Meet Tierra Ledet | Founder & Consultant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tierra Ledet and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tierra, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I started my own business after recognizing trends and gaps in mental health. While working or in the community, I would encounter people who had a lot of questions about mental health, neurodegenerative disease, or the brain. It made me realize there were clear gaps between the community and the healthcare system that wasn’t adequately serving people or people just did not have access to high quality care that they deserve.

Additionally, there has been a general lack of investment in the mental health system to fix many issues which lead me to combine that reality with my passion for preventative healthcare and lead me to create more educational products to help people learn basic mental health education and skills that they can tailor to their life at any moment in time and the community they live in.

Before I started my business, other entrepreneurs encouraged me to start my own business; however, I was not sure what a business would look like. It naturally came about just meeting people in the community and noticing an unmet need around the world.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Mentalli is a mental health and brain education and media hub offering interactive workshops and e-learning experiences. I founded Mentalli in January 2019 and people began to find out about us.

Starting a business is never easy. I was fortunate to have visibility and awareness of my brand early on which increases any businesses possibility for success since people in the community know about your brand and what you offer. It was still difficult in trying to figure out which idea or product to develop first.

There were also financial challenges since I was just a recent college graduate starting my career so there was not a large savings or investment account to fund my business. I was sacrificing typical things like vacations or other nice things so that I could invest in my business from day one.

Since 2019, I’ve juggled working full-time, and sometimes more than that, to make sure I can see certain ideas come to fruition. Working full-time, trying to juggle running a business, and taking time to care for yourself is difficult.

You also have to consider how to create a sense of security for yourself. It’s making the best and right decision at the right time so you can be successful and it’s a lot harder than it looks.

I’ve definitely had to overcome a lot of fears and had to build up my confidence in a different way. I’m a confident person in my own abilities but being confident as a business owner is different in my opinion. You have to believe in yourself, your brand, and pivot often to stay on top of things.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would go to Essential Body Bar for a spa and relaxation day. It’s one of my favorite places. I’d probably make a visit to my hairstylist, Rusala Curtis just to get our hair done before heading out on the town. We would grab brunch probably at The Breakfast Klub for chicken wings and pancakes which is so good!

We’d probably have to make a pit stop and take my dog, Layla to Hermann Park or Oyster Creek Park. I usually take her to the park everyday. Depending on the time of year, we would go to a Texans or Astros game and follow up with a night on the town either in Midtown or Downtown.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to recognize Leonard & Francine Gabriel. They own Gabriel Funeral Home in Port Arthur, TX. They have been an essential part of my journey my entire life. I’ve watched them in their business and how they operate with excellence. They provided me with my first job and taught me so much about life and business itself. Mr. Gabriel is one of the people who encouraged me to get an education and then to become an entrepreneur. I definitely would not be where I am today without Mr. and Mrs. Gabriel’s mentorship and being the role models they are.

My parents have also been very supportive and have sacrificed a lot to make sure I received educational and other professional opportunities. They’ve backed me since day one and I am very appreciative to them as well.

Website: www.mentalli.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mentalliorg/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mentalli/

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mentalliorg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MentalliOrg/

Other: General Scheduling Link: https://mentalli.as.me/schedule.php

Image Credits
Photograph of me: Andrew Fontenot Photography