Regional Vice President – Primerica: Tammy Lewis AKA Sister Tammy – S1E20 (#20)
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Boss Uncaged Podcast Overview
“Always stay humble and don’t let anybody knock you from your dreams because everybody has like that, the butterflies in their belly and they are. But they just know that I’m not supposed to be here or I need to be at another level. So number one listened to that. But don’t let anybody stop you from your dreams. And I think the other thing I would always tell people is find a mentor, the find a mentor where you want what they have…” – Tammy Lewis
Boss Uncaged Podcast Transcript
S1E20 – Regional Vice President – Primerica: Tammy Lewis AKA Sister Tammy – powered by Happy Scribe
Always stay humble for sure. Always stay humble and don’t let anybody knock you from your dreams because everybody has like that, the butterflies in their belly and they are. But they just know that I’m not supposed to be here or I need to be at another level. So number one listened to that. But don’t let anybody stop you from your dreams. And I think the other thing I would always tell people is find a mentor, the find a mentor where you want what they have, not somebody who says, hey, I want to be your mentor. No, if you don’t want the lifestyle that they have or the mindset or the health, whatever it is, if you don’t want that, that person doesn’t need to be your mentor and everybody is not built to be a mentor. So I always pick your mentors wisely, too. But if you don’t want their lifestyle, then that shouldn’t be a person that should coach you in life, but always have a mentor and seek out. You know, sometimes you have to seek out mentorship as well. Of course, it organically will happen, but always have a mentor. Stay humble. Don’t let anybody steer you from your vision or your goals, especially folks that ain’t got what you want. I mean, it’s amazing how people let folks who you don’t want their lifestyle will steer you from doing some great things, doing great things.
Boss Uncaged is a bi-weekly podcast that releases the origin stories of business owners as they become uncaged Trailblazers, Unconventional Thinkers, Untethered Trendsetters and Unstoppable Tycoons. We always hear about overnight success stories, never knowing that it took 20 years to become a reality. Our host S. A. Grant conducts narrative accounts through the voices and stories behind uncaged bosses in each episode, guest from a wide range of backgrounds sharing diverse business insights. Learn how to release your primal success through words of wisdom from inspirational entrepreneurs and industry experts as they depict who they are, how they juggle their work life with family life, their successful habits, business expertise, tools and tips of their trade release. The Uncaged Boss Beast in you welcome our host S. A. Grant.
Welcome welcome back to Boss Uncaged. Today, we have Tammy Lewis, better known as the Tammy. How are you doing today, Tammy?
I’m doing awesome. Are you doing at all? I mean, you’re doing better than mine.
Yes, yes, yes, so the reason why I asked you to be on the show, because I know you have like a 50 50, right? I mean, you were one time a corporate, right. You were working up the corporate ladder and then the other half you kind of decided to throw it out the window and start running your own business. So why don’t you kind of give people a little bit of who are you?
So i amTammy also known as Sister Tammy, but I always go by Tammy Lewis from St. Lewis and then the plug in for the city. But I was always the girl that check the box on middle success. Right. So I did that whole thing where I go to school, get a good education so I can get a good job with benefits and found out very early because I was in health education. So my background in education is all in health care and I found out very early that health educators don’t make money at all. So of course I did that next logical checkbox, which is to go get a master’s degree and my master’s degree in public health and behavioural science. I mean, I’m sorry, but I analyze what people do. I mean, that is true. And that conversation about that. But what didn’t make any more money checking off the box, what people said in America, that’s what you need to do to be successful. But I love what I did. I was in the grind. I was in the public health sector, worked in an inner city clinic. I love my patients, hated management. But I saw people that had like nice shoes, nice suits, nice handbags known as pharmaceutical reps. And I was in the pharmaceutical industry for 14 years. So they’re like you said, that was most of my corporate career, checking the box and climbing the corporate ladder. But I did it very fast. I went through that industry very fast, got in management. And, you know, with management in that industry, you won’t see a lot of women and you won’t see a lot of women of color. So, again, my check box, I was taught to fight harder, stronger, faster, which means I was working 60 to 80 hours a week easily. And so that was me. That was me. I check the box off because this is what the American dream said in order to be successful. And that’s what I did until it’s got to change that. That was me. It was me.
I mean, being that you were in that space, you decided to go into like your own business. Right. And obviously, it’s a partnership with you and your husband. So you kind of just want to give a little insight. I mean, you’re in the financial sector. I mean, what kind of businesses do you guys have?
Yeah, so we did a total 360, like being in health care to be in in finance because ain’t nothing about me. So the thing about financial services, because I like to shop. I used to like to shop. Yeah. So we did a total 360 because I think deep down inside we knew that there was something different. I mean we were making great income as a couple, but we knew deep down inside that there had to be another way. And we were looking at like franchises. But for all the franchises at that time. And to kind of give a little perspective, this is when the market crashed. So all this happened when the market crashed and we were in that recession and so my husband found our business first. So we’re brokers under the umbrella of Primerica. We’ve been regional vice presidents for six years now, and we love the decision that we made and we’re partners in our business. Our partnership is a little different because both of us are very, I guess, alpha and engaged in our business. But we treat it like a company because that’s what we have. We have a company.
