Today we’d like to introduce you to Tawisha Nikki Buckingham.
Hi Tawisha Nikki, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born and raised in Upstate, New York (Syracuse). After high school, I decided to attend college 3 hours away at the University of Buffalo. I found out that I was pregnant the summer after my Junior year of college at the University of Buffalo/Brockport University(temporary transfer). At a crossroad between dropping out and finishing because I had come so far, I decided to keep going and to do something outside of the norm and request a maternity leave of 6 weeks from school to give birth to my child and to heal. I obtained an unanimous approval from my college instructors (God’s grace). My aunt and uncle were able to keep my newborn for me for one semester after his birth (God’s grace). As difficult it was to leave my newborn baby to attend college 2 hours away I wanted more than anything to complete my degree so that I can provide a solid future for my child. I traveled back home to visit him every weekend. My child’s father had matters that he was dealing with and so I had to push through the best way that I knew how without the full support needed in a time such as this. In my last year in college at the University of Buffalo, I had to bring my young son with me to college. My uncle packed us up and dropped us off. Unable to live on campus with a child, I had to find off campus housing at the 11th hour. I literally brought my baby boy to my classes with me for the first couple of days of the semester until one of my instructors pulled me to the side to inform me that I will not be able to bring my child to class with me. I then asked my friends to assist me by babysitting while I was in class. However, that was not going to work because they had their own classes and activities to attend. I felt down and defeated. I only had one year left to finish school and although I came so close in completing my education, yet I was so far. One day I was driving in an off campus area where my son and I lived and I happened to see a daycare center. I decided to go inside to inquire although I already knew how costly it was for childcare services. I was a fulltime student who was unemployed but I had nothing to lose by going inside and asking. My son and I stepped inside the building and I asked to speak with someone who happened to be the owner and director of this black-owned business. I explained to her my situation/dilemma and she quickly thought of a way to help me. She told me that I can bring my son to the daycare during the time of my classes every week and she will only charge me $50 dollars a week. I had the financial aid refund to carry me through in covering this expense and it was just what I needed. God had shined His grace on me once again. My son’s father advised me that his father and stepmother lived in Buffalo at that time and so they were a big help in keeping their grandson when I had evening classes (a Blessing). With great support and resilience, I was able to complete my final year in college with my toddler in tow and by my side. Two years later, my son’s father and I had a daughter. During my pregnancy with her, their father had to deal with some personal matters again unfortunately. Although it was difficult for me to navigate life without him and as a single mother, I was able to come across a solid career in healthcare administration with two fortune 500 companies because of this degree. In 2006, I was blessed with the ability to transfer locations from Syracuse, NY to Atlanta, GA with a promotion by way of the first healthcare organization, allowing me to establish my footing in my career as a network account manager and later as a contract negotiator in Atlanta. The second organization was huge on working from home before working from home became popular, so I was thrilled to be able to have the flexibility and work-life balance needed as a mother who remained hands on with her children and their best interest. My children adjusted very well in the relocation process ( I was worried about them adjusting), giving me less to worry about as their feelings mattered to me. Two years after relocating to Atlanta, I purchased my first home in up and coming McDonough, GA in 2008. My son always wanted us to live in our own home and I promised him that this will happen before he entered high school. Their relationship with their father became stronger as he had recently relocated to Atlanta and regularly requested for us to relocate here so that they will be closer to him as he pursued his music career. Life was moving steadily and in 2012 tragedy struck our family when my children’s father was fatally shot and killed in Connecticut. My children and I were devastated. Life would never be the same. Losing my children’s father took a major toll on our family. We held on to God’s hand as we moved forward with much difficulty in our new reality. My son graduated from high school a year later. He attended Valdosta University in South Georgia but shortly after had to return home due to mental health concerns as a result of losing his father. My son was often told after losing his dad, to “be strong for your mom and sister” and so the weight of it eventually came down on him. After returning back home from college, it took some time, some mental health crisis episodes, and a great deal of hands on advocacy for my son in his mental health treatment and overall well-being. I refused to abandon or overlook what was in my son’s best interest