to Kyle and is passionate about pet adoption which has led to 3 dogs and 1 cat taking up permanent residence at her home.

Kourtney applies the Brilliant Balance mindset by shifting the lens she looks at life through and always aiming to make the most of it. This shows up in spontaneous trips seeking new experiences, dance parties anywhere, especially with live music, and being someone that people can always count on to support them.


morning or night person

Total night owl!

always in my bag

Dog treats

first Job

Babysitter

BEST TV Show Ever

The Office

HILARY MOLINA

Hilary is our Brand Operations Manager and a member of our Client Success Team.

She manages the quality of the Brilliant Balance experience for our clients and she's one of the first touch-points for women considering the program. She has been a part of the Brilliant Balance team from Day One!

Hilary is married and a mom to three high school & college aged children. She loves spending time with her family, whether it's an outdoor bonfire, Sunday dinner, or a beach vacation! Her life is filled with travel to various sporting events and she uses the principles of the Brilliant Balance coaching program to make space for the things that matter most!


Favorite Little Luxury

Sitting on the beach

dream travel destination

Greece

first job

Ballet teacher

always in my bag

Sunglasses

Favorite Book

If I Could Keep You Little

Lesley Moore

Lesley is our Wellness Coach/Social Media & Booking Coordinator. 

She manages our Brilliant Balance Facebook & Instagram platforms by keeping her finger on the pulse of what is relevant to serve our community in the best way possible.

After being a stay at home mom for a few years, Lesley joined us in August 2019. Before becoming a SAHM, she spent 10 years working as a Personal Trainer/Fitness Instructor. She also spent the first 6 years of her career working within Fifth Third Bank.
Lesley lives in Loveland, OH with her husband Eric, sweet daughter Ruby (14), and son Dawson (12), family comedian.
Lesley and her family enjoy traveling whether to a beach vacation or visiting all things history. Prior to working at Brilliant Balance, Lesley was a client and has learned to put herself on her to-do list, creating her own dreams/goals list and a plan to make things happen. She is currently working part-time for Brilliant Balance while pursuing a graduate degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

dream travel destination

Scotland lass :)

always in my bag

Snacks

First job

Hostess at Country Club

best tv show ever

Ted Lasso

HOLLY SCHMIDT

Holly oversees the “behind the scenes'' projects that bring Brilliant Balance to life.

She’s been with us since January of 2019. Prior to joining our team, Holly spent the first part of her career working in business development operations for Fortune 500 and large multi-national firms such as PwC, EY, and Nationwide Insurance.

Holly is married to Andrew and has three school-aged sons - Brody, Tommy and Griffin.

She loves to cook, travel, listen to nerdy podcasts, and have dance parties in the kitchen. Life is full, and she utilizes Brilliant Balance’s mindset work as a crucial part of keeping her on her A game.


can't stop buying

Madewell tees

favorite little luxury

Olio E Osso lip balm

always in my bag

Sunscreen

Coffee order

Oat Milk Latte

best tv show ever

Friends

Book Your Call with a Coach Today

I'm a coach at heart. Always have been. I am governed by optimism and possibility and grace…and I want BIG things for you. Where you may see a brick wall, I see the sliver of open space through which we can maneuver to a better place, a better way. I will hold that space for you until you can climb through it.
C'mon. Let’s go.

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If you’ve read my work or heard me speak and have thought to yourself, “Oh my goodness, how does she KNOW?” then the odds are good that we should talk about what coaching could do for you.

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