We recently connected with Tajia Lagomarsino and have shared our conversation below.

Tajia, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

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The biggest risk I’ve ever taken hasn’t been in my career, finances, or even moving across places—it’s been in love. Love with family, friends, and partners has required a level of vulnerability that nothing else in my life has demanded.

I grew up learning how to be strong, independent, and self-sufficient. Over time, I built a life where I could rely on myself, and in many ways, that felt safe. But love doesn’t exist in safety—it exists in openness. And for me, that meant choosing to trust people even when I knew there was a possibility of being hurt.

With family, the risk looked like forgiveness. It meant choosing to keep showing up, even after disappointment, and believing that relationships could grow and heal. With friends, it meant being fully seen—sharing my goals, my struggles, and the parts of me that weren’t perfect. It meant risking rejection in exchange for genuine connection.

But the greatest risk came in romantic love. I allowed myself to care deeply for someone, to envision a future, and to give parts of myself that I don’t give easily. I spoke my needs, set boundaries, and still chose to love fully. That was the risk—loving without guarantees.

At times, though, I had to face a hard truth: some of those relationships, especially the ones that weren’t aligned with me, became distractions from my purpose. When your heart is invested in something unstable, it’s easy to lose focus. Your energy shifts, your priorities blur, and you start pouring into situations that aren’t pouring back into you. I found myself giving time, emotions, and attention to people and dynamics that were not helping me grow, but quietly pulling me away from who I was becoming.

And that realization was painful—but necessary.

Because through those experiences, I learned that not every connection is meant to stay, and not every love is meant to build you. Some love comes to teach you. It teaches you boundaries, self-worth, discipline, and the importance of protecting your energy. It teaches you that your purpose requires alignment, not just emotion.

Not every part of that journey turned out the way I once hoped. There were moments of hurt, misunderstanding, and realizing that love alone doesn’t always equal compatibility. But even in that, I gained something more valuable than comfort—I gained clarity. I learned what I truly deserve, what I’m willing to accept, and how strong I am when I choose myself.

And to anyone who has experienced heartbreak in any form—family, friendships, or romantic relationships—keep going. Heartbreak can feel like it pauses your world, but it doesn’t end your story. You can repair what feels broken within you. You can rebuild your confidence, your peace, and your direction. And along that journey, the universe has a way of placing the right people in your life—people who support you, align with you, and help you grow into the person you’re meant to be.

In the end, taking the risk in love didn’t break me—it refined me. It taught me that vulnerability is not weakness, but courage. And despite everything, I would take that risk again, because love, in all its forms, is still one of the most powerful forces for growth in my life.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

For those who may not know me, my name is Tajia Lagomarsino, and I am a multi-passionate creative, nonprofit founder, paralegal, behavioral therapist (ABAT), and an up-and-coming wellness athlete. My journey hasn’t been linear—it’s been intentional. Every space I’ve stepped into has been guided by growth, purpose, and a deep desire to build something meaningful—not just for myself, but for others.

I currently serve as the Founder and Executive Director of The Breakthrough Initiative, a nonprofit focused on helping underserved communities move from survival to sustainable living through health, opportunity, and community development. As I’ve grown, I’ve learned that building something impactful requires honesty with yourself. As I prepare to launch the nonprofit’s website, I took a step back and realigned my mission and restructured my programs.

And truthfully, it was easy—because it put me in alignment.

I’ve learned that when something truly aligns with who you are becoming, it doesn’t feel forced. It feels clear. It feels intentional. It feels right. I’m moving on my time and in God’s time, trusting that every adjustment I’ve made is exactly what this organization needs in this season. I’ve come to love starting over—not because I failed, but because each version becomes more refined, more purposeful, and more impactful.

That same lesson has shown up in every area of my life—especially in love. Taking risks in relationships with family, friends, and partners has taught me that not everything is meant to stay, and not everything is meant to build you. Some connections come to teach you. I’ve experienced moments where relationships that weren’t aligned became distractions from my purpose. When your energy is placed in the wrong spaces, it can quietly pull you away from who you’re meant to become.

But even in that, there is growth.

