We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tesha Crockett-Gibson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Tesha, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

When I was 27, I was living in Durham, North Carolina, finishing up post-baccalaureate classes so I could apply to graduate school. It was a season of immense transition—and truthfully, one of the hardest times in my life. In the span of a year, I had a stalker break into my home, lost my apartment to a fire, and went through an engagement breakup. It felt like everything familiar was slipping away at once.

In the midst of that chaos, I took a hard look at my life and knew I needed a change. I talked with my boss about relocating somewhere new, and she offered two possibilities: Atlanta or Washington, D.C. After interviewing in both cities, I chose D.C.—even though I had never been there before, not even on a school trip.

At that moment, though, I was sick, broke, and hadn’t started my new job yet. I worked for a wireless phone company, and one of my clients happened to own several hotels. We had built a strong professional rapport over time, and when I opened up to him about my situation—everything I had just endured and the leap of faith I was taking—he was incredibly compassionate.

He did something I will never forget: he offered to let me stay in one of his hotels in Northern Virginia for just $25 a night, which even included three meals a day. I lived there for about a month and a half while I got settled, found permanent housing, and started my new chapter in D.C.

That act of generosity changed my life. In a moment when I felt vulnerable, displaced, and unsure of how I’d start over, a client’s simple kindness gave me safety, dignity, and a sense of hope. To this day, I think about how his compassion made that painful transition not only survivable—but transformative.

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?

Dr. Tesha Crockett-Gibson, DHSc, ACC, CPH, is the founder of Wellness After Dark, a recognized leader in health promotion, corporate wellness, and mental health advocacy, with more than two decades of experience creating impactful solutions for organizations and individuals seeking sustainable well-being.

Background and Career Journey

Tesha began her career driven by a vision to empower people in work, health, and life. With a Doctorate in Health Sciences from George Washington University, along with advanced degrees in psychology, exercise science, and public health, she has built a foundation that blends evidence-based science with practical strategies. Her journey spans roles in corporate HR health promotion, wellness program management, teaching, and executive coaching at leading organizations and academic institutions.

Services and Solutions

Tesha offers a range of services through Wellness After Dark, including:
• Corporate wellness program design and implementation
• Executive and mental health coaching
• Digital health content production
• Leadership training workshops
• Health education and yoga instruction
• Strategic consulting for hospitals, businesses, and government agencies

Her work improves mental health, builds workforce resilience, enhances employee engagement, and develops cultures of psychological safety. She’s especially known for increasing employee engagement, lowering healthcare costs, and designing incentive programs that drive participation and positive outcomes.

Unique Value and Achievements

What sets Tesha apart is her commitment to bold, authentic living and her evidence-based, people-centered approach. She consistently delivers measurable results—like increasing employee productivity by 40%, boosting engagement by 30%, and reducing burnout through large-scale wellness initiatives. Tesha is also recognized for developing innovative leadership training and guiding organizations through workplace transformation, drawing on her diverse expertise in health, psychology, and behavior change.

Recognition and Thought Leadership

Tesha’s dedication has earned her the United Healthcare Wellness Warriors Award and the Cigna Honorable Culture of Well-being Award. Her insights have been featured on respected platforms such as the Wellness Council of America. She presents at national health and wellness conferences and serves as a mentor and influencer in professional wellness circles.

Mission and Pride

Tesha is most proud of inspiring individuals to break free from burnout and prioritize their mental and physical well-being. Through her brand, she advocates a clear message: living well is a commitment to your best self. Her clients and followers know her for her transformational coaching, relentless pursuit of workplace well-being, and genuine care for every person she helps.

Potential clients, followers, and fans can expect a true partner in Tesha—someone who leads by example, champions bold and fulfilled living, and creates solutions where resilience, compassion, and well-being come first.

Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?

The truth is, my journey into wellness wasn’t linear, and it certainly wasn’t easy. I wasn’t the 18-year-old who walked onto a college campus dreaming of becoming a wellness strategist. In fact, when I started my academic journey, “wellness” wasn’t even a word people used. There was no roadmap, no clear destination—just a deep, evolving desire to help people live fuller, healthier lives.

Over the past 20 years, I’ve worn many hats: healthcare professional, educator, coach, consultant, yoga instructor, and founder of Wellness After Dark. Each role has shaped me, challenged me, and stretched me in ways I never anticipated.

I’ve worked in government, non-profits, healthcare systems, and higher education. I’ve led wellness programs for thousands, coached executives through burnout, and taught students how to reconnect with their bodies and minds. I’ve also faced setbacks, failures, and moments of profound personal growth.

There were times I questioned the path. Times when burnout whispered that I should quit. Times when the emotional weight of caregiving, leadership, and personal loss felt unbearable. But through it all, I kept coming back to one truth: wellness is not a job—it’s a calling.

Would I choose this profession again? Absolutely. Not because it’s been easy, but because it’s been meaningful. Because every workshop, every coaching session, every yoga class, and every wellness initiative has been a chance to help someone reclaim their health, their joy, and their sense of self.

Today, with a Doctor of Health Sciences degree and an ACC coaching certification, I blend academic rigor with lived experience. I’ve built Wellness After Dark as a sanctuary for holistic well-being—a space where people can explore resilience, redefine boundaries, and reconnect with their inner wisdom. And I’m proud to say that I’ve helped shape workplaces, communities, and lives through the power of wellness.

So no, I didn’t start out knowing this would be my path. But I wouldn’t change a thing. Because the journey—every twist, every lesson—has led me to a purpose far greater than I could have imagined.

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

For years, I operated under a dangerous misconception: that rest was something to be earned. I believed that if I just pushed harder, achieved more, and showed up for everyone else, then—maybe then—I’d deserve a moment to breathe.

But life has a way of teaching us what we refuse to learn gently. Eventually, my body, mind, and spirit demanded what I had long denied them: rest.

At the time, I was living in survival mode. It was November 2020, and I was working in healthcare, a field that demands both emotional resilience and physical stamina. I was coaching clients, offering empathy and energy to help others navigate their own journeys. I was teaching, preparing lessons and holding space for students. I was pursuing a doctorate—a rigorous intellectual and emotional undertaking. I was a caretaker, all while enduring the heartbreak of being unable to see my sick mother. And through it all, I was trying to hold onto my own mental health.

That’s not just multitasking. That’s carrying the weight of multiple lives in one body. And eventually, burnout crept in—not as a sudden collapse, but as a slow erosion of joy, clarity, and strength. Anxiety became a constant companion. Fatigue settled into my bones. I was depleted.

It was in that depletion that I finally unlearned the myth that rest is a luxury. I came to understand that rest is not laziness—it is a radical act of self-preservation. Burnout is not a personal failure; it is a signal that something within or around us needs recalibration. And perhaps most importantly, I learned that we cannot pour from an empty cup. Nor should we be expected to.

Rest is not what we earn after we’ve proven our worth. It is what allows us to show up fully, love deeply, and live sustainably. It is not the opposite of productivity—it is the foundation of it. And giving ourselves permission to rest is one of the most powerful acts of grace we can offer.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.wellnessafterdark.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teshacrockett/

Image Credits

Edward Kirkland
Karima Evans
Duane Gibson