Ep 7: What If Your Hardest Season Is Your Training? (My Entrepreneurship Story)

We are BACK after a months away from the pod with a JUICY one! We trace the full arc from childhood hustle and corporate frustration to entrepreneurship, burnout, rebuilding, and earning the right to speak on stage with a message that actually holds weight. 


• catching up & sharing what I've been up to the past 4 months
• shifting from wanting the stage to wanting time freedom 
• learning wealth strategy and passive income thinking 
• taking extended time off as proof of progress 
• growing up with scarcity and building an early hustle mindset 
• using mentors and top performers to level up fast 
• hitting the corporate pay ceiling and questioning authority 
• discovering coaching and betting on autonomy 
• moving to Florida for proximity to aligned people 
• facing identity breakdown, imposter syndrome, and burnout 
• rebuilding after rock bottom with Uber and restaurant work 
• clarifying values and opening doors through networking 
• pivoting into life insurance and building grit in a high-turnover industry 
• returning full circle to public speaking and a bigger vision 

0:00
Returning To Rawthentic
2:30
Conference Intentions Shift Toward Freedom
5:55
Europe Reset And Toastmasters Practice
12:20
Childhood Scarcity And Early Hustles
16:26
First Jobs And Mentor-Led Growth
26:54
The Moment Corporate Stopped Fitting
29:51
Finding Coaching And Betting On Myself
35:01
Moving To Florida For Proximity
37:41
Identity Breakdown And Business Reality
43:10
Rock Bottom Money And Uber Days
48:15
Values Reset And Networking Back Doors
54:57
Insurance Pivot And Earning Resilience
58:40
Full Circle Stage Moment And Next Chapter

If you feel connected or inspired by my story, or if you're in a pivot and are curious to know more about what a career in life insurance looks like then connect with me on Instagram.

And if this episode resonated with you please rate and leave a review. If you feel like someone you know needs to hear this, please share it!

I'd love to hear from you. Connect with me on IG: @tiana_wrightnour

Transcript

Returning To Raw Authentic

SPEAKER_00 0:00

This is Raw Authentic, where ambition meets authenticity. I'm your host, Diana Reichnauer. And if you're a driven woman who refuses to settle for a life that looks good on the outside but doesn't feel good on the inside, you are in the right place. Here we talk about the pivots, the breakdowns, the reinventions, and the courage it takes to walk away from what's comfortable and the power of choosing yourself again and no filters, no fluff, just real conversations about what it means to live boldly, love deeply, and build a life on your own terms. If you're ready to stop surviving and start thriving, let's dive in. Holy crap. It's been it's been a couple months since I've been on the pod. And I am so happy to be back. I feel like there have been so many times that I have wanted to sit down and record, and I just got in my head about like what I should be talking about. Does this even matter? Is anybody listening? Does anybody care? And feeling like I needed to like have it be polished and perfect. And it's a constant reminder and challenge to myself that that is exactly the opposite of why I decided to launch this podcast. And it has the name Raw Authentic for a reason to show up raw and fully unfiltered you. And I want to stand by that and continue to challenge myself. I've also just had a lot going on, to be fair. Just gonna give you guys like a catch-up on what's been going on since I was back on here. If I could even remember how far that was, I believe my last episode was like sometime in March. So about four months ago. And a lot has changed, a lot has shifted, and I'm looking forward to like sharing with you guys what has been going on, what I've been up to. And I really wanted to take today to just like go back and tell you guys a little bit more about my story, a little bit more about like where I came from, how I grew up, specifically in the in the realm of career and how I always knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur. And I always knew, even if it wasn't logically in my body, I knew that I wasn't meant to work for someone else. So yeah, let's dive in.

Conference Intentions Shift Toward Freedom

SPEAKER_00 2:30

So let's see. I'm starting back since I was back on here. I think it was end of March. I had just gone to a conference in San Diego. And I went with my cousin Michelle, and she took me to this conference, and it was called Mental Journey to Millions. And I got to connect with mostly real estate professionals, people in the real estate world, and just being around people that were making a lot more money than me, had a lot more success, and also people that were, you know, right in my parameter of quote unquote success, income, and all of that. But when when I went there, I was really my intention was to connect with people and I really wanted to let people know that, hey, I really have a desire to speak on stage. Like it's something that I've always wanted to do. It's something that I've always wanted to do. I want to speak on stage stage, I want to empower many people. And I wanted to connect with people to basically open the door and potentially, you know, have an opportunity to do that. And it's really funny because when you initially put your intentions out there for what you're hoping is gonna happen or what initially you thought you wanted. And then when I walked away from there, I was like, actually, that isn't what I want. That that's not the ultimately what I want. Like, yes, I want to speak on stage. Yes, I want to do that. But really, my intention is to stop training my time for money. I don't want to continue on the rat race of feeling like I have to constantly be on my A game and show up every single day in order to get paid. You know, I wanted to start learning about money, learning about how to use strategic debt. I wanted to learn all these different avenues that would allow me to create passive streams of income where I could do what I truly love to do, which is speak on stage, empower people, coach, mentor, host workshops, travel, spend time with family, write a book, continue my music journey, continue my dance journey. Basically, that would allow me the freedom to be able to do all those creative outlets and do what my soul is really passionate about. So after that conference, I ended up getting connected with a wealth group and basically invested into this 12-month wealth mentorship container, essentially, and basically learning how money works. And, you know, I know how to create and make money, but now it's like, oh, well, how do I grow it? And how do I get myself in a place in five years from now where I have passive income that will pay my bottom line, pay my expenses without me having to quote unquote trade my time for money? That doesn't mean that I won't continue to work, but it it really takes the pressure off of not feeling like I have to do something and maybe do something that I don't necessarily, you know, want to be doing at the level that I'm doing it now every single day. But to do it and be in more of a leadership role where I can step back and more help people than be the person in the in the line of fire, if that makes sense. So it was really cool. It was really great. And I've been in this mentorship for a little bit now and it's been fantastic. And, you know, it was, it was, it was really good. So yeah, fast forward from there a little bit of time.

