We recently connected with Trish Bland and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Trish, thanks for joining us today. Parents play a huge role in our development as youngsters and sometimes that impact follows us into adulthood and into our lives and careers. Looking back, what’s something you think you parents did right?
One thing that my parents did right was live their lives unapologetically as themselves. My parents were of opposite extremes. My father was born in Paris, Kentucky and was a knucklehead for his entire life. When he finished high school, he ran away from home because he didn’t want to be drafted into the military. Shortly after he ran away, he returned home to sign up for the military where he dedicated over 20 years of service. He was one of the top recruiters as he was welcomed in Klu Klux Klan territory outside of Fort Knox, Kentucky to recruit. They respected him because he was providing a service to America. With all of his military experience, he loved to play pranks, he was extremely frugal and was very mean at times towards my mother. My mother is from Colon, Panama and she came to America as a child. She met my father in Brooklyn, NY when he was stationed in NY. I didn’t know what she saw in him when I was a child but as an adult, I understand it was security and to be taken care of as he was much older than her. I’ve witnessed my mother experience anxiety and depression due to my father’s antics. I saw her evolve from a dependent depressed wife to an independent powerhouse. Watching my parents allowed me to set a standard for myself. I knew what I was going to tolerate and what I was not going to tolerate. Depending on someone because I did not have my own was at the top of my list of things that I would not tolerate. My father would always say to me, “As long as I’m alive, you will not depend on anyone for shit”. He broke many promises but he kept that one and he instilled in me determination and how to navigating life with emotional intelligence.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I’ve always been skillful at many different things. My greatest quality is seeing things from inception to completion. I help people conceptualize businesses, create proposals, develop budgets, orchestrate marketing (target audience, visuals, aesthetics, etc.), and more. I help people see that they are responsible for their own success. The hardest part is starting.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
The best source of new clients for me have been word of mouth from my existing clients. All of my clients have been referrals. I am incredibly busy with my family, school and building my pension through public service. I’ve been very fortunate to have built relationships with clients who think of me when others are in need.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
Absolutely! The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle completely changed the way that I navigated life. My father wanted me to join the military because that worked for him. My mom supported anything that I did as long as it came with a pension. When I came across this book, I was working as a Health Fitness Specialist for a company that gave me a twenty-five cent raise every quarter. UNACCEPTABLE! The Power of Now resonated with me because if not now, when?
Image Credits
Trish Bland