Got it. So, I mean, once you you just go into it. A little bit of the story about who started a business first. Was you was it Ron?
Yeah. So most people when they meet me now, they think that I was the one who was like, yep, this is what we’re going to do. But I started at first, Ron started our business first, started very part time. And as we were building the business, I became more engaged because I saw the growth of it. And what happened is when I was in corporate, it just got to the point where my health actually got in the way and I got in the way. But I had a lot of health issues just from stress, like stress. I was totally stressed out. And one day, I mean, literally, I was in the field with one of our reps. Don’t even know if I’ve told you the story, but I was in the field, one of my reps and my whole left side went numb at thirty five. So they thought I was having a stroke because I had signs of stroke was everything went numb and they of course rushed to the hospital and came into the hospital room and he said, OK, so are you going to let them kill you because that’s what they’re doing because you were just so stressed out. I was just that stressed out. No, they weren’t directly doing it, but the stress was killing me. And that’s when we just made the decision to go full time and put all the efforts into the business. I slowly transitioned because I was still working with that. I don’t even know if I’ve ever told that story before, but that’s really what happened to get me more engaged into the business. And our business was growing because it wasn’t just here. In Georgia, he was growing it in Louisiana and growing it in St. Lewis, and so as I saw the growth and as I transitioned, I helped him and became more of a full partner.
With that style of partnership is running a business with a joint 50 50 partnership with your spouse. Is that a difficult task?
It’s different. It’s different because there are like, I think in any business and there’s different levels of partnership. And again, I think it’s very different when you have two alfa’s it’s almost like we’ve kind of created our own, like I’m responsible for maybe certain cities or certain teams and he’s responsible for certain cities and teams. I do all of course, that would like the women’s initiatives. So it’s kind of like we’ve kind of built our own lanes and we come to the middle and have our co CEO meeting about the business for some people who have never worked with their partner. It could be challenging, it could be challenging for sure, because not only are you a partner in your business, but you’re a partner in life. And for so many years, we’ve Ran separately and now we’re running together.
So it seems like you guys have put a couple systems in place to overcome those hurdles. So I guess one of them, you’re saying that essentially on your side, you kind to run the women initiatives. And I’m assuming that Iran runs the male initiatives. Has that been fruitful to kind of separate it that way?
I think that’s best to separate it that way. I mean, for us, I mean, it works for us. Like even now with the pandemic that we’re in with the coronavirus, like I leave the house and work, I can’t work side by side. I mean, I’ve never worked side by side, not even in corporate. So but it works for us. So I physically leave and go somewhere else and work and we still call each other, but I physically leave. And even when we had our office are you know, we’re working in that one location at workspace location, we would still be in separate areas because it worked.
So, I mean, obviously, you you incorporate a long time and we always hear about the 20 years it takes someone to get to the level of success that’s perceived as an overnight success. How long did it take you to get to where you are currently?
I think we’re right at the tipping point because when I started in pharmaceuticals, it actually has been like 20 years. So we’re right at that 20 years. And I know when I was looking in in the book thinking, Virage, I think like the average age is right around between like maybe forty, forty five or something like when the peak hits. And I think a lot of it is just wisdom and growth and learning from your mistakes of what you need to do now and then really embracing the season that you’re in. Like right now I’m embracing the season that I’m in and I’m just like guns blazing. So I think I’m like I’m right at that mark where we’re at, right at that like 20 year where it’s got to pop like I can feel.
Yeah. And you alluded to your health a little bit. So, I mean, once you got to give us a little bit, I mean, you’re a cancer survivor as well on top of everything else that you’re doing. So, I mean, kind of talk about that journey of like, how were you juggling cancer, your business? You have two girls. You have like a team of people in your hierarchy, like what the hell was going through your mind when that was happening?
Right. So in July of twenty eighteen, I ran my first 10k that I thought was a five day. And that’s a whole another story and a really 30 days before it was the 30 days before I found out it was a 10k. But then in my mind I’m like it’s only three point two more miles. So I just figured it out, three point two more miles. But then in August of twenty eighteen, I get diagnosed with breast cancer. So what month? I’m at my healthiest the next month I’m talking about surgeries. What’s going to happen next? Oh my God, am I going to die? So we are going through that whole transition. And in October, at the end of October, I decided to be very, very aggressive and have a double mastectomy from there. After the treatment, we found out that I had to do radiation, so I did twenty eight radiation treatments as well. So in a nutshell, so far I’ve had four surgeries and the twenty radiation treatments. But when I was diagnosed, I remember it looked like it was yesterday when I got the diagnosis, I kind of got a moment to be by myself and kind of process it. I went into that whole pity party like Lord, why me? What happened to me? I check the box, I check the box keyword. I checked the box, did everything according to plan, which I thought was my plan. And then I took a step back and said, why not me? And that’s when I realized that something big was going to happen. Like some shift was getting ready to happen. And it was like a trigger in my mind. I just refocused like I didn’t go into a pity party. I was like, this was supposed to happen. And I don’t know why, but this is where it is supposed to happen. So just embrace it. And I was truly blessed to have, like, the best medical team. Like, I didn’t even ask for a second opinion because I just, like, knew like I knew I had the best breast surgeon. I knew I had the best plastic surgeon. I knew I had the best radiation oncologist. But I don’t know if it was just the space I was in. And I was just realizing that this is supposed to happen and I don’t know why. But now me now I’m seeing some of that, like, you know, a part of that was I started reading more about women and was like, why women don’t have the wealth that we’re supposed to have. And a lot of it’s because women just don’t realize where they are. And so I just started doing the more research about it. And so now I talk to more women about just wealth in general and explaining to them, this is why you’re not where you need to be. The other part of that, you don’t even know why we had this conversation is my plastic surgeon told me I couldn’t carry anything over ten pounds. So I have like Clevenger’s on the ceiling with all my plan. I mean, like. Playing someone how am I supposed to run a business if I can’t have this right, because I couldn’t carry any of it. And so I found this world of digital planning and so I learn how to do digital planner. So I created a digital planner and people would see me with it. And we’re like, OK, so where did you purchase that? Online is not a purchase that it was somehow made for me because I can. And then my girlfriend finally pushed me and said, you need to put this out and I’ll help you. And so she and I are partnering in that endeavour. So it called one dope planner.