Because I’ve learned how to choose myself. I’ve learned how to protect my energy, set boundaries, and refocus on what truly matters. That discipline carries into my work as an ABAT, where I support behavioral growth and development, and into my journey as a wellness athlete, where I am building not just my physique, but my mindset, consistency, and resilience. Fitness, for me, is a reflection of my discipline and my commitment to becoming the highest version of myself.

Creatively, I express that same transformation through my work as an editorial photographer , conceptual artist, and creative director. I don’t just create images—I create experiences that allow people to see their strength, their identity, and their vision more clearly.

Across everything I do, the common thread is this: I help people reconnect—to themselves, to opportunity, and to their potential.

What sets me apart is that I’m not afraid to evolve. I trust the process. I trust my vision. And I trust God’s timing over everything.

I’m proud of how far I’ve come, but even more proud of who I’m becoming.

To anyone watching my journey, I want you to know this: no matter what you’ve been through—heartbreak, setbacks, moments of doubt—you can rebuild, you can realign, and you can rise again. The right people, the right opportunities, and the right support will meet you when you’re in alignment.

As for me, I’m stepping into this next chapter with clarity, discipline, and faith

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Resilience, for me, wasn’t something I chose at first—it was something I had to learn in order to survive.

I was adopted into a family where, from the outside, things may have appeared stable, but internally there were experiences that shaped me in ways I’m still unpacking. There was abuse, and there were moments where I felt I had to protect the very people who were hurting me. As a child, that response came from a place of love and fear. Love, because I didn’t want to lose the people I was connected to. Fear, because I didn’t fully understand what would happen if I told the truth.

I remember sitting in front of therapists, knowing what I was experiencing, but not fully speaking on it. Not because I didn’t need help—but because, at that age, protecting others felt like the safest option. Looking back, I understand that as a survival response.

At 18, I was kicked out and eventually disowned by the same family I once tried so hard to hold onto. That moment forced a shift in me. It was no longer about surviving within an environment—it became about learning how to stand on my own, emotionally and physically.

I’ve also experienced sexual harassment and abuse, which added another layer to how I understood people, power, and vulnerability. For a long time, I coped by trying to understand everyone else. I would ask myself, “Why would they act this way?” instead of asking, “Why am I allowing this?” I became overly understanding, to the point where I excused harmful behavior and allowed people to walk in and out of my life without accountability.

From a therapeutic perspective, I can now recognize that pattern as empathy without boundaries. I had developed a deep capacity to understand others, but I hadn’t yet learned how to protect myself from harm.

Healing changed that.

It came through awareness, reflection, and choosing to face my experiences without minimizing them. I had to relearn what love actually looks like, what safety feels like, and what it means to choose myself without guilt.

What kept me going, even in my lowest moments, was vision. I’ve always carried a deep desire to build a life that feels safe, abundant, and intentional. The idea of having a family one day—one built on stability, respect, and genuine love—kept my heart moving forward. It gave me something to hold onto when everything else felt uncertain.

Now, I don’t just see resilience as survival—I see it as transformation. It’s the ability to take painful experiences, understand them, and choose a different path moving forward.

My journey taught me that you can be compassionate without abandoning yourself, understanding without tolerating harm, and strong without losing your softness.

And most importantly, it taught me that no matter where you start, you can still create the life you deserve

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Yes—my mission is to help as many people as I can with all the talents God has given me and allows me to pursue daily. Everything I create, whether it’s through my nonprofit, my work in behavioral health, my photography, or my journey in fitness, is rooted in service and impact.

I don’t see my talents as separate—I see them as tools. Tools to uplift, to heal, to inspire, and to create opportunities for others. My goal is to use every gift I’ve been given with intention, knowing that each one has the potential to reach someone who needs it.

At the core of my creative journey is purpose. I want my work to make people feel seen, understood, and empowered to grow into who they’re meant to be. And as long as God continues to open doors for me, I’ll continue to walk in them and serve at the highest level I can.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/__tajia__?igsh=bG5yM21paW9uNjFx&utm_source=qr
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/zhatajia?igsh=NnB5MjhlNG9ubmRy&utm_source=qr

Image Credits

Tony Shot That
Tajia Lagomarsino
The Breakthrough Initiative
JC Penny Portraits