Europe Reset And Toastmasters Practice

SPEAKER_00 5:55

I just got back from Europe. I spent three weeks in Europe, and it was freaking fantastic. It's not something that I have ever done before, where I took off, I actually took off four weeks or more completely. Like I didn't bring my laptop with me. I took a couple of phone calls with like clients that had questions for me, but really I straight up took four weeks off. And it's something that I always said that I wanted to be able to do and that either I wouldn't be worried about money or money would still be coming in. And both of those things rang true. And it was just such a such a moment of accomplishment, realizing that, like, oh, not that I've made it, but like, wow, the goal that I had set for myself years ago, like that, that's actually happening. Like, how cool is that? So yeah, I had a fantastic time in Europe. And before I left for Europe, I joined Toastmasters. So I joined Toastmasters. I actually think I joined back in March or it might have been, yeah, it might have been a right around. Yeah, it was right after the conference because that was one of the things that I was being told at this conference was, oh, you want to get on stage, like you should join Toastmasters. I'm like, okay, cool. So I joined Toastmasters. And, you know, basically practicing my public speaking, practicing, you know, my pauses and how I'm articulating myself, my storytelling, and you know, all of that. And as I'm going down this journey, I'm like, you know, it's funny because we had for my company, we had a national conference last year. And there was someone that spoke on that stage that really inspired me. And it was kind of the fuel that lit the fire under me that made me decide, okay, I want to really take this serious because if they can do it, I can definitely do it. And so from that point forward, I said, next year I'm gonna be on that stage. And I said that out loud. And me going to this conference, saying out loud, I want to be on stages, deciding to join Toastmasters and putting in the putting in the actual work to develop a skill set of being an effective public speaker when I actually do get the opportunity, and to obviously be better at podcasting and just the way that I articulate my message, my story, and connect with people and and have it be something that really sticks. It's something that, yeah, it's it's something that I've really been, it's it's near and dear to my heart. It's something that is really important to me. Fast forward a little bit. Now I'm going back a little bit before Europe. But I was like, okay, you know, our national conference is coming up this year. I want to get on that stage. And I'm not gonna wait for someone to ask me. I am going to just put myself out there and I'm gonna shoot my shot. And it was almost like the Holy Spirit like went in my body and was like, let's go. And I thought about it, I had the thought. And literally that night, like maybe two hours later, I called my co-founder and I was like, hey, I need to talk to you. I was like, I have a story to tell. And you and I, because I have a good relationship with my co-founder of the company, and you know, I've called him when I've really struggled and needed, you know, help in my current role as an insurance producer, and times that I've really struggled and times where I'm like, I don't know what's going on. What am I missing? Well, like, help me. And he's been there every step of the way, and I'm so grateful for that because it's something I've prayed for for so long. And I was like, hey, you know, I have a story to tell. I know I can offer a lot of value to not only new agents, but existing agents, agency builders. I can add value. I've been working on this message and this speech. And also I've been developing my skill set as a professional public speaker in Toastmasters. And I really think that I have a lot to bring to the table and I'd like an opportunity to speak at our national conference. And what happened next blew my mind because I, like I said, I had like that Holy Spirit come through my body. And I was like, I'm just gonna shoot my shot. I literally did it a couple hours later. And then when I asked him, he's like, that's so funny. We were already gonna ask you to speak. I was like, what? Okay, amazing. So all of the things that you say out loud that you want to go after and the work you're putting in, it is actually it is paying off. And I'm proud of myself for putting myself out there and actually asking for the opportunity, but it was such a like amazing thing to hear that they were already thinking about asking me to come speak. So that was super cool. So, been developing this speech. We have our national conference next week in Atlanta. So today is Sunday as I'm recording it, August 2nd. So Friday and Saturday is the conference, and I'll be speaking one of those days. I don't know which day yet. And I've been working with a speech writer, Asher, who has been phenomenal. And he is the president of my Toastmasters Club. He's such a great writer, and I really look up to him. And I know that he has so much that he can offer and already has offered to me. So I decided to hire him. And we wrote the speech together, been practicing it together, been rehearsing it nonstop. And it's it's honestly one of my greatest life work projects to date. And it's so small too, but it's so big. It's a 10-minute speech. And it just makes me feel some type of way when I read and deliver it. And I'm hopeful that it'll do the same for others. Because if it wasn't for one of the talks that I heard at conference last year, or even many of the public speakers and motivational speakers and podcasters that have really good messages and really good life stories and experiences and wisdom that they can extrapolate from that and share with me. Like those moments that I listen to, those people have all shaped me into who I am today. And I really believe that if you can do that effectively, you can change lives for millions of people. And that's my ultimate goal. So yeah.

