At the designated time, I dialed the number that I was given to conduct my telephone interview with the woman I respectfully call "the princess of gospel," CeCe Winans.  As the phone rang, I wondered what I should call her.  My professional training told me to address her as Ms. Winans.  But, when she answered the phone, her “I never met a stranger in my life voice” compelled me to call her CeCe.   And, we had a very informative conversation.

Now, I know you’re familiar with CeCe Winans, the multiple award-winning gospel artist, Mom and Pop Winans’ first daughter, Bebe’s singing partner, Alvin Love’s wife, Ashley and Alvin III’s mom, Whitney Houston’s good friend, the host of CeCe’s Place, and the lady in the Crest commercial.  However, you may not know CeCe Winans, the entrepreneur. So let me introduce you.

That’s right, as a growing number of African-American women across the country  operate their own businesses, CeCe Winans is managing CW Wellspring Entertainment, a full-service entertainment company.  She and her partner in life and in business, Alvin Love, provide management, booking, and publishing services for artists at their Tennessee headquarters just South of Nashville.

In her own words, CeCe’s vision for CW Wellspring Entertainment is simply “to have a company that will cover everything from A to Z for an artist and that will cover it well.” Everything from “A to Z” means talent identification, artist development, and all of the steps in between to produce and sign artists to her Wellspring Gospel record label.  By design, she wanted a company “that was God fearing, just, and honest,  which are two words you don’t really find often in this industry or really in the business world.”

Unlike many CEOs, CeCe isn’t afraid to mix business with spirituality. That’s why the  company’s mission is firmly rooted in her spiritual beliefs.  “Well, I think spirituality goes into every part and area of your life. If you take it into business, then I think you’re going to be successful, because spirituality, first of all, gives you an inner peace, especially when you’re going through the challenges that you’re going to go through.  You’re going to go through the rough times and when you know that God is in control, and all you can do is your best, then he’s going to take care of the rest.”

She reflects on the time when she and her brother, Bebe, started their professional singing career.  “When it came to booking, management, and somebody looking for other opportunities in television and radio and all the different things, they didn’t have a place for us in the system.”  She says by creating a business that’s easy for her to fit into, it’ll be easy for a lot of other artists to find it appealing as well.  Winans' approach is spiritual to making tough business decisions in the cut-throat entertainment industry. “The bible tells you in business to be skillful.  It tells you to take care of business, the way business should be taken care of. But, to a lot of people’s surprise, you can do business well and be nice at the same time.”

The entertainment company is not CeCe’s first business endeavor. It is her second.  As a licensed cosmetologist, CeCe owned and managed a beauty salon in Detroit.  It was called CeCe’s Place. “I learned that operating a business takes a lot of work, but it was something I really enjoyed.  I think it’s a major difference when you’re working for yourself as opposed to working for others.”  Today her greatest challenge “is just hiring the right people and relying on spirituality. I pray about my employees because I realize a business is only as good as its employees are period.”

In addition to starting CW Wellspring Entertainment, CeCe has also created Sharing the Vision, Inc., a nonprofit organization focusing on the growth and development of children, teens, and young adults.  It’s her way of giving back to the neediest members of the community. There are several extensions of her Sharing the Vision outreach program at work in the Nashville area.

Included are My Sister’s Keeper, which provides mentoring, tutoring, and other positive social activities for women between the ages of 13-30; Camp CeCe, a day-camping experience with sessions on problem-solving, communication, crisis intervention, and conflict resolution for children and teens; and Teen Save, a national suicide awareness and prevention initiative in partnership with Meharry Medical College in Nashville.

Nashville is called "Music City" and it isn’t just the home of noted country singers anymore.  A host of gospel artists and groups live there as well. Five of the Winans family members including CeCe, BeBe, Angie, Debbie and Daniel, all live in what is becoming "Gospel Music City."  And there’s Bobby Jones, Ann McCrary, Beverly Crawford, Take 6, and many new groups just waiting to sign a record deal.   Trinity Broadcasting Network is just north of CeCe Winans' company headquarters, and the "Godfather of Gospel," Bobby Jones, is always showcasing new talent. So, when it comes to identifying new gospel artists, CeCe Winans is living in just the right place.

As for future plans, CeCe says “eventually we want to do a magazine.  There are just so many areas that I feel like we, as Christians and especially we as a people, need more outlets for what we do.”  She advises aspiring entrepreneurs to be spiritual at all times.  “When you pray, follow God’s principles and put them in your business. That’s the best way to do anything.  You have to believe in yourself, be patient and be in it for the long haul.  Remember, success does not often happen overnight. If you want to be successful, listen to someone who is successful."

 Sybril Brown Bennett, Ph.D., is an assistant professor at Middle Tennessee State University in electronic media journalism. She is also the founder and CEO of Bennett Communications, a publicist and booking agency in Nashville.