It’s pretty nice. That’s a golden tree. I don’t even know you had that ad on right there. So definitely that’s that’s definitely pretty sweet. So what’s one thing that you went to corporate America, you survived cancer, you’re a married couple in a business. You have another business venture as well. What’s one thing that you would do differently if you could do it all over again?
Do it faster, do it faster and over. Thinker that’s terrible. But I’m an over thinker and not think as much. Just do and not think and then just that and then submitting to coaching is submitting to coaching faster because I, I’ve always been a thinker, always going to overthink and now it’s like I got to make decisions, I’m making decisions on the spot now or at least take twenty four hours before I make a decision. But I’m not overthinking it. I’m just like moving an emotion out of decisions. But yeah, faster not overthinking and just submitting to coaching a lot faster.
Are you familiar with the five second rule, the book?
No, hold on, let me write
when you get opportunity. The five second rule is exactly that. I mean, obviously Art Williams talks about that as well, to just do it and do it, do it until the job is done. But the reality of that five second rule is essentially taking five seconds to remove the doubt is kind of you count for five, you count backwards at the end of that one second. Everything that you had doubts would just wash away you know, you kind of change your chemical imbalance by changing your state of mind so that definitely you get opportunity. Definitely. What’s it go on audio that’s on the books. I just listen to it like the past 60 days is definitely a win win. So do you come from an entrepreneurial background? I mean, was your mom, your dad, your uncle, anybody in your family? Entrepreneurs.
So neither of my parents were entrepreneurs. The entrepreneur was actually my grandmother,
really.
You know, and I can kind of see this now because she’s the CEO. She would have card party in her basement back in the day. You know, now that I look at it, I’m like, that was just so I hate to say it. Only word I can think of is just gangster. I mean, she would have these card parties and they would rotate in the house. Forget it. I mean, it’s probably, you know, Sam, that’s also she’s deceased now. Right. So anybody going after her. But she always was trying to find another way to bring in money. You know, I never saw her not hustle. And that was my dad’s mom. But both of my parents, corporate America or government, not neither one of them, but they support they definitely support our business, but neither one of them. But I got it from my grandma.
Hmm, nice nice. So you think that was a factor to your current success?
The women that I embrace is definitely both of my grandmothers. My one grandmother taught me hussle. The other one taught me actually time management and discipline. And it’s amazing how you can kind of go back and think of situations and realize that in that point of time, you didn’t think she was teaching you X, Y and Z. But that’s really what she was like with my grandmother, the one that taught me hussle. I remember when I would wash dishes, she would correct my posture and she would correct my posture. So I would look with my head up and not, like, slumped over the sink and just little things like that. That was a correction of posture. Not for me to wash dishes the way she wanted me to wash dishes, but little things like that. My grandma, she had us on a set schedule. We would come home for school, but that was just teaching me time management and prioritizing you know, my great grandmother, I never met her. I’ve just heard great stories about her. But she was a beast, literally. She was a beast beast. And so I always try to harness their energy and their bloodline to say, here’s where you came from. You came from a lot of phenomenal women. And so now it’s your turn to make sure that you’re doing the same thing for the next generation by implementing those things as well.
So, wow, though, I mean, that’s a good thing when history repeats itself. Yeah, definitely. So how do you juggle your work life with your balance? I mean, you work life with your family life and I’m saying balance because obviously as a financial representative, that definitely has a lot of juggling. It’s not just you. You’re talking about other people’s welfare, other people’s money and people in your hierarchy having to deal with the responsibility of managing them and orchestrating to make sure they’re doing the right thing. So how are you juggling all these things?
