PLPT GEMS: Meet Tamala

PLPT GEMS Presents

Tamala Baldwin

Performer. Web Host. Change Agent.

Tell us about your background and your journey to discover your purpose.

I remember when it all fell apart like it was yesterday. I was living in beautiful San Diego. I had a lovely apartment, awesome friends, a cool job and I was singing with a local band and taking belly-dancing classes again.

Life was good but I started sensing that there would be more. I was satisfied but I was not full. God must have agreed because in the course of ten days, I lost my job, one of the guys I was singing with decided they wanted to focus on other projects and my car broke down – costing me nearly 2k to get it out. I cried and laughed through it all because it was clearly a sign to move on to the next phase of my life.

So I packed up whatever I could fit into my suitcases and in my newly repaired car and moved back to New York to pursue my dream of performing. I always knew I had this voice, that I was my own instrument, but I was too afraid to use it. Needless to say, since taking this leap of faith, these two years have been the most magical, emotional and invigorating two and a half years of my life! For this short amount of time, I have told stories to bring joy into the lives of others, and to help them see certain issues differently. It has been such a wonderful honor to be able to touch people in such a way.

What is the objective of Soul Kisses TV? How does this project tie in with your purpose?

Soul Kisses is a brand I created a few years ago in graduate school and Soul Kisses TV is the first product of that brand. The goal of Soul Kisses TV is to provide entertaining, inspirational and empowering pieces of media for the world to enjoy. I feel like in the era of Reality TV we are steering away from the type of healthy programming that families can watch together, or that certain groups of people can watch and feel good about themselves. I am a firm believer in being the change you wish to see in the world, so Soul Kisses TV is my way of taking steps to create a platform where that type of programming can thrive. Everyday I get to sing and dance for a living. I make people smile seven days a week and if I can help others find their own joy, I will leave this earth feeling like I did what I was supposed to do.

What resources or tactics have been most effective for you in building and promoting your business?

All blessings from the universe are served through people, so I really try to focus my energy on helping other socially conscious entrepreneurs and artists. This approach has been a fun way of increasing our reach as well as building one on one relationship with like-minded individuals. I also have no problem with asking for help from people that are more experienced in certain areas as well as studying what methods have been successful for other entrepreneurs in a similar space.

How would you describe a typical day for you? What is your favorite part of what you do?

Before I get out of bed I say a quick prayer that I have a magical day, then I turn over and check my emails for any good news. Since I am a performer as well, I usually head to a rehearsal or audition, which is always a good time for me. Throughout the day, I am sharing the latest news about Soul Kisses TV across various social networks, which takes a chunk of my time. I also make sure to connect at least once a day with five people or brands that I am trying to build a relationship with. Now that it is warmer, on a good day I am having lunch or drinks with someone in my industry, which I think is incredibly important. You have to get the brand offline and sometimes we forget this. Before I turn in, I pray some more and squeeze in time to run 5 miles.

How do you stay motivated and overcome doubt, fear and negative thinking?

I will be completely honest and say that it is very hard to stay motivated, especially when you are trying to build something very grassroots with a limited budget and on your own. So I speak about my feelings with women that are also building and creating, and we help keep each other uplifted and strong.

Within the first two months of launching Soul Kisses TV I was wondering why I didn’t have millions of views and began to doubt the entire project. Again, this was two months in. I came across a motivational video featuring Will Smith, and he said, when you are trying to build a wall, you don’t focus on the wall. You focus on laying one brick at a time, perfectly. So in times of doubt, fear and negative thinking, I stop thinking about the overall picture – the big impact – and hone in on laying my own brick for the day perfectly.

Praying and speaking positively over my life is probably the most important tool. I can be smack in the middle one of those negative thinking sessions that seem to get louder and louder by the minute; and the moment I speak out loud something that is completely the opposite of what I am thinking, my inner world changes almost immediately. The hardest part is mustering up the will to speak positively because sometimes we want to wallow; but what a beautiful day it is when we speak the truth out loud.

What advice would you offer to others who are searching for their purpose or are afraid to take the first step towards their dreams?

This may sound morbid, but it is very real and is something we all should consider from time to time. To those people that are afraid of taking that leap toward their dreams, I want you to think about the day that your life has come to an end. When you meet your maker, will you be one of those spirits that will smile like a little child and say, “I WIN! I used every single gift and talent you gave me and made this, this, this and this.” Or will you be one of those people that will say “I didn’t think I was good enough so even though you blessed me with this talent, I didn’t use it. I didn’t think it mattered.”

We are all born with gifts and talent. It is our responsibility to share them and to make the world just a little bit better before we leave. Your gifts will sustain you if you trust in them so the first step is to simply surrender to that idea and leap. Believe, surrender and keep the faith.

Name someone who has inspired you and why.

I meet people on a daily basis that inspire me to be better, however I am going to run with Oprah. Not because she is a talk show icon, but because of how she refused to let her experiences break her and deter her from the life she truly wanted. We all go through painful situations and so many of us let those situations harm us for our entire lives. Oprah was harmed in ways that I couldn’t even imagine and she not only survived through them all, but thrived beyond it and has helped bring healing into the lives of millions. Her strength and vulnerability amazes and inspires me.

How can people connect with you?

It should be no surprise that I am all over the web. You can friend me on Facebook--I love building new relationships. Please check out the show at http://www.soulkissestv.com/ and on Facebook as well.