This Influencer Embraces Her Sexuality While Saving Smart
Money Talks is an xoNecole series where we talk candidly to real women about how they spend money, their relationship with money, and how they spend it.
Though social media only sees a sexy influencer when you come across her Instagram page, Tere Tatiana is the definition of beauty and brains, and proof that being sexy and smart can coexist in today's digital world. Born Tereion Tatiana Henry, the self-proclaimed "cornbread-fed Georgia peach" graduated summa cum laude from Claflin University with a degree in Public Relations. In 2009, admittedly thrusted herself into the balancing act of being a single mother and preparing for deployment to Afghanistan as a government contractor.
Her four businesses––Labeled Blu Collections, Labeled Blu Realty, Labeled Blu Transportation, Southern Hospitality Adult Daycare Facility––are a product of her ambition and determination to fulfill her purpose to break the stigma against women in today's society. Though she has not personally experienced it, she recognizes the struggles of social media influencers who embrace their sexuality while being respected as businesswomen and entrepreneurs. Tere told xoNecole that the only negative experience she encounters is upon first impression when people believe her brand is shallow and solely based upon the glitz and glam of the influencer lifestyle. "Once they get to know me or see the informative business information I share with my followers, they message me apologizing for misjudging me and some even want me to mentor them. It's always gratifying when I can change a person's perspective of attractive women in business," she shared.
Courtesy of Tere Tatiana
"I feel society can do more by not shaming women for being human. Being sexy or having sex period shouldn't even be a topic of discussion when involving business. There are so many women who are smart, ambitious, tenacious, and driven, but just so happen to be sexy. Society should celebrate that."
"To me, it's very important for women to capitalize on their own intellectual, their own education, and experience, their own swag. It also gives her a sense of ownership and accomplishment by seeing her baby through," she said referring to a woman's business, brand, or project.
In this installment of "Money Talks", xoNecole spoke with the 34-year-old serial entrepreneur and social media influencer about turning your influence into wealth, increasing your income during the COVID-19 pandemic and her journey to financial stability as a smart, sexy entrepreneur.
On how much she saves and if it’s in a high-yield savings account:
"With my current budget, I have a set $2,000 monthly savings requirement for myself. It's been working pretty good so far. It's in a high-yield savings account."
On her definitions of wealth and success:
"To me, wealth refers to a person's monetary value perceived by others, while having success is how a person perceives themselves. Having self-fulfillment that doesn't necessarily relate to finance."
Courtesy of Tere Tatiana
On the lowest she’s ever felt when it came to her finances and how she overcame it:
"The lowest I've ever felt was when my ex-husband, who is an officer in the military, and I didn't have $13 between the two of us to get our daughter a can of milk in 2009. Yes, we both came from very supportive families but it was the principle for me. It really triggered my mentality towards being financially secure. In my mind, it pushed me into leaving my daughter at four-months-old to go to Afghanistan to make fast money. I vowed I'd never have that feeling again. And thank God, I haven't.
"I channeled that negative feeling of not being able to provide for my child into building a legacy I can one day be able to pass along to her. I have pursued and secured several very lucrative streams of income, that way I'd have a better chance of maintaining financially if anything were to ever happen economically."
On her biggest splurge to date:
"My biggest splurge would be my 2020 Maserati truck. It has always been my dream car and I felt as though I've worked hard enough for long enough to treat myself to something nice."
Courtesy of Tere Tatiana
"I channeled that negative feeling of not being able to provide for my child into building a legacy I can one day be able to pass along to her. I have pursued and secured several very lucrative streams of income, that way I'd have a better chance of maintaining financially if anything were to ever happen economically."
On whether she’s a spender or a saver:
"I am a woman (laughs) so I would consider myself a spender by nature. I had to train myself to become more disciplined, which was extremely hard. Honestly, I could probably do better."
On the importance of investing:
"It's very necessary to invest. My motto in business and life in general: Everything is a flow. Nothing can come in if nothing comes out! You have to sow seeds. If for nothing else, making residual income. A lot of millionaires become millionaires or multi-millionaires from making residual income. I've invested hundreds of thousands in different business ventures, as well as into myself and my brand. I also invest in stock, I purchased some Facebook stock when they first went public, as well as Bitcoin."
Courtesy of Tere Tatiana
"Everything is a flow. Nothing can come in if nothing comes out! You have to sow seeds. If for nothing else, making residual income. A lot of millionaires become millionaires or multi-millionaires from making residual income. I've invested hundreds of thousands in different business ventures, as well as into myself and my brand."
On her savings goals and what retirement looks like to her:
"I would like to become even more financially literate in moving and saving money. At this point in my life, it's hard for me to fathom retirement. I feel as though I'm one of those people who always have to have their hands into something."
On her budgeting must-haves:
"My budget must-haves would be cosmetics (hair, makeup, nails), tuitions, paying myself first, and food! (laughs) I'm definitely a foodie."
On her intentions behind multiple streams of revenue:
"My streams of revenue are from my trucking, real estate, and adult daycare facility. I also still make over six figures yearly with my job as a government contractor. I'm also in the works of developing a virtual trucking course for those looking to get into the trucking industry.
"Having multiple streams of income is very necessary! In today's unstable economy, entrepreneurs must remain fluid in order to survive. Plus, it's common knowledge that most millionaires have at least seven streams of income."
Courtesy of Tere Tatiana
"Having multiple streams of income is very necessary! In today's unstable economy, entrepreneurs must remain fluid in order to survive. Plus, it's common knowledge that most millionaires have at least seven streams of income."