Childhood Scarcity And Early Hustles

SPEAKER_00 12:20

Conference is in less than a week. Super excited about that. And I'll keep you guys posted on how it goes. But yeah, that's kind of a cliff notes version of what I've been up to. Went to Europe, preparing for a speech, joined Toastmasters, and going to a national conference to deliver the speech next week. But I wanted to really take you guys back because I feel many people listening here don't really know my story. They don't know where I came from, how I got to where I am. And I wanted to take an opportunity to really shed light on who I am, who Tiana is, and what experiences in life have really shaped me to becoming the person that I am standing here today. So growing up, my mom had me at 16, and she was pretty much a single mom. Like my dad wasn't around too much. And my mom was working a lot. We didn't grow up in money. We were pretty we were we weren't in poverty, but we were pretty poor. Like our power got shut off, you know, we'd run out of gas on the side of the road. Everything was, we can't afford that. That's too expensive, you know, that sort of language. And growing up, I felt like I had so many questions. I was always the kid that like challenged my mom authority in general. People would tell me something, and I was always the kid that was like, well, why? Well, why? Like I truly wanted to understand why are things this way? Why are they not a different way? If this person can do it, why can't I do it? Why are we not allowed to go here? Why can't we afford this? You know, all of those questions that I had. I also, as a kid, would ask my mom, you know, for like 50 cents to go to there was this little like convenience store that was up the street from our house called the Shortstop. And they had like Pokemon cards where you like put 50 cents into the like dispenser thing and like you got out a little cardboard, I don't know if it what you call it, like a little cardboard thing with like Pokemon cards in it. Kids back in like the 90s, like you guys know what I'm talking about. But I would ask my mom for like money and sometimes she would give it to me. A lot of times she wouldn't because she didn't have it. And I just developed this mindset of like, okay, well, if I want to get more Pokemon cards or if I want to get a bag of Doritos, like I'm gonna do it myself then. So I would take Pokemon cards that I had, especially like ones I had that were duplicate, and I took a TV tray, literally like opened it up, sat it on the edge of the sidewalk on this like street, and I put my Pokemon cards there and I would sell cards. I would sell, like, if you guys know Pokemon cards, if you don't, bear with me. But the circle ones, I would sell for 25 cents, the diamonds I would sell for 50 cents, and then the stars, like the rare ones, I would sell for a dollar. So basically, my goal was any duplicates I have or ones that I didn't really like care for, I'm gonna sell them so that I can go buy more in hopes of getting a rare, really like good, expensive holographic card that like if you were to buy in Walmart or something at that time, it was like $20 for the one card. But like I just happened to get it in a pack of six for 50 cents. So that was like my mindset. I also did the lemonade stand. We always did garage sales. So, you know, like when we would do a garage sale, a lot of the time, you know, if we had extra stuff, it would be like to help us pay our rent, help us pay our utility bills, stuff like that. But if I had stuff I wanted to get rid of, I could sell my stuff at the garage sale and I could get money to like do whatever I wanted with. So I always had this like entrepreneurial, entrepreneurial spirit. And then fast forward into graduating high school and actually even working while I was in high school.

