Taylor Tiefen

I really attribute my success to growing up with powerful women to look up to, specifically my stepmom. My stepmom came here from Nicaragua to the States at a young age, knew no English, and now she's one of the highest positions at her company at Cox. As a woman, you would never know that Spanish was her first language. She really climbed that ladder and has always been an inspiration to me. My mom has always been entrepreneurial in real estate, and she always told me 'you are a rich man' instead of 'go find a rich man.' Growing up with these badass women made me realize that I wasn't just put on this earth to reproduce. As much as I do want to be a mother one day, I want to make a difference in this world. They taught me that I don't need to be boxed into one thing, that I can be a mother while simultaneously following my dreams and making a difference in the world, which I wholeheartedly know that I will do.

The best career advice I ever received was 'you are a rich man.' That advice shaped my entire perspective and made me realize I have the power to create my own success and wealth, rather than depending on someone else for it.

My advice would be that the sky is the limit. As women especially, we tend to be boxed into one specific thing, whether it's motherhood, whether it's your corporate 9-to-5, whether it's Pilates versus lifting weights. A lot of times, we're boxed into one or the other. You don't need to be boxed in. You can do multiple things, and whatever that means for you, follow your dreams, follow your passions, and whatever sets your soul on fire, follow that, and never give up. There might be hard days, there definitely might be hard days, but it's always worth it, especially when you're following those passions. My biggest thing would be just don't let society put you inside a box when you're much more than that. I want to be able to show women that they can do multiple things if they want to. Not only do I have been in IT consulting for nine years now, I also became a Pilates instructor and started my personal brand, Tay's Mocktails. You can do all the things you want to do, and so I think showing other women, especially young girls, that you can follow your dreams, chase your dreams, and you can do more than one thing. Do not box yourself in.

Right now, one of the biggest challenges in my field is balancing multiple hats and maintaining emotional and mental health as an entrepreneur, which I manage through therapy, journaling, and careful planning. At the same time, there are exciting opportunities with the growing sober-curious movement and cultural shifts that make it easier for women to combine varied careers and passions.

My values are honesty, integrity, and doing things not just when people are watching. Loyalty, I think, is the biggest thing. I stay loyal with my partner, with my businesses, with my work, with my friendships. Loyalty is something that is huge for me. And then honesty - sometimes the truth is gonna hurt, and obviously being aware of your delivery, but always being honest with people, with friends, with your romantic partner, with work, and always just maintaining that honesty and loyalty would be my probably my biggest values.