Tanerra Willis is the owner of Amazing Family Enterprises, LLC . Throughout her journey she has learned to seize her destiny and beat the odds in spite of poverty, infertility, generational curses and other life roadblocks set to derail her dreams and magnify her fear. Instead, she overcame them all and now wants to motivate and empower others to do the same. Let’s meet her….
Let’s start with your childhood. What was your childhood like and what hurdles did you encounter early on? At what point did these things become motivation to thrive and was there a specific catalyst that changed your life?
I grew up in the city of Chester PA, right outside of Philly. It was a lot of poverty, violence, drugs, limitations and societal pressures. However, I feel like the city of Chester has some of the strongest women I’ve ever seen to date. Because we have gone through so much in our homes, neighborhoods, and city we are built to be resilient overcomers with great problem-solving abilities. We also know how to love because when we didn’t have material things, we always had a love for one another and that was instilled in us from our grandparents and stays with us to this day. I believe my challenges in my youth and young adult life definitely prepared me to look at things positively and to avoid folding during adversity. Challenges are temporary. As long as you keep moving forward you can get through anything.
Describe your early 20’s? Did you know what you wanted to do and how did you discover your path? Can you share what your career was like prior to being an entrepreneur? Did you find those early years of your career fulfilling?
I always knew what I wanted to do; however, I didn’t always move like it. Sometimes I went with the flow because looking at what other people had on the outside seemed desirable. That caused me to compromise my standards and self-worth. Sometimes settling for now instead of working towards my future. I started off being a medical assistant and then I was encouraged to go to school to be an RN. That was a great decision. I loved being a nurse. It had so many possibilities and areas to find your niche and grow. Unfortunately, the organizational constraints and stagnant culture caused burnout and my enthusiasm fizzled and was never restored.
When did you first realize that infertility was going to be a part of your journey? What was your initial reaction, and did you have a strong support system to uplift you through the most trying times?
After a few years into our marriage, we were not using any method of birth control and never got pregnant. About year three I talked to my OBGYN who referred me to an infertility specialist. At our initial consult the provider was convinced it was my husband. After a few weeks and several tests, we learned it was not male factor infertility. I felt like I had a target on my back, and I was embarrassed and riddled with guilt. I did have a strong support system, but because of my self-blame and shame I kept it to myself for many years.
How did sharing your journey help you to heal?
I started off journaling. After learning and reading more about infertility, I learned how common it was and that helped me rid myself of shame and embarrassment. Time after time, I would be in a room and either I would share it or someone else would and it would always be another person who was suffering in silence. That gave me more courage to share. Women were always relieved to know they were not alone, and it always felt good to have someone to talk to. Knowing the facts helped me heal.
Growing one’s own family is a personal goal for many women. What advice would you give to a woman early in her journey to encourage her to remain strong and let her know she is not alone?
I would encourage her to build a community. Everyone is not comfortable sharing openly, but everyone should have a core group they can talk to and count on to help them get through the tough moments. If you don’t have that in your family, I would encourage women to join a support group and get books to learn as much as possible. Knowledge will not only empower your decision making and self-advocacy, it will also help you knowing how prevalent it is and that your experiences are not so foreign.
How did motherhood change you?
Motherhood made me more grateful, more understanding, and help me to make better choices. Knowing my actions, behaviors, and choice will influence my son causes me to be a better version of myself.
Tell us about The Amazing Corner and the services you offer.
The Amazing Corner is your “partner in growth” I focus on providing coaching, consulting, and workshops that help women and teen girls grow both professionally and personally. I am a lifestyle improvement coach who helps you implement strategies that help you go from idea to execution. As a compliment to my coaching and speaking I have inspirational apparel and merchandise to help encourage our clients and customers to be the best version of themselves.
Where can our readers purchase your books and where online can they support you in general and find out more information.
Readers can visit theamazingcorner.com to purchase books. Our books are also found online wherever books are sold like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart etc. I am on social media under the handle theamazingcorner.
What do you want your legacy to be?
I want people to feel better than when I met them and to have grown during our time together either directly or through shared connections. So many women feel intimidated sharing their paths or resources, but I believe that is part of our responsibilities to show others what we have learned and how they can grow too.
Now looking back, how did everything you triumphed over shape you at your core?
My life’s challenges help me grow and be able to pivot when life doesn’t go the way I expected. When things don’t happen the way I want them to or I don’t get the help I assumed, I am sure to take ownership of my destiny and go at it alone and do it afraid. Life definitely taught me you can take on the challenges of life or you can let life’s challenges cripple you.
Do you have any upcoming events or projects you want to promote?
I am excited about my Amazing Author Catalog launching during Black History Month. It is a book catalog full of diverse authors and works that will foster the love of reading and also support self-published authors by providing a forum for them to showcase their works and build a community of readers and co-authors.
Anything to add?
I am grateful to connect with you readers and to share some of my stories. I was reminded recently to always keep “little you” in mind. That has stuck with me in a profound way. If we think back to our dreams, goals, and thoughts we had as a youth that should help us to keep walking towards the life we desire.
