Today we’d like to introduce you to Taneisha Brooks.
Hi Taneisha, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My name is Taneisha Brooks, I am the mother of Denim (16) and Brandon (12). I was born and raised in Athens, Georgia. I grew up primarily on the east side of Athens where I graduated from Cedar Shoals High School in 2001. Athens is a city that is high in distress. The poverty rate in Athens is twice the rate of the state of Georgia. I said that to say that I did not have a privileged life at all.
Growing up in a high poverty area affected my outlook on life. I never really saw people “make it” out of their situation so I was not sure if I would be able to do the same. Regardless of what I saw and how I felt, there was something inside of me that wanted more.
After having my first child I moved into public housing. Ironically, my apartment was located down the street from where I lived as a child. I always saw generations of families living in subsidized housing and that was something I did not want for my family. In that moment, it seemed as if I was following in the footsteps of those around me. Yet still, something inside of me yearned for more.
Three years later, I had my son. At that point I felt stuck. A single parent, two children, no reliable transportation, no consistent job, and living in low-income housing. This was never the life that I envisioned for myself. As you can imagine, that took a mental toll on me. All my life I was told I was smart, intelligent, and would be something great by my teachers and mentors, but that was not the life I was living. Looking back, I can say that I was struggling with a little depression.
I begin working at a local KFC/Taco Bell. After working there for about three months something inside of me said, “this is not what you are supposed to be doing.” I knew that was the case, but what was I supposed to do. I had a family I had to take care of and although it was not a lot of money, I needed it. I was working one day and there was an overwhelming feeling inside of me and I felt like it was the last day that I would make a taco. It was at that moment that I came up with a plan.
I completed a year at Athens Technical College (Athens Tech) prior to me having my daughter, but I never went back. It was time for me to finish what I started. I went out to Athens Tech and found out that I had a balance I owed to re-enroll at the school. I contacted my 4th grade teacher and she wrote me a check to pay off the balance. I ended up quitting that job and going back to school. I knew that if I did not work while living in Section 8 housing, my rent would automatically go down to $50.00. I went to the Department of Family and Children Services office and signed up for additional resources that would help support my family.
During my first quarter back at Athens Tech, I found out about the Workforce Investment Opportunity Act (WIOA) program. The program would pay my tuition, childcare, give a gas allowance, purchase all my books and supplementary material, and provide individual support if I was in a program that they covered. I was accepted in the program and was able to pocket my financial aid to take care of my household.
When I graduated from Athens Tech, I had two associate degrees. One in Business Administration and one in Accounting, I was a student Ambassador, Vice-President of the student International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) chapter, and a campus volunteer.
Fast forward 13 years later and I just purchased my first brand new home, I have two reliable vehicles, I have an amazing job with Family Connection Communities in School (FC-CIS) as a Resource Connector, I am the owner of Gold Standard Solutions (GSS) a consulting company, and I am a Realtor® with Calhoun Realty Group (CRG-Keller Williams Greater Athens). I have two amazing children, and mentally I am in the best place ever.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today. You can include as little or as much detail as you’d like.
The road has not been smooth at all. That would be an understatement. Of course, I struggled financially, but my physical, mental, emotional, and especially spiritual well-being seemed to have suffered the most. I read an Indian Proverb once that says:
“Everyone is a house with four rooms, a physical, a mental, an emotional, and a spiritual. Most of us tend to live in one room most of the time but unless we go into every room every day, even if only to keep it aired, we are not a complete person.” ― Rumer Godden
I was spending too much time in one room instead of creating a perfect balance for my life. Once I was able to shift my mindset, I was able to work on being the best version of myself and that required going into every room every day.
I had to learn how to take better control of my life physically. I started going to the gym, drinking plenty of water, and working on better eating habits. I will be honest and say that this is a day-to-day struggle. I must be extremely intentional to be consistent in this area of my life. Yet I had to realize that I cannot be the best me I can be if I am not taking care of myself physically.
I went to therapy for almost 2 years to address the things that I was dealing with mentally. Depression: being sad about things that had happened. Anxiety: worrying about what is going to happen. I had to deal with the things that I did not want to deal with, but I needed to. Removing the rugs that had so much swept under them, opening closets with skeletons in them, and addressing traumas that were still affecting me as an adult.
Working on my mental health created a space for me to work on having healthy emotions. With that came a spirit of gratitude. Every day I thank God for the good, the bad, and the ugly. One thing I learned is that everything I went through and continue to go through is not for me and only me. Someone somewhere is watching and is being encouraged. I am grateful that God saw fit to use me. While God is using me, my faith, perseverance, and character are continuously being built and for that I am extremely grateful.
Finally, and most importantly was my spiritual well-being. I was spiritually broken. I felt like I was not good enough to be blessed by God because I was not perfect. Once I learned about Gods grace my eyes were opened. Once I learned that God would give me an A for effort things changed. Once my faith showed me that if I go ¼ of the mile, God will go ¾ I took the road less traveled.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
GSS is a consulting firm that specializes in grant readiness, grant research, proposal writing and business services for non-profits and small businesses.
Grant writing and proposal services allow me to be able to give back to my community without having to be hands on due to being a mother. It is a way to help non-profits obtain funding to carry out projects and initiatives as well as provide resources to those in the community
I began offering business services such as LLC incorporation, non-profit start up, and other business services because I have seen many small minority owned businesses that are not able to take advantage of business resources simply because they are not “legit”. At GSS, we want to make sure individuals that are starting a new business have the fundamental things that they need to thrive.
GSS connects with and support the community by providing free or low costs notary services, pro bono consultations, and pro bono incorporation services for individuals who cannot afford the fee. Pro bono consultations include meeting with a team or individual to provide them with guidance for their organization with little to no costs, incorporation services, notary services, and more.
CRG is a multi-million dollar producing real estate group that assists individuals looking to purchase, sell, or learn more about the home buying process.
During the week of July 11, 2022, CRG closed on over 800K in sales, we put 1.1 million dollars in property under contract, 500K in listings, and our CEO, Freddy Sewell closed on a 1.3-million-dollar home.
We are selling keys and moving bricks! Literally! If you are in the market to buy or sell, come see us.
In addition to my businesses, I work full-time for FC-CIS, a local non-profit in Athens, Georgia. My role with FC-CIS is that of a Neighborhood Leader. It was a position created to help connect individuals with various resources in hopes that we can help bridge the gap so that they can reach a place of self-sufficiency and have a better quality of life.
How do you define success?
My definition of success cannot be defined by money. My definition of success means being the best version of myself. That requires me to take a step into every room that was mentioned above every single day. Once I feel good physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually the financial piece and everything else I need will fall into place.
Contact Info:
- Website: goldstandardsolutions.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goldiebaby_83/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goldie.brooks.526/
Image Credits:
Scrill Davis
