We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tiffany “Ebony Eyze” Broadwater a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Tiffany “Ebony Eyze”, 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?

If I were to use one word to describe myself, it would be “dynamic.” I am a poet, spoken word artist, songwriter and graphic designer who has a multidisciplinary approach to performing and connecting deeply with audiences. With three copyrighted poetry albums and over 125,000 streams worldwide, my goal has always been to use my gifts and platform to spread messages of social awareness, hope and love. I enjoy combining evocative storytelling with visual and musical elements. Growing up in Queens (New York), I was inspired to pursue poetry and the Arts at the age of nine. Poetry was an escape that started on paper behind closed doors and later moved to the stage. To hone my craft, it took a multitude of creative writing courses and review of techniques from legendary writers like Dr. Maya Angelou to millennial artists like Rudy Francisco. My inspiration comes from my faith in God, the complexities of life, years of serving underserved communities, social causes, nature’s beauty and the profound connections we share as human beings. As the proud owner of Atagia Entertainment LLC and founder of Innovate Loud, I am dedicated to mentoring emerging creatives and cultivating a safe and supportive artistic community. My role as an online and personal creative coach focuses on amplifying content and stage performance to help new artists secure higher-paying gigs and forge meaningful industry relationships. Central to my mission is promoting mental health and well-being among entertainers, advocating for practices that sustain creativity, authenticity and longevity in the demanding field of performing arts. My desire is not just to be an artist, but also a catalyst for growth and empowerment.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Sure! There are so many little moments from the past that prepare you for the future. One story revolves around the birth of my poetry albums. I created the whole “Soul Intuition Volume” series idea back in 2015. I missed that feeling I had when I heard the music R&B duo Floetry for the first time. I loved that sweet marinade of R&B and spoken word. So, I wanted to put my spin on it by dispelling any stereotypical views of spoken word. To me, spoken word was not just a hobby of a hole-in-the-wall secret society where selected few talk “slow-and-airy” or “loud-and-proud.” It was a vibe – a strong piece of our culture that gave the world permission to stand up, listen and speak too. Poetry is everywhere and in all things. At the time, I was working rigorous 12-hour days as a NYC social service worker. I only had enough money for a handful of sessions and making an album was new to me. I had never been in a studio to record and I hated how my voice sounded played back. After work, I traveled across boroughs to figure it out and each time I would learn something new. Each time my voice warmed up to the microphone. Ideas flowed. Words were shifted. Perfect imperfection. When it came time to do the last song on the album, I received a call in studio. My great aunt, who showed much support, fell sick and was in the hospital miles away. By the time I reached, she was gone. My mind, heart and motivation died too. With whatever inspiration I had left, I finished my first album and dedicated my last song to her.

Despite my hustle, “Soul Intuition: Vol 1” didn’t go anywhere. I felt like a failure. I felt like I failed her.
Then came round 2.

It’s 2019. This time, I vowed to be more prepared. I hit up my long-time friend/producer Live Johnson for this collaboration. Research – check. Outline of album ideas – check. Game plan – check. Studio expense – workable. I told myself that “Soul Intuition: Vol 2” was going to be a banger with 90’s R&B melodies sprinkled with hip-hop. I declared that my message would resonate, proving that we don’t have to be defined by society’s labels. My one request and challenge was absolutely NO SAMPLES. I know – who didn’t use samples in the 90’s? I wanted to preserve authenticity without getting sued. My friend/producer rose to the challenge. Every track was created in front of me from scratch. I would ride the train after work, writing until my eyes got tired. Writing between train car b-boy dancers and rush hour delays. Then, drive to Long Island. He listened to my words and blanketed it with melody. Again, perfect imperfection. Then, the storm came. COVID-19 arose and the pandemic turned the world upside down. The album took 3 years to finish.

Social media was on the rise and I was going to figure this marketing thing out. I would post and do live videos of studio time. I decided to push a single for 3 months and perform at as many poetry and R&B/Hip Hop open mics I could find. My producer introduced me to D Dave, a fellow artist and entrepreneur who understood how to push my work to audiences. After long nights, no sleep and hundreds of mixes, “Soul Intuition: Vol 2” was released July 2022. Within one year, streams organically reached 100k. Finally, people began to see and respect my work. I cried that day, but it was tears of joy.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

YES, absolutely! Reading books on healing and self-development keep me going. Here are a couple:

“The Bible” – My faith is very important to me. There’s something about prayer and meditation that calms the mind to make tough decisions.

“The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne – A mixture of divine principles, philosophies and personal accounts of manifesting the life you desire.

“Crazy Faith” by Michael Todd -This is an awesome testimony of believing and seeing beyond what is unbelievable while trusting God for it.

“The Magic of Thinking Big” by David J. Schwartz – A classic read. My entrepreneurial spirit kicked in when I was 17 years old. I sought to be around others who knew more than me. This book taught me how to dream and that if my dream didn’t scare me, it wasn’t big enough.

“Three Feet from Gold” by Sharon L. Lechter & Greg S. Reid – This story truly stuck with me. It was a beacon of hope. There have been many times that I felt like giving up, until I was reminded of what’s on the other side waiting for me.

“The Light We Carry” by Michelle Obama – Staying connected to the simple things in life that keep you grounded, bring you joy and unlock the light that touches others. Her reflections helped me to see and work to overcome fears I didn’t realize I had.

“Rich Dad Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki – Another classic book. Since I can remember, I was intimidated by money. Either I had too little or I shouldn’t spend to much for fear I would never see it again. This book taught me how to improve my relationship with my finances.

“Who Not How” by Dan Sullivan with Dr. Benjamin Hardy – A concept I still struggle with today. A solopreneur can be a jack of all trades, but a master of none. It’s impossible to be everywhere at once. This book is a lesson on how to let go and delegate tasks that don’t suit me to someone who excels at them.

“The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership” by John C. Maxwell – Qualities to work on until they become habits.

“Emotional Intelligence 2.0” by Dr. Travis Bradberry & Dr. Jean Greaves – I learned that how you handle your emotions is just as important as being book smart.

When I’m not reading and on the run, I listen to audiobooks in the car or tune into motivational speakers such as Les Brown, Eric Thomas, Tony Robbins, Oprah Winfrey, Iyanla Vanzant Joel Olsteen and Lisa Nichols. I also check out influential podcasts like Earn Your Leisure, Jay Shetty and Michelle Obama to gain insight and inspiration.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ebonyeyze.com
• Instagram: @iamebonyeyze
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ebonyeyze
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/tjbroadwater
• Twitter: @iamebonyeyze
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/ebonyeyze
• Other: INNOVATE LOUD Instagram: @innovateloud X (formerly Twitter): @innovateloud

Image Credits
Shawn “Live” Johnson Ramon Santiago Devon Stone Shootwithhaz Tiffany “Ebony Eyze” Broadwater