July 5, 2024 • 24 mins
In this episode, host Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, welcomes Tamie, a passionate entrepreneur and political candidate, who shares her journey from being a single mom and business owner to running for Congress. Tamie discusses the importance of women's voices in politics, the unique challenges women face in leadership roles, and her commitment to bringing compassion and civility to government.
Content Highlights:
- [02:10] Tamie’s Background:
- Tamie shares her background as a single mom, entrepreneur, and granddaughter of a WWII veteran.
- Discusses her experience in business and the impact of the pandemic on her career.
- [05:25] Pivot to Politics:
- Tamie explains her transition into politics and her motivation to bring civility and the female perspective to politics.
- [08:45] The Importance of Women in Politics:
- Tamie talks about how being a mother qualifies women for leadership roles, and how women’s unique perspectives can lead to progress and community improvement.
- [15:30] Challenges and Double Standards:
- Tamie addresses the double standards women face in politics, including scrutiny of their appearance and personal lives, and the importance of perseverance and setting boundaries against negativity.
- [22:50] Compassion and Empathy in Leadership:
- Tamie speaks about the importance of compassion and empathy in her political campaign.
- [28:40] Encouragement for Aspiring Female Leaders:
- Advice to women considering entering politics or leadership roles.
- The significance of stepping up and taking action without waiting for perfect conditions.
- [34:10] Final Thoughts and Inspiration
Guest Spotlight: Tamie Wilson
Tamie Wilson, an entrepreneur, single mom and an advocate for all Ohio families, who has made it her life’s work to help people live happier healthier lives. Tamie is also the 2024 Democratic candidate running for the U.S. House of Representatives for Ohio’s 4th Congressional District.
Tamie's "Get Things Done" and her no-nonsense approach to community service led Tamie into politics, especially after she had to shut down her business due to COVID-19. For Tamie, representing the people of Ohio's 4th Congressional district is about addressing the challenges facing Ohioans, most of which she has experienced personally.
With a robust professional background in sales, marketing, counseling, and leadership roles within small business and major corporations, she has helped to retain and create thousands of jobs over the last 23 years. Her proactive “Get Things Done” mindset and common-sense approach to community service and creating a flourishing economy naturally propelled her into the realm of politics,
In addition, she is deeply involved in work with veterans. Her grandfather was a WWII U.S. Veteran. As a community volunteer, Tamie has been active with the DCPAAA (Delaware Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association), Eagles, UCC (Unity Community Center), LWV (League of Women Voters), the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, End CAN, Kiwanis, and other efforts to prevent child abuse and programs to create healthy living.
To learn more and support Tamie, visit her campaign website: tamiewilson.com , follow Tammy on X (@tamieuscongress) and join the conversation on Facebook.
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Carmelita Tiu (00:03):
Welcome to know them, be them, raise them, a show to
help busy, mindful growth orientedmoms stay informed and inspired,
especially as they're navigatingtheir daughters tween and teen years.
I'm Carmelita Tiu, anunapologetic multihyphenate.
I'm a mom of two girls, a wife,a certified life coach for
(00:23):
multi-passionate impact driven women.
Also an attorney forcreatives and a podcast host.
Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host (00:31):
So my guest today is someone I was
introduced to and as soon as I mether, her energy and passion for the
work that she does was palpable.
Tammy is the 2024 democraticcandidate running for the us house
of representatives for Ohio'sfourth congressional district.
KA Tammy's proactive get things donemindset and common sense approach
(00:52):
to community service and creating aflourishing economy naturally propelled
her into the realm of politics.
For Tammy Congress is an extension of herlifelong commitment to community service.
She's an entrepreneur with corporatemarketing sales, counseling, and
leadership roles in her background.
She's a single mom and she's anadvocate for all Ohio families.
(01:16):
This being an election year with so manyissues on the table that impact women,
I thought it would be a fascinatingconversation to have, and I'm thrilled
to have her as my guest today.
Uh, so without further ado,Tammy, welcome to the podcast.
. And tell us a little bit aboutyourself and your current endeavors.
Tamie Wilson (01:39):
Yeah.
So I am, I don't know if Ishould say I was a single mom.
My son is now 18.
Um, I'm also an entrepreneur andgranddaughter of a World war two veteran.
I was married to a Marine for about10 years and in 2019, I launched a
new business and when the pandemichit, I actually had to shut it down.
(02:03):
From that experience and watchingGeorge Floyd die on TV and just so
many different things, you know,I decided to get into politics.
And so now I am running forCongress against a one of the
top GOP extremists, Jim Jordan.
And I'm very passionate about bringingcivility and Bringing the women's voice
(02:29):
to the forefront and inspiring womento get involved in politics as well.
Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host (02:35):
Yeah.
So it's just recently that youreally leaned into politics.
Were there any other things that kindof made it feel like this was the right
time for you for this to be possible?
Tamie Wilson (02:48):
Yeah.
So I am a biracial woman and watchingthe rise in racism in our country
really concerns me and that really,you know, sparked me into getting
involved and actually doing something.