Yeah, so I mean, one is definitely like in our household delegation, the blessing is our girls are a lot older. You know, when I was in pharmaceuticals, they were younger. And that was a huge juggle. I mean, literally, if you didn’t have a sitter or if I wasn’t flying in my mom or Ron’s mom, then it was a catastrophe because I was traveling all the time. Now the girls are older. It’s really given them more responsibility because this is a family business. They have a part to play as well. So delegation with household things. So I’m not doing household things. I don’t have to. And then also with them and this is something that I’m getting better at, is really scheduling time with them. So I don’t feel guilty when I’m with them and I should have been doing something else. Or if I’m doing something for the business, I should have been with them is really scheduling all that out. So scheduling out the meetings, scheduling out time that I need personally to be productive, scheduling time to be directly with them. And I know that kind of sounds bad, but that’s you need to schedule time with your family and your children. And the reason why you feel guilty when you’re with them is because you can get stuff done in another scheduled time. So I’m really trying to get better at and that’s again, the reason why I have the planner so I can really schedule all of that out and block all that out. I can take time with the business as well. Take time for myself, because even though I’m a two year cancer survivor, I’m still getting through that process. The reality is my body is not the same as it used to be. So when it’s ready to sleep, is ready to sleep, and I have to make sure I factor in time for those things as well. So really, if delegation prioritizing and making sure that I carve out time for the things that need to get done in order for the business to still be productive, in order also for the household to still be productive at the same time.
So, I mean, you’re talking about sleep, right? So, I mean, that leads me to what’s your morning habits, morning routines that you have.
OK, so my body gets up at four forty five every morning. And what I try to do in it, more so than not, is I get up and I’ll go into another room plan, do some devotional, I catch up and that’s really my me time. And it’s really it goes from like four forty five to almost seven. Seven thirty is all me. And so I use that time for myself to catch up on whatever I need to do. But that’s, I mean really I’m getting up at four forty five.
Well, I mean, I think that that’s a win win situation. I mean, I’ve interviewed a couple of dozen people at this point in time, and literally the ones that are highly effective on their day to day routines are the ones that are waking up in the ungodly hours like it’s before the sun is even thinking about waking up or coming up. And they’re up. And they’re doing what? There’s meditation, yoga, working out, reading books. Everything is usually set essentially between that 3:00 a.m. to about seven a.m. It seems to be the sweet spot. What do you see yourself in your business in about 20 years?
So one, I won’t be like in the forefront. I’ll be in the back. I really see myself talking to women. That’s just been my passion. And it’s not that I don’t want to help men. I mean, so it’s nothing to do with that. It’s just that I see so many women and I don’t know if that really comes from, you know, seeing both of my grandmothers. And my mom was a single mom. And I just I’ve seen so many women who have so much fire and so much hustle and they’re like dog paddling, trying to get to the next level. And they’re still like dog paddling and they’re just not getting anywhere. And so that’s really where I see myself is is doing more women’s empowerment things, women’s workshops, sharing my story. You know, we have the Pink Pearl Hero Organization for Breast Cancer Awareness where I use that platform to tell my story as being a breast cancer survivor. And I’m mentoring a couple of people right now who are like in their early phases. And it really is a mindset thing. It’s just a mindset shift and just talking to them about those things. So really just empowering women in general on wealth and also for breast cancer awareness.
So, I mean, it definitely brings me to another solid point. I mean, you’re talking about your focus is women. But, you know, obviously you and I have worked together extensively over the past three years. So when you say women, I mean, I think you and I probably work together more than Ron and I work together. And I think it’s because maybe I had a lot of women on my team. But just seeing you operate and work with the women, my team, it influenced me as well on how to operate in that space and was mindful and was not mindful. So I think through osmosis, you definitely help women, without a doubt as well. Definitely. So you talked about the planners, what other tools that you use that you would not be able to do your business without.
I mean, outside of my phone, I mean, yeah, I realize how heavily I guess weighted my the business is. Our business is on electronics. I mean, I’m a big tech girl. I mean, for me we talk technology, but really it really is just my it’s my plan to stay organized. And the only other thing I really need in my business is these my mouth is really about people talking to people, meeting them at their level, finding out what they want in life. So if I didn’t have that, then then that that would be a travesty for sure. For sure. But I think the great thing about our business is that it’s just that simple that we don’t need require our lot. We really don’t require a lot to keep it going. But as long as I am having a clear focus and a positive attitude, I mean, that’s another essential that I need, of course, because I’m dealing with people all the time. And if you don’t have a positive attitude. So that’s how I want to read that book, The Five Second Rule, because when you’re juggling different personalities, different people, you have and you have to stay in a positive mindset at all times because you’re putting out fires, making decisions so that it’s going to be very helpful. So thank you.
Yeah. I mean, you’re talking about books. I mean, what books are you reading right now? You know what I went back to? So I went back to think and grow rich because it reads differently now and it reads differently. And my mentor told me that it’s going to read differently because you’re moving to another level mindset wise. So things that were already in there and just may have not made sense or you just kind of glossed over it. But now it’s like, how did I not see this the last time I did a book club for like two weeks back to back. And even within that one, I mean, even within those two weeks, it read differently. So I think and grow rich. The other book that I’m reading right now is called Captivating. It’s by Stacy Eldridge. It’s a biblical perspective on a woman’s role. It ain’t for everybody. It ain’t for every woman because it talks about religion and it talks about the Bible. In the Wolfman’s role in the perception, and it’s really good because it’s actually a husband and wife team that wrote the book together, so it gives you a male’s perspective, too. So it’s not just like a woman’s perspective on it. So that and there’s a book and I can’t think of the author’s name right now. It’s called Jonah is by Pistola Schreyer. I was actually recommended that book by another mentor of mine right after my surgeries. And that’s why I call my breast cancer journey my Joan. In a moment. It was the time that I personally think that the Lord was like, look, you doing too much. I need to sit you down and guess what? I’m going to physically sit you down because we can have another conversation, because now we’re going somewhere else, because that would have never the things that are going on right now in our business with the pink pearl hero for breast cancer awareness, with the one day planner, none of that was in the vision, like none of it until that happened.
