Community Highlights: Meet Marisa Tatum

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marisa Tatum.

Hi Marisa, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
“Jack of all trades, PASSION for all.”

That’s what I like to say instead of the traditional phrase. Traditionally the ideology is that when you have your hand in too many pots, nothing will turn out well.

I’ve always questioned that thought process. Literally, like always.

I am blessed with many talents/passions and struggled for years to settle on one. “Realign, refocus, re-think where you’ll concentrate,” they’d say. And I mean, I STRUGGLED. My mom, who was my shero and guiding light said, “If God gave you that many talents, just use them all!”

As much as I loved her, I disregarded her advice. She was a super mom but had went as far as high school in education and held a humble yet fulfilling career as an officer manager until retirement. I figured maybe I should consult some career-minded, accomplished women. I found myself in the same cycle of frustration and confusion. And zoning in on my mom’s words.

To provide some context, my background is in television production, and I have a master’s in communication. In the corporate world, I worked my video producer muscle until it floated me into my real passion in corporate America, diversity, equity and inclusion. So whilst I flexed my equity muscle in the corporate space, I teamed with 8 other DEI powerhouses and developed Strategic Diversity Partners – a boutique diversity and inclusion firm with a unique brand of grounded and refreshingly authentic data-powered DEI solutions. When you meet the right people at the right time and ensure that the majority of them are smarter than you whilst bringing others under you, you soon find that things can run themselves. Check passion box number 1.

While I left television production, I still kept my itch for voiceover work. I was the 16-year-old that called my friends out of school because I have always had a very adult, heavy news-anchor sounding voice (sorry mom!). People called me for work over the years and I absolutely love doing it. Add in the fact that my husband has audio engineering skills, and It provides for a great team effort. So I started a Fiverr account, and after many gigs and becoming a 5-star voice-over artist, I’ve got a rhythm to this. I’m blessed to have steady repeat customers. Once again, this business runs itself, I knock scripts out in about 15 mins flat, and then my husband handles the rest. Check passion box number 2.

Rewind a little bit and buckle in for a bit of storytime. Back in 2015, I accomplished obtaining my real estate license. I’d quickly flourished in my corporate career and traveled a lot, so I never used it. Anybody who’s obtained a real estate license knows it’s not something you let fall by the wayside, so I’ll NEVER let it expire, and I actually “parked” my license and kept it current for years. But helping marginalized people realize home ownership is a passion I couldn’t deny, either – and goes hand in hand with diversity, equity and inclusion. In 2020, I lost my mother to COVID. She died at the very beginning when we didn’t know what we were dealing with. I shut down all my businesses (I have 2 others I’ll touch on in a moment). I was shattered and couldn’t cope. My mom was…unique. A bright light. I spent the rest of 2020 in the dark due to her absence. To add insult to injury, she’d adopted her niece, who she considered a daughter, 14 years before her passing. So my sister came to live with my husband and I – the millennial couple that swore off kids. I became a mother to a TEEN overnight.

Talk about change.

I wanted to crawl into a ball and fade away, but mom’s voice resonated. She was vexed by people who couldn’t persevere and would give up. I also heard her voice, “do them all!” every time I pushed something off or turned down a new client. While COVID brought the biggest travesty of my life, there were some silver linings in there. The travel in my corporate career came to a screeching halt, and I was looking at a more free time than I’d ever experienced before. At the end of 2021, I decided to pursue my passion of real estate because she wanted me to follow this dream THE MOST. I sold my first home within 30 days of being active to a couple who thought homeownership wasn’t within their reach. You may as well call me hooked after that moment. Also, go ahead and check off passion box number 3 at this point. I will do real estate and DEI for the REST OF MY LIFE.

Passion boxes 4-5 are really hobbies that turned into businesses. In 2015, when I got engaged, I made my own bouquet and realized I was really good at it. I’ve always been insanely good with my hands and never really knew why. I do DIY projects all the time. Anyway, some brides in a FB wedding group I started for black brides started asking me to make their bouquets and wedding accessories, such as wedding brooms, custom bling, etc. Before you know it, the business was running itself, survived the pandemic, and is maintained purely by word of mouth. I named it Janna Jacquelýn Wedding and Event Accessories. Janna Jacquelyn is for my aunt (Jacquelyn) and cousin (Janna) who’d passed away many years before.

My last business and passion box is D’Luxe Shea. That same Facebook group that’s a blessing in disguise got a hold of somebody butter I made as a goody bag item at one of our events. (Yep, that whole good with my hands – DIYer flow backfired.) They have literally REFUSED to allow me to stop making it. So I won’t. I originally made it years ago for my sister, who at the time, had really bad eczema. My mother called me days later, screaming into the phone that my concoction had completely healed it. So I’m fulfilled that it helps others, too. Once again, this business is run purely by word of mouth.

I know that some people will think I’m crazy or in over my head. I have to say that maintaining these different lanes leans into every part of who I am and also allows me to honor my mother and help to fill the void she left. Listening to the masses would have me depressed and unfulfilled. My motto is as long as you are happy, making money and not hurting anybody, follow my mom’s advice and “do them all!”

What’s next for me? Carpentry!

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 been a smooth road. My mom passed at the very beginning of COVID and my world came a screeching halt. I was completely unproductive and holding on by a thread for about a year.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
1. Strategic Diversity Partners – yoursdp.com
2. I’m a realtor – makingmoveswithmarisa.com
3. D’Luxe Shea Butter – dluxeshea.com
4. Janna Jacquelyn Wedding and event Accessories – JannaJacquelyn.com

My businesses are like my children, I’m equally proud of them all. I’m extremely vested in the value they add and the level of quality provided.

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
To quote Nicky Minaj, “I’m not lucky; I’m blessed.” I do feel God has positioned me in the right places in front of the right people.

Contact Info:

• Website: Yoursdp.com
• Instagram: Makingmoveswithmarisa
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jannajacquelyndesign
• Other: IG – dluxeshea