Building Body, Mind, and Community

Sheryl Grant of Sheryl Grant International, DBA FIT for Business.

This article is one in a series about business leaders in the Level program, now in its third year. Through the Level program, B Lab U.S. & Canada aims to support and partner with business leaders who identify as women of color to amplify their economic reach and community impact.

Sheryl Grant’s journey to launch her own business hasn’t been easy. Grant worked in corporate America for over 30 years. Even when she felt she had broken the glass ceiling many women of color experience, she still faced systemic barriers, which she calls a “brick ceiling.”

“One ceiling is penetrative. The other is not. More bricks were in place. There was this constant battle,” Grant says. She felt she couldn’t change the system, so she decided to make her own path that led her to train for and eventually win Ms. Olympia, professional bodybuilding’s most prestigious competition, at the age of 55. “Ms. Olympia not only transformed my body, it transformed my mind. It made me understand the mental aspects of being well, and how mental fitness is everything. What made me successful was uncovering those same brick ceilings in my mind.”

Although FIT for Business is borderless, her local community has rallied around her. Grant has helped people understand the basic fundamentals in getting fit so they can achieve their goals.

“Community is everything. You want to surround yourself with like-minded individuals who support and believe in what you’re up to and who can help propel you to where you want to be.”

Her program curriculum includes the FIT for Life Tool Kit and a daily activation call Monday through Thursday in which Grant teaches principles that help people take action. Every Thursday, she hosts a Q&A. Once a month, she offers coaching. There is no cost for the first 30 days of the program. “You get me in real time and I get you into action to live your best life. I’m committed to the process, not just talking about it,” Grant says.

Leveling Up in Business

Grant had heard of Certified B Corporations that incorporate positive social and environmental impact in their business operations. As her entrepreneurial journey unfolded, she became more enthralled with the idea of B Corp Certification and being part of a community of people who understand her experience and are working for a more inclusive, equitable economic system.

She feels it’s necessary to have conversations about the barriers Black and other women of color face. “Everything set up systematically is against us,” she says. “We can say whatever we want about that, but let’s look at the facts. Let the stats speak for themselves.” She advises People of Color to collaborate and advocate for change. She helps them amplify their voice and be unapologetic for the space they take up.

“One way to make your vision become real is by sharing it with others and then doing the work. Where you lack, look for the resources to help you to build in those spaces so that you can do the work you’re called to do,” she says.

Sheryl Grant competes for Ms. Olympia.

In 2023, Grant focused on three goals: publishing her book, building her business, and transforming her body. While working on B Corp Certification, she considered competing in Ms. Olympia again in the fall, but found doing both would be too challenging. “My business is important to me. Ms. Olympia is important to me, but I’m going to put it off for 2024. I’ll still be able to look good and be ahead of the game,” she says.

Postponing Ms. Olympia also allows her the time to gather the necessary resources required to compete: sponsors, more time for daily four-hour workout regimens, and a team that creates and publishes content.

Feeding Her Community

Community is everything to Grant. Empowerment of women of color is what drew her to B Corp’s Level program. “As an entrepreneur and Black woman, nobody’s supporting me. People give lip service, but they’re really not there. The Level program is there for you,” she says.

Grant’s vision isn’t small; her passion and life’s purpose is to inspire 50 million women around the world to realize the power within them and live amazing lives not just one day, but every day. “If I can add to a person’s life where it’s more happy than it’s not, I’ve done my job. I’ve spread the light,” she says.

Sheryl Grant (second from right) at the Women Leaders for the World Summit, featuring female social entrepreneurs from more than 20 countries.

Grant is proud to work toward B Corp Certification because she’s already built her company around social impact principles. She’s created a curriculum, a platform, and a community of individuals that form an ecosystem of positive change. The community shares what people need so they can be not only physically fit, but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually fit for life.

“I’m not only trying to feed myself, I’m trying to feed my community,” Grant says. “B Corp believes in an ecosystem built around the belief that everyone is taken care of from a governance perspective — not just those at the top.”

Learn more about Grant and FIT for Business at SherylGrant.com.

…

B The Change gathers and shares the voices from within the movement of people using business as a force for good and the community of Certified B Corporations. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the nonprofit B Lab.