Much has been written about the emotional labor women take on in our roles as spouses, mothers, daughters, and even co-workers. And this labor is being intensified as our work and families adjust to living in the time of COVID-19 – which makes this interview with entrepreneur Tia Rochelle, founder of JahniSpot Concierge, all the more relevant. We sat down with Tia back in February at First Financial Bank to talk about the toll that planning, organizing, and prioritizing for others took on her mental, emotional, and physical health. And, more specifically, she talked to us about how she prepared for the loss of the corporate benefits she and her family relied on – healthcare, life insurance, employee assistance – as she prepared to leave a secure corporate job for the journey of entrepreneurship. Little did we know how helpful her insights might be for so many others now facing employment uncertainty.

There is no single definition of an entrepreneur or the obstacles they face. As part of our year-long series sponsored by Main Street Ventures, our community chose 12 of the biggest obstacles female-identifying entrepreneurs face, and we found 12 women who spend their days conquering them. Explore the whole series here.

Interview by Judy Zitnik. Photography by Chelsie Walter.

So, what's your elevator pitch?

JahniSpot Concierge is a personal lifestyle management company. We offer luxury concierge services customized to fit the needs of our customers at a very economical price point.

How did you get started?

I've been in corporate America for quite some time. I've always done work in communications and corporate event management and planning. And I was always an executive assistant – a very nontraditional executive assistant – that sat at the table with my boss as an integral part of the business. I had 6 ½ years at P&G when I left to take a year off to stay at home and raise my four kids.

After the year, I went back to work at G.E. in the same kind of role, where I took care of the C-suite leaders and served as their personal concierge – whatever they needed from work to personal to business planning and event management.

From that position I got a call from a chief sales officer to serve as the “personal concierge” to him and his entire global sales team. For 2 years I traveled the world with these leaders all over: Dubai, Paris, Italy. I planned their extravagant events; I lived this fabulous life.

But when I touched down at home, I was stressed out and miserable because I still had to be Mommy and wife. My husband was not a Mr. Mom: I’d be gone for two weeks at a time and my kids would have survived on one bath and donuts and pizza, and the laundry would be so piled up it would be coming out my door.

My whole system shut down. It was the biggest wakeup call of my life.

I was on the road traveling with these people, taking care of their entire lives – I mean everything, from logistics to making sure our car service was there when we touched down, rolling out the red carpet, making sure they have medicine if they're sick. Then when I got home, I was so overwhelmed, myself, because I had to be everything at work and be everything at home. My life never stopped. I had no one to help me.

It was in November of 2018: I suffered what I'll say was a nervous breakdown. The doctor said it was an overwhelming amount of stress. I woke up in the hospital. My whole system shut down. It was the biggest wakeup call of my life. I didn't realize how I was being super-mom and super-employee and super-wife and super-team mom and super-everything – yet I wasn't taking care of myself.

I understood that I could no longer operate at this high performance without being able to ask for help. And so I thought about that and I said, “What am I passionate about?”

I'm passionate about serving others. I'm passionate about taking care of people. I'm passionate about planning these amazing experiences around the globe and making sure that everyone is taken care of. So I said, “You know what? I'm going to create a company that is for the people like me who don't necessarily have the means that the C-suite presidents and V.P.s and chief officers have.” They not only have me taking care of their every need on the road, but they come home and have butlers and nannies while I’m taking calls from school and still serving in every capacity taking care of them overseas. So I said, “I'm going to start a company that’s for me.” And JahniSpot Concierge came about: a service that can help you manage your lifestyle and help you get back peace of mind and the gift of time.

Is there a story behind the name?

Yes. Everyone who knows me says, “Tia is right there. If you need Tia for anything, like it doesn't matter, you can call her at 1 o’clock in the morning.” And they'll always say, “Tia is Johnny-on-the-spot.”

