Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiaera Pritchett.
Tiaera, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Truth Moment started as a YouTube collection of “talks” or advice for me to give people to help them through mental health “issues” they had been dealing with but not dealing with. As a licensed therapist, it had been my experience that a lot of people would come into a session in their 50’s with pain from their childhood that they had tried to just bury within or “take to the alter” with hopes it would get better. I wanted people to see themselves in episodes or topics I discussed to where it would cause them to have conversations with themselves about their need for help. Truth Moment was birthed in Columbia, SC when my sister grabbed her camera and told me to: “Sit down in front of the camera and help save the world, Sis.” I began to have guests on the segments where I would allow them to tell their “Truth” and we would discuss how it helped shape their life’s experience and made them better or worse. I discussed with guests and my audience how one could move forward with life’s complications and pitfalls.
Fast forward two years and I moved to Atlanta with big dreams and hopes for Truth Moment. South Carolina had brought many great things for Truth Moment, While in SC, I took the concept to television on the NOW Network where it was broadcast in four states in the southeast. Truth Moment was on People Tv in Atlanta and on two online radio stations broadcast in five different countries. Moving to Atlanta would prove more difficult than expected -as there is such an influx of radio and television content here with the same subject matter. While here I traveled and spoke at conferences on mental health, maintenance, and recovery. Topics including but not limited to: Depression and Anxiety, PTSD, Bullying, Abuse, Sexual Trauma, and Suicide. Then, my husband and I were expecting our third child and life slowed down drastically. After she came, Postpartum Depression wasn’t too far behind. People were booking less and I had no desire to film episodes of Truth Moment. I felt like I had “nothing to say that hasn’t already been said. Nothing that will motivate or inspire anyone else because I myself no longer felt motivated or inspired.” I was going to sessions every day and speaking life into other people and helping them change their outlook and perspective for the positive but not believing the things for myself. I no longer had a vision. My dreams for Truth Moment seemed obsolete and impossible. Here I was, having invested so much of my time, energy and efforts into a business, idea, DREAM that NOBODY cared about anymore. I thought about all I “wasted” and felt like I let my children down.
I didn’t even want to be here anymore. While I was pouring into others, I was emptying myself to the point where there was nothing left. We will go into further detail about all of that. But currently, I am a therapist and a radio host on Truth Moment for Fly 93.5… Flyest Station in the Nation -bringing weekly hope for those who were like me or for those on the verge, so that they won’t be. I sale Truth Moment merchandise and take the brand all over doing speaking engagements “Telling My Truth” and assisting others on their path to find theirs.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Struggles? Where do I start?!? LOL! Funding. I couldn’t begin to tell you how disheartening the times where when an investor or sponsor would appear to be totally in and then they just “weren’t”, without so much as a why. Another struggle that I took personal was a time when I had meetings with executives for a HUGE cable network where I had to sign non-disclosures about the content what wanted Truth Moment to be responsible for producing and scheduling flights and all of these things only to get a call a couple of weeks later to say they decided to go another direction. That one HURT. I had begun to let all of the No’s become so official, so affirming of my brand’s worth -or lack thereof. I also had to learn the lesson of the downfalls of telling others about ideas only for them to take them. Postpartum was a struggle because here you are going through your own mental health issues but having to “put on a face” because your brand depends on it. In order to move forward and continue on with your business, you have to be in a place to be able to speak to another person’s hurt and destitute. And the brand would continue to struggle until I stopped contradicting the brand and wearing the mask.
My mask was how in my lowest moment, one-day last year, I had placed the pain medication from my C-section on the dresser by my bathroom door and planned to end it all. I went to take a shower to calm myself and planned to come out and take all of the pills and get into bed and “go to sleep”. I sent a goodbye message to my husband and my best friend and she had called many times and texted but I declined her calls. When I got out of the shower and walked out of the bathroom, she was sitting on the edge of my bed and refused to allow me to be alone. We would cry, laugh and then she eventually made me flush the pills down the toilet as we began my road to mental healing and recovery. That has been my Truth Moment and it has been a process of checking in, healing others and making sure I no longer allow myself to become “emptied.”
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Truth Moment is another one of my babies. I am a licensed therapist but I get paid to speak at conferences, women’s events, empowerment events, and mental health events. I have a YouTube channel and am on a radio station based here in Atlanta, GA. I also sale Truth Moment merchandise. One of my most proud things about the company is how myself and the brand bounced back after wanting to commit suicide a year ago. Now, when I tell my truth and use my transparency to meet guests, listeners and viewers where they’re at, their willingness to do the necessary work to “get better’ has increased tremendously. People come from all over and reach out about how my story has helped them want more out of their life and to not take things for granted like before.
Truth Moment is different from other radio, television and YouTube shows on mental health because of me. Mental Health, although similar topics has many subjective pieces. My bout with depression may not look like yours although we are both working through it. Truth Moment is me. God gave me this purpose and it has fueled my passion. I want to save as many people as I can from such a permanent fate and alleviate the desire to continue “Solo suffering in silence.” We’ve gotta get away from that mentality. Pun intended.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was a scholar… always got good grades and always participated in sports. I was captain of the Varsity basketball team and had basketball scholarships to play college ball but chose love and some academic money to go to The University of Tennessee. I was a class clown but a hard worker. I hung out with all types of people when I wasn’t with my basketball teammates and just loved seeing people be there best selves. I was Prom Queen yet crowned “Ms. Worth Waiting For” for Homecoming also (President of the Virgins basically, lol). I was the only child so I would say a bit spoiled and used to getting my way also. Lol!
I loved God and church and could always be found somewhere at the church, praying, ushering, leading a Sunday school class… yes, as a kid. LOL!
Pricing:
- Pricing for speaking engagements is based upon: location, travel, lodging (if necessary), event size
- Truth Moment shirts: $25 plus shipping
Contact Info:
- Phone: 678-661-9530
- Email: tiaera.faison@gmail.com
- Instagram: MrsPriTee
- Other: YouTube: Truth Moment Vlog
Image Credit:
Andre Phinnessee, Caleb Brown, Darius Dior, James Creech, LaToya Moore, Nikita B. Williams, Chardae Hawley, Derrick Furlow
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