Unpacking Grief, Power of Community Care & Empowerment with TYSAH Founders

In this episode, I am honored to have a conversation with the founders of TYSAH, which stands for Treat Yourself and Heal. This is their first conversation on a podcast, and I am excited to have it with them. Ale and Gabby are two passionate nonprofit professionals who have dedicated their lives to supporting community, wellbeing, and mental health. Ale has a background in nonprofit management and communications, as well as in marketing. She is a university lecturer on entrepreneurship in El Salvador. Gabby is a California-based full-time graduate student in community mental health, and she has years of experience as a social worker. They are co-founders of the company, as I mentioned, Taysa, and they work together to promote healing and self-care through their heart-centered initiative. Ale and Gabby share their experiences and knowledge on discussing the importance of community care in the grieving process and overcoming personal challenges and the power of community. I was so honored when Gabriella reached out to me to ask to be on the show and for me to interview them so that they could share their story on our podcast because of all of you. In this episode, we are going to talk about some resources that Taysa is putting in place and has been doing since their founding, and as well as some things that can help you in your own journey of self-care, healing, and entrepreneurship. So stay tuned. Welcome to She's Crafted to Thrive, a globally ranked podcast for women living with chronic illness and creatives in business. I'm your host, Nikita Williams, chronic illness warrior and photographer turned digital marketer turned award-winning coach. I love helping chronic illness warriors and creatives to live with their chronic illness and creativity as their superpower in life and business. On the show, you will hear the very stories that helped our guests my clients and myself to define our dream way of making money with proven strategies and marketing and mindset, all to grow a business that thrives without sacrificing our health. So stay tuned because you'll find the inspiration and tools and the resources you need to craft a life and business that thrives.

I am so excited to have the ladies of Tisa on the show. And I, I just love what they're doing, and I can't wait for you all to hear more about what Treat Yourself and Heal really means. And that is kind of a segue into you— into me sharing and introducing you guys to Gabriella and Ale. So please introduce yourselves. This is— there's two people on the show, y'all. So it's actually— it's three of us, including myself. So we're gonna have lots of back and forth. So I can't wait to hear about each of your introductions. Let's start with Ale. Let's start with Ale.

Hi. Thank you for having us. I'm really excited to tell you about Taisa. And well, I am recording this podcast from El Salvador in Central America. I am in a town right now that it is called Santa Tecla, which is in the metropolitan area of San Salvador. The capital of the country. And I have a background in nonprofit management, communications, marketing, and teaching. I'm actually teaching a class on entrepreneurial thinking at university in El Salvador. And I'm the co-founder of Taisa. And we are super excited to be here and tell you more about us.

Hey, all right, thank you. I didn't know you were teaching thinking about entrepreneurship. That's really cool. I'm sure that has a lot to do with Taisa. All right, Gabrielle. I keep saying Gabrielle. I just want to call you Gabby. Like, that's in my head. I want to be like, hey Gabby.

Gabby is fine as well. Yeah, thank you for having us. Super excited to be here. My name is Gabriella Mira Brown. Gabby is fine. Also co-founder of TISA. I am a nonprofit professional, lean more into the mental health and wellness side of things. I'm currently a full-time grad student at a university here in San Francisco with a concentration in community mental health. I've been in the nonprofit world since I graduated undergrad, so it's a long, long, a long time. I am tuning in from California, but I was also born in El Salvador. And so I consider that home as well.

Well, that was going to be my next question. How did the two of you, like, meet and come into each other's world?

Ooh, we met at a fundraiser in California, but I was, I was working at a nonprofit based in Chicago and working in El Salvador. There is a lot of similarities and contradictions between the US and El Salvador and a lot of relationship and definitely at that nonprofit, we were working to find donors and supporters, mostly from backgrounds that understood that complexity and that similarities. And yeah, we were at a fundraiser in California, and, and I met Gabby, and it was— I want to say that it was like an instant connection and likability. Yeah, if you agree, Gabby. And then later, like, that was in 2019 or 2018, 2019. And 2 or 3 years later, I started working at a law firm again with connections between California and El Salvador, and That's how I met Gabby professionally. I don't know if you want to add more onto that.

