We caught up with the brilliant and insightful TES Speaks a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

TES, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you tell us a story about a time you failed?

A few years ago, I was ready to become an entrepreneur and quit my 9-5. I was so eager to work for myself I jumped at the first opportunity to become a business owner. I got into real estate and trucking at the same time. Although these businesses were profitable, I did not feel fulfilled and free like I thought I would. The businesses took up my most of my time and I never had time for family and friends. I realized I was only chasing money which led me to feeling empty and angry most days. I failed to prioritize my passion, my peace and my happiness. Once I decided to prioritize these things, I closed down both businesses which felt like I had failed since I have always aspired to be a serial entrepreneur. Thankfully this decision led to me to seek internal clarity. I did so by asking myself these questions: What do I truly enjoy doing?
What comes easy to me thats hard for others?
How can I use my gift to help others?

I reflected everyday for few months to truly have answers for these questions. I realized, how much I enjoyed speaking an inspiring others. This led me to creating TES Speaks where I now get to travel around the world speaking to businesses and school about the importance of soul care, wellness and unity. I used my previous failure to create my current success which was the best thing I had ever done.

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 back background and context?

10 years ago, I felt like something was missing in my life. I started to ask myself, What is my purpose? For years I did not have this answer. Around the same time, the unthinkable happened within a span of a few years. Tragedy struck my family, I lost my aunt to suicide and my oldest brother to gun violence. These situations made me want to make a difference in the world. I felt the pain from each loss which made me feel the pain of others in the world. I decided to learn how to use my pain to fuel my purpose. This led me to speaking and teaching, this mindset to students and businesses all over the world today.

Our brand helps people realize the importance of prioritizing their mental health and overall wellbeing in the world. The more each of us feel more connected with ourselves internally the more we can connect with our purpose and the outside world.

Our brand also addresses LGBTQ acceptance, which s a message of unity. Teaching people how to fully embrace themselves in order to fully embrace someone else regardless of their appearance of preferences.

I am most proud of my ability to remain consistent with content and building my speaking business. Its a daily effort as some days I dont feel motivated. On those days I remember why I started my business and all the lives I miss out on impacting if I dont keep going.

Our brand include mens, women’s apparel, along with Home and living products. Our have a full shop available here: tesspeaks.com/shop/

We are also releasing 1:1 Transformational coaching where TES will work with clients for 8 weeks to help identify their super power and sustain success.

I want people to know that its ok to be different, look different, or even think differently than others. Its important to celebrate our uniqueness. It creates self love, confidence and does wonders for our mental health and wellbeing.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I had to unlearn thinking I was not good enough.

I use to be fearful that I could never be successful because I was a black female who was also apart of the LGBTQ+ community. These narratives held me back for a while until one day, a good friend told me, “ The truth was My narrative was not negative, instead the tone of which i told the narrative to myself was. I realized being black, female and queer were all the reason I could achieve anything. The very things I once feared to hold me back was actually the very things that catapulted my success forward. That was the key! Embracing what makes me different instead of being fearful of what makes me different. Its amazing how awareness and knowledge can help remove fear or anxiety. Once I begin to lock into my purpose I began to face the opportunities I once avoided.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Im Honestly a very private person. For a very long time I did not feel comfortable posting on social media.

I decided to get out of my own head 3 years ago and I started posting a series called “Movement Motivation”. I would post this on my stories only at first. This series was dedicated to show people the importance of getting movement daily in order to reduce stress or frustration, increase creativity, increase bloodflow and experience the process of delayed gratification through movement. This created a safe place for people to share their own movement journeys with me. I then started to post Reels in order to reach a larger audience. Viewers started to share my content more and more. This lead me to creating youtube channel where I host a podcast dedicated to wellbeing.

My advice to anyone building a social media presence: Be your true and authentic self. People will gravitate towards you based on your authenticity. You are an expert in something!! Share your wisdom with the world.      

Contact Info:

• Website: tesspeaks.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tes_speaks/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSSD7cwdGwCwo58C4s_ANVA

Image Credits
Tina Smith – instagram: @tinasmiff