A Voice for All

Joyel Crawford may be a familiar face, whether you’ve seen her around Collingswood or Haddon Township, in “Hustle,” or on “Good Morning America.”

But beyond the local sightings and national television moments, Crawford’s life work centers on one thing: helping people speak up and use their voices effectively. 

As the CEO and founder of Crawford Leadership Strategies, she nurtures leaders through career coaching, speaking, and writing. Over the past decade, she has advised executives in boardrooms and addressed global audiences, believing that bold, authentic leadership starts with self-advocacy.

Being a voice for others, and encouraging others to use their voice, too, is deeply personal for Crawford.  

“My career path was inspired by a deep belief that leadership shouldn’t require people — especially women and people of color — to shrink, stay silent, or wait for permission,” she said. After nearly two decades in corporate America, she repeatedly saw talented professionals overlooked — not because they lacked skill, but because they hadn’t been taught how to advocate for themselves in environments that weren’t designed with them in mind. “That realization changed everything.”

In 2014, she launched Crawford Leadership Strategies.

Since then, Crawford has helped more than 15,000 professionals advance their careers. (She tracks whom she has coached and the audience sizes at events where she has spoken about career development.) Her TEDx talk has surpassed one million views, and Find My Profession has named her one of Philadelphia’s Best Career Coaches five years in a row. Most recently, she earned a place on the Real Leaders Top Impact Speakers list — an honor that is especially meaningful because it recognizes “impact, not popularity.”

That impact can be felt in the way she empowers others. 

There are many ways people hide their shine, she said, but advocating for oneself and speaking up effectively can affect outcomes.

“Sharing your value isn’t bragging or rude,” she said. When you’re interviewing for an internal or external job, for instance, “it’s absolutely necessary to share who you are, what you specifically did, and what results you accomplished” in your role. 

As a coach, speaker and author herself, she has shared her expertise on “Good Morning America” several times over the past few years. She feels “honored” to reach millions of viewers “who may have needed permission to advocate for themselves, pivot their careers, or redefine success on their own terms,” she said.

Her 2021 book, “Show Your Ask,” further expanded that mission, offering readers practical strategies to speak up for themselves at work and beyond. “Writing allows me to meet readers in quiet, intimate moments — often when they’re questioning their confidence or next move,” she said. “Professional speaking, on the other hand, is electric and immediate. … Writing plants the seed; speaking ignites the fire.”

As a female entrepreneur, Crawford’s leadership lens is acute. “Being a female entrepreneur has sharpened my vision in powerful ways. It has taught me to think systemically — not just about individual success, but about access, equity, and sustainability,” she said. “I’ve seen firsthand how bias, burnout, and unspoken rules affect women’s careers, particularly women of color and those in leadership roles.” Through coaching, mentorship, community initiatives, pro bono work, and her Ask Your Fairygodmentor® advice column for “Black Enterprise,” she helps women negotiate, set boundaries without apology, and lead with confidence.

This year she wants to focus on scale and sustainability. She is expanding her executive advisory work, launching new group coaching experiences, and preparing for the release of her next book, “It’s Their Loss: Honoring Grief at Work & Leading Through What Breaks Us Open,” which explores how personal loss and workplace change intersect.

“I’m also deepening my media presence, continuing to speak globally, and partnering with organizations that are serious about developing resilient, human-centered leaders,” she said. “At every level, my goal is to help people lead with confidence, clarity, and courage — especially during times of uncertainty.”

Outside of her professional life, Crawford embraces creativity and community. She recently participated in a New Jersey Public Service Announcement campaign for Naloxone. (“You may see me in a commercial or print ads on our buses and trains,” she said excitedly.)  She continues acting on stage and screen — including background work in “Hustle,” (2022) starring Adam Sandler and Queen Latifah. Appearing on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” is a bucket-list goal.

A singer-songwriter, she has attended Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp and performed with artists including Sammy Hagar, Lita Ford, Kip Winger, and Steven Tyler. After stepping away from music during the pandemic, she returned to the Philly music scene and now sings background vocals with The Whole Damn Affair and The Circus Hearts.

At home in Haddon Township since 2019, Crawford and her husband, Jacob Persofsky, will celebrate nine years of marriage in 2026. “Family and community are central to who I am,” she said. “I deeply value the grounding and perspective that partnership brings.”

Creating space for rest and joy are things she now sees as “leadership practices, not luxuries,” she said. Besides acting and singing, she enjoys spending time writing, reading, and traveling. 

Near home, she frequents Guimarello’s Restaurant & G Bar, Treno Pizza Bar, Central Taco and Tequila, Reunion Hall, The Original Tacconelli’s Pizzeria, Koupa Espresso Bar, Dar’s Steaks and Primo Water Ice. While in Collingswood, her favorites are Osaka, Sabrina’s Cafe, Kitchen Consigliere Cafe, Il Fiore, Li Beirut, and Villa Barone. 

Whether mentoring alumni, supporting equity initiatives, or serving as president-elect of the National Speakers Association’s Philadelphia chapter, Crawford sees service as inseparable from leadership.

“Giving back isn’t something I do in addition to my work — it’s woven into everything I stand for,” she said.

For Crawford, being a voice for others is a calling — and an invitation for everyone she reaches to find  — and use  — their own.