We recently had the chance to connect with Tiffany Francis, MSHS Coach Tip and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Tiffany, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
I’m exceptionally excited to have traveled to Jamaica last month. I told my husband I wanted to go while I was still in my 30s, since I’ll be turning 40 later this month, so the trip is purposely scheduled while I’m still 39. This is actually part of a strategic plan on my part to go back to Jamaica sooner than he thinks, and it brings me great joy. We’re both long overdue for a vacation; being a social entrepreneur, full-time employee, college student, mother, wife, and most importantly an individual, often leads to a competing agenda and a tight schedule. I’m looking forward to letting go and embracing all the beautiful things tropical nature has to offer.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Tiffany to many, Tip to others, and Coach Tip to the students who gave me that name back in 2020, it’s a part of my brand now. I’ve always been a natural motivator, and I’ll never dim my light when it comes to celebrating myself or others. Our mission focuses on mindset coaching for the 3 E’s of success in entrepreneurship, education, and employment. My target audience is justice-impacted women who have been incarcerated and face barriers that prevent them from achieving success or recognizing their worth and value.
In addition to running my firm, I work in an HR-adjacent role at a nationally recognized Level I trauma hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. I am also a doctoral student at the illustrious Clark Atlanta University, where I am writing my dissertation on workforce development strategies to strengthen HBCU Talent Pipelines by determining how pre-college technical certifications prepare first-generation students for workforce readiness and improve admissions outcomes.
One of my most unique traits is being a mother of three. I had my daughter, my first child, at 16 years old, and we truly grew up together. She is now 23 and a recent graduate with her bachelor’s degree in sociology. I also have two sons, ages 10 and 6. I’ve been with my husband for 17 years, he’s my rock and my best friend. Our family bond is extremely tight. People often ask if we’ll have another baby, and my answer is always, “Absolutely not—we’re at capacity!” Nothing brings me more joy than knowing we are all creating a legacy that will far exceed our expectations long after we’re gone.
My husband also works full-time as a general manager and he’s also an entrepreneur. He owns a meal prep catering company that specializes in healthy meal consumption for vegans, vegetarians, pescatarians, and flexitarians (yes, flexitarian is a real thing!). The only protein for flexitarians is chicken. We both love to dance, travel to destinations near a body of water, and cook together. You can often find us dancing to the rhythm of our own beat while creating something delicious in the kitchen.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
I grew up surrounded by adversity. My mother singlehandedly raised me and my younger brother. We were a product of our environment & our mother endured years of pain due to substance abuse and domestic violence, which ultimately led us to live in a safe haven and a homeless shelter throughout my adolescence. By the time I was in 4th grade, I had already attended four different schools.
Those early experiences left a lasting imprint on me, fueling my determination to excel in education despite any circumstances or barriers. Learning did not come naturally at first; I had a speech impediment that significantly delayed my reading and comprehension. But with the help of supportive services in elementary school, I began to thrive academically. Still, the social determinants of health in my environment continued to affect my life for years to come.
I am also a survivor of sexual assault, an experience that led to the birth of my first child. While that chapter was deeply traumatic, I have been on a journey of healing ever since. I don’t view my story as unique, I see it as proof that adversity can be transformed into resilience. My daughter, my first child, is my anchor. Her story will not be defined by pain, but by purpose. That’s why part of her name is Nia, which means “purpose.” She is the blessing I never knew I needed. My two sons are also significant blessings, giving me the opportunity to nurture them into gentlemen and help shift the narrative that Black women emasculate Black men in our community.
In addition, I was deeply impacted during the 2008 recession. At 22 years old, I faced a legal case for claiming excess unemployment benefits and was prosecuted to the highest extent.
My experience with the criminal justice system was long and exhausting, involving multiple court proceedings and battles over compensation. As a Black woman, my punishment was harsher than my counterparts. This created numerous employment barriers, but I have reclaimed my freedom and no longer operate from an institutionalized mindset.
At its core, my story is about taking life’s lemons and turning them into lemonade, not just for myself, but for other women who need to be reminded of their strength and resilience because everyone has a unique story that needs to be heard!
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
There was a season in my life where everything felt like it was closing in on me. I was in my early 20s, navigating single motherhood, trying to hold down a job, and dealing with the weight of legal challenges that seemed impossible to overcome. The 2008 recession hit, and with it came a legal case that painted me into a corner, one that I felt I’d never get out of. I remember thinking, Maybe this is it. Maybe this is all my life will ever be.
On top of that, I was still healing from past traumas, including childhood instability and surviving sexual assault. I was tired mentally, emotionally, spiritually and the thought of fighting yet another battle was overwhelming.
What kept me from giving up was twofold: my faith, my children & my hubby reminded me daily that my life still had meaning. I realized that if I gave up, I’d be teaching them that quitting was an option when life got hard and that is not the legacy I want to leave. My two boys are a constant reminder that motivates me to model strength, accountability, and resilience.
Through the grace of God. I stopped viewing my circumstances as life happening to me and started seeing them as life happening for me. That mindset shift, along with a strong support system, gave me the courage to keep going. Looking back, that chapter wasn’t the end, it was the foundation for everything I’ve built today.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
Absolutely. My name is Tiffany. My brand name is Coach Tip & what you see publicly is an extension of who I truly am, but it’s also shaped by wisdom, healing, and the boundaries I’ve built over the years. I’m transparent about my journey, the struggles, the setbacks, and the wins because I believe there’s power in sharing your truth. But I also protect parts of myself that are sacred.
The woman you see speaking on workforce development, advocating for justice-impacted women, or celebrating her family is the same woman who has cried through challenges, prayed through uncertainty, and fought for every step forward. I’m not interested in portraying a “perfect” version of myself. I want people to see that strength and vulnerability can exist in the same person.
A big part of that authenticity comes from my marriage. My husband has been my rock for 17 years, he’s my best friend, my sounding board, and sometimes my reality check. He knows the unfiltered version of me, the days when I’m tired of being “strong,” and he still shows up with love and consistency. Having that kind of partnership keeps me grounded, so the version of me you see in public isn’t a performance, it’s the real me, supported by a solid foundation at home.
So yes, the public version of me is real, but it’s also intentional. I choose to show up as my authentic self, while guarding my peace, because that’s how I keep showing up for others.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I would stop overcommitting my time to things that don’t align with my purpose. For years, I’ve carried the weight of saying “yes” to too many requests out of obligation, guilt, or wanting to be everything for everyone. If I knew I only had 10 years left, I’d release the need to overextend myself and stop pouring into spaces that don’t pour back into me.
I’d spend that time more intentionally with my husband, my children, and the people who make my soul feel light. I’d travel more, especially to places near the water, dance more often in the kitchen with my husband, and make memories that leave a legacy of joy. I’d stop second-guessing my worth, my vision, and my voice, and live fully in the lane God designed for me.
Because at that point, every “yes” and every “no” would be in service of love, peace, and purpose.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/coach_tiffany_francis?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=857cdb42-ed36-496c-9b40-f38462472d1c
- Instagram: https://linktr.ee/coach_tiffany_francis?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=857cdb42-ed36-496c-9b40-f38462472d1c
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachtip1?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
