We were lucky to catch up with Tongie Scott recently and have shared our conversation below.

Tongie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

THE RISK THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

When people hear the word “risk”, they often think of investing money, starting a business or making a major financial decision.

For me, the greatest risk I ever took was far more personal.

It was risking the life I knew in order to discover the life I was created to live.

Years ago, I found myself at a crossroad. On paper, many things looked fine. I had responsibilities, commitments and a path that made sense to everyone around me. Yet deep inside, I felt something stirring that I could not ignore. I knew there was more to my life than simply existing, paying bills and moving through the motions.

I felt Called to Serve People in a deeper way.

The challenge was that Purpose rarely arrives with guarantees.

There was no roadmap.

No certainty.

No promise of success.

Only an inner conviction that I was supposed to do more, be more and give more.

The risk was not financial at first. The risk was emotional.

What if I failed?

What if people thought I was foolish?

What if I walked away from security and discovered I was wrong?

Like many people, I wrestled with fear, self-doubt and uncertainty. Yet I eventually realized that staying where I was had become a greater risk than moving forward.

So I took the leap.

I chose entreprenuership.

I chose speaking.

I chose media.

I chose service.

I chose to build businesses that would create opportunities for others and provide care for people who needed help.

I chose to use my voice through radio, television, coaching and community outreach to encourage people who were facing their own battles.

What many people do not see is that Purpose is not a straight line.

The journey has included victories and setbacks, moments of abundance and moments of challenge. There have been seasons when doors opened effortlessly and seasons when I questioned whether I had the strength to continue.

Most recently, I have navigated one of the most difficult business seasons of my life. Financial pressures, regulatory challenges, delayed funds and responsibilities to employees and families have tested every lesson I thought I had learned about faith, leadership and perseverance.

Yet even now, I would make the same decision again.

Why?

Because Purpose is worth the risk.

Had I chosen safety over Purpose, I may have avoided some struggles, but I would have missed the opportunity to impact lives, encourage people around the world, care for families in need, build meaningful businesses and walk fully in the Gifts I believe were entrusted to me.

The outcome of my risk is not measured solely by revenue, awards, followers or accomplishments.

The outcome is found in every person who found hope through a message, every family who have received care through our services, every individual who decided not to give up and every opportunity I have had to serve others using the Gifts God placed inside of me.

If there is one lesson I have learned, it is this:

The greatest risk is not failing.

The greatest risk is ignoring the call on your life because you are afraid of what might happen if you answer it.

Looking back, I am grateful I took the risk.

Not because the journey was easy.

But because it was mine.

And it led me closer to the person I was created to become.

Tongie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Dr. Tongie and at my core, I am a communicator, encourager, entrepreneur and servant leader whose Mission is to help people move forward in every area of their lives. I liken myself to a Transformational Advocate.

My journey has been anything but conventional.

I grew up in Columbus, Mississippi, and like many people, I faced challenges that could have easily defined my future. I was molested when I was 11 years old and sexually assaulted by a family member at 12 years old. By the age of 22, I survived malignant papillary carcinoma of the thyroid. I later became a mother of three at a young age, attended medical school as a nontraditional student and built multiple businesses while navigating life’s victories and setbacks.

What i discovered along the way is that people are not looking merely for information. They are looking for hope. They are looking for direction. They are looking for someone who can help them see possibilities beyond their current circumstances.

That realization became the foundation of my life’s work.

Today, I wear several hats. I am a business owner, speaker, television host, radio personality, author, coach and community advocate. Through my various platforms, including the Dr. Tongie Show, Talk2Tongie, speaking engagements, coaching programs and community initiatives, I help individuals identify their purpose, overcome adversity, strengthen their mindset and move forward with confidence.

In the healthcare space, my organization has provided support and services that improve the quality of life for families and individuals who need compassionate care. In media, I use television, radio, podcasts, interviews and digital platforms to encourage, educate and inspire audiences around the world. Through speaking and coaching, I help people discover who they are, clarify where they are going and create practical strategies to achieve meaningful goals.

At the heart of everything I do is one simple belief:

Every person has Value, every person has Purpose and every person Deserves the Opportunity to Move Forward.

The problems I help solve are often deeper than business, leadership or personal development challenges. Many people feel stuck. Some have experienced loss, disappointment, trauma, failure, fear or uncertainty. Others have achieved success, but still feel unfulfilled. I help people reconnect with their Purpose, rebuild their confidence and take actionable steps toward the future they desire.

What sets me apart is that I do not teach from theory alone.

I teach from experience.

I have experienced seasons of success and seasons of struggle. I have had moments of extraordinary victory and moments that required tremendous faith and perseverance. Because of that, my message resonates with people from all walks of life. They know they are hearing from someone who understands what it means to keep going when life becomes difficult.

The accomplishment I am most proud of is not an award, title or business achievement.

It is the lives that have been impacted along the way.

Whether it is a family receiving care, a listener finding hope through a radio broadcast, a viewer being encouraged by a television program, a client discovering a new direction for their life or a member of the community receiving support during a difficult season, those moments matter most to me.

If there is one thing I want potential clients, followers and readers to know about me, it is this:

My work has never been about building a personal brand for the sake of recognition.

