Today we’d like to introduce you to Tyra James.
Tyra, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I took a leap of faith into entrepreneurship in 2001 by starting my very own business! I loved reading so I decided to open a Christian book store. Prior to that I worked for Sandusky City Schools in my hometown of Sandusky, Ohio for ten years.
I was so happy and proud of myself for pursuing my dream. I was young, ambitious and fearless, but I was also naïve, uninformed and not well educated in business. This is, and was, a recipe for disaster! I was successful for about seven months but then I hit a slow season. I was unprepared and therefore had no plan to combat this change. The funny thing was, I had a regular stream of customers (or maybe I should say “visitors”) in the book store, but they weren’t buying any books or merchandise. Instead they were confiding in me about their problems!!! Many times I thought to myself, if I had a dollar for every time someone told me their problems I could afford this place! Fast forward four months later, and sadly I had to close my book store and get a job to pay off the debt which I had accumulated from the business, and I was back to square one.
Nine months later I reopened, now with a business partner and an even more heightened sense of excitement and expectation, only to reluctantly close again nearly 16 months later, again because I didn’t have a plan. What I know for sure is that “experience alone is not the best teacher. Rather, evaluated experience is the best teacher!” Once again I had to repeat the cycle of getting a job to pay my debt. Now I was depressed, overweight, and not feeling very good about myself or my past decisions. I was in a bad place emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. I had to pray some difficult prayers and have heart-to-heart talks with myself and my mentor and Guardian angel here on earth. Yes, I believe everyone gets that person here on earth that can help you believe in yourself and guide you on the right path. You just have to say “yes” to them having a voice of influence in your life, then listen and take heed to wise counsel.
The good news is that I didn’t give up. I started on a different path this time. In 2004 I decided, after much hesitation and resistance, to go back to school to become a Certified Personal Trainer. I was naturally great at working out, I loved sports and I was great at empowering others, which resulted in this being one of the best decisions of my life. After a year I had completed my certification program and in late 2005 I opened my very own personal fitness studio, appropriately named “Weigh of Life.” This time after evaluating my previous experiences as an entrepreneur, I had learned many lessons and was able to apply them, I had a great business plan, and I was prepared for success. I had decided that my past failures would now be my rewards!!! One of my greatest lessons learned through the years was that success must be intentional. It doesn’t just happen nor does it happen overnight. Instead, it occurs over many, many nights.
Weigh of Life began to grow very quickly and I was experiencing great success. I began to write a healthy living column in the local newspaper which was titled “The Bottom Line.” I was becoming a voice and influencer in the community regarding the importance of living a healthy life. But all wasn’t perfect. Often times in life you may experience success and joy in one or more areas of your life, while simultaneously experiencing discouragement and defeat in other areas. This was my experience. While I was enjoying success in my career as the owner of a fitness studio, my marriage had begun to fall apart. My husband, TJ, and I both contributed to this collapse in different ways. We had been married about 12 years at this point. TJ was a science teacher and a very successful boy’s high school varsity basketball coach. We had neglected our marriage to satisfy our personal ambitions and careers and we ended up deciding to separate. We were separated for one year and surprisingly, it was the best year of my life simply because I decided to now fall in love with me! I realized that I needed to give myself what I had been giving to everyone, including my clients. I needed to know who I was, why I was here and how I could make a difference on this earth. I decided that I needed a transformation and during my year of separation from my husband I did just that. I totally fell in love with me and began to fill my cup first on a daily basis. While I was on this very personal and transformative journey, I would later learn that my husband was on a meaningful and life-changing journey of his own. During this year, one day as I sat in my office following a client consultation, the words “Life Coach” crawled across my computer screen. I had never heard the term before then, but I was immediately excited to my core. At that very moment I knew… my calling in life had found me! I was a Life Coach! I was born to be a Life Coach on this earth. I then asked all my clients in the Studio “do you see me as your Life Coach” and they all answered an emphatic yesssssss! I immediately signed up for a program to become a Certified Life Coach. It would take two years to complete the program. During this time my husband and I decided to reunite and we both committed to giving 100 percent effort and investment into our marriage. After graduating with my Life Coaching Certification and as our marriage stabilized and began to flourish, TJ expressed that he would like for us to coach other married couples on how to have a great marriage. He wanted to give back to others in this capacity as a couple. We did just that and have been coaching married couples ever since. We have now been married 26 years.
