We recently connected with Dr. Porsche Belidor and have shared our conversation below.
Dr. Porsche, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
My mission is to ensure teen parents have access to proper healthcare, social services and education to navigate the challenges of parenthood at a young age. Statistically, only about 50% of teen moms complete high school. Having my child at the age of 15 pushed me to finish my education and to give back to teen parents. Not only did I graduate high school and attend college, but I also graduated with my Doctorate in Healthcare Administration. I published my book titled “I Left the Girl I Was to Become the Woman I Am Today” and created a for-profit organization, “Teen Mom Talk,” as a source and support system for teen parents.
Dr. Porsche, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Where do I begin? At the age of 14, my life changed forever. I was in the 9th grade, enjoying my freshman year as a cheerleader at one of Pompano Beach, FL’s most incredible high schools, Blanche Ely High. My life changed once I received a phone call from my mom, stating she heard that I may be pregnant. Well, it was true. I remember this day like it was yesterday, and the look on my mother’s face when she saw my positive pregnancy test was heartbreaking. Having my child at the age of 15 motivated me to finish my education and to give back to teen parents. This has encouraged me to keep pushing and going as hard as I’ve been to become the woman I am today. I have a great career in the Human Resources industry for over 10 years and this has allowed me to continue connecting with the community. Providing support and strategizing on different plans of success and development. My book “I Left the Girl I Was to Become the Woman I Am Today” tells my story, which is used as a guide to motivate teen parents to never give up on their dreams and goals.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
As a teen mom, I had to get a job early, attend school, and care for a baby. Some of the struggles I faced were family members bad-mouthing me, going to school and dealing with the facial expressions of the students and staff, and seeing me with this huge belly. I started to become discouraged, and I wanted to quit school. It was so bad that I transferred to another school, which was for pregnant women only. Eventually, that didn’t work, and I moved back to my former high school following the birth of my child. I didn’t have help from my child’s father, so everything fell on me and my mother when it came to my child. There were many sleepless nights and thoughts about giving up, but I had to keep the faith and move forward. I had to stop all extracurricular activities such as cheering, which I’ve did since I was a little girl. I had to retake college courses that I failed, pushing my graduation date further. However, I knew I had to keep moving forward to motivate other teen parents like me and show they could do it, but it takes discipline and dedication. I used each test thrown my way as an opportunity to become a testimony to success.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
As an HR Professional, Author, and Teen Mom Advocate, it has helped me build my confidence in public speaking. This is highly important when you’re trying to gather the ears of the community and get them to hear and understand your story. I needed to share my story as a teen parent so that other teen parents would know they’re not alone and never to give up. Social media had a significant impact on building my reputation in the market. When I first started Teen Mom Talk, I would have live conversations every Tuesday for an hour, and it was called “Teen Mom Talk Tuesdays.” This allowed teen parents to come on my platform and share their stories of growing up and raising a child at a young age. These men and women are now very successful. However, the goal and purpose was to ensure that those listening gained the knowledge and received the tools and resources they needed to keep moving forward to success.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teenmomtalkllc?igsh=MWptemF1MDNiaTFmOQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/porsche-belidor-mha-dha-555369209?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/soteQpjQOUk?si=-5CcMpWo2LXKm4Sb
Image Credits
IG: @cashmere_images