It has always been about helping people recognize the greatness, purpose and potential that already exist within them.

I believe every person has been given unique gifts, talents and experiences for a reason. My Mission is to help people discover those Gifts, develop them and deploy them in a way that positively impacts their families, communities, businesses and the world around them.

At the end of the day, if someone encounters my work and walks away with more hope, more clarity, more courage and a greater belief in what is possible for their life, then I have fulfilled my Purpose.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

One of the most significant moments in my entrepreneurial journey began when every traditional path seemed closed.

In 1993, I was working for a law firm and desperately wanted to start my own business. This was right after my bout with malignant thyroid cancer and I did not want to return to my 9 to 5 life. I had the vision, the work ethic and the determination, but I lacked one critical thing: capital.

Like many aspiring entrepreneurs, I did what I thought I was supposed to do. I went to the banks. I remember this as if it was yesterday. There I was, not really knowing what and how to put together the business plan, the marketing plan or even a financial spreadsheet. And guess what? The bank said no. As a matter of fact, the bank president indicated with a smile on his face and words that pierced my very soul: “You have an idea for a great hobby, Ms. Scott. However, you will never be able to make this a business. And never be able to open one.”

Now mind you, this didn’t happen once…not twice…but repeatedly.

I remember feeling discouraged and questioning whether my dream was realistic. I was working hard, but I felt stuck. The people with money didn’t seem to believe in what I wanted to build and I began wondering if perhaps they saw something I didn’t.

Then something happened that changed the trajectory of my life.

A woman noticed.

She noticed my frustration.

She noticed my disappointment.

She noticed that despite all of the rejection, I had not let go of the dream.

One day she approached me and offered me $5,000.00

Not as a bank.

Not as an investor.

Not as a venture capitalist.

Simply as someone who believed in another human being.

But the money came with a condition.

She told me, “Don’t quit. And when you have the opportunity, help someone else along the way.”

That was it.

No complicated contracts.

No lengthy negotiations.

Just belief.

Looking back, the greatest gift was not the $5,000.00.

The greatest gift was the confidence that came with it.

Someone saw potential in me when the institutions did not.

Someone chose faith over statistics.

Someone invested in a dream before there was proof it would succeed.

That experience shaped the way I lead, the way I serve and the way I view success today.

Over the years, I have built businesses, served communities, employed people and had opportunities to impact lives through healthcare, media, speaking and entrepreneurship. Yet I have never forgotten that moment.

It taught me that sometimes people need encouragement more than they need money.

Sometimes they need someone to say, “I believe in you.”

And sometimes one act of generosity can create a ripple effect that impacts countless lives for years to come.

The lesson I carry with me today is simple:

Never underestimate the power of believing in someone before the rest of the world does.

A bank may fund a business.

But belief can change a life.

More than thirty (30) years later, I still consider that $5,000.00 one of the greatest investments anyone ever made-not because of the amount, but because of what it represented.

It represented possibility.

And possibility changes everything.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the most important lessons I have had to unlearn is the belief that being strong means carrying everything by yourself.

For much of my life, I wore strength like a badge of honor.

As a mother, entrepreneur, healthcare provider, media personality and community leader, I became accustomed to solving problems, finding solutions and pushing through difficult situations. If something needed to be done, I would simply do it. If there was a challenge, I would work harder. If someone needed help, I would step forward.

Over time, I began to equate strength with self-sufficiency.

The problem is that self-sufficient can become isolation in disguise. And declare independence from God.

For years, I believed that asking for help was a sign that I had somehow failed. I thought good leaders should have all the answers. I thought successful people should be able to handle everything on their own.

Life eventually taught me otherwise.

As my businesses grew, my responsibilities grew as well. I was responsible not only for myself, but for employees, clients, patients, families, audiences and communities that depended on the decisions I made. The weight became heavier than any one person was designed to carry alone.

One of the turning points in my life came when I realized that strength is not found in carrying every burden by yourself.

Strength is found in knowing when to ask for help.

Strength is found in trusting other people.

Strength is found in building teams, creating partnerships, accepting support and allowing others to contribute their Gifts and Talents.

Perhaps most importantly, I learned that strength is found in surrendering the things that are beyond your control and focusing your energy on what you can do today.

Today, I still work hard.

I still lead.

I still take responsibility seriously.

But I no longer believe that leadership requires me to carry every burden alone.

The lesson I had to unlearn was that independence is the highest form of strength.

The lesson I learned instead is that true strength comes through connection, collaboration, humility and trust.

That lesson has made me a better leader, a better business owner, a better communicator and ultimately a better person.

If I could tell my younger self one thing, it would be this:

You do not have to carry the entire world on your shoulders…You were never meant to.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.drtongieshow.com
• Instagram: @drtongieshow and @talk2tongie
• Facebook: @drtongieshow and @talk2tongie and @tongiescott
• Linkedin: Tongie Scott
• Twitter: @drtongieshow
• Youtube: @drtongieshow and @talk2tongie
• Other: https://www.mynanna.com

Image Credits

See-Capture-Inspire Photography/Executive Producer (Kendrick Williams)

ByCMorganScott (Morgan Scott/Stylist/Videographer)