We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tessa Milne. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tessa below.

Tessa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Often outsiders look at a successful business and think it became a success overnight. Even media and especially movies love to gloss over nitty, gritty details that went into that middle phase of your business – after you started but before you got to where you are today. In our experience, overnight success is usually the result of years of hard work laying the foundation for success, but unfortunately, it’s exactly this part of the story that most of the media ignores. Can you talk to us about your scaling up story – what are some of the nitty, gritty details folks should know about?

Face Of A Survivor started as me just networking and speaking on my experience of abuse and overcoming trauma. I started as a Public Speaker, speaking for small events, charities and private support groups. I would put myself out there on social media, network with businesses in the victim services field and create my own community events. After a short while of doing that, people would start to contact me from News Media, Blogs, Podcasts, Magazines and Event Planners for businesses. Face Of A Survivor started to grow and more people needed more help and resources for Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Bullying. I became so overwhelmed with everyone contacting me, I decided I needed to create Trauma Informed Ambassadors to help the community in a fun, inviting therapeutic way.

I created an event called EMPOWERMENT BUDDIES, an event comprised of Therapy Dogs, Empowerment Ambassadors, Storybook Characters and/or Role Models. It’s a family oriented event focused on elementary age. Empowerment Buddies includes fun activities, games, arts/crafts, and therapeutic support if needed.

Along with Empowerment Buddies, Face Of A Survivor also has Awareness Meet & Greets. Our Empowerment Ambassadors hold Awareness Meet & Greets in public places to help spread awareness, resources and support for those that might need it. We communicate with the community to better fit their needs.
Face Of A Survivor now works with Police Departments, Non-profits, Schools and other Victim Service Agencies on support, resources and facilitating relationships between agencies and the communities.

Face Of A Survivor has more coming in the near future as well. So stay tuned!

Tessa, 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?

I got into Victim Service work because I’m a thriving survivor of abuse. I grew up in an abusive childhood, ended up in an abusive relationship in my early 20’s that nearly killed me and I attempted suicide in my early 20’s. I did not have access to the resources out there during that stage of my life. When I started to learn about the help out there, I knew I had to do something to help make it more accessible for victims of abuse. I did tons and tons of research to understand different ways of relaying resources and providing support in a trauma informed way. I became a certified, trauma informed life coach, trained in mental health, behavioral health and crisis intervention. I met and worked with victim advocacy programs, clinicians, social workers and law enforcement.

My experience, working with those connections, helped me understand the demographics and where the needs are. Where we can provide certain resources, how to get those resources out there, having the resources ready, reporting a crisis, having authorities and/or victim advocacy available. The field I work in is incredibly complex and heavy. When working in this field, you really need to proceed with open eyes and an open mind, be ready for the next crisis with the proper trauma informed approach. When working with clients, we make it a point to listen first.

I’m so proud of our Ambassadors and the time and energy they have put into helping so many individuals and families in need of support and resources. It can be tiring to do what we do but more importantly, its incredibly rewarding to know that we helped another person!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Building my reputation was the most important part of this business journey. Most people don’t want to do this because they think it’s scary and they don’t like rejection but in business you have to do what scares you or else your business will not grow…
The one thing I did to start building my reputation was getting on a stage in front of tons of people every week and share my truth. Was it easy? NO! I cried! I made myself vulnerable and I got through it. The first stage I spoke on was in front 200 people and I cried! I wanted to run off that stage, I felt judged, I felt alone, I was shaking, I was pacing back and forth. After I got off the stage, people from the audience came up to me and hugged me and they thanked me for sharing my truth!!! They, actually started to share their experience of abuse!

You have to put yourself out there! You have to network! Talk to people you don’t know! Build relationships! Make connections! Set up meetings! USE YOUR VOICE!

When you reach out and open up, you end up creating a safe space, a trust factor for others to open up or make a decision!

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Social Media helped me with getting a lot of business deals. I promoted through my business page, group page, personal page and networked on local group pages. I opened up a lot on social media, met a lot of great people and other agencies on social media. Social media is how one of the Police Departments and Victim Advocacy Programs found me and I have been working with them ever since. I still get agencies and individuals contacting me on social media.

Social Media was not my only means of putting myself out there but I did utilize the platforms on a regular basis.

When using social media make sure you are focusing on building rapport, not focusing on making money. People want to connect with human beings, not businesses. Make sure you are sharing your story, your “WHY” and your “RESULTS”, ask questions and listen to their answers, take notes if you have to. Be the problem solver! Show the audience you are the expert in your field.

Contact Info:

• Website: FaceOfASurvivor.org
• Instagram: faceofasurvivor
• Facebook: Face Of A Survivor group page
• Other: [email protected]
  Instagram: EntrepreneurMomLifestyle, FaceOfASurvivor