Watching the direction of ourcountry, you know, such Hate
(03:09):
and racism and such division.
Where are we headed?
It's not a good place, youknow, and that bothers me.
I believe that we do betterwhen we're all doing better.
I we're only as strong as our weakestlink and we have a lot of weak links.
I really strongly feel that, uh, Trump'sfollowers, they feel left behind and
(03:34):
forgotten . So I understand theiranger and disdain for the government.
However, people that a lotof them are, following and.
exalting really don'tdo anything for them.
And I feel that I cannot just be theirvoice, but also their action taker
(03:54):
to bring the results that they wouldreally like to see in their future.
Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host (03:58):
Hmm.
So you mentioned at one point in ourearlier conversations that, being
a mother, Also kind of qualifiesyou in a unique way for politics
and something you just touched on.
It sounded like you're really comingat everyone, even if it on the
surface, they disagree with you.
(04:20):
You're really coming at itwith a sense of compassion.
Uh, so tell me a little bit aboutmaybe how being a mom like you
said, qualifies people for politics.
Tamie Wilson (04:31):
Being a woman qualifies people.
You know, we, we reallysee the bigger picture.
We're multitaskers.
My experience has been, especiallywith women entrepreneurs or business
leaders, uh, community leaders.
We are extremely compassionateand worried about community.
(04:54):
The things that we do are to enrichthe community and to make the world
a better place for our children.
A lot of men are more worriedabout money and power.
Women are more worried about safetyand progress from my experience.
Um, and so I think that having thatframework that vision in mind of, okay,
(05:24):
are we headed down a path of destructionor a path of progress and growth?
And the paths are very clear to me.
And so that is a major concern.
I think that women.
You know, we are awareof our surroundings.
We're aware of, you know, it's sortof like, you know, when you have a
(05:47):
child, you child proof the home, right?
Well, you think of all of thedifferent things that your child
could get into that could harm them.
I'm really kind of taking that approach.
That's where I think we need morewomen involved in politics because
we look at the world differently.
We experienced the world differentlyand our voice and our experiences
(06:10):
need to be heard, especially now.
Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host (06:12):
Yeah.
It is just so important.
You know, it's fascinating becausewhat's coming up as you're sharing
about women needing to be in politics,I remember growing up how when I looked
at pictures of Congress, it, therewas never anyone that looked like me.
Very few women.
Maybe one woman of color, and it made itso my idea of even my, like my bias, my
(06:39):
default in my head sometimes is to thinkof rooms full of Navy suit wearing men.
Tamie Wilson (06:45):
Yeah.
Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host (06:46):
And I, as you were talking, it really made
me think about how, How important itis for us to change those biases by
including more women so people can startenvisioning themselves in those spaces.
So our kids can start seeing that asnormal and not, uh, an anomaly because
(07:06):
my, I have to admit my brain still whensomeone says, Oh, the president of this
country, like my brain assumes it's a man.
And you know, the only way we canchange that is by women getting involved
and changing those default images.
Tamie Wilson (07:22):
I mean that what you're saying is just that hits the nail
on the head because women make over50 percent of the population here
in the US, but we're only 24 percentin the Senate 26 in the house and
30 at state and local government.
But we make over 50%.
And I don't know where you or youraudiences on the side of abortion,
(07:44):
you know, it should not be apolitical thing, in my opinion,
it is a very personal thing.
But when a woman has a miscarriage asI'm sure you know, a lot of times the
doctor will perform a DNC to clean out hersystem to make sure there are no remnants
of the deceased fetus still in her bodythat could cause disease or death or
(08:08):
prevent her from having future children.
Well, we have these lawmakers thatconsider that to be an abortion and
you know, for someone that has amiscarriage that needs to have a DNC
to, you know, for her own health.
You know, to protect her own healthand protect her ability to have more
(08:29):
children, some procedures are neededand it should not be a political thing.
It's just, it's so sad to me thatwe're here with this issue, for so
many women, you know, and they'regoing after IVF treatments as well.
So many people want to have childrenand , that is their only avenue for
some people, how dare anyone takethat ability or right away from anyone.
(08:55):
It just, it makes absolutely no sense.
But when you have, I'm going to say malelawmakers in there that do not understand
the female anatomy or, you know, medicine,they're making these political decisions
and it just really, it's not right.
Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host (09:14):
So what would you say to someone that is,
you know, feels passionately aboutthese issues but maybe has not ever
considered going into politics?
Or maybe, maybe they are consideringit, but they're tamping down
that urge or dismissing it.
Tamie Wilson (09:31):
Let me tell you.
This is what the, this is themindset of what women go through.
A lot of times they are mothers, sothey do not want to leave the child.
And then you have the double standardof, you know, voters who won't vote for
women because they have children at home.
I mean, there's, I learned, I thoughtwe were so far advanced when it comes to
(09:54):
women in politics, but we really are not.
And that was probably thebiggest shocker to me.
I, I mean, I get so much criticismfor my looks, for my nails, you
know, I love wearing makeup.
And I will hear comments that,Oh, Tammy, you're too pretty.
Or your lips are too bright.
