Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Dyal.
Tiffany, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
R.E.G.A.L. G.E.M.S. started out as an idea that I had to honor the women in my life who had inspired and guided me along my life journey. The letters are the initials of my grandmothers’ and great aunts’ first names. I was blessed to be raised by an incredibly dope tribe of women led by my mother. Their complexities and diverse takes on living provided a colorful road map to follow as I navigated growing into womanhood. I wanted to share the life lessons that they had placed in my heart, but I had no idea what to do with them. I became a mentor to a couple of young ladies through a tutoring program, and it was during an intense heart to heart talk session that one of my mentees asked me to write down some of my aunts’ advice.
I then realized that everyone didn’t have a mom, big sister, or aunt to talk to. I was glad that I could stand in that gap so the concept of R.E.G.A.L. G.E.M.S. was born. I started writing poems and stories that had a life lesson hidden in them and then in 2019, I created a blog so that all of these thoughts could be in once place. In writing my blog, I really discovered that I loved encouraging, inspiring, and sharing resources with other women. I wanted to share the love that I had been given my whole life with others who may feel like they are alone in certain situations.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has not been an easy journey. The biggest obstacle that I have had to face is the issue of transparency. I want to be as authentic as I can but there are still some things that do not necessarily need to be shared as they are deeply personal. I am constantly flirting with the thin line of sharing my story with others but also holding back just enough for me to maintain a thin veil of privacy between me and those who read the blog.
Please Tell us about R.E.G.A.L. G.E.M.S.
Not only do I write stories and poems, but I host programs that uplift the women in my community. I want to create a safe space where women feel safe to share their stories and be supported by their fellow sisters in this journey of womanhood.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My parents and my sister have really been supportive of me stepping out into this venture. At first, they were concerned with how much of myself I was sharing, but when they saw the connections that were being made and the women who were really happy at the end of our talk sessions, their concerns were eased. They have helped with promotion, merchandising, and my dad has even worked security at my events to keep everyone safe.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.regalgems.org
- Email: officialregalgems@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/r.e.g.a.l._g.e.m.s_/?fbclid=IwAR2U4mt03592HisHdpKA5F1jihqMiWxADODE0_LZdbeI5cUGTZDSRcrbqwY
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialregalgems/
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