On unhealthy money habits and mindsets:
"I had a really big problem with having the attitude of 'I'll make it right back!'. I'm so accustomed to making and being around fast money. Even as a child, my mother was a popular hairdresser from my hometown, so I've seen fast money my entire life. I [overcame it when] I saw [that] I got more accomplished. I actually began to 'see' my money and how it was working for me. I became more financially stable. I was even able to show others how to adopt the same mindset."
On her money mantra:
"I actually have two: 1) 'I am unapologetic about my desire to live a rich life', and 2) 'Money flows to me with ease and grace'."
On the craziest thing she’s ever done for money:
"(Laughs) Looking back at it, I wouldn't necessarily consider it desperate, although I felt like it was at the time, but I was an exotic dancer in college. I wasn't desperate but I've definitely always had money on my mind. I've always wanted to be independent. My intentions were definitely in a good place, just misguided."
On the worst money-related decision she’s ever made:
"I would have to say going into my adult daycare business without a direct plan. It started as a group home, then evolved into a residential, then finally an adult daycare over the course of four years. Although this is a very lucrative industry, the investment and overhead was a bit of a blow to my financial plan––I would do more research next time."
On her budget breakdown:
How much do you spend on rent? $2,500
Eating out/ordering in? $1,000
Gas/car note? $2,000
Personal expenses? $6,000
For more Tere, follow her on Instagram.
Featured image courtesy of Tere Tatiana.
Black women are not a monolith. We all are deserving of healing and wholeness despite what we've been through, how much money we have in the bank, or what we look like. Most importantly, we are enough—even when we are not working, earning, or serving.
Welcome to Black Girl Whole, your space to find the wellness routine that aligns with you! This brand-new marketplace by xoNecole is a safe space for Black women to activate their healing, find the inspiration to rest, and receive reassurance that we are one small act away from finding our happiness.
Want to discover where you are on your wellness journey? You don't have to look far. In partnership with European Wax Center, we're bringing you a customized wellness quiz to help you up your wellness game. Answer our short series of questions to figure out which type of wellness lover you are, what you need to bring more balance into your life, and then go deeper by shopping products geared towards clearing your mind, healing your body, and soothing your spirit.
Ready to get whole? Take our quiz now!
Meet Tiffany Capri Hainesworth, The First Black Woman To Have Her Own Tequila Brand
July 24 is National Tequila Day, and so it was only right that we highlighted the Black woman breaking barriers in the tequila industry. Tiffany Capri Hainesworth founded T Capri Tequila after the success of her gourmet treats business. However, at the time, she had no idea she was going to be making history.
Tiffany grew up in Washington D.C., and after her high school sweetheart was murdered, she decided to go into criminal justice and got her first job in the Secret Service. She continued working various federal government jobs, but a traumatic car accident that caused a brain injury changed her life forever. The accident caused her to reflect on her life, and she began focusing on things that make her happy, thus leading to her embarking on a journey in the spirits industry.
The mother of one would frequently have her girlfriends come over for girls’ night, and she would make liquor-infused desserts. But after the car accident, she decided to turn it into a business and called it Boozy Bears. Boozy Bears was a “handcrafted gummy bear made from wines and spirits.”
“I drank tequila. I love margaritas. Like, I love margaritas,” Tiffany told xoNecole in an exclusive interview. “So, I was like, okay, let me get my little first batch of tequila for my Boozy Bears. So, I researched where tequila was made, [and] found it was only made in the highlands and lowlands of Jalisco, Mexico, and I jumped on a plane and went by myself.”
“So, I was like, okay, let me get my little first batch of tequila for my Boozy Bears. So, I researched where tequila was made, [and] found it was only made in the highlands and lowlands of Jalisco, Mexico, and I jumped on a plane and went by myself.”
During her time in Jalisco, Tiffany visited the agave fields and the distillery and worked with the jimadors to soak up as much knowledge as she could about tequila so that she could make her own. Her original plan was to just have her own tequila for her Boozy Bears business, but once people got a taste of it, they convinced her to start selling bottles of it.
She began documenting the ins and outs and ups and downs of starting her own tequila business. While Tiffany described the agave fields as “one of the most majestic feelings I’ve ever experienced in my life,” flying back and forth to Jalisco by herself, the language barrier, and many other things were challenging.
That’s when it was brought to her attention that she was the first Black woman to own her own tequila. “Shawn Yancy from Channel 4 (NBC4 Washington) was like, you know, let me tell your story, and when she started doing the research, she said you know that you’re the first Black woman to do this all alone,” she revealed.
“Shawn Yancy from Channel 4 (NBC4 Washington) was like, you know, let me tell your story, and when she started doing the research, she said you know that you’re the first Black woman to do this all alone”
After launching in 2021, Tiffany shared that once Chanel 4 aired her segment, it went viral, and her first 1500 bottles sold out in two months. T Capri is 100% Blue Weber agave tequila and additive-free. Their hashtag is #youcansipwithus, which according to the D.C. native, it means you can drink it straight. “You don’t need to put any juices, any mixes, anything in my tequila. You can drink it on the rocks because it’s that smooth, that pure,” she said. “We pride ourselves on being certified additive-free by Tequila Match.”
Photo courtesy of Tiffany Capri Hainesworth
Tiffany calls her journey “tragedy to triumphant.” From the many seizures she faced following her car accident, even after starting her Boozy Bears business, to being heralded as an innovator in the spirits industry, she has overcome a lot and is just getting started.
“It has been an amazing journey. I appreciate, and I am so grateful for the true, genuine support I’ve gotten where people have purchased my product taste unknown. They’ve supported me sight unseen, they understand the dynamics of being a sole owner, making history being a sole owner in a male-dominated industry,” she said.
For more information about Tiffany and T Capri Tequila, you can follow her on Instagram @tcapritequila, Facebook T Capri Tequila, and her website is tcapritequila.com.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image courtesy of Tiffany Capri Hainesworth