First Jobs And Mentor-Led Growth

SPEAKER_00 16:26

One of the first jobs that I had was at a candy store in the airport in Las Vegas. And I my first boss, Kelly, like we're still friends to this day. And she would always like give me, like tease me afterwards, but like it's really a term of endearment, like it was a term of endearment because I went in the airport that day when I was 16 years old and I put an application at every single store in that in that airport. And then I waited like two days. And if I didn't hear back, I went to every single store and was like, hey, I'm following up on my application. Like, I want to see when like you have time to interview me. And then she interviewed me. And then like a couple days later, I'd go back in and I'm like, okay, like what's going on? You know, like, is there a second interview? Like, I was so on top of it because I was like, I want a job in the airport because back in the day, like the airport retail stores were like, they paid like a dollar to two dollars more than like if you worked at like somewhere outside of the airport. Some even paid like three or four dollars more. So I was like, okay, where can I make the most money? And yeah, like basically get like life experience in the workforce at a young age. So I I finally got hired at this candy shop. It was called the candy shop. It's hilarious. And within like four months, I got really close with my boss, Kelly, and I was a hard worker. And I, that's just in my nature. Like I am a hard worker, and she promoted me to be a supervisor. So at 16 years old, I was managing three stores. I was doing all the ordering, I was doing the inventory, I was doing the stocking, like the planogram, which is like the way that you make everything look on the shelf. I was also like opening up stores, closing up stores. I was 16 years old. And I was getting to work at like on the weekends at like five o'clock in the morning. It was crazy. So like I did that for nine months. And having that like leadership role really was something that I thrived in. And from there, each job that I took from there, like I did lifeguarding, I worked in the restaurant industry for a while. I always befriended my manager and boss and almost like used them as like a mentor. Like, hey, how can I be the best at this job? How can I like essentially move up or get promoted, essentially? And so there are many jobs where I didn't necessarily like get promoted. Like I worked at a hostess in a restaurant, but I couldn't get promoted to like server bartender because I wasn't 21 yet. Or it was like, it was a five-star, five diamond resort. So like you had to like, and it was union. So you you really had to like work your way up the like union corporate or union ladder, I guess, like seniority ladder. So that wasn't an opportunity for me. But what I did along the way is like I networked with the people that I worked with. And then when I went from working at this five-star, five diamond restaurant, one of the managers there worked, he moved to a different restaurant. And right when I turned 21, he was managing a bar. And I said, Hey, I want to like get experience serving. You know, like, is there any opportunities? And he's like, Yeah, come talk to me. And so while I was still hostessing the original restaurant, I then started a second job. And I was still in college too. I started a second job, cocktail serving, and I had zero experience. And I literally got thrown in to this bar that was like looking back now, I'm like, wow, I'm actually really impressed that I like succeeded so well in that bar. Not surprised, but like it was such a high volume restaurant, and this was like a gastro pub bar where it had like over 300 beers. People came to that bar because they knew beer. I didn't know anything about beer. I was like barely 21, and I didn't drink beer unless it was like Bud Light at like a party for beer pong. Like, I didn't know a thing about beer. So I was working at this restaurant and it happened to be at the end, like, so there is in Vegas, I it was in the Venetian hotel, and they would have conferences. They would have conferences with like 30,000 plus people. And the second that the conference would let out, it would like flood into the restaurant where I worked. And I went from having zero tables to having like six all at one time. I had never held a tray before. I didn't know anything about anything. I had dropped drinks on people. It was like, it was a hot mess in the beginning. Fast forward, like six months in, I ended up having the top sales in the restaurant. I had basically like, I would upsell the crap out of everyone. I would sell like big magnum bottles and the whole thing. But the key to my success there was there was this girl, Gina. She was like nine years older than me. She had been doing this for a while. And like I basically was just like, teach me everything you know. Like, how do you do it? What do I say? What do I do? Like, I want to basically be on this level. Like she, it but in the beginning, I would like walk home with like maybe a hundred dollars of tips, and this girl would walk home with like 700. And I'm like, what the frick? Like, how are you doing that? We have the same amount of tables. So I basically just picked her brain and I'm like, hey, I want to learn from you. I want to like get better at this. And I did that at pretty much every job. Every job that I had. Well, I either befriended, a manager, a leader, a per like a top performer. And I really Just like wanted to soak up everything that they were doing and learn from them. Now, where I got myself in trouble, I would say, is I didn't realize until I was probably, oh, I don't know, maybe 30, close to 30. That like I actually don't think that I'm like meant to work for somebody else and that I should be my own boss. And it's something that I always wanted, like I always, not I wouldn't say always, I would say from about 25 to 30. I reached a point where I worked in the restaurants, I did the cocktail serving, I did the bartending. I then got a job in the beer industry, and I was a beer sales rep. And from that beer sales rep, that first job that I had zero experience. I got hired. Within nine months, I got promoted to market manager and I was managing two states. So same thing. Befriended my manager, my director of sales, learned, got promoted, did very well, all of that. Then I moved to a different company. And same thing within the first like year, got a promotion, got my territory expanded. Like every job, it was, it was that way. However, it hit a point where I was about, it was probably around 26, maybe even 27, where I was like, okay, I am literally busting my ass every single career I've ever been in. And I am making the same amount of money as Tom, Dick, and Harry over there that are working half as much as I am and don't give a shit about like their job, or they don't like they're not passionate about what they're doing. And it got to the point where some of the times where I was being told like how to do things or what to do, specifically when I was in the restaurant industry, I would have like new managers right out of college where they were either my age or sometimes younger, telling me how to bus a table or telling me how to greet a table. And I'm like, dude, first of all, you've never worked in the restaurant industry ever. I've been in the restaurant industry since I was like 17. I'm 22 now. Like, I know how to greet a table and I know how to buzz a table. I don't need to be told by you because you have a bachelor's degree, which I also have. Like, no, we're good. So I had a really hard time respecting people that one wouldn't get their hands dirty with me, or two, had never done the job that I did and were trying to tell me how to do it just because they had a piece of paper that I also had. So I had a hard time with that. I also had a hard time with what I just was saying is I have worked my ass off in every single career that I've had. And the receipts don't lie. Like I worked my way up, got promoted, got pay increases, all of that because I really take pride in what I do and I want to do my best and I want to be the best and I want to learn the most that I can. And it's not just like, it's not coming from like an ego place of like, I want to be better than everybody, but it's coming from like, how can I be an even better version of myself tomorrow? And how can I use this opportunity, be it a career, to better myself and to make sure that like next year I can look back and be like, wow, you grew a lot and you learned and you struggled and had challenges, but like you persevered. So there was like a point, I was 26 or 27. And I was like, okay, I've been doing this same job for like three, four years at that point, or well, it was like two years, I believe, at that point. And okay, I've gotten one increase of pay, which wasn't honestly that much for what I feel like I was doing and how much I had grown the business. Where we had like two teams. We had like a team of people in this company for beer that sold to like bars, restaurants, hotels, golf courses. And then you had a team that sold to like gas grocery liquor convenience stores. Well, there was me and one other guy that did the gas, grocery, liquor, convenience stores. And there was like 15 people that did the bars and restaurants. And the business was 50-50. Like 50% of it was bars and restaurants, 50% of it was gas stations and liquor stores and grocery stores. But there was like way more people here than there were here. And I was getting paid the same. And I'm like, I don't understand that. Like we are spread so much more thin over here, and you guys have all the sport on your end, but like I'm happy to do it. But I need to be, I need to know that my value is being appreciated and that I'm being compensated for it. And I'll never forget this. I think this was in like 2018.

The Moment Corporate Stopped Fitting

SPEAKER_00 26:54

And I was so close with my boss, and she really advocated for me. And when I did go to ask for a pay increase, like she helped me basically pitch my case and then she forwarded it on and it got approved, but not as much as I wanted. And I literally in 2018 was told, You're already overpaid. You're overpaid. You're at the cap of what we will pay you for what you're doing. And I that moment, like I like I I kind of snapped. I was like, I'm overpaid, and you think I'm overpaid based on maybe it's company budget, but I highly disagree. And the only resolution to this was take a bigger role, take more responsibilities, make a little bit more, but have zero social life. I was like, I don't want to do that. Like I up until that point was constantly like knew what I wanted to do next. Like it was, okay, I was a hostess, then I became a cocktail server, then I became a bartender, then I got into beer, then I was a man, like managed who states in beer, then I worked for a bigger company, and I was constantly like going up this like invisible corporate ladder, but still being made to feel like I wasn't worth more. And I was like, fuck that. At this point, because I have like I joke about this, but it's actually true. I have like a two-year-old, what do I call it? Like attention span, I guess. Like every two years, and this is kind of like funny, but also sad, but also true. Like every two years, it doesn't matter if it's a job, a relationship, where I live. If it's two years, I'm itching and I need to get the frick out. And what's next? Like, sorry, that's just me. That's just that's just who I am. And I had been at this job at that point for about three, a little over three years. So I was like, all right, I'm sick of doing the same thing. I'm not being valued. I want to make more money. I want, but I don't want to do my boss's job. Like I saw how stressed she was. I saw how much she traveled, how many keynotes, like presentations she had to give to like Alversons and Smithson, Kroger Corporate, and like having to basically like compete with other beer brands to get us on the shelf. And I was just like, and just like the elbow bumping and the late night drinking, at that point, I had pretty much like cut down on my drinking almost to nothing. And I was like, I just don't want to do that.

