New Yorkers are always trendsetters,hardworking and proactive. I grew up in a middle - class, single - parent household in White Plains, NY. My mom worked three jobs to support the family, my mother and I went through many trials and tribulations. We developed an incredibly close bond, so much so that we appeared to be more like sisters than mother and daughter. At one point we had to live on the streets for six months when my mother was unjustly terminated from her job, but we stuck together, faced the toughest of storms and developed a relationship that would stand the test of time. I didn't attend prom and almost didn't participate in my graduation ceremony because my mom couldn't afford my cap and gown. All of life's low points helped me and my mother to become strong, independent, knowledgeable, humble women who know, understand and appreciate the value of life. I had thought about a career in the modeling industry and when I had a chance to get a role on MTV's hit reality series Real World (1992) it seemed to be an answer to all my prayers, suddenly took a major turn for the better. Over the course of my career in regular roles on several TV series from VH1 hit reality show basketball wives (million plus viewers debuted in 2010) to being Tami the jack of all trades, yes I worked as a weather correspondent for Los Angeles' KTLA-TV news. I started my own consignment boutique and spearheaded an interior decorating firm in partnership with my mother. With my outspoken nature I also landed opportunities as a guest speaker on topics like relationship issues, women's issues, inspirational panels, personal growth, celebrity oriented panels and hot celebrity gossip. Example, feature guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show(1986), 20/20 (1978), The Sharon Osbourne Show (2006). I am never ever satisfied with the obvious; I recognizes that show business is a "business", and one has to capitalize when the iron is HOT! I don’t want to die as a common human INSTEAD be extraordinary role model and inspiring with my gift and blessings. Touching and putting smiles on others face. Therefore, I decided to take on some new challenges, one of which is writing my autobiographical memoir. I’ve always been a talker! As mentioned previous I am outspoken and charismatic person with an abundance of energy, so quite naturally I entertained a career in the entertainment industry. However, it’s a lot easier than it looks. The competition is endless because everyone wants to be a star! The value of the business is the platform it offers; you need to utilize your visibility to your advantage. In the era of social media, it is easier to be an entrepreneur. For me, that translated into starting my own cosmetic line – TAMI ROMAN (which turned into a partnership with Walgreens), writing a relationship book (selling direct to consumer) and monetizing all of my social media accounts with authentic raw comedy content called The Bonnet Chronicles. With all my hard work - I am thankful and humbled to be considered a smart, a fearless TV personality and a brilliant businesswoman in my generation!
The best advice I could give are:
Be knowledgeable: about the business you are considering. Know all facets! Don’t open a hair salon if you can’t jump behind the chair. Never be dependent upon another person to make your business successful.
Be passionate and love your business: with every inch of your being. Never consider it work, consider it an investment. A new business takes time to blossom and there will be days without a return. You have to love it even in the down times.
Authenticity: Consider a business that is authentic to you so you won’t get bored and want to abandon ship. Don’t start something because another person is making money at it. Let the content/merchandise be something genuine for you that can grow organically.
If I could do one thing differently………. it would be to start sooner. Working for yourself is so gratifying. You must be persistent, unwavering, patient and a consistent laborer. The success or failure depends solely on you and of course... you want to WIN!