So to allude to one of your mentors, I would assume that you’re talking about Andy Young. And I remember him saying one time that he has red thinking we’re rich at least two or three times per year. And every time he reads it, he gets a different attribute from reading it again in the shorter period of time. So, I mean, think again, which is definitely one of those I say is like a cult classic. I mean, it’s been around since the 30s and is still effective to this to this day. And this is like maybe the fifth time it’s come up in this podcast, that book. So if you have not read this book, please go out and put your hands on that book. Definitely.
Which run that, though, is incorporate. No one ever introduced that book. To me. That is not a corporate book. They don’t want you to think and grow rich in corporate America.
True, it’s true, but I’m sure all of them are even on the upper management side. Exactly, exactly. So what words of wisdom would you have for somebody that this a young African-American woman growing up and she may potentially be for this podcast. She may potentially see you online and she wants to follow in your footsteps. What directions would you give her?
One, I would say always stay humble for sure. Always stay humble and don’t let anybody knock you from your dreams because everybody has like that the butterflies in their belly and there. But they just know that you are not supposed to be here or I need to be at another level. So no one listened to that. But don’t let anybody stop you from your dreams. And I think the other thing I would always tell people is find a mentor, the find a mentor where you want what they have, not somebody who says, hey, I want to be your mentor. No, if you don’t want the lifestyle that they have or the mindset or the health, whatever it is, if you don’t want that, that person doesn’t need to be your mentor and everybody is not built to be a mentor. So I always pick your mentors wisely, too. But if you don’t want their lifestyle, then that shouldn’t be a person that should coach you in life, but always have a mentor and seek out. You know, sometimes you have to seek out mentorship as well. Of course, it organically will happen, but always have a mentor. Stay humble. Don’t let anybody steer you from your vision or your goals, especially folks that ain’t got what you want. I mean, it’s amazing how people let folks who you don’t want their lifestyle will steer you from doing some great things, doing great things. And then my word for this quarter for me personally is unleashed like I am unleashed, no holds barred. We go in guns blazing. I mean, of course, I’m going to do with a smile, but I mean be unleashed. Don’t let anybody hold you back. I guess. Kind of like the uncage be only the only issue.
Yeah, definitely. Definitely. So what is your most significant achievement to date? I mean, obviously, besides recovering from cancer at one hundred percent and you know.
Wow. And my children, I mean, I got to say.
Yeah, of course. I mean,
I would say one of my biggest achievements, it’s still in baby in a baby step is really the PaPeRo hero, because that was something that almost didn’t happen. But when it happened, it happened like I was like it was another guns blazing thing. I’m like, this is what we got to do. This is what we got to do. And it because I know that in the future, how many lives it’s going to save just from the message alone. And how that came into play was when I was going through, we were trying to figure out what surgeries I was going to have, what the treatments were going to be. No one knew, like no one knew what was going on. I mean, like, just except the inner circle. But the girls didn’t even know as well because I wanted a date for the surgery and I wanted to be able to tell them this is exactly what’s going to happen. So they have questions. But I would stay up late at night, like at three o’clock in the morning. And I’m looking on YouTube and I’m looking at the surgery that they were recommending. And I was looking at black women with cancer. And I didn’t see a lot of women who look like me talking about their journey. And so I’m like, so what’s going on with this? And black women have higher rates and we’re dying more like, why are we talking about it? I said, who’s going to do it? And then I’m like, Why are you waiting on somebody? Why don’t you just do it? And I was running. So that’s kind of how that whole pink girl hero and literally two days before I had my kind of coming out and here’s what I’m going to do. I was diagnosed and I almost pulled the plug. I was like, you know what? I want nobody knowing about my life. I’m just going to do this in silence. And then I was like, But what if you say one other person? And that’s when I put my hand back off and I just had a great support group of women who helped me get that in play. But it almost didn’t happen. Like it was like that close to not happening. But I know that that will be one of my greatest achievements. It’ll be something outside of our business and it’ll be something that I can leave the girls, that they can continue on. And I met some awesome and phenomenal people just in that process alone.
So talk about the uses. Pink Pearl hero, correct? Right. That’s the title. So is it like a nonprofit? Is it more like you raising funds, you raising awareness? I mean, what is it that that particular nonprofit does?