Your eyebrows are too dark.
(10:15):
Your nails are too long.
Your heels are too high.
I mean, just so many stupid things.
But for someone that doeshave an interest, just do it.
Just do it.
You will figure it out.
That is what I'm going to tell you.
A lot of women will say, well,you know, I shouldn't do it.
I don't have the experience or Ineed to do this, this, this, this,
and that first, or I need to, uh,learn this, or I need to learn that.
(10:37):
No, you don't.
Just get involved.
You will.
Figure it out.
You will, you are a resourceful woman.
You will figure it out.
You will get the informationyou need when you need it.
That is the difference Ifeel between men and women.
We are used to having to fight for it.
You know, ambitiouswomen, you know how it is.
(10:59):
You know, we do, we have to workharder and smarter than men.
That is just the bottom line,especially if you're a woman of
color, I'm a biracial woman.
There's so many prejudices out there.
I'm short.
I have a high voice.
I look young.
But you know, there's so many thingsthat people have a double standard with
(11:20):
women that they don't have with men.
We have to work twice, three times ashard to overcome all of those prejudices.
It's just, it's really interesting.
Yeah.
But it's worth it.
It is worth it.
And once people start listening toyou, once they get over the drama in
their own head, their own, you know,obstacles and start listening to you,
(11:45):
they will be your biggest supportersand they will work hard for you.
And it is so awesome towatch that evolution.
I had a meeting with this gentlemanthe other day, this man has helped run
gubernatorial races, uh, senatorialraces and You know, he was so critical
of me and he went from saying, Oh yeah,well, well, good for you for trying.
(12:09):
. Yeah, but it was so funnywatching him, you know, go from
Oh, well, that's kind of cute.
You know, that's basically whathe was saying to me, but he went
from that to, wow, I'm so excited.
I got to meet our next Congresswoman.
And I'm like, That is right.
That's it right there.
Mm.
You know, half an hour orso, but I got him there.
It's funny to watch that with people.
Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host (12:32):
I can just imagine that feeling, how you must have
felt seeing that evolution from skepticto open minded to a believer, essentially.
And that's, that's really, I think,What politics is about, right?
not just speaking to the peoplethat automatically resonate with
you, but also the people that mightbe a little hesitant or unsure and
(12:57):
reassuring them and working with themto get them to that place of belief.
Tamie Wilson (13:02):
And that goes back to the compassion.
It is all about listening to people.
People want to be heard.
They don't want to be patronized.
They want to be heard and theywant someone to advocate for them.
And that is my specialty.
I love helping people.
That is just, that is what Iwas created to do, you know?
(13:24):
And, and I have the big picturetype of mindset that I can just see
the bigger picture and I can see,well, we really need to do this and
this and that to get that result.
You know, I think a lot of timeswith politics, they just hit the
surface, which doesn't do anything.
And that's really what upsetspeople and they get no change.
(13:46):
And that's why they feel so aggravated,you know, with our government,
because they're not seeing thechange that they really want to see.
Well, that's because they don't addressthe core issue of what really needs
to be done to get that transformation.
And as a coach, you knowwhat I'm talking about?
If you don't get the core issue,if you don't hit the heart of the
matter, nothing is going to change.
Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host (14:07):
I want to jump back to something you mentioned
earlier about how you women in politicsor any sort of leadership space are
often judged unfairly, that we do haveto work twice as hard and, uh, you,
you essentially in signing up to bea leader, you may be signing up for
(14:28):
a heightened level of scrutiny andjudgment, which can feel scary to people.
And, you know, maybe even turnsome women off because they
don't want to feel that way.
Or they might be perfectionists and itleads to sort of this sense of anxiety.
Like I can't fail and whatnot.
And I, I'm curious, like, what are your,uh, What mental blocks did you have to
overcome and how did you overcome themor how do you, because it might be a
(14:51):
practice given that you are constantlyhaving to show up and try hard and,
work to dismantle some of these biasesand stereotypes or snap judgments that
people might have in these spaces.
Tamie Wilson (15:04):
Yeah.
So I can be very much a perfectionist.
I like to be liked by people.
I, I'm not going to say it'shurtful to get the criticism.
It's more disappointing.
I just hate that some people, thisis the biggest thing I had to learn.
I had to learn that youcannot win over everyone.
(15:28):
Some people just wantto be mean and hateful.
It doesn't matter what you say.
It doesn't matter how much senseyou make it doesn't matter what
facts you bring to the table.
Some people just want to bemean and hateful and those
people I'm just like, okay.
You know, and just keep on, keep ontrucking, you know, but some people,
so I, I, we kind of test people.
(15:50):
So when I get those nasty messages,I'll just, if I feel like it, I
do my own personal check to say,okay, do I want to engage or not?
You know, and if I, sometimes I wantto, sometimes it's for my own humor.
Sometimes it's, you know, to make apoint or, or just to connect, you know?
(16:10):
So it just depends on what mood I'm in.
And so I will, kind of testthe waters, you know, okay.
Am I dealing with a sane person here?
Are they just angry?
