Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Alicia.
Hi Tiffany, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hello, I am Tiffany Alicia. I am the CEO of TACT.(a design and consulting firm) and Pillars ATL (a creative studio), and the Founder/Executive Director of Pillars Initiative (a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization) based in Stone Mountain. I am a full-time mompreneur of two little boys and wife to my fantastic husband, Louis.
Can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Geesh, coming out the gate with this question has taken me back on the journey. First and foremost, my heart has always been to serve others and help people and businesses become the best version of themselves. Often, this would require me to be the behind-the-scenes person coordinating logistics, designing materials, providing coaching, and simply the person to execute things effectively and efficiently.
I have always been a creative person with a strong desire to be an entrepreneur. Still, an entrepreneurial lifestyle didn’t seem accessible to me because we were taught to graduate high school and go to college. Interestingly, I learned to code HTML and design in Photoshop early on, never knowing that those early developed skillsets would propel me on this journey. During high school, you would find me editing the morning news show or designing the school newspaper and yearbook at DeKalb School of the Arts. In college, I was the president of the Student Activities Council and a part of the executive team of my sorority on campus (Kappa Epsilon, Zeta Phi Beta). Leadership was always a part of my story, but I learned the meaning of being a servant leader during college.
Combining those servant leadership skills with my side passion for modeling pushed me into the world of pageantry. My platform through pageants was providing a place where beauty and philanthropy collided. After graduating, I moved to Los Angeles and went on to win both a State and National title. My heart to serve grew even more as I worked in the nonprofit sector to afford that LA rent. While in LA, I met my husband and we relocated back to Georgia, continuing my work in nonprofit and government agencies. While serving in those roles, I became sought out for my creative ideas and project management experience. I started doing website design and branding work for my personal endeavors and opened the doors to my family and friends as a side job back in 2017. Shortly after, my husband and I became pregnant with our first child, and the reality became that my side job sustained my income while on maternity leave. One of my biggest clients then convinced me that I could do this full-time. She put me on enough contract work to double my income; the rest was history.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Is anything ever a smooth road? You tell God your plans and you better believe that He is going to laugh. Shortly after leaving my State job, I temporarily moved back to Los Angeles as we navigated the first-time parent lifestyle. Upon returning, we were hit with the pandemic; luckily, COVID-19 did not stop my work, but our quarantine pregnancy and my father’s death did. I was mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted. These life changes significantly impacted my entrepreneurship journey and I did a hard stop on everything. With savings dwindling and a baby on the way, I chose myself. My husband took over the bills while I focused on my mental health. There were enough struggles in that season to write an entire book on, but once I returned to my business, my clients welcomed me with open arms and I have been blessed ever since.
We’ve been impressed with TACT., 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?
Sure, TACT. is a boutique design and consulting firm passionate about partnering with purpose-driven, community brands. In a nutshell, we help businesses to build authentic brands through community, strategy, and a heart of servitude. We pride ourselves on being a one-stop-shop for planning, executing, and completing projects that require tact. We are genuinely proud to have become a sought-after agency for project management, creative development, digital marketing campaigns, website design, and community engagement through word-of-mouth promotion. Our work has garnered over six figures in contract work within the last year.
We are excited as we begin to expand our efforts by providing office and studio space opening this Fall. Here we will have a more extensive reach in serving our community. We plan to provide space for intimate events, conference rooms, photography studio rentals, and more. This space is in conjunction with my nonprofit, Pillars. Pillars Initiative is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that believes everyone deserves access to resources that enhance their quality of life regardless of social or economic status. Check our nonprofit work here- beapillar.org and our new office space here- PillarsATL.com
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I truly believe that God will place the right people in your life. I did not have a mentor personally, but I was never alone as He placed vital people in my life who made a significant impact. I think showing up daily as my genuine self provided the connections I needed to become who I am today. My advice would be to show up as the authentic version of yourself, put out the best pieces of your work, and engage with those in your circle (because people have to know what you do), and your people will be attracted to that. Knowing your purpose and checking your heart posture allows your gifts to make room for you. There is only one of you, and knowing that has grown my business far more significantly than I could have imagined (shout out to God). Remember that every accomplishment starts with a decision to try – find a mentor, take the course, write the book, start the business, and put yourself out there…you got this.
Pricing:
- The Foundation Package’ includes a landing page website, logo design, brand board, and content shoot starting at $2000
- ‘The Social Media Shake-Up Package’ includes a strategy session, brand design, a one-month content calendar, and a platform revamp starting at $1000.
- ‘The Scoping Session Package’ includes consulting for those at the beginning stages or who have hit a roadblock and need help to flesh out their business goals, starting at $200.
Contact Info:
- Website: handlewithtact.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/handlewithtact
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/handlewithtact/
- Other: beapillar.org
Image Credits
Louis Cuthbert