Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Thompson.
Hi Tiffany, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Even though the events that began TEA of Life Podcast started long before the Spring of 2016, this is the year that my adventure was born. It was then that I knew that something wasn’t right. I knew that something big needed to change, but I had no idea what or even how to implement that change. I felt like I was stuck, with absolutely no way out, nowhere to turn, and with no one to understand.
Emotionally, I was exhausted. I seemed to cry more than I laughed. Physically, I was also exhausted – forcing myself to get out of bed in the mornings. All I wanted to do was sleep. I was depressed, and my mental health was completely out-of-control. I found myself dreading more days than I looked forward to. I could feel myself beginning to check out of relationships, and the words, “I’m done,” escaped my lips more times than I could count.
On the outside, my life was perfect. I had (and still have) a loving husband and two wonderful boys, whom I loved dearly and who loved me back. I had a wonderful home and more friends than I could fit into my busy schedule. And, just so everyone would know how successful we really were, we also had a lot of stuff to prove it.
Thankfully, deep down, I knew that all of these thoughts and feelings weren’t right. I knew that they were not healthy, and I knew that they were leading me down a dark, lonely, and dangerous path. It affected every relationship that I was in – especially my marriage. My husband urged me to seek counsel, and so I did.
Over the next three years, I met regularly with a counselor, then a therapist, and lastly, a life coach. My life coach and I ended up becoming the best of friends, and I still meet with her on a regular basis.
It ended up taking a few years for my healing to completely take place because during my time with council, we also worked through all the things during my life that had brought me to this point. Things began to bubble up to the surface that I didn’t see coming. Every day was a new, unforeseen emotion that I had to work through. This was a long and grueling process, but worth it, none-the-less.
During this time, I also read a lot of books. I seemed to acquire more books than I could handle at the time, but I couldn’t put any of them down! I was learning so much about myself, and I wanted to absorb it all! Most of the books that I read became about boundaries, and as it turned out, I had none.
I had always had a negative thought about boundaries. I thought of them as a way of keeping people out – much like a fence around our property. I had never thought about the beauty that was kept inside the fence. We have a fence around the back of our property, and it allows our dog to run freely, without a care in the world, but once she crosses that boundary, she becomes vulnerable to things on the outside of it- such as cars, predators, and losing where she belongs. I had lost where I belonged.
Little did I know that, in addition to my lack of healthy boundaries, it was all that “stuff.” that I mentioned above that was weighing so heavily on me and causing me to lose control. I was completely overwhelmed with all of the things around me. It felt like all of these things were constantly pressing in on me and calling out to me saying, “Buy me!” “Clean me!” “Organize me!” “Protect me!” “Don’t leave me!” “You can’t live without me!”
Around this same time, I was introduced to a couple of friends who call themselves “The Minimalists.” Now, don’t worry, and please continue to hang with me because I am not a minimalist in the way that you may be thinking right now. I still own more things than I really need, but my stuff no longer controls me. I have control over what I now own, but it was ultimately these guys, The Minimalists, who provided me with another form of counseling. They began to tell me that I didn’t have to have all this stuff. They are the ones who convinced me that nobody cared what I had or how much I had, and I could be just fine without it.
So, to continue my mental health journey, I began to get rid of stuff. First, it was the stuff that I knew that I didn’t really care much about. That part was easy and a no-brainer, but the more I got rid of, the more I uncovered the things that did have meaning and I did care about. That part was tough, but guess what! I survived, and I became stronger in the process.
Getting rid of these things got really hard, but I pushed through. While I was clearing the clutter in my home, something else began to happen. I also began to clear the clutter in my mind. I started to realize that those things were taking up way more space than the space it took to store them in my home. This also lead to my emotions being less cluttered and more free. I began to gain more energy and sleep less. My relationships improved because, in addition to clearing the clutter in my home, I was also clearing the clutter on my calendar. I was able to make more time for those that I love.
I learned how to say no so that I could actually say yes! I am now able to say no to the things that don’t bring me joy in order to say yes to the things that do – which I talk a lot about on my podcast. One example is here: https://teaoflifepodcast.com/losingmymarbles/
This and more is what led me to my podcasting journey. So many find themselves in the exact same place (or worse) that I was in seven years ago. This breaks my heart and I want to help! Through this platform, I have had the privilege of mentoring others – encouraging them to gain control of their life by implementing boundaries, self-care, decluttering, organizing, and even simple parenting and budgeting tips and techniques. At TEA of Life Podcast (Transforming Every Area of Life) my desire is to help encourage and equip you to live the life you love and love the life you live, and everything I talk about points in that direction.
Now, after six years of podcasting, I have taken it to YouTube! On January 1st, I started a YouTube channel dedicated to Telling Each Adventure of Life. This channel is an extension of my podcast (Transform Every Area of Life) where I show what it’s like to live the Adventure after Transforming Every Area. I show what it means to live on a budget, thrift and shop wisely – motivation to clean, organize, declutter and SO MUCH MORE! This is where we get to see the benefits of living a life full of healthy boundaries!