Yeah, so I was managing a law firm and then Ale became our communications director. And so she and I worked closely and, and were partners really in, in everything that had to do with the law firm. And we, we learned each other professionally, yes, but also more personally, seeing that there, we have a lot of similarities. Our values are the same and our Brains work different, which is great, which is so great, because I was like, I, you know, there's many conversations of like, I didn't see it that way. Yes, but we were the same mission at the end of the day, just coming from different perspectives, which I love. Yeah, I absolutely love that, having conversations with people from different, with different perspectives.

That is awesome. I think what is interesting, because Ali was saying it was like from a fundraiser. Was the fundraiser before you guys started working together, or did it kind of all happen at the same time?

No, we met at a fundraiser event in California. That's how we originally met. And years later, we connected again at this, at a different role and more like a professional way.

Got you. Got you. So when you guys initially met, the reason why I kind of want to go a little into this because I always am fascinated when there are partners working together. Like when you decide you're going to work with someone in a very meaningful, mission-driven business, how do you come to the same mission? Like how did you come to the same decision and ideas? Or even, even if it wasn't the same but it was very harmonious, how did that happen from when you guys met to what Tysa is today?

So we've always been in similar kind of circles, even though we didn't know about each other or know each other too well. And I think that speaks to our similar values. And so the fact that we met at a fundraiser for a nonprofit, right, is, is, is, is a great first start, right? Because it happened organically, it happened naturally. And then we met up again as colleagues with the same mission, working with immigrants, right, uh, coming to the and really trying to understand the story behind that and their journeys and being thoughtful and ethical storytellers as we're trying to communicate what it is that our community goes through as they're trying to become documented or, you know, unfortunately, sometimes it's just sharing humanity, their humanity, right?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm. Sad to say, but that's what a lot of the messaging is. So, Ale speak on, on, on her side of things, but I think we were both at a place where we were feeling very burnt out, which I think is what happens in, in community service work and nonprofit sector and feeling like we needed, it was time for us, or we were at a point in our profession where we wanted to create something that we saw was missing in the sector and we wanted to marry both. So although we're nonprofit professionals, the law firm was a small for-profit. Company, but it was still heart-centered. And that's the work that we— I say we because we've had conversations about this— that we are very much pulled towards. And if there— if it's not heart-centered, we can't function in that way. So, so through conversations as to like what we— what our dreams were and we— what we aspired to do, we again saw that there was a lot of alignment And then I invited Ale to partner with me on this dream that I had had for, for several years. And it didn't take a lot of pitch for me to— I didn't have to convince her. I was so grateful that she was like, I'm in. And that, that I'm in was huge because I was— I, I asked a lot from Ale.

I, I wanted to— you, Gabby, can tell the story of Taisa and how it was in your mind and all that. But I do want to say that I have been working in nonprofit and small businesses very close to the founder or the co-founder, but I was always an employee. And I wanted that to be different. I wanted to be a co-founder. I wanted to be a partner. And I remember that I was very burned out. I was crying and I was calling Gabby and telling her, that project that you want to do, let's be partners. I want to work with you. I am tired of being in this cycle of, you know, being, as Gabby said, burned out. And I'm also a mom. I have a daughter who will be almost 3 years, but she will be 3 years old in June. And with all the, like, with the responsibilities, and also I wanted to have more time for myself and to heal myself. And I wanted something else and I wanted more, not only to be in front of a computer from 8 to 5. And I think I have learned a lot from my previous jobs, and I, I still keep great relationships with my— with all of my previous employers, and I'm super grateful for that journey. Because of that, I'm here. However, I wanted to maybe work and live at my own pace. I didn't know that was possible. Right now we are discovering that it is.

That is so— I love that you shared that, Ale. I think it's something that I honestly hear so many women, especially those that are— have been in my community that are on the show and things like that, who are like, they've been in the race of everyone else's rat race and they are tired of it and they wanted to create whatever race it was going to be, but on their terms. And I think that's what you both are saying, that this, this mission, this business, this nonprofit, this company, the missions that you guys have with Tysa really led to this culmination of you both being like, I want to be in charge of my own time, pace, energy. Also, I want to be in charge of how I shape what I see, right, in the world around you. So That is awesome. So this was Gabby's idea, like the, the, the, like the fundingness of like the, the root of it. Gabby, this was your baby.

