Conversations with Tiffany James

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany James.

Hi Tiffany, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Growing up, I was that person who my peers felt they could trust and confide in. Moreover, I had a natural ability to encourage them through whatever the situation was. However, I didn’t recognize it as a gift, or believed that what I was doing was of any real importance—it was just who I was. Looking back, I can honestly say that I was okay with just being me. It was not until my parents purchased their first house and we moved to a new community that I started to feel that there was nothing special about me.

I am not sure if it was because I was constantly teased about something. My dark complexion, thick hair, clothing, shoes, and even my kindness were all subjects of ridicule. I felt so alone, yet you would not have known it. I was good at putting on a brave face and pretending nothing bothered me. Pretending became my weapon of confidence. Meanwhile, I was losing sight of the thoughtful, kind, trusted, and positive person I once was.

Sadly, I carried on this way until my adult years and as a result, I was addicted to how people saw me, which led to me becoming somewhat of a people pleaser. I became what people wanted and needed me to be, it was as if I was waiting for someone to permit me to breathe—like I was constantly gasping for air. I was waiting for someone to tell me who I was. What was my purpose? Was I valuable or worthy? There comes a time that you have to ask yourself, “What happens when no one shows up to give you life? Do you just stop breathing?”

Needless to say, I was exhausted. Yet, I longed to be accepted and loved, but more than anything, I longed to have a purpose. My turning point story is overflowing with many incredible moments and such a plethora of people that even I don’t know where it begins or ends. So I will say that despite my “pretending and people-pleasing” I managed to be a good mother and wife, and excel in my career as an Escrow manager. Equally important, my faith in God increased tremendously.

During this time, there was a beautiful woman named Dr. Barbara Williams, who I met at an event I was attending called Change Your Life, who spoke something to me that forever changed my life. I recently recorded my first inspirational spoken word piece entitled, “You are that Woman.” I decided to give every woman attending the event with me a free copy, but not before staying up the night before in my hotel room looking up each of their names, accompanied by a personalized note.

After hearing all the attendees speak about the impact my words had on them, Dr. Barbara stopped and looked at the women and said, “You know what she possesses!” I was looking and listening intently to her because I too wanted to know what I possessed. I had yearned for the answer to this question and within the next few seconds, I knew. She said, “She has the gift of Encouragement and it’s powerful.”

At that moment, it was as if I was transported to my childhood, then back to that present moment, and suddenly everything about me made sense. I saw myself for the first time! It was my purpose to encourage people through my writing, wisdom, and with my voice.I am not quite sure of the exact time frame, but perhaps a year afterwards, my job ended and I began to pursue my purpose.It has been an incredible journey. I am proud of the mother, wife, woman, and business owner that I am.

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?
It has not! I would say the greatest struggle for me has been staying true to myself. How to hone my skills and obtain advice from like-minded individuals, who have been in the same field of business as me. This is a hard task because when it comes to business there is an enormous amount of information and content that exists. Not to mention, that much of the content that we are bombarded with through social media platforms is invasive and subjective.

Yet they tend to become the popular blueprint of what it means to be successful. We are inundated with phrases like: “bossing or leveling it up—if you are not making money, you are not making sense, wake up and get your hustle on.”

Unfortunately, everything has become superficial—about popularity and money. Instead, I believe that these are a byproduct of you doing business with integrity, excellence, and joy while staying true to yourself and your purpose. I have to work hard at not comparing myself and not allowing these platforms to become my mirror or my motivation.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
When I first started, all I wanted to do was share my poetry with the world. I wanted to inspire and make people feel good. In 2006, one of my short poems was chosen for the International Poet Society poetry competition. Surprisingly, to this day, I do not know how my poem got entered. Nevertheless, I found myself in LA as one of the finalists. Upon learning about the competition my co-workers asked if they could purchase a copy of my poem.

Up until that point, I never considered my poems worthy of selling. This was the start of my business Encouraging Touch Enterprise, “Give a Gift that Creates a Legacy for a Lifetime.” I started custom framing and selling my poems, which led to requests for personalized pieces for birthdays, funerals, and anniversaries. As time went on, I started getting requests to recite the poems at events, and Encouraging Touch continued to bloom, taking on a life of its own. Eventually, I started creating inspirational story pieces that I would perform and became known as a Storyteller and/or God’s Storyteller.

Again, my gift for encouragement continued to blossom with me becoming a host, author, motivational speaker, retreat facilitator, and writing and encouragement coach. I am blown away! What I am most proud of is the continuous heartfelt testimonials of how my words, writing, coaching, and encouragement have impacted and transformed lives. My motto is, “Greatness is about serving others with the gift that God has given you.” What sets me apart is my style of storytelling, it is not unique but powerful.

What are your plans for the future?
As far as the future is concerned, I am just enjoying the journey. Oftentimes, we are quick to move on to the next big opportunity but I want to slow down and appreciate the moments unfolding—learning to be present in the now. Don’t get me wrong, I do have big dreams.

One of those dreams is to start doing encouragement/writing retreats in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, but right now I am currently occupied with school. Yes, I decided to go back to school to pursue my BA degree in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. I will be graduating Spring of 2023, one month shy of turning forty-nine years old, and this is a huge accomplishment that I am truly proud of. Moreover, it is a reminder that it is never too late to follow your dreams.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.encouragingtouch.com
• Instagram: @ncouragetouch
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/tiffany.james.IAm
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@encouragetouch 

Image Credits
Alexander DeLuna