Good luck trying to convince Stacie N.C. Grant that a little bit of luck can help you reach your life goals. The inspirational speaker, life coach, entrepreneur and event planner says that knocking on wood or keeping a rabbit’s foot won’t do you any good, and that it’s all in proper planning to living your best life.
A businesswoman for over 15 years, Grant started her company, C&G Enterprises, which today focuses on purpose-driven event management for community-based organizations and not-for-profit companies.
A native of the Bronx, Grant currently resides in Queens’ Cambria Heights neighborhood. She began her career inspiring others while in college at St. John’s University.
“I was active on campus,” she said. “It all started with a desire to help others and be able to walk through and inspire people to do better and get more out of life.”
Grant became a student leader, serving in several organizations, including new student orientation and the President’s Society and founding a gospel choir at St. John’s. She also made history at St. John’s by becoming the first African-American to be crowned homecoming queen.
While in college, she became a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. and was named president of her collegiate chapter. She rose to national leadership within the sorority, which has more than 800 chapters around the world, serving as national third vice president. Grant continues to be active and serves a president of the sorority’s Queens alumnae chapter.
She started her company, C&G Enterprises, in 1994 as a motivational speaker and trainer with her Scholar’s Program, which provides life skills and leadership training to various organizations.
In 1996, Grant founded the event planning portion of her company, C&G Professional Event Coordinators, planning everything from weddings to meetings. Today, her primary focus is on event planning for non-profit organizations. Grant also trains aspiring event planners.
“I feel blessed that God has given me a platform to be able to change lives. At the end of the day, if I change one life my job would have been done. All the other lives are an added blessing,” she said.
As an inspirational speaker, Grant uses her signature “Four Leaves of Luck’s Clover” theory as a recipe for success. The “four leaves” are courage, will, perseverance and skill. Her method has become so successful that she released an audio book and presentation series based on it.
“Luck isn’t something that happens,” Grant explained. “Opportunities come when you prepare for them. You can’t sit around waiting for your lucky break. You have to have courage to say, ‘Life is hard.’ If you stay focused on your end goal, you’ll be luckier than you ever imagined.”
Remaining active in the community, these days Grant keeps busy. She is currently the secretary and a choir member at Ezekiel’s House of Prayer, PTA co-president at PS/IS 270Q Gordon Parks School, a member of the Cambria Heights Civic Association and alumni coordinator and past board member of Achieving Leadership’s Purpose Inc.
Grant has been married for 14 years to Andrew Grant. Together, they have two boys, age 12 and 6.
She said she lives her life based on a quote from Gandhi: “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”