We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tara-Whitney Rison . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tara-Whitney below.

Tara-Whitney , appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

Before the pandemic, I was really solely existing as a struggling actor. On top of that, I was an actor living with an active autoimmune disease and struggling financially trying to keep my head above water. I was financially, spiritually and physically unwell-all of which negatively impacted my condition. When the pandemic hit, I was really forced to look in the mirror and truly decide what I needed in my own healing & how I wanted to truly live abundantly. You know the saying you can’t do the same thing over and over expecting different results? Not only did I want to find a way I could pursue my passion but also serve my community. And when I stopped to think about it in that way I discovered the other parts of my purpose.. how I could help other women like me. I discovered I wasn’t just an actor and I could be more then one thing-I was a healer. During this time when the world was in a state of environmental crises, I discovered how much I wanted to support passionate, high-achieving, business/career women like myself claim agency over their wellness and that desire grew into wanting to help not only career womxn but the organizations that employ those womxn to create healthy, whole-person centered work cultures. The pandemic + the following couple of years allowed the time and space for more intentional healing and a greater vision to cultivate. My overall vision was integrating my gifts as an actor/artist and wellness expert to really empower people globally on whole person health and wellness. Tara Whitney Brand, LLC was born, an unapologetically integrated artistic-wholistic brand and wellness company that specializes in whole person health + wellness and liberates womxn and work communities, ultimately I would love my own television show one day :).

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am Tara-Whitney Rison- Actress/Artist, Business owner. I am a whole-person health and wellness coach, consultant and speaker and my origin story has always started with my work as an actor. My company Tara Whitney Brand, LLC (name shift coming soon!) was born from my gifts as an actor and from there the full understanding of my purpose.

My company is an artistic-wholistic wellness company that liberates career/business womxn and work communities from burnout into whole-person centered work & lifestyles. I specialize in speaking, coaching and consulting and will be co-hosting my first full-day retreat in October 2024 in Washingto, D.C. My philosophy is that we should be radical in our wellness. I think that really sets me apart from other wellness professionals. I believe that in order to heal, in order to be optimally well we have to take a radical approach and that takes a gigantic mindset shift from how we have been conditioned. My philosophy liberates people to prioritize their health FIRST. That is how we thrive. My vision is to help my audience challenge the status quo, their own mindsets and get out of their own way to support their bodies.

I want potential followers and clients to know I operate from a whole-person centered place. My framework addresses every facet of health and wellbeing not just nutrition and exercise. In order to change your life we have to change our mindset and health and wellness exists on a spectrum. Audre Lorde said “Caring for myself is not self-indulgent, it is self-preservation and that is an act of political warfare”. I’m so proud to live and breathe in my full purpose as an actress, artist and business owner. Sometimes the doors you were looking to open have different passageways and when you discover your FULL PURPOSE you find those passages and it leads to an Overflow- more then you ever knew was possible and then some and when you’re healed you can see from a different lens and give more. I want people to know you can’t pour from an empty cup. You HAVE to reFILL (which is the name of one of my coaching series, actually :)). I pray that everyone takes the time to reFILL.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Recently, in February 2024, I had my first baby! A boy his name is Harlem named after the Harlem Renaissance. Last December 2023, my water broke early and I was emitted to the hospital at almost 25 weeks and I was there on bed rest for a little over 2 months. An extremely long time. For someone like me who has agendas and knows their purpose and is active and cares about holistic health, the hospital felt like a dungeon at times, especially in the beginning. I also battled my own mind in what that meant for my life. I was isolated, I didn’t have my normal routine but somehow I thrived. Once I stopped entertaining the desire to leave. I invited a different perspective and made the decision that the best option was for me to stay. For me and my baby. And then, I DID that.

And it taught me SO much about my self. About what I was capable of about who I was, about mindset shifts in even the most challenging circumstances. It taught me even more about patience and sacrifice, seasons and self advocacy. I remember my friend said to me you are literally in the greatest practicum of your career. And I was. I empower around self determination and autonomy and I had to do that for myself every single day. Establishing boundaries, advocating for who came in my room, asking for access, asking for privacy, saying no. Prayer, an enormous village, a care routine for my mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health all were necessities. I surprised myself. I filmed an audition in the hospital, did a virtual artistic gig, I practiced my craft and I filled myself with the things that I love. We always think something is impossible until it isn’t. I made up in my mind I could make it through. And I did with a beautiful healthy baby and STILL in pursuit of my purpose. I stopped fighting and started listening. And I overcame my own scarcity mindset and fear- I found that passageway and I walked through it.

My baby was born February 21st 2024 at about 33 weeks, by cesarean which I am recovering and healing from. We have had financial challenges I am recovering from and readjusting to life outside of the hospital while going through the motions of postpartum I am proud of how it has shaped me, Grown me. I am even more passionate, even more patient even more dedicated and ready to continue building my legacy.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tarawhitneybrand.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/twhitneyrise?igsh=MWMwOWFvOGJyMDgzMg==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tarawhitneybrandllc?mibextid=ZbWKwL
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-whitney-rison-cfnc-50978814?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=android_app
• Twitter: https://x.com/TWhitneyRison?t=vVdz8lixwVLLpdbUIslj8w&s=09
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@tarawhitneybrandllc2685?si=6mCrj-q38pkQi6S0

Image Credits
Angelo Arrington for all except one And Bossy B.A.E. Productions, llc (Only for the “refill moment with TWB image”)