There’s a little girl in the living room of a ranch house in Detroit. She’s got a spray paint can cocked in her hand, standing with confidence in front of the drapes. There’s a twinkle in her eyes. She’s thinking about how her mother - a designer and creative at heart - will love her new art project.
She starts to spray. First in slow, smooth strokes, now quick squiggly lines and staccato dots. She’s giggling. She sprays a dog and she’s halfway through a scene with a moon and a sun when a scream at her back freezes her.
In that moment, the little girl knew something was terribly wrong.
Tiffany, why are you always so happy? Don’t be so happy is what she heard as a child.
This is Tiffany Persons, who reckons God gave her a little extra dollop of joy. Maybe a bit more than the world knew how to handle.
Her Journey to Light up the World Again.
We are all born with gifts. But it’s often those who struggle to reclaim theirs from the clutches of trauma that care the most. About the world, about helping others discover their gifts, about helping themselves.
If that’s true, then Tiffany is on a journey to light up the world again.
She has a warmth about her, a softness. A wonder you might feel when watching stars shimmer in a summer night sky. Her long earrings dance when she talks. Her eyes gleam beneath her smooth, shaved head. A certain grace comes to mind. Wisdom, even.
Walking Through Fire
She started her career working 80 hour weeks as a single mother. Her daughter effectively grew up with her together - they raised each other, as she puts it.
Which meant she had to stand up and fight for things. She remembers firmly requesting a raise from a boss that was taking advantage of her. She remembers leaving the man she loved more than anyone else. He couldn't commit in a meaningful way.
She walked away from another promising relationship in utter heartbreak. And little more than silverware in her name. She had wanted someone to make things easier. To save her, even. But in that moment, with a handful of forks in her hand, she realized she could be the hero of her own story.
That’s when everything shifted.
The Galaxy She's Created
She surpasses her incredible hunger to succeed with tremendous care for people. Which has started to move mountains in the world.
Tiffany’s sphere of concern for humanity seems like a galaxy. Especially when compared to most people’s smaller orbits of interest.
She’s created a successful Hollywood casting firm to help change women’s lives and roles in the industry. Her humanitarian work in Sierra Leone has created health care, education, adult literacy, and agriculture programs. 97% of her micro-loans there have had a successful return. She’s responsible for educating thousands of elementary school children. Helped almost 8,000 women build small businesses. It’s all part of a herculean effort to stand up for something that mattered to her. She wants people to feel comfortable with themselves - because she didn’t growing up.
Her work has been a labor of love. And you can tell - the tenderness in her eyes is wrought from deep, deep loves. Great loves. Loves that break you. And make you.
It's these unrequited loves that showed her all she was after - maybe all anyone chases after, all anyone wants - is that feeling of love.
Tiffany was born loving the joyful part of herself. The hard part has been contending with the parts that don’t sparkle so bright.
She wants to know - can we accept all the parts of our own experience? Even the sharp ones?
How could we be wholly inclusive of others if we’ve shut off or judged ourselves?
She asks, can I also love the rage?
It seems worth considering. And might be an important part of our work on this earth. The effects are obvious when you meet someone like Tiffany.
Because life, the world, the people you meet - they are all mirrors. But look into Tiffany’s eyes, and you’ll see a special part of yourself that you’ll never forget.
As a female-run company, we are passionate about the issues that women face not only in the workplace but also in their personal lives.
We, the partners in LTH, all come from different backgrounds that have shaped who we are. We are a diverse group…ages 25 – 52, Black, White, Asian, different religions, hailing from different parts of the world. We are going through menopause, we have survived illness, we are finding ourselves, we are mothers, sisters, wives, and daughters. While we carry the burdens and blessings of some of these labels in different ways, we all have one thing in common. We think it is time for women to have a safe place to share their deepest fears, disappointments, struggles, as well as their joy.
Let’s Talk Honestly features our team and friends of LTH (you). It's a place for you to share your personal narrative, whether you are a customer or not. Just know we have your back.
It's time for us to break down the barriers that confine us as women and to ‘talk honestly’ about who we are.
Together, let’s make the world a more confident place.
What a magnificent article! I enjoyed reading every minute of it. The words kept me in a spell, thank you for recognizing the amazing spirit of Ms. Persons!!!! She is a blessing to me and to so many others. Sincerely, Nina Valencia