Today we’d like to introduce you to Montay Fowler-Thomas.
Hi Montay, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I had somewhat of a troubled upbringing growing up back home in Philadelphia. Not due to a lack of love, but more so a lack of understanding regarding my family background. After being separated from my biological mother at the age of about three, I was then raised by my grandmother in Philadelphia with the help of my aunts.
As a child, I never really understood why my family structured looked the way it did. No one ever really sat down and explained where my father was or why my Mom and Dad lived so far away. So as I progressed in age, the void of having lost touch with my parents began to manifest itself in my day to day life–in ways I couldn’t fathom.
Early on, I was kicked out of school during my middle years due to my behavior and I was constantly in trouble at home. Often times, my grandmother would be left clueless as to what would make a child behave in such a way. We were active participants at my church, I made solid grades in school, my home environment was loving, but ultimately there was still just something missing. This sense of loss hovered over my life like a dark cloud, until I began playing Basketball in high school. Basketball provided the structure, male attention, and accountability that my life was lacking. And with the help of teachers and coaches over the years, it was the catalyst of change that ultimately led me off the path of trouble and onto college.
I had a brief stint playing college basketball, before giving up the sport to tap into more of my personal interests. This eventually led to me graduating from Temple University, as 1 of 24 students to receive a Diamond Award for academic excellence, servant leadership, and service to the community. I then went off to Ivy League, University of Penn to pursue my Master’s in Social Work. It was through these experiences that I realized my passion for creating content and adding value to my community. I chose to get both of my degrees in Social Work because I’ve always had a passion for helping others and supporting youth who grew up similar to myself. This is where Failing Forward was birthed.
As I immersed myself more into the community, I quickly became a symbol of hope and a source of inspiration for kids who come from where I come from. People would often ask me to speak at schools, lead service projects, and even collaborate on community events. So as my reputation grew and more and more opportunities came my way, I realized that I wanted to create a brand to symbolize my journey. And from that came my podcast Failing Forward.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My journey of becoming has been far from smooth. I have encountered a lot of setbacks and missteps along the way, but to be honest–many of my greatest struggles have been internal. Ironically, I have been pretty good at most things I’ve tried out throughout my life. I was always good enough or amongst the best at anything I did. My issue was always staying consistent and delaying gratification long enough to see the fruits of my labor.
Whenever things would get hard or I faced conflict. I would run away or quit. And it all stems from the trauma of childhood and never learning how to properly deal with conflict/adversity. This is why I gave up at so many things, at various points in my life. And it’s honestly the reason, I am here today. Because without all of these experiences, I wouldn’t have the wisdom, that I now use to inspire others. So many people see the end result of what I’ve been through. They see all of the accolades and the Ivy League stamp. But what they weren’t there for was when I gave up on myself along the way and had to reinvent myself to become a stronger person.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
In 2019, I finally stepped out on faith and became a Content Creator. I have a YouTube channel called Tay Loso, where I chronicle my life experiences post grad, champion mental health, and seek to inspire the youth. I am most known for my high energy, down to Earth personality, and meaningful messages. I have over 1,400 subscribers and I’m growing daily.
Most recently, I started a brand and podcast called Failing Forward, where I hope to inspire other Entrepreneurs/Creatives to fall in love with the process, embrace challenges along the way, and find grace on their journey to success. What sets me apart from others is my genuine desire to see the advancement of my people. It’s something I think about daily and try my best to incorporate into my content to help my supporters. My mantra is “One thing we’re gonna do is grow,” and I say this because I always try to strike a healthy balance of entertainment and enlightenment in everything I do.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I have many mentors and they’ve always found me while in the process of “doing the work.” I am a firm believer that when you are walking in Faith and truly serving your purpose, the right people and opportunities will find you. So before ever reaching out to anyone, spend some time thinking about your vision and what it actually means to you.
When the time comes, it’s important that you are able to articulate exactly what you want to do and why you’d like to accomplish this particular goal. Those in positions of power and access, will be able to easily spot if this is something you’re doing just because or if your heart is into it. But when they see a genuine passion and interest, they’ll be more likely to support you. Always do your due diligence before reaching out to any person you admire.
Contact Info:
- Email: failfwrd@gmail.com
- Website: https://anchor.fm/amfoward
- Instagram: Instagram.com/FailingForward.co
- Youtube: youtube.com/tayloso4s