when supporting him in his care. During this time in my life, I decided to join the church that I was visiting for years and focused primarily on my children and their needs. A couple of years later, my daughter became pregnant with my first grandchild and so as our family expanded, I felt overwhelmed with happiness as I became a new grandmother to a healthy baby boy, Josiah and as my daughter completed high school. I often worried what the future held for my children without their father’s presence in the flesh. Church was a strong support system and my immediate family members lived 16 hours away. Relying on God was our best and biggest hope. Bereavement counseling sessions were helpful and as my son moved forward, he gradually was able to grasp some normalcy. As the next couple of years went by, we drew closer to God and also to each other. My son and daughter worked and was learning to experience life as young adults. My son was preparing to take on a trade as a barber and registered to start barber school in early 2020 while my daughter had just passed her certification exam to become a certified medical assistant. In January 2020, my son was called out of our home by someone that he befriended as a child in our subdivision community and was recently reacquainted with after a couple of years of losing touch. When this person called my son out of our home one evening to hang out, he fatally shot him. There were no issues or “beef” between my son and this young man nor between my son or anyone else for that matter. They actually grew up together in our subdivision and community. My son was home at a decent hour every night and was not one that was out in the wee hours of the morning looking for trouble. Our lives were turned upside down. My son was my everything, my pride and joy, the first to call me mom, the first to give me the reason to work hard in life. When the police handed me my son’s keys, confirming that the young man that lost his life outside in our subdivision was my child, I immediately went into an out of body experience. I was in complete shock and could not break down or digest mentally or emotionally what had just happened. This type of pain is indescribable. I was sick! My daughter was sick! My family was sick! The detectives came to our home to obtain as much information and details as possible regarding my son, the other person asked us about the events took place leading to the incident. I thank God that my children regularly communicated with each other and so my daughter was able to share recent and specific information and conversations that she and my son had leading up to this horrific day. We decided to have my son’s funeral service in New York, our hometown where their father was laid to rest. This was the most difficult task that I ever had to carry out. Because of the closeness between my children, my daughter was able to assist the detectives in-depth and collect the appropriate witnesses to testify in the trial that took place almost three years later in 2023 (postponed due to covid), finding the defendant guilty and sentenced to life plus 15 years, without the possibility of parole. I thank God for His justice! Although the verdict did not bring my son back to us, the guilty party received what was deserved and with justice being served.
Through it all we leaned on our God, our strength and our Comforter. We needed God’s hand on us and all around us as the deep sadness and despair took a toll on us. We had an overwhelming amount of love and support but the void in life after losing a child and a sibling can never be filled. My family and I returned from New York and immediately moved into an apartment. Just 2 to 3 weeks later the country shut down due to Covid. Isolation was hard yet it was needed in this difficult time. It gave me a wealth of alone time with God. A time for reflection, stillness and His love. A time to draw closer to God amongst the chaos around us. I would literally feel God’s hand rubbing my head to put me to sleep every night while I cried.
Almost immediately, I looked to put my house on the market while living in the apartment. I could not imagine going back to live in the same subdivision. After about 4 months in the apartment, I received a purchase cash offer on my home. I began looking for a new home for us and located a new subdivision on the border of McDonough and Stockbridge, GA. I knew that this blessing was from God himself as anything good comes from God. I was so thankful for this on time blessing.
I continued to work hard in my career and at the end of 2020 I learned that my daughter was expecting a baby girl. The doctors knew in advance that the baby will be born with a half of heart, Tricuspid Atresia and suggested termination. My daughter decided to move forward and continue with her pregnancy. When the baby was born, early on she had to have her first open heart surgery at only 4 and half pounds my grand-daughter had open heart surgery. The surgery was very critical and she was on ECMO (life support) as we almost lost her. We were told that our baby girl was the sickest baby in Georgia. I told the doctors/surgeons that we serve a God that can do ALL things. God carried my granddaughter through it all and gave my daughter the tenacity and resilience to be the advocate and voice needed for her baby girl in such a difficult process. Today Lani is 4 years old and thriving. She has another surgery ahead to complete the series. However the most difficult and most invasive surgery is behind us.
