Brunch Spotlight - Inspired Sistah founder Tangie Henry

Someone you should know...a place you need to go!

Tangie Henry, Founder of Inspired Sistah & host of the Inspired Sistah Courageous Woman Retreat

Tangie Henry - Center

BL: What inspires Tangie?
TH: I am inspired by God,  the Master Architect of creativity. The entire premise of what I do as Inspired Sistah is divinely inspired. But I'm also motivated by other women who overcome seemingly insurmountable odds to win and succeed in life. I admire people who can "take a licking and keep on ticking"!

BL: What does the phrase "gifted to inspire” mean?
TH: I believe one of the gifts I’ve been given from God is the ability to inspire women beyond their current circumstances. Whether it's through my words or my life.  I have the grace to inspire women to hope, purpose and action.

BL: What makes the Inspired Sistah experience so unique?
TH:  The Inspired Sistah experience is unique because, as an individual and as an entity, I offer relatability and genuineness. I absolutely love inspiring women and I genuinely care about the "internal success" of others. Often, people chase after "shiny objects" only to find that the organization or individual was not really interested in their well-being. On the contrary, I and everyone connected with Inspired Sistah have an authentic, vested interest in seeing women win in life.

Fellowship

BL: Tell us about your Pretty Power workshop.
TH: The "Pretty Power" workshops is derived from my interaction with women who were successful and "pretty" in their own right, but struggled with knowing how to balance the two. The term "pretty" is not used in the traditional sense. When a woman fully understands how to possess her "pretty," she can walk in her true God-given power. For example, one of the workshop titles is, "Say So!" During the workshop, we learn how to design a pretty lip, but then we talk about the power of our words and how we can use them to shape our world.

BL: What role model can you look at and say, “Now that is an Inspired Sistah?” Tell us why.
TH: The first woman that comes to my mind is Michelle Obama. Not to sound cliché, but she appears to be a woman who knows how to fully possess all of who she is; yet submit to her husband's vision without conflict or competition. Our First Lady seems to be a woman who is deeply committed to her family and the well-being of others. Now that is an Inspired Sistah!

An "Inspired Sistah"

BL: How do you balance marriage (and everything else) with walking out your purpose? Is that what inspired , “Marriage ain’t for whimps?” Explain.
TH: “Marriage Ain’t for Wimps” was inspired by my frustration with seeing women be successful in every area of her life, but fail at her marriage. There’s this notion that a woman can’t be the CEO of her company and have happy, well-adjusted children and a loving marriage. I’m the first to admit that balancing marriage with interests outside of the home is very difficult, but it is also very doable. Personally, I have to keep in mind that my first ministry is at home. It would be hypocritical of me to “inspire women to live on top of the world” and neglect my home. I’m not saying that I have it all together, but I work very hard at it. I think it’s vitally important, however, that the spouses communicate about their goals and gain a mutual respect for each other’s desires. My husband and I have a saying, “One dream at a time.” So, while he was building his company, I pulled back, held down the fort at home and supported him; and vice versa.

BL:  You have stated false motives and hatin’ are strictly prohibited from your Inspired Sistah workshops. Why did you feel it was necessary to state this?
TH: One of my mandates as Inspired Sistah is to foster the bond of sisterhood. While that sounds good, it really can be a challenge. Unfortunately, there are a lot of women who have not had favorable experiences with other women; they have cultivated unhealthy attitudes. So instead of being supportive, they are divisive. They may show up at an event with the intent to “check out” other women and criticize and compare. So, I make the disclaimer up-front that this is not the environment for that. We foster a supportive environment where women genuinely care about one another. It’s an attitude that starts from the top down. I’m like that, the ladies on my team are like that and we emanate that attitude from the first hello to the last goodbye

BL: Tell us about your Inspired Sistah Retreat. What should attendees expect this year?
TH: The Inspired Sistah Retreats were started as an extension of my workshops. Each year we have a different theme. This year, the theme is The Courageous Woman Retreat: Living Fearless and Free. It will take place in Madison, GA (1 hr. east of Atlanta), September 21st-23rd, 2012. In general, the Inspired Sistah retreats are opportunities for women to invest time in being renewed from the inside out. We laugh, we cry, we pray, we play. The setting is always intimate and we offer different workshops centered around the theme that allow women to really receive the refreshing that they need in order to continue on their journey of greatness. What’s unique about the retreat is that we lay aside all pretention and fluff and we just love on each other and foster an unbreakable bond. For some women, it is a little unnerving at first because they may not be use to that type of interaction. But by the end of our time together, they are undeniably affected in a positive way and are grateful for the experience. To learn more about Inspired Sistah Retreats, you can visit: www.RetreatsbyInspiredSistah.com.

BL: Tell us about your book 30 Days to a More Powerful You. When and where can readers purchase it?
TH: “30 Days to a More Powerful You: Inspired Sistah Style” is my book that came about as an extension of my blog. The book is a 30 Day Devotional broken down into four weeks with four categories: Self-Examination, Self-Acceptance, Self-Image, and Self-Love. The devotionals are short, they begin with a scripture and they end with a positive affirmation for the day. It also has an accompanying journal so that you can deepen your experience for that week. It’s a book designed for any sistah who wants to continue on her journey of self-improvement. I believe we all constantly evolve and never really arrive. And the book is just one tool on that journey. An autographed copy can be purchased on my website: www.InspiredSistah.com and a digital copy is available at http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/Tangieh1.

BL: What is your favorite Inspired Sistah Quote/FB post?
TH: My favorite Inspired Sistah quote is, “I’m not your competition; I’m your sister.”

Tangie Henry

Learn more about Tangie Henry at www.InspiredSistah.com. Pssst! We also think she's a fabulous...

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