Do they just need to be heard?
You just kind of feel people out.
And so if I can, or if I'm up to it,I will engage and, and sometimes, you
(16:31):
know, we can win those people over, butI had to get used to one, not checking
all of the messages, not reading them,especially for my own, mental wellness.
I just, I get called a communist,a commie, a Marxist, a devil
worshiper, a baby killer.
(16:52):
I mean, just terrible, terrible things.
And I'm just like, wow, what is thatperson's life like for them to be
so evil like that, you know, and.
Sometimes responding to them withcompassion can work, but other
times it's just like, no, they haveno interest in being kind or civil
(17:15):
and they just want to be mean, youknow, so sometimes I'm mean back.
Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host (17:20):
So what I'm getting from that is to set
boundaries like recognize that you'renot going to win everyone over.
Another thing
Tamie Wilson (17:27):
that was a hard one for me.
So being the perfectionist and I lovepsychology and I love helping people.
I've always been the person thatbefriended all the bullies because
I knew that they were the peoplethat need love the most, you know?
And so But yeah, I had, I had to learn tojust shut it down and just move on and.
(17:49):
That that's hard because you know,I want everyone to be happy and
not everyone wants to be happy.
Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: Yeah, you know, yeah Yeah, (17:54):
undefined
Tamie Wilson (17:56):
you can only control what you can control right?
Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host (17:58):
Right , right so a large degree of perhaps acceptance,
you know of the situation at handand Another thing that that came up
was the idea of when to engage andhow to engage and I just had a guest
on recently and she was talking aboutexperiencing antisemitism and her
(18:20):
initial reaction was to be Kind ofaggressive or very, you know, passionate
about responding to people that wouldthrow these hateful things her way.
Uh, and then realizing that, yes, yes.
And sometimes when people are observing,they may not have the whole context.
So if they only get the snippet of youbeing Louder, maybe more, uh, aggressive
(18:46):
or whatnot than you want to be.
That becomes the story in their headabout you you know, they may not
take the time to see the big picture.
Tamie Wilson (18:53):
That is so true.
And so for me running against Jim Jordan.
So when I first started running, I wasrunning against another congressman,
but then when they redrew the maps,with the redistricting, they cut
me into Jim Jordan's district.
And I was like, Oh my gosh,okay, let's go, you know?
And I know that being a woman andrunning against him and my feeling
(19:20):
and what I've seen with the districtthat, People want a strong fighter.
They want someone that's going to, youknow, scream at the government for them.
I mean, give it to them, you know?
And so I had been presenting myself tobe this really strong, you know, person.
But it was so interesting I hadgone to this memorial, one of our
(19:42):
treasurers in one of the countieshe had, he had passed away.
And so I was at the memorial for himand I was speaking to the crowd and
I addressed the family and I said,I am just so sorry for your loss.
I mean, it can even choke me up now.
And, uh, After the, after I satdown, the gentleman next to me
(20:05):
goes, wow, you're really empathetic.
And I was like, oh my God, what amI presenting to people, you know?
And, oh my gosh, that was, that wassomething to have that realization.
Wow.
It was wild.
Yeah.
Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host (20:22):
Well, hearing you speak about the, the work that goes
into it, the things that you, uh, have toendure, uh, running and also the reward,
you know, I can see how you light up.
And yeah, you can tell that, yeah.
This has truly becomepart of your life's work.
So I'm honored to share space with you.
And I'd love to know, is there onequote or affirmation or a thought that
(20:47):
you'd like to leave with the listeners?
Tamie Wilson (20:49):
You
know, my favorite quotes are,as you think, so shall you be.
I was really raised with thethought that you can do and be
anything that you set your mind to.
Obviously that's not really true.
I mean, if you went to be an NFL star, butyou can't play football, it's not going
(21:14):
to happen, you know, but you might coach.
You know, so I mean, what I'vereally been trying to do is to
inspire women to take their sphereof influence to the next level.
Don't just think about just helping.
Being a volunteer at Red Crossor, you know, the American
(21:35):
Cancer Society or something.
Don't just work your job andjust be the manager or the,
you know, a CEO or something.
Take those skills, your sphereof influence, your experience,
your, your need or desire to makethe world a better place, To the
next level and get into politics.
(21:56):
It is so needed.
We need more women involved.
Do not let anything stop you.
Just do it.
Go for it.
That is like my mainthing is just go for it.
I love how approachableand real Tammy was.
It's kind of fun to think this isthis person that's so relatable and I
(22:20):
can have this conversation with them.
And she's running for Congress.
Uh, it just kind of blowsmy mind a little bit.
I so appreciated this conversation.
Here are my top five takeaways.
Number one.
Recognize the importanceof women's voices.
Women bring uniqueperspectives into politics.
(22:41):
And in many ways we experiencethe world differently than men.
It's important for us to speak aboutour experiences and the insights they've
given us to help inform meaningful change.
Number two.
Major life and world events, whetherit's the pandemic, racial tensions,
inequities, or personal challenges.
Can ignite a passion for change.
(23:03):
Allow yourself to pivotand make inspired moves.