It was, yes. But I like to think of it as it, it was, uh, created in 3 parts. So, uh, I was a, a social worker in New York City and working 12, 13 hours. And I remember being in my early 20s and being like, I am too young to be this exhausted. And this stressed me out.

Amen.

And so I started telling myself, well, you can treat yourself while you're hustling, right? Tysa. Treat yourself and hustle is what it was before. As I got older, we get wisdom, and we're like, actually, hustling is not it for me. And that's where my affirmation and my acronym changed to Treat Yourself and Heal. So understanding, like, I can celebrate every day, even if I haven't made it to where I envision myself making it. Treat myself— I'm doing what I need to do day in and day out. And I need to focus on this healing. And I need to focus on really treating myself and taking care of myself. And that isn't easy. So the second part of it— was unfortunately, I, um, in 2017, I gave birth to my son Kevin Dagoberto Brown, and he didn't make it. I was 6 months pregnant, and he was, um, born too early. And that moment, every affirmation, every healing, everything I had learned went out the window. I, I was just filled with grief and pain and hurt. And I received a box box from the nurses. And I write— I go a little bit more in detail about it in our blog post on at tyssa.com. But that box, in the moment, it was kind of— it was, it was bittersweet. I appreciated the sentiment. They put pictures of my son and his clothes that they wrapped him in. And there was a grief journal and a little note from the, from the people who had helped put that box together and a note from the nurses at the hospital. And I took it home and really didn't look at it. But since then, the box has been a place where I run to, to kind of get anchored a little, to feel closer to my son. I don't— you know, I use the tools that are in there as needed. And it's personal and it's mine. So that's where in my mind the boxes came, the gift boxes came to be, and how important that is and how special putting the box together was, like all of these people coming together to put these things in the box for me. And they had never known me before this day. And how much— how healing it is for me even, you know, 6 years later. And every time I revisit the box and use the items, it's different. But it still allows me to remember my son and kind of be with him and allows me to remember how important it is to take those moments and to pause and to really take care of myself. So that was the second part of Taissa. And then lastly, it was when Ale and I met that it became an actual thing. I— Ale was— has been— boots on the ground. I unfortunately could not, you know, leave my full-time position because we needed to invest in the business. And Ale said, okay, I'll do this, I'll, I'll do this full-time. And so the third part was, was Ale.

And I quit. And that's scary. Very scary.

That's scary.

But it's been a little bit more than a year. And I think the entrepreneurial journey is not for everyone. It's hard, it's difficult. There are ups and downs. It's difficult to be a solopreneur, even though Gabby and I are partners. But there were some moments that, you know, working from home and considering the distance— we're in different countries. Different time zones. It's, it's hard. It's difficult, but we have been very open to admit that and to recognize our feelings and our journey as we are building Tysa. And it's a paradox, I would say, sometimes when we are thinking about treating ourselves, but we also want to build a profitable business, right? So we want to have the best of both worlds. I would say like, yes, we want to make a successful business and we have been very successful, but our metrics and how we measure our progress is not necessarily what the rest of the world expects. Yeah, you know, like we definitely show up and work With intention and hard, we work hard, but also we are walking the walk of healing ourselves.

Yeah. Wow. First and foremost, Gabby, I read your blog post. You guys, if you haven't read it, if you haven't been on the Tysa blog, definitely go there and read more of Gabby's story. But I can only imagine what that's like. To go through something like that. And I think something I wanted to just hold a little space for specifically is in the context of when life throws whatever it throws at you, right? Whatever it throws at you. And the same thing with you, Ali. I said Ali. Ala. I'm going to say that wrong, y'all.

Ala. Ala.

I'm like, it's like on the tip of my tongue. I'm like, Ala. Okay, so living through something like that, something you said, Gabby, which was like everything went out the window. I feel like you both have an experience, have huge kind of foundations in social work, working with people going through trauma and tragedy and all of those things. And for you to kind of surrender to whatever the grief and the challenges were, Were you and Ale working together at that point, or did you guys know each other? Were you able to support each other in that?

No, at that point we weren't working together. At that point we hadn't even met.

Mm-hmm. And yeah, we met, we met in 2019 at this fundraiser that we were talking about at the beginning, and then And then we started working as colleagues in 2020.

Okay.

And although Ale and I didn't meet then, I, I do want to name the fact that grieving, it really never ends.

No.