As I managed my career as a contract negotiator and was ready for new advancement because it had been 6 years since my last promotion. I stepped up to take on new opportunities that assisted me in career growth and I also decided to obtain my masters degree in healthcare administration at the University of Arizona. The company that I worked for financially supported me in this as an employee benefit. I worked extremely hard in my tenure at the company, negotiating healthcare provider contracts at every level ranging from physicians, urgent care center, ambulatory surgery centers, hospitals, skilled nursing and home health facilities. Before I transitioned to the national team (handling ancillary contracts across the country in several states), I communicated my desires to my new manager and my interest to excel and to be promoted. This wait turned into 7 years and although I had closed multi-million dollar deals that surpassed expectations and accepted additional responsibilities when asked, the promotion did not happen. Although I was disappointed, I continued to work hard for the healthcare providers that I served. I was working nearly around the clock with my workload and became overwhelmingly stressed and anxious. at a certain point. I was eventually laid off in January 2025 for the reason of “lack of work”. I bowed out gracefully, invested in a life and career coach and started to walk the new path that God planned for me through this transition and in this season. I have recently written a book (a memoir of my life of resilience and purpose), Changing Lanes with God as my CEO : Finding Purpose and Prosperity through Divine Direction that is due to be released in January 2026 via different outlets, including Amazon and my business website (https://www.changinglanesenterprizellc.com). In August 2025, I established a healthcare provider negotiation consulting business, leveraging my expertise and continuing to perform the same work that I enjoyed doing in corporate America as a healthcare provider contract negotiator but now with the capacity to collaborate with both healthcare providers and healthcare organizations, meeting them all in their contract negotiation needs. In doing so, I am bringing forth my key pillars: trustworthy, strategic, empowering and results-driven as the foundation of who I am, my work ethic and how I lead. The name of my new business is Changing Lanes Enterprize LLC and my website is https://www.changinglanesenterprizellc.com. I have embraced this new journey of which God has placed me and I look forward to building, growing and expanding in my craft and my purpose with God’s guidance and direction.
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?
It has not always been a smooth road. I was a single mother raising two children who lost their father while still pretty young. I lost my son, who is my only son and who is my oldest child, to gun violence. I have dealt with profound and direct adversity most recently in my career by my immediate manager that was never addressed by leadership in such a climate as now with DEI being made a thing of the past. I recently experienced a layoff in a newly unstable climate in the United States, especially for women of color. However, I am hopeful and trusting in God to make a way as He has always done for me. I am trusting that He will bless me with plentiful opportunities and contracts in my new business, Changing Lanes Enterprize and every endeavor as I remain walking with Him and holding His hand every step of the way.
We’ve been impressed with Changing Lanes Enterprize, LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Changing Lanes Enterprize, LLC is a healthcare provider contract negotiation consulting firm that was launched in August 2025. The owner has 20 plus years in healthcare contract negotiation experience, healthcare provider recruitment, healthcare provider credentialing, healthcare provider network management, provider network expansion and healthcare provider migration expertise that spans across most markets throughout the United States, and specifically the metro-Atlanta market. We have the experience and skills to negotiate healthcare provider contracts at every level ranging from individual physicians to urgent care centers and hospitals to skilled nursing facilities (nursing homes) to large or small provider group organizations. We also assist and collaborate with managed care organizations with healthcare provider contract negotiations on their behalf should there be an interest in support and/or collaborations. We strive in every negotiation to obtain the best rate possible and to assure that our client’s requests are met or are better than their expectations. We push for impactful outcomes while serving with knowledge, integrity, drive and focus. We are known for contracting with compassion and placing ourselves in the shoes of our clients who may be looking to obtain a long-waited increase in their reimbursement rates or interested in updating contractual language that will offer them more freedom in how they manage their practice and serve their patients. We offer healthcare providers assistance with credentialing and recredentialing, assuring that they will remain in compliance with state, federal and managed care organization requirements. We also perform pricing analysis reviews to determine the provider’s financial baseline and financial impact, allowing them to determine the goals of where they are looking to be based on the details of their current contract arrangement. We want our clients to be informed and empowered in developing a strategy to obtain the reimbursement rates desired in their new contract agreement. We also assist in educating providers and/or provider staff on managed care plans policies and procedures so that denials and held up claims are kept to a minimum. We at Changing Lanes Enterprize LLC are here to serve our clients with the tools they will need while negotiating contracts that will offer them the ability to increase their reimbursements rates as well as negotiate contractual language that will protect them in the “what ifs”.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My career coach, Paula Washington of Paula Washington Enterprises and one of my biggest peer advocates and friend, Courtney Robinson of Image by Courtney & Bold Faith Leadership Lab. Both ladies have assisted me greatly as I walked into my new path and journey, helping me to locate clarity in my purpose and God’s calling, They have also been great encouragers and accountability partners in the goals that I have planned and set for myself as I became a student under their expertise in their respective businesses. Paula and Courtney have been great assets in the transitioning aspect of my journey and this experience will have long-lasting impact for me and in how I manage my business and serve my clients with purpose and excellence.
Pricing:
- Free 30 minute Consultation
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.changinglanesenterprizellc.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tawisha-b-60494425
Image Credits
JC Penney Portraits
