The Moment | Tatum Blize
5 MINUTE READ
We believe that life is a collection of Moments. Some ever so big, some fleeting, some small. It is in these Moments and the choices we make within them, that shape the people we become and what our lives will stand for.
We are reaching out to the most interesting, inspiring & successful leaders around the world to ask them about their Moments. In the spirit of our number one value, collaboration, our goal with this series is for you to experience development and enrichment from today's most inspirational leaders.
On an average day you will find Tatum at school drop offs, out in nature or baseball practice with her two gorgeous little boys trailing aside their powerhouse mama.
When you meet Tatum for the first time, you will come face to face with the most vibrant, loud (!), funniest, MOST connected person in the room. When you are in her presence, you have the distinct feeling of being around someone who is up to something big in their life aka ..... changing the world.
Tatum is the type of women who will vulnerably share who she is and what she stands for and at the same time will call you out on all your bull shit! In short, she is the type of girl you want to have in your crew.
As an entrepreneur and business women, she has rediscovered what it means to have it all - on her OWN terms. She is a fierce stand for her relationships, family and friends, she isn't afraid to call a spade a spade and cut a rug on the dance floor. Her interview here had my spine tingling - this girl is on fire.
Tatum tell us about the Moment ....
You realized you were in the presence of a great leader/teacher
I recently read my grandmother's life story. Yes, she wrote an auto-biography and it was brilliant.
My grandmother did everything she wasn't supposed to: married a man who was already divorced, divorced that man after years of infidelity and violent abuse then raised her children on her own in an era when divorce and single parenting was condemned. She owned it, and was proud.
She loved Jesus, like REALLY loved Jesus and she made sure everyone knew about it. As a young woman, she used to travel by bus to outdoor markets, stand in the busy streets, and share the gospel with anyone who listened. She was the only women on this outreach team. She wanted everyone to know about how God could save them from their sins. She believed in her every fibre that everyone must hear about heaven, and she made it her life's purpose to share with any person she was in contact with. She was fierce.
Vishma taught me so much:
NEVER STOP: when you believe in something, be ferocious.
DO NOT CONFORM: if everyone's going right and you are convinced to go left- do that.
BE BOLD: be proud, no matter how outrageous. Make them remember you.
DO WHATEVER IT TAKES: for family, fulfillment, health,
FORGIVE AND LOVE ALWAYS: she never held any grudge against the man that beat her and left her with three children to raise.
ALWAYS BE PUT TOGETHER: Vishma never left the house looking untidy. I definitely got my vanity from her!
You knew you were on the right path in your career
Oh man, I go to bed proud each day (waking up is just hard to do!). I knew I was on the right path because I get to empower women to believe in themselves; to realize their goals so they can provide for their families, impact others, become leaders themselves, and overcome personal hurdles. On a global scale, I am part of something that is bigger than myself, I am part of a movement that demands higher standards and better regulations that directly impacts our health and safety. Purpose with a paycheck.
You failed
My sister needed me, and I wasn't there. I chose not to be there for her.
Done something that was not expected of you.
It was always my dream was to be a stay at home mom and I am blessed to have a husband that supported me. I really believed that I would feel complete being at home with my kids. And while I love raising my boys and being a home maker, over time I began to feel like I was losing myself. My sense of self-worth and my power was slowly being drained. Fast forward through a few bumpy roads, and I found myself wanting something that was mine; something that had nothing to do with my role as mummy, wife, house keeper etc. Then I started my business, and I found a new love. I was energized, empowered, and had a purpose! I realized very fast that THIS was what I wanted to do. I wanted to be around other people, I wanted to educate, coach and mobilize women, I wanted to earn an income. I would say that starting my business was least expected from me.
You wake. And the ritual you have to start your day
Waking up is hard to do! I love my sleep and could stay in bed for days! My body wakes around 7am. Over the last few months, I have been trying out a new routine.The first thing I do is get out my gratitude journal, and log my gratitudes and intentions for the day (a friend showed me The Five Minute Journal). I, then, meditate for 2 minutes or so. Then it’s get ready for the day with water and breakfast. My husband and I have challenged ourselves to keep our phones out of the bedroom; it makes my routine way easier to achieve.
It’s not perfect, but I feel so good when I start my day right.
You made your best hire
The moment I received a phone call from someone who wanted to work with me! She sought me out and recognized me as a leader who could mentor her. That was cool
You felt the most successful in life
This past May, I lost my grandmother. My hubby stepped in and supported me travelling to South Africa to be with my family. There I got to reunite and establish family bonds that had fizzled. I also got to honour my grandmother by emceeing her funeral. When the family sat around making necessary arrangements, a cousin spoke up and said that they believed I was the one who should speak at the funeral because they thought I was most like my grandmother- badass. It was in that moment, I felt the most successful in life.
You received feedback that was hard to hear but worth listening to
I really do need to stop swearing. Also, I have been told that I need to be a better listener.
You chose to walk away from someone or something
I’ll answer this in another way. The moment I chose to stay in my marriage and rebuild our relationship. Not walking away was the harder decision and, today, our marriage continues to have ups and downs, but it is so worth it.
Bit of more than you could chew
I feel like this every day!! As an entrepreneur, there is a saying that goes "when you do something you love, you'll kinda work all the time!"(read this on a meme somewhere). There is always more to do, and people to reach out to, and programs to implement, and self-development that can be done. Not to mention, running a household and raising little men!
Saw yourself & your true potential
When I recognized that I have the ability to connect with(almost) anyone. As a woman of colour I think this is a gift. My true potential is to bring women together and empower them to reach their true potential. That juices me up!
You understood advice your parents gave you (what was it?)
Be you. Travel the world. Be bold.
Follow Tatum on insta @tatum.blize - oh and do yourself a favour and order the charcoal mask asap! #bestkeptsecret