Johnny-on-the-spot means someone dedicated to serve you, who will do what they have to do to be there for you. Then I looked at different ways to spell it, and the different meanings behind the spellings. The meaning of Jahni, the way I spell it, is “gift of God” in Hebrew. I'm a very spiritual person, so when I saw that, I knew that was it. Ultimately I want my company to be a billion-dollar company – but if I can change and impact the life of one person, of one family, and be a gift of God for them, that's all that matters for me.

How difficult was it for you to let go of the security of a corporate job?

So, let's talk about that! I've been on my own since I was 15. My parents were going through some things and I had to take care of my younger siblings; I had to drop out of high school. Power, security, and control over my life has always been the only option, because I've never really had anyone to fall back on.

This time, it was really a step out on faith. For me, to do this was a higher purpose and a higher calling. I've always excelled professionally. I've always been a star. Well, this year, I had a number of health issues, like I was fighting against my calling. I knew that I was supposed to be taking this leap of faith, and I just kept pushing and fighting: “No, this is my lane right here. I got the paycheck; I got the benefits; I got everything.”

It wasn't until I was physically incapable of doing anything that I had that come-to-Jesus moment. And he said, “You can still do everything that you want to do. You can still be this amazing woman and impact the world and impact women,” because one of my passions is to impact women – mothers and wives like me. “You can still do that, because I gave you the vision.”

And so, you know, I got four kids. I'm like, “What am I gonna do?” But, when I accepted the reality of where God has called me at this season of my life, everything started falling in place.

How did you prepare for leaving?

I prepared by working as long as I could, but giving myself an exit date. That’s the thing I had to be very strategic about. There were layoffs coming, so I didn’t quit. I accepted a layoff, and with my package, I got three months of insurance benefits that carried me through the end of the year, which was very important. I needed to get through January: “Let me get all the doctor's appointments out the way. Let me get all the dental appointments out the way. Let me do the vision appointments. Let me finish out the year with my counseling.” That's how I prepared.

What does the future look like when it comes to benefits?

Right now I’ve actually been talking to companies because we're working on hiring staff, and with staff I will have to have insurance for my company. But in the meantime, we explored several options. My doctor said, “Start looking at government assistance if that's what you need to do.” My husband works, and his company was able to open up the benefit portal. But we went over a month without benefits.

If your husband’s insurance hadn’t come through, what do you think he would have done?

If that hadn’t come through, I would’ve pursued The Marketplace. I did have a conversation with someone because I’m very proud and I was like, “I don't want to go through the government interface.” I don't want to do that. But I would do it for my kids. I had also been having talks with the Cincinnati Chamber; they have a health insurance vendor who offers small businesses insurance.

Being without benefits was definitely emotional. I've never taken a leap like this. Faith made me do this. There were days I was weak. There were days when I thought, “I can't. This is just too much for me.”

One thing I will not go without is life insurance. My oldest daughter passed away as a baby – she would have been 18 this year – and had it not been for life insurance, I don't know what I would have done. So, I don't go without life insurance for me and my family. I've seen it too many times – the stress and trauma that it puts on families when they don't even know how they're gonna bury someone. So I did secure life insurance for my family and for myself in case anything were to happen to me.

Are there other benefits that came with a corporate job that you didn't realize you'd miss?

The E.A.P. – Employee Assistance Program. I love my counselors. Give me a good counselor any day. To be the Queen Bee, and, as a woman, to carry the weight of the world, you need an outlet. It was the best thing that ever happened to me being able to go to someone who I can talk to candidly and openly. Losing that benefit was tough.

How does your family feel about what you're doing?

Oh my gosh, my family is super supportive because they know that I'm gonna do everything I can to make this succeed. I'm a very resourceful person. If I have to wave the [white] flag, you know that Tia has done every single thing.

However, they don't understand everything that has to go into it, the sacrifice that I truly had to make to leave. They were used to a certain lifestyle. We've never been rich. We live in the inner city; we go to public schools. We're just an everyday family. But they were born into P&G and G.E., and raised in that culture, and so they just carry a certain privilege with them. And now they're like, “What do you mean? You ain't making no money?”

