Rhetta Cloyd Women in Business Awards 2026

Rhetta Cloyd

In The Black Marketing & Consulting

Chief Strategy Officer & Co-Owner

Charleston

Rhetta Cloyd is the chief strategy officer and co-owner of In The Black Marketing & Consulting, a Charleston-based firm recognized for driving measurable business growth. With more than two decades of experience across media, marketing, and revenue strategy, she is known for her clarity and ability to solve complex business challenges. Grounded in facts and guided by what drives results, Cloyd leads with intention, builds people, and is committed to creating work that delivers lasting impact.

How do you define leadership?

Leadership is ownership of the outcome, the standard, and the direction forward. It’s knowing when to step in and when to step back, and having the judgment to do both well. At its best, leadership creates confidence, not dependency.

What makes you an effective leader? What are you still working on?

I’m good at identifying the superpowers in others and putting them in a position to use them. When people are operating in their strengths, everything changes. The work improves, the energy shifts, and the results follow. What I’m still working on, and always will be, is staying a student of my craft while continuing to grow as a leader, a mother, and a person. Each role demands something different, and I’ve learned they don’t compete, they shape one another. It takes intention to show up well in all of them, and that’s something I’m always refining.

Is there a mentor who has meant a lot to you in your career?

I’ve been shaped by my parents in very different, but equally important ways. My mother, who was also my journalism teacher, taught me how to think, not just how to do. She pushed me to ask better questions, pay attention to detail, and take pride in getting it right.

My father taught me that anything worth doing is worth doing well. He instilled grit and resilience in me early on, and taught me to keep going and stand firm in what I believe is right.

Those lessons gave me both perspective and discipline. They shaped how I approach challenges, how I lead, and the standard I hold myself and others to.

What is your greatest fear, and how do you manage fear?

I focus on what I can control and trust my faith and my team with the rest.

What’s the best advice you have received in business that you wish to pass on to our readers?

Don’t be afraid of failure. Adversity has a way of revealing who you are. Some people let it break them. Others use it to push forward. The difference is in how you respond. Tough times don’t last, but the people who push through them do.

What would you say is your greatest professional accomplishment to date?

Turning a vision into a firm that creates real impact, not just campaigns, but meaningful growth for the businesses that trust us. Doing that alongside my business partner and a team I genuinely respect, and building something we’re all proud of, means more than any single milestone.

What one thing have you learned that has served you well over the years?

Most problems don’t need more time. They need honesty. The sooner you address what’s actually going on, the faster things improve.

If there is one thing you could go back and do differently what would it be?

I don’t spend much time looking back at what I would change. Each phase brought lessons I needed, both professionally and personally. The difference now is perspective. I see things more clearly, stay focused on what matters, and move forward with more intention.