Um, and it's a long journey. Ale has truly helped me process my loss as partners in this business and having to write or deciding to write those, those blog posts and tell my story. I didn't want to do it. Not that I didn't want to do it. I wanted to do it, but it was so painful. I had never written publicly about my loss. Amongst my family and my friends, we, we talk about my son all the time. There, there's definitely no fear in that. And thankfully I have a great support system, but when it came to almost giving my son to the world through these blog posts, Ale was the person who was helping me and guiding me and sending me messages if she noticed I would get quiet, or if I had— there was a deadline for the blog post and I didn't meet that deadline because it was a lot, she was there. And so, so I feel supported still through it. Yeah, a loss is, is, is difficult and complex and you just can't plan for what's to come. You can only have kind of those support systems in place or these tools in place ready to go. So when you have that space to use them, they're ready for you to use them.

Yeah, yeah.

Thank you for sharing that, Gabby. I think it's really important. That's something I believe is so important for everyone to kind of normalize what grieving looks like. We don't talk about grief a lot in the world. I feel like we kind of— it's like in a box somewhere in the corner that we're trying to keep hidden in the back of the closet. And so many of us are experiencing grief for many different reasons, different losses that we don't even know. So I'm curious to know, how have you and Ale with Taissa really— has the grieving process for you as well as the, the healing process of whatever you two are going through individually informed how Taissa is showing up today? Like, how has that been a part of curating TISA?

It's woven in every fabric piece of TISA. Truly, we lean into hard conversations. We sit with each other in our grief.

I wanted to add that it's not only Gabby and I, like, for example, we have hosted different events, community gatherings during the holidays. For so many people, and especially for me, the holidays can be filled with anxiety and everyone is concentrated on buying gifts and presents, but they are not present, right? Entonces, we hosted an event before the holidays to prepare ourselves for that anxiety. For Valentine's Day, everyone again is buying chocolates and flowers, but a lot of people forget to be a friend, or it's so concentrated into having a partner. And there are so many people that for different reasons might not have a partner. And we provided a community event where you could write a love note for yourself. So I want to say that yes, Gaby and I as business partners are talking about our own feelings and our own journey and trying to put that into what we're doing with Typha, the business. But also we know that healing has a collective aspect.. And that is not a journey that is individual. I mean, it is individual the way in which you heal. It's, it looks different for everyone. However, there is a component of collectiveness into that healing. And definitely Gabby knows better than I do about this, but I just wanted to highlight that.

Yeah, no, I appreciate you bringing that up. I think— it's important to say that, right? I think it's important to say that while everyone is doing their normal everyday life— and I think even those who don't even realize the gravity of what grief looks like in those seasons of time is something to keep in mind. I think one of the things that I've come to really appreciate is the fact that our bodies respond to grief before our head does, right? So when we experience— I had a client one time, she was telling me, she's like, I don't know why I'm feeling this way. And I'm like, well, was there something that happened? Are you like, do you remember a time where you felt like this before? And she had to— like, it was almost an aha moment of, oh my gosh, this is the, you know, 2 years ago I was dealing with this situation that I lost a really big part of myself and didn't even realize that. And so I love that Tysa's creating a community where, like, first let's prepare for these moments that are going to be so heavy and then have the community to support them through it. That's just awesome.

Absolutely. Yes, I thank you for bringing that in because it's— we absolutely need community care. And I do believe that as individuals, since we are part of our respective communities, self-care is community care. Additionally, you know, at TYSO, we're talking about mental health, we're talking about mental health challenges, diagnoses, we're talking about chronic illnesses. And you mentioned it a little bit ago, Nikita Williams, about grief being a loss of a number of things. Not— doesn't just mean you're losing somebody, right? Somebody's passed away, but you can grieve from losing a job, um, grieve from losing a friend, from losing your ability to be able to do something, um, because due to illness. So yeah, normalizing this conversation in those community gatherings as well and just naming those things that affect us. We are human beings living in an imperfect world. We are going to be impacted. And how do we navigate that together?

Yeah. So I wanna kind of dig into both of your backgrounds cuz you have very solid backgrounds working in nonprofit, working in, you know, the legal world, how does that help your— the community with Taysa when they are experiencing and looking for resources and things like that to support them beyond, I guess, more of the practical hands and feet of dealing with whatever things come up from whatever loss or transition in life that's happening for people? How is Taysa supporting communities in that way?