Christmas looked different this year; it was all about experiences. The teenagers didn’t get gifts, but I cooked everyone's favorites. We watched the holiday movies every day, and we did the little things that make you happy. I bought board games and made it a family thing. I had to let them know, “Mommy does not have an income anymore, but this is what I can do.” It changed them. We all got into the games and we were so competitive over Guess Who and CandyLand. It was so much fun.

I told them, “Mommy is working very hard to create a legacy for our family.” That's the dream for JahniSpot. If I have to sacrifice now to get there, I'm gonna do it. I had to explain to my daughter, “They put a ceiling over me.”

While I climbed the ladder very quickly, I got to a point where they said, “We can't move you up anymore. And although your work speaks for itself, although you are phenomenal, we can't give you more than what we give someone with these certifications and degrees.” I want to show people that you can do it. You don't have to have a million degrees. You can be successful.

What advice would you have for another woman who has to prepare for not having benefits?

First of all, I would say: Be very strategic. Know what you're going to do before you jump out there. Set the foundation first. Understand what's available to you. I would say: Plan your work and work your plan.

At a certain point, you have to decide what you want. You’re either going to be all in or you’re not. But, don't ever walk away from a job if you don't have to. Do what you can to make sure you can sustain and maintain for as long as you can. For me, I got three months of benefits, a certain salary, and a bonus on top of that.

When I accepted the reality of where God has called me at this season of my life, everything started falling in place.

I would advise to pray about it. Even if you don't believe in God. Pray to whomever you believe in, to the tree on the corner if you have to. Make sure that you have peace within your spirit about it. If you don't have peace about it, I would really do some more research.

Are there resources in the community available to women?

Absolutely. If you are starting your own business, get connected with the Chamber. They have benefits available. Cincinnati Public Schools also helped me out. My children were still able to go to their health center in the school once my insurance was over. That's a resource within the school system that people don't know about, and it’s not closed off to the community. If you're a community member, it's free.

Tell me about an influential woman in your life.

One of the women that I've recently connected with is Sonia Jackson Myles. She is the founder of The Sister Accord – a global movement for sisterhood. I've connected with her, and she has been super supportive, just giving me advice on this new life as an entrepreneur and faith walking and dream walking.

Another woman who has been extremely influential to me, as an entrepreneur and as a woman, is Shawna James-Davis. Shawna is the owner of Classy Chics Shoes Boutique. I love her energy. She checks on me; I check on her. And it's genuine. When we talk it is so candid, and it's so honest, and it's so warm. She's helping me walk through this phase of my life.

My mom, Paula Moore, is a huge inspiration to me – knowing what she went through when I was a teenager, and seeing her on the other end of that. And now that I'm a full-grown woman, she can talk to me on the same level, and that has been amazing.

And then my aunts! My aunt Melanie Ridgeway. She’s my mom's only sister and she's like my best friend. She is just a huge inspiration to me. My aunt Geneva Moore is a retired Marine who dedicated her life not only to her country, but to her family. She taught all of her nieces and nephews that we can be anything we want to be, and she helped us have every opportunity available to us.

I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about Elder Deborah D. Hooks, my pastor. Even though I don't go to her church anymore, she still remained my pastor. She has prayed over me and prayed for my business. She always reminds me to take care of myself, and it's those little reminders that really mean the world to me.

My boss Elena Torres. For her to help make sure it all worked out in my favor when I left G.E., and then to fly here and support me at my launch – oh my gosh, that, to me, was huge.

I could name so, so many women in this city who inspire me and push me and encourage me and mentor me every day. For that I am so thankful.

There is no single definition of an entrepreneur. Check out our year-long series, "This Is Entrepreneurship." Sponsored by Main Street Ventures.

This Is Entrepreneurship: Tia Rochelle on Preparing for the Loss of Benefits