Inspire Kindness announced Gloria Mayfield Banks as an Inspire Kindness Ambassador because she uses kindness to inspire people around her every day, both personally and professionally. We believe she is the perfect example and role model for someone to look up to when it comes to kindness in action. Gloria credits kindness as a huge factor in her many successes and in her positive relationships with people. We had the chance to sit down and find out what kindness means to Gloria Mayfield Banks.
Meet Gloria Banks
Gloria Banks is a successful businesswoman, philanthropist, motivational speaker, and success strategist. She received her bachelor’s degree in marketing from Howard University and went on to get her MBA from Harvard University. Gloria holds the highest sales position at Mary Kay Inc. and is an Independent Elite Executive National Sales Director. She believes in uplifting and supporting other women, and she is known for her efforts to show people how to go from ordinary to extraordinary.
What Kindness Means to Gloria
Gloria has known how important it is to be kind since she was a little girl. Her mother exemplified kindness in everything that she did, and she became one of Gloria’s most significant role models. Her mom left her nursing job to become a teacher so that she could have more time to spend with her four daughters. Her mom taught inner-city children, and Gloria remembers how one time in particular her students got to play with their Christmas gifts even before Gloria and her sisters had opened them. Gloria remembers how she opened a Christmas gift, and a game would have pieces missing because her mother wanted her students to be able to enjoy them as well.
In Gloria’s first marriage, she suffered from domestic violence. Experiencing this abuse helped Gloria understand the difference between a home full of kindness and a household without any at all. Once Gloria got out of that horrific situation, she’s made it a point to go above and beyond in her acts of kindness. To Gloria, kindness is far greater than giving gifts. It’s about talking to people, working to truly listening and hearing what they have to say, and making them feel good. Gloria says, “I understand the dynamics of being kind, and it’s a priority for me.”
How Kindness Contributed to Gloria’s Success
As a coach and motivational speaker, Gloria is honored to mentor women on how to be successful in leadership and life skills. She believes that showing kindness is so important when it comes to mentoring women. Gloria truly cares about each woman that she’s mentored. She has seen other high-level professionals mentor, across industries, where kindness wasn’t their top priority, and the people don’t feel as supported or confident as a result.
Without kindness being a top priority, Gloria mentions that while you may become successful, you won’t get to the top of the game, and you surely won’t stay there. People that get to the top, and stay there, do so by using kindness. It’s noticeable when leaders go above and beyond for their team. Gloria says, “I want to be a leader that inspires other people.” She believes she got to where she is today by intentionally helping others and by others helping her.
Advice for Business Women
For all women who are trying to become successful, Gloria shares one big piece of advice - Be unapologetically powerful with the gifts God gave you. In today’s world, women spend so much time comparing themselves to other women and thinking about what they don’t have. Thinking these thoughts is not being kind to yourself. Gloria does her best to help each woman she mentors find out what their gifts and strengths are, and she teaches them to use those gifts to become successful.
Favorite Role Models
Her Mother: Gloria selected her mother as a role model because of her persona, her energy level, and her deep desire to help other people.
Mary Kay Ash: Gloria also looks up to the founder of Mary Kay, INC. She chose Mary Kay Ash for her empowerment of women, and that Ash decided to be successful while also making it essential for other women to be successful too.
Her Husband: She chose her husband for his discipline and because he gives her space to own her oxygen. She says, “It takes a strong man to lift a powerful woman.”
Favorite Kindness Quotes
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. (The Golden Rule)
If it’s not funny to everyone, it’s not funny.
It’s no secret that kindness is a huge underlying factor in Gloria Banks’ successes. While she’s been through so much in her life, she’s also achieved so much. Kindness, when it was shown to her as well as when she shared it with others, helped her get to be where she is today. Gloria goes out of her way to be kind to women so that they may feel empowered and learn to embrace what makes each of them special and unique.
Gloria Banks is the perfect example of what a leader, friend, and woman should look like - KIND!