Yeah, thanks for that question. Ale, I feel like this is something you can take on.

I didn't mean to put you on the spot, Ale.

Of course I'll support.

I mean, I want to say that when Gaby talked to me about Taisa, she was talking specifically about Taisa overcoming with the idea that we wanted to highlight all the experiences or so many different experiences of people who have overcome something and how they are, how their healing journeys look like. Our mission at Taisai is to create connections, celebrate and honor experiences of overcoming, and promote self-care while partnering with causes around the world. So definitely our backgrounds in previous nonprofits, like with the law firm, as, as Gabby said, it wasn't a nonprofit, but we were supporting immigrants, so many people from El Salvador, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela, fleeing from endemic and historic cycles of violence, trying to go to the US to find a solution and then finding themselves being stopped at the border. It's a really complex topic. But as Gabi said, we were from our frontline. We were trying to educate folks about the opportunities that they had like the choices that they have in the immigration system that can be hard to navigate. But also, we were trying to educate folks to talk about, hey, no one is illegal. They might be undocumented, right? And I think that at TISA, we want to keep doing that. And right now, we have just launched The Gabriela edition of Overcoming that talks about Gabriela's experience, and there's a reason why we wanted to start with that one. And in the future, this is only the beginning. In the future, we expect to highlight and share other experiences of different situations, domestic violence, irregular immigration, chronic illnesses, and share those experiences, communicate them with the world, and partnering with a nonprofit or a cause that supports that cause. So the first overcoming, the Gabriela Edition, is only the tip of the iceberg of So many other experiences out there that needs to be shared, and we want to partner with causes that support that, that problem or that issue to raise awareness and to also provide additional funding and support as well. I don't know if I answer your question.

No, yeah, I think that's perfect. I think what you're— what I'm gathering is that, you know, with the the series of Taysa Overcoming, it's really the sharing of the stories, right? Sharing of not only the things, the trauma, like the trauma experiences, but also the tools and resources that have been helpful to either endure or persevere and overcome. And partnering with other company, like other nonprofits to really support them to actually do that, right? To actually be able to take those lessons and make them very tangible for their reality of life. And I think it's a very practical, heart-centered approach to what you guys are doing. I want to talk a little bit about the gift boxes because that's the first way I came to know about Tysa was on Instagram. And I saw— I was looking for gifts for my chronic illness warriors because that's something— it's a challenge finding, like, very curated things for people specifically going through a grieving or hard situation. Like, there's always all these gifts for, like, anniversaries and, you know, baby showers. But what about when those things didn't happen? Like, what about the grief? Like, what about the things that shows that comfort? You know, I always think about Chicken Soup for the Soul. I'm like, we need to have some version of that for, like, all of the things that everyone has grief and tears for. So tell me more about how does the— the gift boxes support this mission for Treat Yourself and Heal?

Yeah, thanks for that question. I'm really proud of our boxes and how it is that we find the people who are creating these items for the boxes. So when we're talking about healing, Ale and I are thinking about healing at every step and layer of this company. And so the products that we use are— come directly from the community, um, in El Salvador and, and local businesses here in the US. And we are specifically looking for entrepreneurs or producers who are from historically under-resourced, under-supported communities. We want to put money right back into our community. And then Ale and I sit down and really think about each item that we are putting in the store. And saying, yes, they— there are so many journals out there, there's so many candles out there, there's so many this out there, but what makes this one different and why are we going to add this one to the store? And so what we also do is produce, uh, we, we've produced like a pamphlet whenever we have— we purchase items that are going to be in our store. We specifically say like, what are the benefits of this item, how— and give ideas of how it can be used. And so that's how curate our boxes.

I love that. I love that so much. You guys just don't know. I have had in my brain, I love supporting other small businesses, specifically of communities that aren't quote unquote popular, right? Like, I, I don't know, it just brings me back to high school being like not at the popular kids and thinking like, even the people that I'm sitting with right now are so awesome, but they're not popular enough to be at this table, right? Or whatever table you wanted to be at. And I think creating an environment where it doesn't matter if you're popular or not. You are— your story deserves to be seen, heard, and shared, right, with other people. And I love that you guys are so intentional about, like, what products you're putting in the boxes, why you're doing it, and then also helping people know, like, this is how you can use these tools, this gift, to support you in the different layers of healing. For you, Beau, What is the most important piece to healing?

