Her Story
About Tishia
I've been in my field since 2013, starting as a park ranger who loved being outdoors and sharing why we preserve and conserve our cultural and natural resources. During COVID, when conflicts arose between horseback riders, hikers, and bikers, my business partner and I strategically decided to educate people on trail etiquette and proper bike riding. We got certified internationally with the BICP program and applied everything we learned to the real world with great results. This came at an interesting moment when my mom was undergoing chemotherapy and hospice care, and it became very personal. The focus shifted from just having fun outdoors safely to the self-care aspect, especially working with women in perimenopause or menopause. I've picked up quite a following of women who see me as their leader and guide at a crossroads in life. They want to get out and do something that feels good and is good for mind, body, and soul, enjoying the outdoors safely. I have partnerships with the largest county in the United States, the Maricopa County Parks System in the Phoenix area, as well as state parks and local town districts. These partnerships are crucial to building tight-knit communities and local recreation. We're in a niche market, working from a family perspective with kids in outdoor areas, not only coaching mountain biking but doing guided hikes and teaching about the Sonoran Desert. I work with Arizona Game and Fish, helping people become more aware of their local environment so they fall in love with where they live, realizing these opportunities were there all along.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Tishia
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my mom, who was a tour guide and a breast cancer survivor. You would never know she was having a hard day because she always had a smile on her face. That's the one thing I learned - no matter what life throws at you, you can do it. Just keep that smile on your face and walk through each step, and in the end, everything's gonna be A-OK. She was a tough cookie but very humble. I've never seen anybody who lost all their hair, went through as much treatment as she did, and basically became an experiment with experimental treatment, yet she persevered. I became her medical advocate, and that taught me about self-advocacy - you really need to have a partner in life who will advocate for you when you can't do it for yourself. It's a spiritual connection that can't be broken. When you can take that burden away from someone, it really changes your why on why you do a lot of things in life. One of the things I learned from my mom is that life is a gift, and you should use the time that you got to bless other people. I'm also really stubborn - if somebody says 'oh, you can't do that,' I'll show you what I can do.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Step up to the plate and don't listen to the naysayers. I've had so many people tell me 'oh, that's not possible, you can't do it, there's no way,' and I'm just like, watch me. Do something hard, because you realize that once you've done it, it wasn't that hard at all. Chase after your passions, because the things that keep you alive and keep you going through the toughest days of your life are the very things that you enjoy doing, and that spills over into the lives of other people. When they see you lit up and passionate about something, it gets them excited, and it's like a firestorm you just can't extinguish. That's a big message for a lot of women who are empty nesters looking at the second half of their life - what excites you? What gets you up out of bed? Take that first step towards your passion, and you'll be so glad you did. But take people with you. From my 25-plus years in Mary Kay, I learned don't reinvent the wheel of success - if there's other people that have done it, follow that path of success. When you do something and you're a leader, it's lonely at the top, but take people with you.
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