Listen to your gut and don'tbe afraid to take action.
Number three.
You can't win over everyone.
Criticism and negative feedback isinevitable and there may be some
people that won't support you nomatter what you say or do just
stay true to your values and goals.
(23:23):
And don't let this dissuade youfrom continuing on your path.
Number four, use empathy in leadership.
Strong advocacy has to be pairedwith empathy and compassion.
People need to feel heard.
Actively listening and showingconcern and openness will help you
genuinely advocate for others needs.
(23:45):
And number five step up.
If you feel called to lead or serve,use the skills and passions you have
and take them to the next level,by getting involved in politics.
Your skills and experiences arevaluable and women's voices are needed
to help make the world a better place.
To learn more about Tammy and hercampaign visit www dot Tammy Wilson.
(24:08):
Dot com that's spelled.
T a M I E.
wilson.com.
Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: Thanks for listening. (24:15):
undefined
If you like what you heard, tell afriend, follow the podcast and leave
a review if you haven't done so yet.
if you're on Instagram,follow @knowberaisethem, and
visit knowberaisethem.Com.
And lastly, as you may have heard fromthe intro, I am a certified coach so
(24:35):
check out carmelitatiu.com to set up a30 minute quick mindset reset, you can
see what it's like to work with a coach.
And as always here's to strong women.
May we know them, may we be them?
And may we raise them.
Welcome to know them, be them, raise them, a show to
help busy, mindful growth orientedmoms stay informed and inspired,
especially as they're navigatingtheir daughters tween and teen years.
I'm Carmelita Tiu, anunapologetic multihyphenate.
I'm a mom of two girls, a wife,a certified life coach for
(00:23):
multi-passionate impact driven women.
Also an attorney forcreatives and a podcast host.
Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host (00:31):
So my guest today is someone I was
introduced to and as soon as I mether, her energy and passion for the
work that she does was palpable.
Tammy is the 2024 democraticcandidate running for the us house
of representatives for Ohio'sfourth congressional district.
KA Tammy's proactive get things donemindset and common sense approach
(00:52):
to community service and creating aflourishing economy naturally propelled
her into the realm of politics.
For Tammy Congress is an extension of herlifelong commitment to community service.
She's an entrepreneur with corporatemarketing sales, counseling, and
leadership roles in her background.
She's a single mom and she's anadvocate for all Ohio families.
(01:16):
This being an election year with so manyissues on the table that impact women,
I thought it would be a fascinatingconversation to have, and I'm thrilled
to have her as my guest today.
Uh, so without further ado,Tammy, welcome to the podcast.
. And tell us a little bit aboutyourself and your current endeavors.
Tamie Wilson (01:39):
Yeah.
So I am, I don't know if Ishould say I was a single mom.
My son is now 18.
Um, I'm also an entrepreneur andgranddaughter of a World war two veteran.
I was married to a Marine for about10 years and in 2019, I launched a
new business and when the pandemichit, I actually had to shut it down.
(02:03):
From that experience and watchingGeorge Floyd die on TV and just so
many different things, you know,I decided to get into politics.
And so now I am running forCongress against a one of the
top GOP extremists, Jim Jordan.
And I'm very passionate about bringingcivility and Bringing the women's voice
(02:29):
to the forefront and inspiring womento get involved in politics as well.
Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host (02:35):
Yeah.
So it's just recently that youreally leaned into politics.
Were there any other things that kindof made it feel like this was the right
time for you for this to be possible?
Tamie Wilson (02:48):
Yeah.
So I am a biracial woman and watchingthe rise in racism in our country
really concerns me and that really,you know, sparked me into getting
involved and actually doing something.
Watching the direction of ourcountry, you know, such Hate
(03:09):
and racism and such division.
Where are we headed?
It's not a good place, youknow, and that bothers me.
I believe that we do betterwhen we're all doing better.
I we're only as strong as our weakestlink and we have a lot of weak links.
I really strongly feel that, uh, Trump'sfollowers, they feel left behind and
(03:34):
forgotten . So I understand theiranger and disdain for the government.
However, people that a lotof them are, following and.
exalting really don'tdo anything for them.
And I feel that I cannot just be theirvoice, but also their action taker
(03:54):
to bring the results that they wouldreally like to see in their future.
Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host (03:58):
Hmm.
So you mentioned at one point in ourearlier conversations that, being
a mother, Also kind of qualifiesyou in a unique way for politics
and something you just touched on.
It sounded like you're really comingat everyone, even if it on the
surface, they disagree with you.
(04:20):
You're really coming at itwith a sense of compassion.
Uh, so tell me a little bit aboutmaybe how being a mom like you
said, qualifies people for politics.
Tamie Wilson (04:31):
Being a woman qualifies people.
You know, we, we reallysee the bigger picture.
We're multitaskers.
My experience has been, especiallywith women entrepreneurs or business
leaders, uh, community leaders.
We are extremely compassionateand worried about community.
(04:54):
The things that we do are to enrichthe community and to make the world
a better place for our children.
A lot of men are more worriedabout money and power.