Finding Coaching And Betting On Myself

SPEAKER_00 29:51

So it's like 2019, and there was a really distinct moment in time where I had ended a we weren't in a official relationship, but we were seeing each other for a little bit, and that ended. And I just was like really bummed. And I was listening to podcasts and trying to like, I don't know, I feel like podcasts are great to make you feel like you're you're talking with a friend, but like it's just like comforting, you know? And I was listening to this podcast, and and it was Mark Groves' Create the Love podcast. It was like a relationship one. And he was interviewing this girl, and she was talking about like, oh yeah, you know, like I I'm a life coach. I went to Health Coach Institute and like I work with women. And I was like, life coach, what? Like, what is that? And backing up a little bit, I had for several years, since I was about 25. So at this point, four to five years, looking at old school, it wasn't even called influencers at the time I was looking at it, but like old school travel bloggers, which would be now considered influencers, basically living and working wherever that they wanted to, making uncapped income and being able to have the freedom over their life and their schedule and being able to like go all these places. And I'm like, man, that would be so cool. Like, I would love to just like quit my job and say, fuck it, and just like go do whatever I want and make a lot of money. But like I didn't, I didn't know how to like make that happen. I had no idea how to do that. And so when I listened to this podcast and she's like, Yeah, I'm a life coach, I was like, wait, I'm kind of already like that for my friends for free. You can get paid for that. Like, sign me up. So I looked into this health coaching program. I went through a six-month program and got certified as a life and health coach. And I started taking on clients one-to-one. And then I started working with a business coach, and she helped me basically build out like my website, basically my offers, help me with content, help me with marketing, all of that thing. And I basically started right around COVID, like right before COVID, because I started the course, the health coaching course in December of 2019. And then I hired my business coach in May of 2020. And I started basically coaching and running a business on the side of me actually also working in the beer industry. And knowing that I could get paid multiple thousand dollars to basically sit on Zoom with women and really just help them become the best versions of themselves. I was like, this is so fucking cool. Like I could totally do this for the rest of my life and be so happy. So it took me a while to, because at this point I was working with multiple coaches and I just had to like get over that fear of like, I won't be able to make this work out, like that I won't be able to survive financially, that I won't like I can't do this because I'd always worked in a W-2 job. I'd always worked for somebody. But everything that I said that I had been wanting, which is the autonomy, the freedom over my own schedule, being able to do things how I wanted to do them, be creative and do the work that I loved, it this is what this provided for me. So I was like, okay, I'm gonna do this. So, and then also, you know, I I had I had mentioned in the beginning, you know, I really struggled with being told what to do. And what I didn't share at all is I also struggled a lot in a lot of jobs that I had because I really did challenge authority or the bosses or people. And I just because my brain was like, I can do this so much more efficiently, or why do we do it this way? Why not do it this way? And back then my delivery definitely wasn't what it is now. Communication is something in how I, you know, articulate and say, you know, what's on my mind has improved significantly over the years. So it caused a bit of like riff, right? Because I came off as this like employee that was challenging a manager in a very abrasive way. And I get it. Like I understand I got pulled into the office for it and it wasn't the greatest. So anyway, I knew that I wanted to be my own boss. I wanted to dictate my schedule, my time, who I worked with, what I did, my creativity, and where I worked. And I wanted the opportunity to prove to myself that if I work 10 times harder, I will make 10 times more than the person next to me because I deserve to. I am putting in so much time and energy and effort, and I deserve to be compensated for it. And on top of that, I was doing something that I loved. So if I'm doing something that I love and I'm working my ass on, ass off doing it, there would be no reason why I wouldn't be successful. So that was in 2021.

Moving To Florida For Proximity

SPEAKER_00 35:01

I left my corporate job and I took all of my shit from Arizona. I moved all the way to St. Petersburg, Florida. I had never been to St. Petersburg, Florida. I lived on the east side of Florida when I was little, but we moved when I was eight. And so the reason that I moved to St. Petersburg is because my business coach at that time and the community of people that he was also coaching were a lot of them were in St. Pete, and then some of them were in like Boca Raton. And I was like, okay, what is the formula for success that I've had in the past? It is work hard, like show up, work hard. Surround yourself with people that you want to be like that are already living the life that you want to live. While these people and that my business coach was also coaching, were working full-time in their coaching businesses. So I knew I had to leave my corporate bubble of everyone that I knew was working in the beer industry, W-2, nine to five. I had to walk away from all of that and put myself right in the middle of everyone that was living this coaching, work-for-myself business owner, community, and reality in order for me to even have a chance at succeeding. And so that's what I did. I moved all my shit. Well, actually, I didn't move all my shit. I left all my shit. I owned a home in Arizona. I put that on Airbnb, another stream of income. Let's do it. Put it on Airbnb, had it rented out like the next week for three months, like a three-month stay. Hired my next door neighbor to be my property manager. She managed that for me for almost three years. Packed my car up, everything I could fit that I needed, moved to Florida, moved in with who is now my best friend, Allie. Never met her before, moved right into her place. And I was like, I'm fucking doing this. Like, I have no choice now but to succeed. That was one of the most pivotal and scary and exhilarating moments of my entire life to date. Is finally, like, from how many times that I looked on Instagram and like fantasized about like, man, I just want to work for myself, and all these people are traveling all over and they're doing this thing, but like, ah, I don't know if I could ever do it. For like five to six years, I dreamt about doing that. And I finally took the leap and was like, I'm doing it. It wasn't easy.