Oof.

The most important piece to healing for me personally, I think, is removing any sort of shame that comes with whatever it is that we're— I'm experiencing in that moment. And that happened— that can happen in different ways. I think the first is talking to myself. And removing shame that I have internalized for whatever reason. A lot of our thoughts around shame are usually not our own. And then leaning into my loved ones, naming what's happening, and then getting to work. Usually it's trial and error of this has worked before, it might not work now, but I'm gonna try it again, or, you know, things like that. So, but I think the number one would be is for me is removing shame.

Ooh, I wouldn't— I agree with you even— I agree with you so much on that. I agree with you.

For me, I think it's to remember that it's a process, that there is not a magic pill, that there is not a magic recipe, that it's a never-ending process, and that there is a variety of tools that can support that journey. Going to therapy, taking medication, doing exercise, eating better, communicate with your loved ones, journaling. I mean, there are so many tools. I couldn't choose only one, but if I had to, it'll be remembering that it's a process, that it takes time. And then the second or the most important tool would be the power of language. The power of language, the language we use with ourselves is super important. That self-talk, because it's always with us. And that can be— that can be huge.

Oh, yeah, girl. Y'all, just those two things alone just drop the mic and let's go. Like, I— yeah, those two things. So I don't think I would have even put it that eloquently, you know, shame and then realizing that this is a journey. How many times have we all— and if you're listening— had said to yourself, I thought I dealt with this already. Like, I thought I was over this already. Or why am I still grieving about this? I should be fine with this. Like, shame and the acceptance that this is a journey and a process are like so intertwined. For you both to say that is why you can trust that Tysa is understanding in this process of like, treat yourself and heal. I think that is— powerful. Gabby, did you want to say something?

Yeah, I just wanted to say that it might, might be overwhelming to hear that it's a long journey. However, it can be fun. It can be an adventure to interrogate yourself and really discover yourself and discover all these tools can, can actually be a great adventure, not always. And I think that if we lean into being, you know, way too positive, we might be missing, you know, really where the healing happens, which is sitting in that and feeling that and being in our bodies. But I also want to just add in my friend, my great friend Mariela would completely be probably kicking herself if I didn't add this. And she taught me a lot where she says, you know, What we experience are not stories. There are, there are lived experiences and we need to say it that way. So we're honoring people's lived experiences and collaborating with them to, to tell that, right? And to share that with the world. Another component is that we also acknowledge that some of these tools and resources, although they exist, are not accessible to everyone. And so how do we educate? Because sometimes tools are there, we just don't know about it, right? So how do we educate to say, hey, this is a tool and a resource that exists, which is why we partner with these nonprofits who— that's why we love nonprofits. And although Tysa is a for-profit company, we will never leave our nonprofit sector. There are these tools available for you, and this is how you use them, or this is how you can use them, or reach out to so-and-so But also creating tools that are not accessible or not available is really important to us. And how do we, how do we always think creatively as to like accessibility for people? Because oftentimes it's not about whether or not people want to access something, it's whether about we have made it available for everyone. And so we're always thinking of that as well.

That's another good point. I think accessibility in general not just the being able to get it. It's about knowing about it, right? The awareness that this is even something that even exists or is even possible to help you. Like, I think a lot of this comes from, like, the culture backgrounds we may have come up.

We—

they didn't know, so we don't know, you know? I, I have said that multiple times in my own healing journey of thinking, where was this, like, 6 months ago or 6 years ago? Like, I wish I had known about this tool. It would have changed everything, right? And then there's also healing from that, right? Accepting, like, you didn't know, and it's okay. And now you do know, like, you know, it's— there's some— it's like literally like this ongoing process. But I really do appreciate you saying that because it is part of my mission with the Crafted to Thrive show is to also let people know that there are resources. And then part of that to me is really the awareness, like, where, who, what, huh, what is that? Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, so I appreciate that that is a part of what Tysa is doing. So tell me some fun things and exciting things that you are looking forward to with Taisa in the next, let's say, 6 months to a year? Y'all both are looking at each other like, who's gonna say first?

So many things. Yeah, I'll let the marketing side of the— of Taisa share.

