Today we’d like to introduce you to Tee Marie.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My story starts with getting married at the age of 20 years old. Both myself and my husband thought we were ready for what was in store. Since we came from families that had two parents, we thought we were ready, but we were not. As a new and young wife, I found myself pregnant very early on in our marriage and as time went on, I felt like I was losing myself more and more as the years went by. I always had a passion for reading and writing but I just wasn’t taking the time to do things that I enjoyed. Because we were young, my husband was still in school and I took on the role of “stay at home mom”. I became a supporter of my husband and children exclusively. As I lost myself in the things that were going on in my life, I missed the fact that my husband was engaging in extramarital affairs. Initially, we decided to work on our marriage, but eventually, we separated and I moved out of our home. During this time, we went through counseling and found our way back to each other in the end.
Has it been a smooth road?
The road has not been smooth at all. My self-esteem was severely affected after giving birth to my first child. And I just could not seem to pull myself together. I had many sleepless nights where I just cried in silence wondering how I ended up in a position of such unhappiness. I tried to start making plans with friends and going to the nail salon and hair salon to try and make me feel better about myself but nothing seemed to really rid me of my low self-esteem. My husband didn’t really understand what I was going through so I couldn’t share my feelings with him about it either. I was often sad and feeling sorry for myself while trying to pretend I’m ok for my children. I suffered in silence with no relief in sight, so it seemed. That is how I learned that my happiness needed to come from within before I could expect it to come from anyone else.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
As the years went by, I gave birth to two more children and experienced one miscarriage. My life was being lived for everyone except myself. So, I woke up one day and went on a morning run. During my run, I had a moment of clarity where I decided that I would no longer put myself last, but I would start putting myself first! I picked up a notebook and later on that evening I began writing. I wrote and wrote until I fell asleep. From there, I kept going until I was finished. The title of my book is “Live.Love.Learn. A walk through infidelity, love, and acceptance”. Although I was pleased with the outcome of my book, I felt like my readers would need more. So, I decided to write a workbook to go along with the book. It is an interactive book for my readers to work their way through whatever obstacle they may be facing, and make it to the other side. Whether they have experienced infidelity or not. I host Self-Love workshops quarterly where we go step by step through my workbook and lay the groundwork for Self-Care. I also host a 6-week Self-Love Online Masterclass that digs deeper into the work that will help each woman to start a new routine that will help them to be better for themselves and others around them.
I recently started a program at my daughter’s Elementary School for young girls as well, after speaking at a girls’ chat event to help build their confidence in themselves. I created a workbook for that and the program launches October 2019. I am proud to know that my Workshops and Masterclasses are helping women and girls in our community to build confidence in themselves while still being able to care for their responsibilities. What sets me apart from others is my passion and experience with the subject matter. I came from a space where I was not taking care of myself and now I am sure to care for myself before ANYONE else. An analogy that I often use is the instructions given by flight attendants before each flight. During the security briefing, all passengers are instructed to put on their oxygen masks first in case of an emergency BEFORE helping anyone else with their oxygen mask. That includes children, the elderly, parents, everyone! The reason this instruction is so important is that, if you run out of oxygen before helping someone else and you pass out, you will not be able to help anyone. That is why I no longer feel guilty when taking care of me.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
What I like most about Atlanta is the diversity and entrepreneur spirit of so many minorities living in the city. I was born in South Bronx, NY and raised in Alexandria, VA and it wasn’t until I moved to Georgia that I saw so many minorities owning homes, owning businesses and driving luxury cars. What I dislike about the city is how early the city seems to end business. There aren’t many late-night food or shopping areas available. I’m a huge foodie, so that is important to me.
Pricing:
- “Live.Love.Learn. A walk through infidelity, love, and acceptance.” 19.99
- Self-Love Workbook for women or girls 14.99
- Self-Love Masterclass $150.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.authorteemarie.com
- Phone: 470.385.8045
- Email: info@authorteemarie.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorteemarie/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tee.marie.9619934
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmDKgsplTGNCDhZbFLenqtg
Image Credit:
@shegryndz Tai Washington; @dwsstudio DeMarcus with DWS Studios
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