Identity Breakdown And Business Reality

SPEAKER_00 37:41

I'll be totally real with you. Like, it was fucking hard. Like it was so hard. Because in the midst of that, what I was not realizing was I had worked through a lot of like fears and limiting beliefs and doubts that I had in order to like take the jump to do that. However, I still hadn't become the person I needed to be in order to be a successful business owner. I wasn't there. I had just had the courage to jump. And I'm not, I don't regret it, but and I wouldn't change it. But I will say if I gave myself one more year to continue to work both jobs as much as I was burnt out with like doing that and just getting a new puppy and all the things, if I had given myself another year of doing the deep inner identity level work that I was really in the thick of when I left my job, then left my job, I do feel like I would have been more equipped to handle that next season because what came next, I really wasn't prepared for. I was in this fantasy land of like, I could do whatever I want and like I could just work for myself and yada yada. The thing is, is I didn't have, I wouldn't say I didn't have discipline because I definitely have always had discipline with my habits, with my mindset, with my eating, with my routines, all of that. But I didn't have the level of discipline and grit that I needed to run a business. And that's because truly, I was like going through the dark night of the soul and I was shedding every single belief and thought that I had about myself up until that point. And that shit hit me like a ton of bricks in the face every freaking day. I was like, oh my gosh, I have been this way my whole life, and this is why. And oh my gosh, I've always felt this way about myself, but that's not true. But like, then who am I and what is life? And I was like having a full-blown fucking spiritual death and awakening whilst leaving my job, moving to somewhere I'd never been with zero friends, and then starting a business. It was like so intense. As exhilarating and how proud I am of myself for doing it, it was literally one of the hardest things I ever did in my life because my nervous system and my like sense of safety was so shook to the core because I was like, it's like, think of it this way. The best way I can describe it is like say you have like a death in the family, you just end like a relationship and like you just lose your job, and you are like, what the frick is life? And all of those things happen at once. And then the next day you're supposed to like go on social media and make content about like women's empowerment. That shit was hard. And for someone who is raw fucking thentic through and through, like it was so hard for me to put on this like mask when I was actively trying to take off the mask to be like, hey guys, oh shoot. I just almost forgot my phone. To be like, hey guys, my life is wonderful. I left my nine to five job and yada yada, and like you can do anything that you want to. And yeah, meanwhile, I was like, I don't know, like, is this really what I'm supposed to be doing? And like, I don't know if like what I'm saying, if it's resonating, and like, I don't know if people believe me and am I a fraud? And all the imposter syndrome fears then came in because I would have people that I would compare on social media because they looked like they had it all together and they were really successful in business and they had more certifications and they had this and that and the other. And I got into that comparison loop. I got into let me consume all these people's content to then like try to get my own inspiration. But really, what I was doing was like watering down me and my authenticity. And I was just basically like trying to copy and paste like an iteration of like everything else I was seeing. And on top of that, I was grieving. Like growth is amazing and having spiritual awakenings is amazing, and stepping into your power is incredible. But what people don't talk about is how hard that is to leave the old version of yourself that you have been for 30 plus years to then step into this new version of yourself. It doesn't happen overnight. It takes a lot of time. And trying to build a business and be disciplined enough to show up in the habits that I knew I needed to do and also grieve and do the deep inner work. Like I reached a breaking point. I reached a point where I wasn't able to show up for my clients the way that I needed to. I was exhausted. I was like hiding, I was isolating, I was feeling like I was letting people down. I was letting myself down. I was fearful that this money was gonna run out and that I wasn't gonna be able to produce more money. And that was really, really, really hard.

Rock Bottom Money And Uber Days

SPEAKER_00 43:10

So I ran my business all of 2020, all of 2021. And then literally in January 2022, I had the last like $4 in my bank account and I had no clients. I didn't have the energy to go get clients because I was so burnt out. I was so overly not overstimulated, but like my nervous system was a wreck. I just felt so dysregulated and not safe. And I just reached to a point where I was like, wow, like I left my corporate job thinking that I was never gonna work for someone ever again. And here I am with almost zero dollars. Bank account. And I have no fucking clue what to do. Because I physically felt like even when I tried to take a step forward, it was like I was, I was almost like I was swimming through mud. Like I was trying to go upstream through mud. And it was so hard that like I got sicker. My health has been something I've battled with my entire life. And when I'm out of alignment and when I push my body too much and I don't listen, I get really sick. And I got so sick. And there was a point in the beginning of 2022 where I literally was driving for Uber and Lyft. I was driving for Uber and Lyft 12 hours a day, every single day, just to pay my rent. And I was like, how is this my life? Like, how did I go from the biggest high I've ever been on to driving for fucking Uber? And like, listen, I'm not above Uber or Lyft. I did what I had to do. But the shame that I felt and the embarrassment and failure that I felt in that moment was like nothing I've ever experienced in my life. Then driving for Uber and Lyft, obviously I knew I couldn't do that forever. I knew that I was like just I can't do coaching right now. Like I need to work on my life. Like I need to get back to like feeling like I'm happy with myself again because I just can't fake it anymore. And so I got back into the restaurant industry because I knew I knew how to do it, even though it had been over 10 years since I did it. I knew I could do that, I could do it well, and I can make cash fast. And so I had a childhood friend that I grew up with as like a very small child, and he was living in Tampa. And I was like, hey man, like I know you work at this restaurant. Are they hiring? Can you get me a job? And he did. And no surprise, I was one of the top salespeople in that restaurant, made a good amount of money for you know, the work I was doing. And I was in that trap of different restaurant, different bar. I worked at, oh my gosh, I worked at like one, two, three, four, five. I think I worked at six different restaurantslash bars in two years because either I wanted a better opportunity to make more money, or I really clashed with the culture and the people of the restaurant and it was really top thick. Or one bar I worked at, I was making a ton of money and love the people, but the ball, the bar had black mold everywhere. And I got so fucking sick that I had to leave. Yeah. And I basically just hopped around and I was like, okay, cool. I'm making like four to six grand a month. Like, I guess that's decent. I mean, that's more than what I was making at my corporate job, but my bills are higher here. But I'm also working and having to ask for time off, having to put requests in. And I was like, I don't want to do this. Like, I literally feel like I'm going backwards. At that point, I was 33 years old and I'm like, I am bartending. Again, I'm not above it. But like, what the fuck? Like, I know I'm so much more capable of doing more than doing what I'm doing now. And it was like that period of time that I really needed to like take the pressure off myself, not figure out a marketing or content strategy or if I was gonna hire this VA or this VA and what I was gonna outsource, and if I had to produce this much amount of content, and if I was gonna reach this type of client and do all these sales calls, and then they just ghost me or whatever, and hoping that someone wants to work with me. It was nice and needed for me to be able to step away from that. But again, every day I was working in these bars and restaurants. I was like, I'm not gonna get stuck in this because it was like I'd work in a restaurant for a few months, two nine months, and then I was like, okay, what's next?