Women are more worried about safetyand progress from my experience.
Um, and so I think that having thatframework that vision in mind of, okay,
(05:24):
are we headed down a path of destructionor a path of progress and growth?
And the paths are very clear to me.
And so that is a major concern.
I think that women.
You know, we are awareof our surroundings.
We're aware of, you know, it's sortof like, you know, when you have a
(05:47):
child, you child proof the home, right?
Well, you think of all of thedifferent things that your child
could get into that could harm them.
I'm really kind of taking that approach.
That's where I think we need morewomen involved in politics because
we look at the world differently.
We experienced the world differentlyand our voice and our experiences
(06:10):
need to be heard, especially now.
Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host (06:12):
Yeah.
It is just so important.
You know, it's fascinating becausewhat's coming up as you're sharing
about women needing to be in politics,I remember growing up how when I looked
at pictures of Congress, it, therewas never anyone that looked like me.
Very few women.
Maybe one woman of color, and it made itso my idea of even my, like my bias, my
(06:39):
default in my head sometimes is to thinkof rooms full of Navy suit wearing men.
Tamie Wilson (06:45):
Yeah.
Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host (06:46):
And I, as you were talking, it really made
me think about how, How important itis for us to change those biases by
including more women so people can startenvisioning themselves in those spaces.
So our kids can start seeing that asnormal and not, uh, an anomaly because
(07:06):
my, I have to admit my brain still whensomeone says, Oh, the president of this
country, like my brain assumes it's a man.
And you know, the only way we canchange that is by women getting involved
and changing those default images.
Tamie Wilson (07:22):
I mean that what you're saying is just that hits the nail
on the head because women make over50 percent of the population here
in the US, but we're only 24 percentin the Senate 26 in the house and
30 at state and local government.
But we make over 50%.
And I don't know where you or youraudiences on the side of abortion,
(07:44):
you know, it should not be apolitical thing, in my opinion,
it is a very personal thing.
But when a woman has a miscarriage asI'm sure you know, a lot of times the
doctor will perform a DNC to clean out hersystem to make sure there are no remnants
of the deceased fetus still in her bodythat could cause disease or death or
(08:08):
prevent her from having future children.
Well, we have these lawmakers thatconsider that to be an abortion and
you know, for someone that has amiscarriage that needs to have a DNC
to, you know, for her own health.
You know, to protect her own healthand protect her ability to have more
(08:29):
children, some procedures are neededand it should not be a political thing.
It's just, it's so sad to me thatwe're here with this issue, for so
many women, you know, and they'regoing after IVF treatments as well.
So many people want to have childrenand , that is their only avenue for
some people, how dare anyone takethat ability or right away from anyone.
(08:55):
It just, it makes absolutely no sense.
But when you have, I'm going to say malelawmakers in there that do not understand
the female anatomy or, you know, medicine,they're making these political decisions
and it just really, it's not right.
Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host (09:14):
So what would you say to someone that is,
you know, feels passionately aboutthese issues but maybe has not ever
considered going into politics?
Or maybe, maybe they are consideringit, but they're tamping down
that urge or dismissing it.
Tamie Wilson (09:31):
Let me tell you.
This is what the, this is themindset of what women go through.
A lot of times they are mothers, sothey do not want to leave the child.
And then you have the double standardof, you know, voters who won't vote for
women because they have children at home.
I mean, there's, I learned, I thoughtwe were so far advanced when it comes to
(09:54):
women in politics, but we really are not.
And that was probably thebiggest shocker to me.
I, I mean, I get so much criticismfor my looks, for my nails, you
know, I love wearing makeup.
And I will hear comments that,Oh, Tammy, you're too pretty.
Or your lips are too bright.
Your eyebrows are too dark.
(10:15):
Your nails are too long.
Your heels are too high.
I mean, just so many stupid things.
But for someone that doeshave an interest, just do it.
Just do it.
You will figure it out.
That is what I'm going to tell you.
A lot of women will say, well,you know, I shouldn't do it.
I don't have the experience or Ineed to do this, this, this, this,
and that first, or I need to, uh,learn this, or I need to learn that.
(10:37):
No, you don't.
Just get involved.
You will.
Figure it out.
You will, you are a resourceful woman.
You will figure it out.
You will get the informationyou need when you need it.
That is the difference Ifeel between men and women.
We are used to having to fight for it.
You know, ambitiouswomen, you know how it is.
(10:59):
You know, we do, we have to workharder and smarter than men.
That is just the bottom line,especially if you're a woman of
color, I'm a biracial woman.
There's so many prejudices out there.
I'm short.
I have a high voice.
I look young.
But you know, there's so many thingsthat people have a double standard with
(11:20):
women that they don't have with men.
We have to work twice, three times ashard to overcome all of those prejudices.
It's just, it's really interesting.
Yeah.
But it's worth it.
It is worth it.
And once people start listening toyou, once they get over the drama in
their own head, their own, you know,obstacles and start listening to you,
(11:45):
they will be your biggest supportersand they will work hard for you.
And it is so awesome towatch that evolution.