So right now it is in a nonprofit status, but we’re not collecting anything right now. And a lot of that is because I want to do this to secure everything legally. I was like, OK, this is awesome. So we need to make sure everything is on lockdown and most of what I’ve done right now is really to share my story. So we have haven’t got it to the point where we’re doing like contributions. And we haven’t got to that point yet because I’m really just coming out of the gates of being done, like done done with my whole process. So it isn’t a nonprofit status, though, right now currently. So we can have that for the future. But the whole vision is one to do workshops. So we have three pillars where we look at health care, self awareness and then self-love. And it’s not just for women who have breast cancer, is for women in general. And actually it’s not just for women because know, another divine timing and an appointment is I met an awesome guy. His name is Lytro Yansi. His mother died from breast cancer. And then a couple of years later, he gets cancer. So he’s the man who’s gone through breast cancer with a woman and then went through cancer himself. He actually kind of helped me through the process of just understanding things from a male perspective and a man who’s supporting a woman with breast cancer. And so we’re doing some initiatives on just having the conversation, because I think a lot of men, because so many more women are getting breast cancer, the men in their life, and it’s not really just their husbands, it’s the dad is the brother. It’s the son. It’s like, how do you support when your role is the protector and this is the one thing you can’t protect her from? And so we had a couple of conversations. And then, of course, Korona happened because we were having an event planned and everything. We’re also putting that aspect in there so women can understand the male’s perspective with supporting a woman with breast cancer and vice versa. So we leaving the men out totally. We’ve got a segment for you.
When you get a chance at the episode that I just released, I guess time wise of today, which was Molano C Molano. So he’s an Ivy League graduate. One of his company is called the Genius Group, and they specialize in the non-profit sectors. And they pretty much go in and kind of structure operations and give you the big ticket, the big strategy. And just when you get the opportunity, just go and listen to that podcast, probably reach out to him. I think he would definitely like to hear your story and he probably give you some great, solid insights. And I mean, that’s really why I started this podcast, was to connect these dots. And soon, as you said in you talking about him, like I just released that podcast this morning, it’s a win win situation. You should definitely contact Mellano. You definitely put you in the right direction. Following up on that, you brought up the girls a couple of different times. And obviously I’ve seen them kind of grow up over the years. I remember when they were kind of like middle school, high school and like nothing. Now one of them is in college. And I remember you telling us a story about I forgot, I think it was your older daughter and she was starting to recruit. How was she? Is she still a recruiter at this point? She’s still recruiting for the business.
She does. And I think it’s because she sees the power of what our business does on both ends. And she’s seen us having conversations, our overheard us having conversation of death claims I had to be paid. So she sees the realness of what we do. But, yeah, both of them still do. I mean, like, you know, Lauren was hanging out with her girlfriends. She was like, hey, mom needs more money. You need to go talk to her because she’s looking for extra income. So they’re invested in the business and we want them to get their licenses. So as we’re building it to get ownership, that they have options. And that’s really all I want with our girls is I just want them to have options. You know, Taylor is on her Colaneri, where she wants to have food trucks. She doesn’t necessarily want to be the chef, but she loves cooking. Hence why I’ve had to run all the time throughout this whole pandemic because she’s like baking a cake a week, like from scratch. Everything not only comes about cake every week there’s a cake in this house, but she has a love for the culinary, but she wants to be the business owner. And that, of course, happens when you have parents that are entrepreneurs. If she wants to marry somebody rich, I mean, she’s got a game plan, like I be
Another topic that you just brought up was licenses. So I would think that that’s another one of your significant achievements. I mean, just to become RVP, right. Do you have to have certain licenses in place? And I think a lot of people don’t understand, like the trust that goes into becoming an RVP, but at the same time, the awareness and the education that goes behind it and the maintenance of it. So obviously, I mean, you have a series six and what a license that you have with that. I mean, I’m still serious because I understand I took that exam, but I understand the studying that goes into passing those exams is no joke. It is a serious exam and you have to kind of knuckle down for like 30 days to be able to even get in that room and get a passing grade. So what licenses do you hold?
So I have my series six sixty three and my life licenses and I’m studying right now for my twenty six as well, so I’ll probably end up studying for sixty five too. But you know what I realized when we first saw the business, we said if nothing else, we’re going to learn more about money. And I will never forget when I was studying for that series Six, I was like, investments are just I hate to say it, they’re just gangster. I’m like, oh my gosh, if people I knew this stuff with the middle class really be the middle class, if people knew that was also my other thing is, you know, now it’s like I feel like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I got the golden ticket and I need to let as many people know as possible. Here’s some of the things that you can do for your family, but just by applying these basic principles. So but yeah, I said after I take these last as a scientist and no more tests as I take a pregnancy test, I take it no more tests done.
Oh, so it’s a twenty six which was a twenty six to twenty six. Is that the principal license or. That’s a nice, nice, nice. So I got a couple of bonus questions for you, they’re a little bit more lighthearted than a serious question. So if you could be a superhero, who would it be and why?
And that’s a good one. So I love Wonder Woman. And here’s a little a little caveat. So if you ever go look at our social media page, we’re paying for a hero. So every 30th of the month, I send a reminder for women to do their self breast exams because that’s how my lump was found for my nurse practitioner, Dermot. Well. So I send as a reminder. But what I do part of your when a woman does her breast self exam is to stand like Wonder Woman literally to do like a self inspection, to see if anything has changed physically. And when I saw that, I’m like, that looks like Wonder Woman. And that is it was Wonder Woman’s pose that you have to stand in. So Wonder Woman has always been my favourite since that, and then she is a bad ass. I love one woman and then now I love them. I’ve always been a team superman, even though Batman is.
Well yeah.
But that’s like a little I guess like a piece of me that a lot of people don’t know. If I love Marvel Comics, I can watch them over and over just to have them in the background. I can watch Iron Man like three times in a row.
He’s wealthy as well
and he is wealthy as well. So I guess I do like all the wealthy ones.