Values Reset And Networking Back Doors

SPEAKER_00 48:15

Like, I need to do something else. Like I and meanwhile, I'm working with my best friend who is a career coach, getting really clear on like what are my values? Because as we're growing up, we don't, we're not taught to look for a career path or a career position based on what we love, what we're good at, and what we value. And those three things are so freaking important. Because for me, growing up, it was what's gonna make me the most money, what's gonna give me the most freedom, and what is gonna give me the most opportunity to be able to grow and go to the next thing that's gonna make me more money and more freedom. That was literally it, which is not bad. But money is only the driver for so long until you're like, okay, I can make all the money in the world, but if I'm not actually fulfilled in what I'm doing, what are we doing? So I sat with my best friend Alina and I was like, I need help because I have no idea what I want to do. I know what I'm good at. I know what I've done well in the past, but I don't necessarily want to do that. And I know the kind of life I want to live, and I know the kind of like culture and company I want to be working with. But I also know I don't want to work for someone. I want to work with someone in collaboration. So I'm like thinking consulting, independent contractor, like that sort of thing. And as I'm talking with her about this, you know, I'm looking at different like coaching and education roles because even as a kid, like I wanted to be a teacher and I really love to teach. But something that I can do where I can speak and empower and coach and lead and something like that. Like I just knew I needed to be in some kind of leadership role. That didn't mean I needed to be a manager of a company. More so, more so I was in charge, again, of my own schedule, of my own content, of the jobs and projects that I took on. Like I just knew I needed that. And it's so crazy because as we're going through this and I'm applying, applying, applying, applying, I never really did well on applying for jobs. Like I've definitely gotten jobs applying, but I was more of the person where I got my best opportunities and most aligned opportunities by networking. Like I would meet somebody, they would get to know me on a human level, and then they'd be like, oh my gosh, like you would be great for this. And then they would refer me. Or, like I said before, my manager that I worked with at one restaurant, he moved to another and I followed him and got an opportunity to cocktail serve, which I had no experience in prior. That was my ideal way of getting a job opportunity. So as I'm like applying for all these jobs, I'm like, none of this, like some of these sound okay, but I just, I don't know, I'm so exhausted applying for jobs. So I took a step back and, you know, I had been going to a faith-based networking group in Tampa for several months. And one of the guys that that led that group actually was one of the clients of my business coach that lived down in Tampa St. Pete that I came down there for. But him and I never like, I wouldn't say we never meshed, but like our personalities were both very strong. So I don't think that we ever knew each other. And so I kind of just like was like, oh, he has a big ego and he thought the same about me. So we never really like connected. But he was hosting and leading this faith-based entrepreneurship group. And I was like, okay, let me just go. Let me see what this is about. I am currently not where I want to be. And I know that the way that I've opened doors for myself in the past has been through networking and connecting with others. And at the very least, it'll be nice to have a new circle of people that are also wanting more for their lives and are entrepreneurs and are just looking for more. Like, you know, so maybe something will come of it. We'll see. And sure enough, a couple months in, one of the guys decided to host his own, like kind of like mastermind conference. It was like a one-day conference. He asked me to speak on a panel and I was like, great, this is like what I want to do. Like, this is uh potentially a way for me to like start getting into that energy and whatnot. I started getting kind of like a second wind again with my coaching business because at this point it had been about two years. Yeah, it was two years since I like closed the door, quote unquote, on my business and like went into bartending. And I started to get that like, okay, I had gone through this big identity transformation. I went completely backwards and learned a lot, slipped into bad habits that I never thought I would, and you know, got through that. And now I'm like, okay, I feel like I'm actually ready to like do this again. And so I started to like create content again, started to like plan a retreat and started like talking with women one-to-one and doing more networking and like opportunities were coming to me, and I was able to speak on this panel. And I'm like, okay, this is like great. And it was one morning, it was actually the day of that panel that I spoke on. And I was sitting on my couch meditating, and God literally said to me, quit your job. At that point, I was bartending at uh one of the Marriott properties in St. Pete. And I was like, quit my job. Like when? He's like, today. Like, oh shit. Okay. So I like typed up the resignation email. I let it sit in my like drafts. I went to this conference. I spoke on the panel. I networked with people. And I was like, you know what? I took the leap before, but it didn't turn out, quote unquote, I wanted to, but I need to do this again. Like I need to, I know it's the time. Like I can't just keep looking for the next bartending job. I'll get stuck in this freaking cycle for another two years. I just need to do it. I just need to like jump out on faith and trust God that this, like, he's got me. And looking back, even though there were a lot of hard times, he's always got me, has always had me. So that night I came home, I feeling super empowered, super lit up by all these amazing, inspiring entrepreneurs. And I sent that email and quit. And funny, the manager was like, Oh my gosh, like we would hate to lose you. Do you are you would you consider like on call or part-time? I'm like, nope, can't do it. Like, I'm done. I'm done. Thank you for the opportunity. I'm on to the next. And it was literally a couple days after that that this guy that was his name was Colton, he was hosting this faith-based mastermind group.