I had a meeting with this gentlemanthe other day, this man has helped run
gubernatorial races, uh, senatorialraces and You know, he was so critical
of me and he went from saying, Oh yeah,well, well, good for you for trying.
(12:09):
. Yeah, but it was so funnywatching him, you know, go from
Oh, well, that's kind of cute.
You know, that's basically whathe was saying to me, but he went
from that to, wow, I'm so excited.
I got to meet our next Congresswoman.
And I'm like, That is right.
That's it right there.
Mm.
You know, half an hour orso, but I got him there.
It's funny to watch that with people.
Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host (12:32):
I can just imagine that feeling, how you must have
felt seeing that evolution from skepticto open minded to a believer, essentially.
And that's, that's really, I think,What politics is about, right?
not just speaking to the peoplethat automatically resonate with
you, but also the people that mightbe a little hesitant or unsure and
(12:57):
reassuring them and working with themto get them to that place of belief.
Tamie Wilson (13:02):
And that goes back to the compassion.
It is all about listening to people.
People want to be heard.
They don't want to be patronized.
They want to be heard and theywant someone to advocate for them.
And that is my specialty.
I love helping people.
That is just, that is what Iwas created to do, you know?
(13:24):
And, and I have the big picturetype of mindset that I can just see
the bigger picture and I can see,well, we really need to do this and
this and that to get that result.
You know, I think a lot of timeswith politics, they just hit the
surface, which doesn't do anything.
And that's really what upsetspeople and they get no change.
(13:46):
And that's why they feel so aggravated,you know, with our government,
because they're not seeing thechange that they really want to see.
Well, that's because they don't addressthe core issue of what really needs
to be done to get that transformation.
And as a coach, you knowwhat I'm talking about?
If you don't get the core issue,if you don't hit the heart of the
matter, nothing is going to change.
Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host (14:07):
I want to jump back to something you mentioned
earlier about how you women in politicsor any sort of leadership space are
often judged unfairly, that we do haveto work twice as hard and, uh, you,
you essentially in signing up to bea leader, you may be signing up for
(14:28):
a heightened level of scrutiny andjudgment, which can feel scary to people.
And, you know, maybe even turnsome women off because they
don't want to feel that way.
Or they might be perfectionists and itleads to sort of this sense of anxiety.
Like I can't fail and whatnot.
And I, I'm curious, like, what are your,uh, What mental blocks did you have to
overcome and how did you overcome themor how do you, because it might be a
(14:51):
practice given that you are constantlyhaving to show up and try hard and,
work to dismantle some of these biasesand stereotypes or snap judgments that
people might have in these spaces.
Tamie Wilson (15:04):
Yeah.
So I can be very much a perfectionist.
I like to be liked by people.
I, I'm not going to say it'shurtful to get the criticism.
It's more disappointing.
I just hate that some people, thisis the biggest thing I had to learn.
I had to learn that youcannot win over everyone.
(15:28):
Some people just wantto be mean and hateful.
It doesn't matter what you say.
It doesn't matter how much senseyou make it doesn't matter what
facts you bring to the table.
Some people just want to bemean and hateful and those
people I'm just like, okay.
You know, and just keep on, keep ontrucking, you know, but some people,
so I, I, we kind of test people.
(15:50):
So when I get those nasty messages,I'll just, if I feel like it, I
do my own personal check to say,okay, do I want to engage or not?
You know, and if I, sometimes I wantto, sometimes it's for my own humor.
Sometimes it's, you know, to make apoint or, or just to connect, you know?
(16:10):
So it just depends on what mood I'm in.
And so I will, kind of testthe waters, you know, okay.
Am I dealing with a sane person here?
Are they just angry?
Do they just need to be heard?
You just kind of feel people out.
And so if I can, or if I'm up to it,I will engage and, and sometimes, you
(16:31):
know, we can win those people over, butI had to get used to one, not checking
all of the messages, not reading them,especially for my own, mental wellness.
I just, I get called a communist,a commie, a Marxist, a devil
worshiper, a baby killer.
(16:52):
I mean, just terrible, terrible things.
And I'm just like, wow, what is thatperson's life like for them to be
so evil like that, you know, and.
Sometimes responding to them withcompassion can work, but other
times it's just like, no, they haveno interest in being kind or civil
(17:15):
and they just want to be mean, youknow, so sometimes I'm mean back.
Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host (17:20):
So what I'm getting from that is to set
boundaries like recognize that you'renot going to win everyone over.
Another thing
Tamie Wilson (17:27):
that was a hard one for me.
So being the perfectionist and I lovepsychology and I love helping people.
I've always been the person thatbefriended all the bullies because
I knew that they were the peoplethat need love the most, you know?
And so But yeah, I had, I had to learn tojust shut it down and just move on and.
(17:49):
That that's hard because you know,I want everyone to be happy and
not everyone wants to be happy.
Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: Yeah, you know, yeah Yeah, (17:54):
undefined
Tamie Wilson (17:56):
you can only control what you can control right?
Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host (17:58):
Right , right so a large degree of perhaps acceptance,
you know of the situation at handand Another thing that that came up
was the idea of when to engage andhow to engage and I just had a guest
on recently and she was talking aboutexperiencing antisemitism and her
(18:20):
initial reaction was to be Kind ofaggressive or very, you know, passionate
about responding to people that wouldthrow these hateful things her way.
Uh, and then realizing that, yes, yes.
And sometimes when people are observing,they may not have the whole context.
So if they only get the snippet of youbeing Louder, maybe more, uh, aggressive
(18:46):
or whatnot than you want to be.
That becomes the story in their headabout you you know, they may not
take the time to see the big picture.
Tamie Wilson (18:53):
That is so true.
And so for me running against Jim Jordan.
So when I first started running, I wasrunning against another congressman,
but then when they redrew the maps,with the redistricting, they cut
me into Jim Jordan's district.
And I was like, Oh my gosh,okay, let's go, you know?
And I know that being a woman andrunning against him and my feeling
(19:20):
and what I've seen with the districtthat, People want a strong fighter.
They want someone that's going to, youknow, scream at the government for them.
I mean, give it to them, you know?
And so I had been presenting myself tobe this really strong, you know, person.
But it was so interesting I hadgone to this memorial, one of our
(19:42):
treasurers in one of the countieshe had, he had passed away.
And so I was at the memorial for himand I was speaking to the crowd and
I addressed the family and I said,I am just so sorry for your loss.
I mean, it can even choke me up now.
And, uh, After the, after I satdown, the gentleman next to me
(20:05):
goes, wow, you're really empathetic.
And I was like, oh my God, what amI presenting to people, you know?
And, oh my gosh, that was, that wassomething to have that realization.
Wow.
It was wild.
Yeah.
Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host (20:22):
Well, hearing you speak about the, the work that goes
into it, the things that you, uh, have toendure, uh, running and also the reward,
you know, I can see how you light up.
And yeah, you can tell that, yeah.
This has truly becomepart of your life's work.
So I'm honored to share space with you.
And I'd love to know, is there onequote or affirmation or a thought that
(20:47):
you'd like to leave with the listeners?
Tamie Wilson (20:49):
You
know, my favorite quotes are,as you think, so shall you be.
I was really raised with thethought that you can do and be
anything that you set your mind to.
Obviously that's not really true.
I mean, if you went to be an NFL star, butyou can't play football, it's not going
(21:14):
to happen, you know, but you might coach.
You know, so I mean, what I'vereally been trying to do is to
inspire women to take their sphereof influence to the next level.
Don't just think about just helping.
Being a volunteer at Red Crossor, you know, the American
(21:35):
Cancer Society or something.
Don't just work your job andjust be the manager or the,
you know, a CEO or something.
Take those skills, your sphereof influence, your experience,
your, your need or desire to makethe world a better place, To the
next level and get into politics.
(21:56):
It is so needed.
We need more women involved.
Do not let anything stop you.
Just do it.
Go for it.
That is like my mainthing is just go for it.
I love how approachableand real Tammy was.
It's kind of fun to think this isthis person that's so relatable and I
(22:20):
can have this conversation with them.
And she's running for Congress.
Uh, it just kind of blowsmy mind a little bit.
I so appreciated this conversation.
Here are my top five takeaways.
Number one.
Recognize the importanceof women's voices.
Women bring uniqueperspectives into politics.
(22:41):
And in many ways we experiencethe world differently than men.
It's important for us to speak aboutour experiences and the insights they've
given us to help inform meaningful change.
Number two.
Major life and world events, whetherit's the pandemic, racial tensions,
inequities, or personal challenges.
Can ignite a passion for change.
(23:03):
Allow yourself to pivotand make inspired moves.
Listen to your gut and don'tbe afraid to take action.
Number three.
You can't win over everyone.
Criticism and negative feedback isinevitable and there may be some
people that won't support you nomatter what you say or do just
stay true to your values and goals.
(23:23):
And don't let this dissuade youfrom continuing on your path.
Number four, use empathy in leadership.
Strong advocacy has to be pairedwith empathy and compassion.
People need to feel heard.
Actively listening and showingconcern and openness will help you
genuinely advocate for others needs.
(23:45):
And number five step up.
If you feel called to lead or serve,use the skills and passions you have
and take them to the next level,by getting involved in politics.
Your skills and experiences arevaluable and women's voices are needed
to help make the world a better place.
To learn more about Tammy and hercampaign visit www dot Tammy Wilson.
(24:08):
Dot com that's spelled.
T a M I E.
wilson.com.
Carmelita (Cat) Tiu, Host: Thanks for listening. (24:15):
undefined
If you like what you heard, tell afriend, follow the podcast and leave
a review if you haven't done so yet.
if you're on Instagram,follow @knowberaisethem, and
visit knowberaisethem.Com.
And lastly, as you may have heard fromthe intro, I am a certified coach so
(24:35):
check out carmelitatiu.com to set up a30 minute quick mindset reset, you can
see what it's like to work with a coach.
And as always here's to strong women.
May we know them, may we be them?
And may we raise them.
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