I think it is roles into your business background a little bit. Yeah. I mean, coming into this podcast, I would think it was pretty much going to be talking more so about your business underneath the Rvp branch, but you kind of exposed to other branches, right? I mean, you’re talking about a nonprofit and you’re also talking about this digital planner. How could people get in contact with you? I mean, this is this is the shameless plug. I mean, what’s the websites? Where are you on Instagram, Facebook and so forth.
So for the non profit, for the Pink pearl hero, it’s on Instagram and Facebook, pink pearl hero, all one word. And then for the planner, one dot planner. So it’s the number one dope Dope. It’s a digital organization planning experience. I came up with the name at three o’clock in the morning. So you see, I get up and I was building version number two and literally I was like, this is pretty dope anomic. There we go. One dope planner, you literally ask how the name came into play. But we’re on Instagram and Facebook as one dope planner and we’re working on getting the website. We’re actually in pre prelaunch, my partner and I. So she’s like doing a lot of things behind the scenes as well just to get everything out in the forefront. Those the two best ways to get in contact with me.
So the one dope planner is one spelled out or is it justthe number one?
Just number one planner. Cool. And then it’s the private Facebook group. It’s called Women of Wealth. I mean, anybody is welcome to join it. I mean, any women’s welcome to join because it’s a women’s group. We do have that on Facebook. And what I’ll do is I actually just women’s statistics on wealth and we just start talking about it. But it’s also a place where we can embrace entrepreneurs. So I showcase a lot of women who have their own businesses because a lot of women have pivoted during this pandemic where the things that that they’ve always wanted to do or things like quote unquote hobbies, they’ve actually said, well, shoot, this has worked out for me to just jump and go guns blazing and get it done. And so I’ll showcase women on their their businesses. So it’s just a way for me to give back, but it’s also a way to have another avenue for women to network, even if their corporate single moms stay at home moms or entrepreneurs as well.
Nice, nice, huh? So I got another bonus question, and this is like my favorite bonus question. I was like, I’m just going to access on every single episode that I ever do. We just got everybody. The answer is always going to be uniquely different, right? If you could spend twenty four hours a day with anybody dead or alive, uninterrupted, who would it be and why?
Only one person.
One person. I mean, you could list more one, but to start off with the one main person. And Art William doesn’t count.
OK, so honestly, the first person that came to mind was Jeff Bezos. I mean, I just want to have a conversation with him. I know. Maybe I’m just I don’t I just want to know. I mean, in five years, he blows past everybody,
brilliant
low pass everybody. I mean, by default, of course, his ex-wife is in the top 25 list of billionaires to buy for twenty four hours. That would be the guy that I would want to spend time with just to pick his brain. And I mean, I would not go to sleep. Oh, I was talking all the time. I mean I’d be taking NoDoz monsters, whatever, just to maximize that, just to see his thought process. And I think that’s what a lot of people don’t do, is they don’t take time to for people like that. If you had an opportunity or somebody who has what you want, ask a couple questions and then just shut up and just absorb it all.
Yeah, yeah. I mean, he’s definitely a he’s the first person that’s scheduled to be a trillionaire in our lifetime. So, I mean, that’s definitely a lifetime game changing situation. Definitely. Well, so this is the time of the podcast where I usually kind of give the microphone over to you. And what questions do you have for me?
So I know I’ve seen a couple of the podcasts. So what is your vision? I heard you talking about networking and connecting people. What’s your vision with the podcast? What’s next for you? And of course, you know, of course, I’m always gonna ask about coaching
the little monster called,
not the one that went from here to like, oh, my God, yeah.
Yeah, you need to answer it again. I’m going to be an enforcer. And sure enough. So to answer your first question, the vision for the podcast, it’s one of those things where it’s a calling. It just kind of happened. I’ve been ignoring it and pushing to the side and all of a sudden never wanted to be in the limelight. And then as I look back historically, just my connections with people. I mean, this entire first season are all 100 percent people. Either I’ve worked with clients or people that a mentor, I mentor them. Long story short is that my Rolodex was thick enough to say, what the hell am I doing? Why am I holding it to myself? So it gave me an opportunity to kind of reach out and communicate and everybody does it. My Rolodex completely have different backgrounds and I have a lot of entrepreneurs that have insights. I’m like, well, why don’t we just give it to the world? Like give people opportunity not only to pitch whatever they’re working on. Like, for example, I came on here thinking we’re going to be talking about financial services. And you had two other business units that I didn’t even know existed. So give people the opportunity to kind of voice those new ventures that they’re working on, talk about their successes, talk about hurdles that they’ve overcame like your cancer. Right. I mean, that’s a hell of a hurdle to overcome. Anybody else probably would have essentially given up or they would have gave up their business. But you constantly kept pushing forward. So to give inspiration, to give motivation. And that’s what this entire venture of this podcast really is. It’s getting people that may not see themselves as inspirations, other people, and giving them a 30 minute to an hour of their voices to be able to say, guys, you are an inspiration, you are motivation, your story is hella powerful. Let’s give it back to everybody. Let them know who you are, what you’re doing.