Insurance Pivot And Earning Resilience

SPEAKER_00 54:57

He had just started working in the insurance space. And I go out on and he he talked about it briefly at a couple of the meetings, and a couple of the guys in insurance comp came to those meetings. And like, I just knew that they drew drove McLaren's and like giving a fuck ton of money, and like they were doing something different than what I was doing. So I was like, oh, cool. Like they look successful. But I had no idea about it. I didn't know that life insurance was lucrative. I didn't know anything about it. I didn't know anyone that worked in it except for Colton and these guys. Like I didn't know literally anything. And so he invited me out on a boat, I think that weekend. And it's funny because I would have had to work that weekend because I worked every weekend and I didn't have to because I quit my job. So I was able to actually go out on the boat. And I was like, Colton, like, what are you doing? Like, you know, I have so much respect for you pivoting. I know that you were in the coaching business and had struggled, and now you've pivoted with insurance. Like, tell me more about that. Like, what's that been like? And he just kind of told me everything, and he's like, I think you'd be great at it. I'm like, I don't know anything. He's like, that's okay. Like he's like, just take your exam and like, you know, like I'll help you. Like, okay. So after that bo, I took my life insurance exam, got my license on my birthday on June 11th, 2024. Started going and working and training. And, you know, he wasn't completely transparent with like what it was gonna look like. Like it was sold to me as like, you have all this freedom and you can work from whenever you want, wherever you want. As you know by now, like that was like, that was dirty talk to me. I was like, this is exactly what I want. Great. What I didn't realize was how much I had to invest every week. It was like 1100 a week in leads. I had to invest, I had to pay rent at the office. I had to be at the office at a certain time. Like I was a 1099 employee, but they basically looked down on you if you in the first 90 days were not showing up every day and staying and working these hours. So I was a little bitter at first because I'm like, this is not what I thought I've signed up for, but let me just see it through. And that was like probably besides me leaving my job and going full-time in my coaching business and then like struggling with the identity and like inner work I was doing at the same time as trying to like run a business where I didn't have like that real identity of a business owner when I became a business owner. That time and this time, starting an insurance was probably the hardest, hardest, most difficult times in my entrepreneurship journey. Like so fucking hard. And I am so, so, so, so grateful, not only for the opportunity that I was given an insurance, kind of that he wasn't totally transparent with me, because if he was, I probably wouldn't have done it. And three, the person that I have become over the two years of working in life insurance is literally the person that I've always dreamt that I could be. And it's like someone that can go through real fucking adversity and still come out on the other end and be successful. And someone that could be really, really, really struggling and having so many fears and doubts, but still showing up anyway. And I don't take all the credit for that. I would not be where I am today if I didn't have now the company that I'm with because I'm not with the original independent marketing organization that I started with with Colton. I was there for a year and then I pursued a different opportunity with another company. But I honestly wouldn't be where I am today without the past two years of like really fucking hard mental journey.

Full Circle Stage Moment And Next Chapter

SPEAKER_00 58:40

And like the amount of grit and discipline and determination and resilience that you have to have in an industry that has like a 93 to 95% turnover rate in the first two years, or like a quit rate, is like back then it would have really deterred me from doing it. But now it's kind of like a sick like turn on where I'm like, okay, I'm gonna be that like five to seven, five whatever of people that are actually gonna fucking make it. And I have. And it's so amazing because now, full circle, it brings me to today, where I am five days out from speaking on stage at our national conference. I was given this opportunity to showcase and tell my story, to tell my story of adversity and how all of the struggles that led me to wanting to quit showed me that if I don't, the person that is on the other side, you'll be so proud of. And that you could literally do anything. You can have any story. But if you have the grit and the drive and the passion and the determination to win and be a winner and be successful, you will. And I'm just so proud of the journey that I've been on and everything that's led me up to the place that I'm at today. And this is just the beginning. Like, this is totally the beginning. I've been personally producing on my own pen for two years. I never ever in a million years considered myself building an agency. But looking back at my skill set and the business that I had before, building an agency is literally the perfect puzzle piece fit of everything that I'm good at. Leading, coaching, mentoring, daily habits, mindset. I've lived through it, I've worked through it, I've done the deep work, and I'm here today because of it. And I am so excited for all of the people that I'm gonna be able to lead their evolution and next, you know, like their story basically of maybe similar place to where I was, but now they have somebody like I had all the mentors that they can then borrow belief when theirs is low and help them get to the place where they're super fucking proud of themselves. So yeah, super, super, super excited. And yeah, that's where we are today. I just wanted to share a bit of my story with you guys because I don't think that I've ever gone that depth at all ever, even when I was back in my coaching days or when I had my last podcast. I don't think that I really went into depth of like my story and and what made what brought me to this place and what helped shape me into the person that I am today. So I hope that that really inspired you. And I hope that, you know, I can just inspire one person. And if you feel really connected to my story, if you feel inspired by the story and you feel like, you know what, like what is life insurance about? Like what how do I, like, how do I get to where you are? Or if you just want to like talk, like please reach out to me, connect with me here or on Instagram. My Instagram handle is at my first underscore my last name, Tiana underscore right now, or please send me a message because my soul's purpose and mission is to basically give anybody belief that no matter what they're up against and what they've been through, that if they believe in themselves and they have the right people around them, they have the right mindset, they can literally do anything that they want. So if that sounds like something that you want, if you want to be around people like that, please reach out to me and I would love to help you get there. Until next time. I'll see you guys later.