In addition to podcasting and videos, I am also writing a new e-book and reflection guide titled “7 Simple Steps to Living the Life You Love.” This book will be released this year and will give simple directions and steps that will encourage and help point us toward creating the life we love to live. My desire is for us to love our life. Sometimes that means making hard changes by Transforming Every Area of our Life, and sometimes that means choosing to love our life right here and right now. I believe that we were created to live our life in full: full of love, hope, grace, truth, intention, laughter, and freedom like we have never experienced before
My goal is to lead a more peaceful and purposeful life, and I invite you to come along on this journey with me!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Running a podcast and now publishing videos can be grueling obstacles when you are also trying to keep up with family and home duties. I have had to apologize to my family more times than I can count. Traveling this journey has not been easy, and there have been many times that I have wanted to quit and give it all up – even recently with all of the content that is currently being produced.
I find that I am also consistently fighting those voices in my head – telling me that I am not good enough or smart enough to share the content that I produce. I find that I have to remind myself, more times than not, to be bold because I am worthy.
Vulnerability is also a weakness. I am not a naturally vulnerable person, and some episodes in this podcast and videos expose things that I’d rather keep private. It has not allowed me to paint the beautiful picture of perfection; however, it has allowed me to show perfection in the process. I know that is what my viewers and listeners need most, but it is the hardest for me to give.
I am most lacking in time-management skills. There are many days that I just can’t seem to get it together. I tend to have problems concentrating on one task at a time, and I tend to have too many tabs open at one time, so-to-speak. I am working harder to get up earlier to create specific time and space every morning to work on my podcast and videos, and that is helping tremendously.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Since I was a young girl, I have had a desire to interview or to be on air. When my sister and I were younger, we would dress in full costume and use our very large camcorder to record ourselves doing mock interviews in our living room. However, that dream was quickly crushed when I was suddenly told that I was too short and my face was too scared from teenage acne. Even though I had done a little modeling as a younger child, and my height didn’t seem to matter then, I still believed the person who said it, and I began to let go of my dream.
Then, when I was in my early 20s, I began to work part-time for a local radio station, WCHK-AM in Canton, GA, where I was responsible for airing local games and commercials. This allowed me to acquire a broadcasting license, but I soon left in order to accept a position with The Home Depot as an Information Services Supervisor.
In 1996, I married a full-time musician in a local Atlanta band called, The Waiting, and eventually left my position with The Home Depot in order to work on a tour with The Waiting, Sixpence None the Richer, and Sarah Masen.
At first, the band agreed to hire me as their truck driver, and I spent the next year driving a 24′ Isuzu box truck all over the country with an 18′ trailer on tow. Later, I began to design and sell merchandise while also working as a stage manager and drum tech. Then, I became the main camera operator for the Step Up to the Microphone Tour with The Newsboys, Third Day, and The Waiting. This allowed me to learn the setup and tear down of camera equipment, including a 35′ jib. I did try operating the jib, and I was able to do it, but as a petite woman, I was confident that someone was going to get hurt during the process.
My secret desire has always been in broadcasting, and finally, at this point in time, I am best known for my podcasting. In addition to producing my own podcast and videos, I also contract to produce other amazing podcasts and videos as well. One podcast that I am currently producing is called Sue’s Healthy Minutes. I love being able to share stories and information of other like-minded individuals who have also inspired me along my journey. I have recently met with another local artist regarding the possibilities of editing videos for his cooking series as well.
The thing that sets me apart from others would probably be my new-found confidence in myself, flexibility and the ability to adapt to last-minute changes. This has not always been a strength, and I admit. It does still challenge me on some level, but I have learned to be more flexible in my time, and that has allowed me to be able to take on jobs that may not have fit into my “schedule,” otherwise.
I am most proud of how this platform has pushed me to grow as a person. It has raised my accountability level, and that has allowed me to become a better version of me. Seeing yourself behind a video or hearing your voice on a recording can be daunting at first, but it has raised my confidence and made me a better speaker. It has given me a desire to be better in many ways; however, it has also given me the ability to love myself where I am and to be confident in my own skin.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
While most may consider financial investments as a risk, for podcasters, it can be a little different. The investment of time and energy is where the risk lies with podcasting.
Now, going into season 7, I realize that I have spent a lot of physical, mental, and emotional time on this podcast. There are some expenses such as website, website design, web hosting, microphones, software, advertising, and other equipment that add up over the years, but those financial investments seem minimal when it comes to what the risk really is. For me, it is time away from my family.
My love language is time. I love spending time with others, and while podcasting has allowed me to spend time with some that I may not have had the opportunity to otherwise, it has also taken me away from the ones whom I love the most – my own personal family.
Over the years, I have had to apologize to my husband and children for sometimes having to choose writing, recording, editing, and publishing my podcast (along with the other podcast that I produce) over activities and events with them. Thankfully, they are all very supportive and excited for what I do. They are also very self-sufficient and independent as well. Maybe my podcasting has helped contribute to that, and I know that will serve them well with their own endeavors, but that doesn’t keep my mom-heart from breaking when I am not able to be present at all times.
Contact Info:
- Website: teaoflifepodcast.com
- Instagram: @teaoflifepodcast
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teaoflifepodcast/
- Youtube: youtube.com/@teaoflifepodcast
