Tatyanna Howard MBA

I attribute my success to my children - they are my motivation, my push, and everything that's important to me. They drive me to create a better life and build the generational wealth that didn't start with me or my parents when I was younger. My health also plays a huge role, because living with multiple sclerosis, a disease that's unpredictable, pushes me to move my life forward and get all that I can while I'm able. I don't know what's going to happen - one day I may be walking fine, the next day could be different - so that uncertainty motivates me to make sure my children are set for when they get older. It's about giving them a better life and making the most of every moment I have.

The best career advice I've ever received is: time is going to pass anyway, so what are you going to do with it? This really hit home for me because I used to complain about how long things take - like it took me longer to get my BSBA, though my MBA was easier because I went back-to-back and my credits transferred. But the reality is, whether you complain about it or not, time is still going to go by. If something takes 4 years to get, in four years I'm going to be standing here either with nothing because I complained and did nothing, or I'll have it because I just went ahead and did it. That advice changed my perspective completely - time is going to pass anyway, so what are you going to do with it? Are you going to complain when those years go by and you don't have what you want, or are you just going to go ahead and get it? That's the one right there for me.

My advice to women entering this field is to keep going and persist no matter what. Keep your self-respect, your dignity, and your integrity intact, especially when dealing with outside influences - everyone has an opinion, but you need to trust your gut. It's so important to keep someone close to you that you can talk to and confide in, whether that's a higher power, family, or a trusted friend, because the village and that support system are very important in any field. You have to avoid all the negativity and just keep striving for the things that you want, because the minute you stop, it won't happen. Literally, the results are in the action. I've seen both sides - I've seen what happens when I work hard, and I've seen what happens when I stop. So by being able to see both, I know I have to keep going, because I saw what happened when I stopped. Keep moving forward, because that's the only way your goals will become reality.

The biggest challenges in my field are competition and the discouragement that can come with it, including the self-sabotage I've had to work on myself. When so many people are doing the same thing, there are fears of not being seen or acknowledged, of not being able to reach people. Another difficulty is getting people to open up and be transparent - some don't want anyone to know their business or aren't willing to share, which makes the life coaching work harder. There are also the negative people who can drain your energy. Personally, I struggle with patience when it comes to myself - I'm always thinking I need to do something else or add more, constantly moving my goalposts further back. I always think I'm underqualified for something, so I'm like, let me try to get something else. Income flow is another challenge, along with having the patience to market yourself and push yourself to get out there. I'm not naturally the life of the party type of person, so I've had to change that part of me - learning to speak in front of people, deal with humility with no problem, and get my story out there, because there are people who can relate to me.

The values most important to me are respect and consideration - being considerate of another person is crucial because you just never know what anybody is going through, so you have to always consider that before speaking. God is very important to me, and I try to push that even though I know some people aren't religious. I value trying to be better every day, because we change all the time and things happen. Morals and integrity are essential to me. I also value the advancement of being successful while actually being happy doing what you're doing. I spent so many years working at the post office where the money was good, but was it actually enjoyable? Was I really helping people? I like work where I'm helping someone in longevity, knowing that I contributed to that - whether it's children, adults, or anyone - just knowing that I helped another person get somewhere higher than where they were is very important to me.