Well, depending on when are you listening to this podcast, we will be launching new products in our store. New— I don't want to say products, I want to say tools. I want to say tools to support your own healing journey, where you can build your own box customized for your own healing journey. We will definitely be hosting more community events where you can join us for conversations, specific and different topics throughout the year. So for that reason, it's important for you to follow us on social media, go to our website, and sign up for our newsletter. You can go to taisa.com. You will see join our community. We won't be spanning. We'll be sending a newsletter to let you know about our events, community, giving you tips on, you know, self-care. We will be launching more Overcoming stories. Definitely, we want to share more experiences and partner with more nonprofits. Right now, for the Gabriela edition of Overcoming, there are 5 blog posts that you can go to our website and read and share. And also we are partnering for this edition with Project Bear, a nonprofit based in the US that is supporting families who have overcome or who are dealing with pregnancy and infant loss, and we want to support them with this addition of overcoming. What else am I missing, Alisha?

Project Bear also works with families dealing with infertility, and they provide a free bear. So you can get that somatic kind of experience nurturing. I myself have a bear. I love my bear. And it's a, it's a really beautiful and thoughtful gift and a great organization that we are supporting. May is Mental Health Awareness Month. We'll be hosting a community gathering with a nonprofit based out of San Francisco. We will have a panel of speakers from SOLVE, which is an acronym for Sharing Our Lives, Voices, and Experiences. And so they are putting their, you know, they're gifting us with their experiences, very transparent. I've heard them speak before. It's a powerful, powerful event and conversation, and we will be writing greeting cards for folks who are currently hospitalized with mental health challenges to gift to them through Solve. We will also be hosting, yeah, like Alice said, be hosting other events. So stay tuned for that and really, really excited for what's to come. One last thing is for folks to be aware of, we will be launching a campaign where we're trying to get Taisa to every state of the US, meaning having someone that we can share stickers and greeting cards and affirmation cards with at every state so that they can go ahead and, you know, share TISA with their community.

Yeah, so it'll be important for them to text us and let us know and DM us on Instagram, like, hey, I'm in Atlanta, North Carolina, and I don't know, Wyoming. North Dakota, you know, like everyone. We want to be in the US, in the whole country.

Yeah. But that's just a physical way to be able to be there and encourage those community members to, like Alex said, contact us. And the project will be going to like a public library and leaving a TISA affirmation card or leaving something on for somebody in the public to find and remind them that it's time to heal or that folks are here for them.

I love that.

I love that so much. That's so cool.

For the events that you guys are hosting, will these only be in— will they be virtual as well? Like, can people sign virtually to them?

Yeah, all of our events so far have been virtual events, especially in the US and in Central America is where we have had folks joining us from. But we absolutely invite anyone from all over the world to log in and gather with us.

Awesome. Awesome. That's going to be so awesome. Well, I'll have links to how to connect with TISA and support their mission and their projects that they have launching and products and in the show notes. So I'll have that there. Anything you want someone to walk away from this episode to do or to know?

Or both?

I would say obviously visit Taysa.com, but I want to say that it's okay to treat yourself, that it's okay to take a nap, that it's okay to rest, that it's okay to do whatever you need to function. Yeah.

Yeah. Thanks for saying that. Even though, you know, sometimes when we say that, I feel like we shouldn't have to say that, but we have to say that.

Yes, absolutely. And it's okay to, to pause and get to know yourself and discover yourself. And we're constantly growing, so please lean in on that. Lean in on your community and connect with us. We love connecting with folks. Email us, message us, reach out to us if you have an idea of how you would like to connect as well.

Well, I just want to thank you both for coming on and sharing a little bit about TYSAA and the and where you guys are headed. Feel free to let us know how can they find you. I know you said taisa.com, but where can they find you on social platforms?

You can find us as taisa.us and you can write us an email at admin@taisa.com.

Awesome.

We are also on Facebook as taisa.us.

So great. Well, thank you ladies so much for coming on and sharing.

Thank you so much, Nikita. This is great.

Thank you.

All right, y'all, that's a wrap. Thank you for listening, and I hope this conversation inspired you. Be sure to visit the website at craftedtothrive.com to check out the show notes and grab all the goodies that I or the guests mentioned in the show. Join us for our next one. In the meantime, remember, you are crafted to thrive.