Right. Right. I mean, that’s what’s up. I mean, and I know that my breast cancer journey is just it was part of my personal process. It was something that had to happen. And I think a lot of people may not be on that level, you know, and I get it. So I’m not I never, like, tell folks mean, why aren’t you here? You know, that’s just not part of their process, is we just part of my process. But, you know, when I look at it, I knew and I had the conversation with Ron, I’m like, if we give up now, we’re going to miss it. We’re going to miss whatever. And because I just felt it and like we’re in a season right now and I’m going to do my part, I’m going to do what I need to do to stay healthy, to stay focused, to get through this. And it’s that all that happened right, during radiation, like almost like the worst time for it to happen. But that’s when I also realized how to kind of trick my brain. Is it really a lot of things in life are all mental. It’s just, I guess, that shift. But I think, you know, my biggest I guess advice to people is just never give up, just never give up, especially when there’s something going on. Like you get those little butterflies or like, you know, I’m right here if I give up now. Then it’s not going to happen, so just keep moving and it may not be like full force, but as long as you keep on doing something every day to get you to the next level, whatever your next level is. Yeah, just don’t stop. Don’t quit.
Yeah, yeah. And to your point about the medical side, I mean, I think everybody sooner or later is going to go through something medical related, and that’s when you become the real you. I think you hit that cancer point and you have to make a decision. You step forward. I hit that. I had a stroke, literally had a stroke. And to your point, my half my face was crooked and I was like, the hell with that. I’m going to do something and push forward. And everybody that I’ve talked to that’s in that predicament, you’re faced with life or death situations and you have to make that conscious decision. And after that point, there’s no turning back. There’s absolutely no turning back. And then your greatest achievements usually happen after that point. So I think I mean, he was really on the road for greatness. But I mean, just hearing you speak today, which is kind of like, well, damn, Tammy Sister Tammy Grace, you got any other questions for me?
Oh, is that we got another book coming out. I mean, I know you’re probably writing something. I mean, I see something.
Yes. That series of three books out the the third volume just came out, the vision book came out and I just prerelease a new book series in general called Uncaged Motivation. So those two are on for presale on Amazon right now. And those are kind of like taking a calendar of 90 days and putting it in a book format to kind of have actionable items every single day for 90 days. And so and these books were originally also the key words like what’s passion but taking action towards your passion, what’s vision, taking action towards your vision. So just a combination. I was like, I need a new book series. I know I like my schedule is busy enough, but I needed to have two book series to be able to portray the words versus the actions of a day to day basis. So. That’s what’s coming up. Very good. Go, go, go, go. I definitely appreciate you taking time out of your schedule. I know that you’re probably all over the place. You always were all over the place. So I appreciate you taking out your busy day to come on this podcast. And I think women of all races, of all creed would hear your story and kind of hear you being a cancer survivor, being an entrepreneur and not just an entrepreneur on one avenue successful and one and starting to others. Your piece all day, every day. And I definitely appreciate your time.
Oh, thank you so much. Thank you for thinking of me and having me on any time I get an opportunity to tell my story and never take it for granted, because I just know that the impact that it can have some always cost Costas on who I speak with and on the different channels. So I definitely, definitely appreciate you having me on. And so we have to get together.
Yeah. Yeah, definitely. Sooner or later. Sooner or later.
Right.
I mean, covid change things, but I mean obviously having Zoome definitely help, having videoconferences, definitely help is not the face to face, but it’s virtual face to face. So it’s a win win situation.
Right.
So what have you got your schedule for today?
So I’m doing my I. Have you ever heard of the Pomodoro Tharani.
Mm hmm.
So I’m doing a two hour power hour and I get so much work done. I mean, I do that. I have actually a template for that in the planner. But so I’m married my to our power, our knock some things out so I can be productive and then I’ll take some course, get some playing time with the girls and keep grinding. I mean I really want to stop. I know that’s kind of bad. Yeah.
But I mean with that theory, I mean that’s the theory that if you think think with two hours on, two hours off or two hours on, 30 minutes now I do.
Twenty five minute cycles task. OK, so twenty five minutes I take a five minute break which is like renting the bathroom, get some coffee and then I could do four of those and then I’ll take like a 30 minute break to kind of reprogram the brain, which is a good time for me to actually take like that. Twenty six minutes now. I think you and I talked about the art of napping before, and so I really, really had to implement that during radiation because that was like I mean, literally zapping me out so I would have to take longer ones at that point. So that’s a good time for me to refocus. And then I get right back on it, do and do form for twenty five minute cycles, but I get so much done in that time, so ridiculous.
So even at the end of the podcast, still dropping knowledge. Definitely appreciate it. Tammy lewis. Well we look forward to seeing what the non-profit turns into and obviously you’re one dope planner or planner. It’s planner. One dope planner. Yep. I’m looking at one dope planner co. Yeah. Yeah, I’m looking forward to seeing, seeing what that turns into megawatt again over. And now we appreciate you coming on the show.
All right. Thanks so much.
And I’ll have a good one. All right.
thanks for tuning in to another episode of Boss UnCaged. I hope you got some helpful insight and clarity to the diverse approach on your journey to becoming a Trailblazer at this podcast. Helped you please email me about it. Submit additional questions. You would love to hear me ask our guests and or drop me your thoughts at asksagrant.com post comments, share it, subscribe and remember, to become a Boss Uncaged, you have to release your inner Beast. S. A. Grant signing off.
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