Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tianna Soto. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Tianna, appreciate you joining us today. How’s you first get into your field – what was your first job in this field?

For context, I’ve always been pretty multi-passionate and pictured myself having a creative, interdisciplinary career path. First, I studied psychology in undergrad and graduate school and planned on becoming a psychologist. But one day, while working for a non-profit in the mental health field, I had an out of body experience and intuitively knew I was destined to pursue a different path. I enjoyed what I did, but felt in my gut that there was something more out there to explore. I thought to myself, “What profession would I pursue if I could choose anything?”

At the time, I had recently moved to New York City and was intrigued by journalism. Having grown up in the print magazine era, I often dreamed about working for a publication and being a storyteller. Coincidentally, while working at my mental health job, I ended up doing musical theater on the side, and one of my fellow actors mentioned that she was a writer. It turned out she was an author and editor at a major media company. After chatting with her, I started plotting how I was going to make my way into the magazine industry.

Having no formal journalism experience at the time, I decided to start a blog to practice writing consistently. I also began pitching editors, which turned into writing guest posts for online publications. I became obsessed with learning about the editorial industry and how it worked. My first interview was at one of the most well-known magazines in the world. I went through multiple phone screenings and in-person interviews, and made it to the final round, but didn’t get the job. I didn’t let it stop me. Eventually, I managed to land a role as a branded content editor at a digital publication for Gen Z, and that’s where my career began.

It seems like my pivot from psychology into journalism happened overnight, but the truth is, it took many months, coffee meetings, writing for free, job applications, persistence, and more to get there.

Tianna, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hi! I’m Tianna Soto, a keynote speaker, wellness journalist, and former editor at Women’s Health magazine. I travel year-round helping audiences care for their well-being, unlock creativity, and take bold action toward their goals without fear of imperfection. I’ve been booked as a keynote speaker in almost all 50 states for organizations ranging from colleges to global corporations. As a writer and editor, my articles have been published in Cosmopolitan, Elite Daily, Glamour, mindbodygreen, Well+Good, and more.

I have a master’s in psychology from Columbia University, where I specialized in positive psychology and resilience at the Spirituality Mind Body Institute (SMBI). I also graduated with dual degrees from North Carolina State University, where I was a Caldwell Fellow. My career path has not been linear, and I’m proud of it. I bring a unique lens to my work, blending psychology, mind-body practices, media, and storytelling. I’m also a woman with a mixed cultural background—Puerto Rican and Jamaican-Chinese—and I believe deeply in diversity and owning the qualities that make all of us unique.

When I look at the creative career I’ve built, I’m most proud of the lives I’ve impacted. As a speaker and writer, it’s not as straightforward or quantifiable to see your work “pay off”—but whenever a reader or audience member tells me that my words positively impacted them, I feel like it’s all worth it. Over the years, I’ve helped people reflect on their stories, speak up about their mental health struggles, start trusting their intuition, and gain the courage to follow their dreams without fear. Everything I do is in the spirit of service. If that’s a legacy I can continuously work toward, I feel fulfilled.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Being intentional, kind, and thoughtful. When I’m booked to speak at an event, I always go the extra mile to get to know my client before, during, and after—not only on a professional level, but I want to understand who they are as a human being. This helps form connections that last longer and run deeper. The same goes for my audience members. I recognize that every room is different, and I’m very thoughtful in my approach to content and facilitation. When I entered the professional speaking industry, I saw very quickly that it’s a relationships-based business, and it’s also a small (ish) industry in that many people know eachother. So, reputation matters. If you’re easy to work with and can deliver on and offstage, while making events fun and meaningful for audience members, that is gold.

On the writing front, I feel similarly. The fun thing about working in editorial is that everyone is wildly creative and also very different in terms of how they work and operate. It’s important to be intentional, thoughtful, and also flexible in your approach because things can change on a dime, and that requires adaptability. Being reliable and easy to work with is something I pride myself in as a writer. As an editor, I’ve had people tell me that working together is “a breath of fresh air.” Respect goes a long way and that’s something I always lead with.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

In my fields of speaking and journalism, you can certainly acquire the skills and knowledge to become a good speaker or good writer. But beyond that, if you’re serious about succeeding in either of these fields, you’ll need to be super dedicated to the craft—even when work gets tiring and uninspiring. To that end, I think resilience, adaptability, and grit are super important, especially in these creative fields where a lot of people are competing to be seen, booked, and hired. You have to want it, be willing to practice, and be willing to flop. It’s all a part of learning and getting better. You also have to be humble—at the end of the day, it’s not about you, it’s about the people you serve.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tiannafaye.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tiannafayee/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiannasoto/
• Other: https://substack.com/@tiannafaye
  https://www.threads.com/@tiannafayee?xmt=AQF07UNAz6Y11cAMbWLzI1O8qzbY6k8OlxnLj8v505l2GYc

Image Credits

All courtesy of Tianna Soto except for the colorful stage photo where I’m interviewing someone – that one is “Her Campus Media”