Meet My Friend Tatiana

Meet my friend, Tatiana. She is an entrepreneur.
She runs a sustainable farming business. She is a leader.
And, she is breaking the bias in her community.

Tatiana lives in Romania and is part of the Roma community. This community, known as gypsies, is highly discriminated against. When Tatiana goes outside of her community to sell her goods, she often has doors slammed in her face, is spit on, and is called terrible names.

I have never come face-to-face with that kind of bias while running my business.

Tatiana isn't simply running a business in a challenging environment, she is building a lasting legacy for her community and her family. Tatiana has 14 children and grandchildren she is caring for. She knew they would need more than the money she earned making jewelry and soap to be able to survive, let alone thrive.

So, Tatiana saved her money and bought a pig! And, planted a garden! (Did I mention she cares for 14 children - how do you save money in that environment?!?) Now, she has the opportunity to grow her business, train her family, and improve her quality of life. She is amazing.

Here's how Tatiana and I became friends...

Tatiana was a part of a program in Romania called Forget Me Not Ministries (FMNM) designed to help women earn their own income so they weren't so susceptible to the circumstances that deep poverty carries with it including abuse, sickness, and hopelessness.

I'm the president of the Board of The Constellation Coalition (www.theconstellationcoalition.org) which seeks to empower women out of poverty through entrepreneurship. One of the things we believe strongly is that the people in the community know what the community needs - not someone sitting half a world away, which is why we partner with organizations like FMNM inside the country.

I say that Tatiana is my friend, not in a superficial way. She legitimately is. We have been in a relationship for over two years now, writing letters and sending videos every month. I'm so amazed by what she has been able to do in two short years (in a pandemic!) and happy to be there to support her.

She knew what needed to be done. She knew what her family needed. She knew what it was going to take to make it happen. She knew. And, she did it.

Every day, there are women facing bias in one form or another. There is much work to be done. Tatiana is doing her part to #breakthebias for her community and her family -- and she inspires me to do the same.

What will you do today -- and every day -- to help #breakthebias?