Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Slater.
Hi Tiffany, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was raised in an environment full of what was possible. My parents were entrepreneurs who owned a lounge and a few laundry mats. They also worked full-time jobs at General Motors and General Bank (now Bank of America). Because they worked a lot, I spent many hours in the lounge feeding the jukebox and seeing all of the amazing people (postmen, politicians, police officers, professional entertainers, entrepreneurs, etc.) that patronized the Gazebo Lounge. I often tell people that I was raised by many. I truly had a wonderful childhood. I spent many days with my great aunt, who we affectionately called ‘Sister.’ She too was an entrepreneur. She and her oldest sister (my grandmother’s older sisters) owned a cosmetology school and a beauty salon. Their salon is now Jazz at the Bistro.
I spent many days in the salon with my great aunt and all of the women who frequented Fran-Del Beauty Salon. I spent weekends with my uncle, an attorney with his own law practice, and his wife and daughter. I have always been very close to my two aunts, mother’s younger sisters. Renee, my mom’s youngest sister, is like my sister and forever friend and protector. She keeps me grounded. My other aunt, Bunny, has always been my idol/mentor. She helps me dream big. She was an insurance executive who left her very successful career to become an entrepreneur. She has been in business for herself for over 20 years. In my life, I have had many examples of people creating opportunities for themselves and building the life they dreamed of.
I went to catholic schools – Bishop Healy (Blessed Sacrament) on Kingshighway and Maffit and Cardinal Ritter College Prep on Thekla and Emerson. I grew up on Penrose and Kingshighway – 1 block away from Matthews Dickeys Boys and Girls Club. I am a girl from north St. Louis City and am proud of it. I have the same group of friends that I had in elementary school (Adrianne, Kisha, and Patrice) and on to high school, where we picked up three additional sisters (LaNita, Jade, and Natasha). We lost my Patrice to gun violence in 2011 when I was five months pregnant with my second son. We are all sisters until the end of time.
I changed my major five times in college. Each time I changed it, I sought an internship to experience it before fully committing. At SIUE, I decided that Business Administration with a specialization in entrepreneurship would be my final decision. I had no idea what I would use the specialization for. Then, I took an HR class. I was hooked and changed my specialization to HR. My HR internship led to my first full-time job. I have been in HR since 1996 and still love what I do.
I have been the HR Coordinator, HR Assistant, HR Generalist, HR Director, and Assistant Superintendent of HR. My career took me from the steel plant to the casino and on to public education. I have worked with and supported many different organizations and people and found joy in all of it. I had reached my highest level of success and thought it was where I was supposed to be. I had my dream job and hated it. I was miserable, stressed, and was not spending enough time with my children. Needless to say, I had nothing for myself or my husband. As a result, I went deep into prayer.
After having two surgeries for very different things, I realized the stress from my job was eating me alive. The thought of applying for a job elsewhere turned my stomach; so, I decided to start an HR consulting firm. I had no idea what I would do, where I would find clients, or how I would make money. I did know two things: I was not signing another contract for work and that God would supply all of my needs. I was very scared but even more excited about creating a joyful work experience for myself and helping others do the same.
My husband is an entrepreneur who has three older brothers and two of them are entrepreneurs. I knew that creating your own path was possible. I had seen it all throughout my life. I am the culmination of dreams. I see life through a kaleidoscope of possibilities, yet I didn’t believe it was possible for me. However, deep inside, I knew that I was destined for something bigger. I just didn’t know what it was or how to get it. I never imaged being where I am today and it being the start of something pretty amazing.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been a smooth road. It hasn’t been easy, but smooth in that I knew that it wouldn’t be easy and have been able to tap into the many amazing people that I have met along my entrepreneurial journey for guidance and support. One of my challenges has been adjusting to my quickly growing business.
I grew so fast during COVID that I didn’t have a chance to set up my systems. As a result, I often feel like I am scattered and things take me longer than they should. I took a step back and am using this year to get systematized and focused. Another challenge was understanding what my business needs in terms of technology and support from others. It wasn’t a struggle but it has definitely been something that I have had to experience and or fail at in order to really understand what and who I needed to thrive.
We’ve been impressed with HR TailorMade, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
HR TailorMade is an HR consulting firm that is THE HR solution for small businesses/organizations. We provide businesses challenged with keeping their best talent and creating their dream workplace with HR services tailored to fit their business needs and goals. We are the HR department for small organizations; develop employee handbooks; conduct HR audits; coach leaders when dealing with employee-related challenges; administer benefits; etc. Anything an HR department does in a large organization – we do it for our clients. Our clients are nationwide – Illinois, Colorado, California, and of course, Missouri.
It is my hope that HR TailorMade’s legacy will be that we transformed work environments through effective human resource solutions that set team members and business owners on the path to enjoying their dream life.
Can you talk about how you think about risk?
Risk-taking is a requirement for growth. Every time we make a decision to do something different, we are taking a risk. We risk not being successful, losing money, losing time, losing face, etc. More importantly, we risk creating or discovering something new and amazing.
I am an over-thinker, not because I am afraid of taking a risk but because I am afraid of failure. I have learned so much about myself and other things by taking risks. I learned that I am stronger than I think. I know understand that failure is not bad; it provides us with data that we need. It’s up to us to determine how we will use it. I have learned the value of and have become comfortable with failing fast.
Contact Info:
- Email: tiffany@hrtailormade.com
- Website: https://www.hrtailormade.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drtslater.hrtailormade/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hrtailormade
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/HRTailorMade
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjMUYGr44N2FQPR6Q87gyXA
Image Credits
Christopher Mikals Photography
