We were lucky to catch up with Tamara Faith recently and have shared our conversation below.
Tamara, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Alright, so we’d love to hear about how you got your first client or customer. What’s the story?
I remember when I set up my vendor space for the very first time. It was a small venue in Downtown LA in the arts distrcit. I came in early to set up and brought in all my decorations, books and all the things. A friend of mine came to help me set up and a few other close friends came to see me shine and support my very first pop up! I was so nervous and so warm hearted at the same time. My table was placed between and a booming and creative clothing brand owned by a mother and daughter duo and the other booth was intimates and pleasurable items for couples. Before any of the customers were let in, I took a stroll and looked around at the other tables and set ups and I was further more inspired. After making one lap around the vicinity, I saw a few women come visit my table. It was a middle aged lady African American lady and her daughter. She was so inspired by my work and asked me how I got started. I shared with her that I had entered a writing program that allowed me to write and publish my book within 90 days with my author coach. Soon after publication, I was also blessed enough to have made #1 Best Seller’s List and that I was determined to continue to share my store on a local scale. She was thrilled and she was passionate about supporting me. She gave my book a look even deeper and my heart started to pound out of my chest. After she flipped a few pages she looked up and asked me, “Do you sign the books too?” I answered her “Absolutely!” She then said she wanted to give my book to her niece as a present and she knew she would love it. She then asked me “How much?” I told her “That’ll be 20 even”. After our exchange she wanted to take a photo and I was so thrilled and nervous. She then encouraged me even further and she and her daughter went on to the rest of the vendor booths. I was so nervous. It was my first purchase that was not a family member or a friend and she was excited to support me. It was then and there that I knew I loved making a difference in someone’s life on a personal level.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
This is a such a loaded question and I love it! I am originally from the Antelope Valley and I come from a pretty big family. I was pretty soft spoken growing up but I always loved people and the arts in different ways. I used to go to poetry showcases in college and began performing my own original poetry at an event called “Espressions” and Vocal Artillery at my Alma Mater Cal State Northridge. The more I would attend these events, the more confident I became in being able to tell my story. I was shy, had difficulty loving myself and showing up powerfully in my own space. Soon, I began understanding that if I was dealing with discovering my voice, I knew the possibility of others struggling with the same thing. So, I sought out my first writing coach and together she helped me to birth my first body of work titled “Sweet Not Stupid”, where I teach readers how to own their voice no matter the difficulties in life they face. Since then, I have been invited to write on two more best selling books titled Let The Women Speak Volume I and II. Not only have I been able to bless others with my writing but also with my speaking. I have been fortunate enough to also speak publicly to groups of women struggling with finding community, struggling with self esteem, and seeking to grown their own businesses. Young woman have also come up to me thanking me for speaking and sharing my story because now they know they are not alone and that there is still hope for a brighter tomorrow. What has set me apart from others in my willingness to be myself in all the different spaces I walk into and claim my power in the present. Not waiting to be anywhere else, or not wishing to be anyone else, but knowing that I am enough, right here with all that I am. I am most proud of my journey and meeting God in all of the ripples that go on in my small business. When things go well or when there are dry spells, I know that my greater is coming and there isn’t anything that can take me out of my element of authenticity. I am forever working to build myself and grow into a more loving, wiser and more gracious woman of God. I hope that I can continue to touch others and be a strong and positive role models to my peers and the generations coming after me.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
The lesson I had to unlearn was that “I couldn’t be too good at something and that I couldn’t have what I wanted, so that others can have what they wanted”. I thought I had to give up or sacrifice my dreams and desires in order to make space for others around me to have what they wanted. That putting others above myself at all times and at all costs of friendships and relationships was the best thing for me. However, I lost my worth, I did not know myself and I often dimmed my light in order to make others around me feel “Comfortable”. I know that, this way of living and people pleasing is so unhealthy. Not only do we lose ourselves, but we don’t learn how to set healthy boundaries. We make ways for people that shouldn’t be in our lives stay in our lives longer than they should and occupy spaces and define relationships they should not be in. I remember growing up I was very sacrificial in supporting others and did everything to help them make their dreams a reality but the moment I was doing well, I was isolated or even shunned for wanting something for myself. People heckle me and make fun of me for wanting more and I had to learn that sometime being uncomfortable is ok and it takes courage to own your own space in a way that is meaningful for you. I can say it was some of the most emotionally taxing experience of my life but one I cannot control from the vantage point of others. I can only control myself and I own my greatness no matter what.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Absolutely. I can say that the biggest pivot I experienced was when I graduated college and was thrusted into the real world. My first challenge was to start earning money so that I could stay in the Valley and not have to return home to the Antelope Valley. I really wanted to stay because I knew God had a plan out here for me and I felt that the chapter back home was closed. I began working for a few temp agencies and job after job proved to be the wrong fit. At my last assignment, I was on a fast and I felt God say, “it’s time to pursue what I called you to pursue” and I knew exactly what that meant. Not long after I fasted, I got called into my manager’s office and I was told I would be let go. Little did I know, the day after, I started acting classes and a path to the arts was paved. I began my acting career right after not even really knowing how my life would change but I was so grateful for this pivot. After a few years of acting and ganging life changing expereinces, I started writing and speaking and I kept on sharing my story. With each pivot and with each challenge, I knew certain things were not working. I wanted to make the best use of my time and maximise my efforts in each chapter that God brought me through. With each pivot I was introduced by an extreme let down that allowed me to take a deep breath, reassess, pray, recharge and then reframe. I can only say that with each pivot, I have been met with God’s grace and favour I couldn’t have done it without him.
Contact Info:
- Website: Tamarafaith.com
- Instagram: Tamara_faith_
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lovelyladytam
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamara-faith-/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9i-HvtOAmPD6JVHQOExnYA