I later decided to specialize as a Transformational Life Coach because of successfully transforming my personal life first, and later, along with my husband, transforming our marriage. I now transform lives on a daily basis. I give individuals information that is relevant for transformation to occur. Regarding marriage coaching, my husband and I are transparent about our marriage trials, experiences and lessons and this approach has contributed to the very high success rate of transformed marriages in our coaching business.
We moved from Ohio to Kennesaw, Georgia five years ago and have experienced tremendous growth as individuals and awesome strides as a couple! We’re passionate about community and serving and we want to leave a legacy of “Marriage Matters”.
We each have individual life purposes, callings and gifts, but because they are highly complementary, we often tag team on projects, seminars and events, and the experiences and outcomes are always powerful and fulfilling. Twice a week TJ mentors a young boys group called “Young Men of Awtrey”, which is a group of approximately 120-130 boys. I recently launched my very own book club and named it “Phenomenally Becoming Book Club and Dinner Gathering”, with the tagline “A place where you can express your love for reading and leading!” Along with our monthly book discussions, the book club also gives back to the community by providing scholarships to students as well as to small businesses.
My husband and I are very active in the community and we both sit on various Boards. We’re the proud parents of a 24-year-old daughter, Logan James. T.J. and I are also very active in our church and we love volunteering to make a difference. I stated earlier that we want to leave a legacy. Well to leave a legacy, you must first live one and we are intentional about doing just that.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It hasn’t been a smooth ride by any means. From a very young age I have experienced many trials and failures, but every trial, test, and experience has made me who I am today .…a victor rather than a victim, and I openly share my story solely for the purpose of encouraging and inspiring hope in others. I’m a survivor of sexual abuse as a child, my Mother has battled with addiction all of her life, my biological father has been absent throughout my entire life, and because of this my Great-Grandmother raised me. I’m a cancer survivor, my youngest brother was murdered at 34 years of age, I was a caregiver for my Great Grandmother for 20 years and I could go on and on, but as its said, it isn’t how you start the race but how you finish, and attitude determines altitude.
Transformational Life Coaching – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I’m a Master Transformational life Coach and I was born to do this! I’m a visionary and I dream for a living. Likewise, I help others create a dream and vision for their life and then I help them paint the vision and dream in real life.
As a Master Coach, I coach other coaches to take their business to the next level, and I help individuals to become a life coach.
I also host Empowerment Seminars and classes, coach personal and professional development, and a public speaker, and I’m well known for teaching individuals how to create a Vision Board the correct way by learning and applying the universal laws. I’ve Co-Authored my first book this year entitled “Women On The Rise All Access” another dream manifested!!! The book will be released on Amazon July 12th 2019!
I’m most proud that as a Transformational Life Coach I literally change lives on a daily basis. I have been in business for nearly two decades and I’m a Master Transformational Life Coach, specializing in Self-Love and Vision.
What sets me apart from others … I’m a master at teaching people they are a co-creator in their life, how to develop a vision for their life, and then how to manifest that life and how to become a master at manifesting.
Married couples are coached by TJ and I as a team rather than one individual coach. As a team we provide the benefit of both husband and wife perspectives and support.
Lastly, what sets me apart is the fact that I’m gifted and anointed as a visionary and creator. I can create anything I put my mind to and vulnerability and transparency are my super powers!
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
The Law of Success is simply this – “Advancement consistently“. I’m looking for conviction with dedication on a daily basis.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 419-271-7758
- Email: tyra4511@gmail.com
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