PODCAST EPISODES

At every turn, Chris-Tia Donaldson has faced and passed life’s tests with grit and grace. She is a two-time Harvard graduate and also the author of This Is Only A Test: What Breast Cancer Taught Me about Faith, Love, Hair and Business. She is also the founder and CEO of the nationally-distributed beauty brand, Thank God It’s Natural, which manufactures natural hair and skin care products. We chat about Chris-Tia’s experience in corporate work settings as a Black female professional, how she cultivated the confidence to push past being underestimated, her journey building TGIN, her battles with breast cancer, and the lessons she has learned along the way.

Topics Covered: 

• Chris-Tia’s motivation for writing This Is Only A Test
• How the strong Black woman or “Superwoman” image proved to be a double-edged sword for Chris-Tia
• Having the confidence to push past being underestimated
• Lessons learned from attending Harvard College
• How Chris-Tia defied respectability politics and grew into her authentic Self
• Lessons Chris-Tia learned when writing her first book and launching her haircare line
• Fear of failure
• Advice for women of color entrepreneurs
• Chris-Tia’s journey with breast cancer and the work the TGIN Foundation does to raise awareness of disparities in breast cancer treatment for Black women
• What sustained Chris-Tia through her cancer treatments

Highlights:

• “If you are supposed to do something, you will be equipped with every resource that you need to do it.” 
• “Don’t underestimate the power of mentors.” 
• “It’s not the peace you have in vacation that matters, it’s the peace you create in your everyday life.”

Connect with Chris-Tia: 

On her website: https://thankgoditsnatural.com/

On her LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christiadonaldson/

On Twitter: @tginceo

On Instagram: @tginceo

Learn about TGIN and the TGIN Foundation on Instagram: @tginatural and tginfoundation

Other References: 

• Chris-Tia Donaldson, Thank God I’m Natural: The Ultimate Guide to Caring for and Maintaining Natural Hair

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