Meet Tonya Cowan | aka Ms. Positivi-T, Empower. Inspire. Uplift.

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

Hi Tonya, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
My favorite quote that I live by is, “if I’ve touched one person, I’ve done my job”. I truly believe that the work I do in the community to empower young ladies and women, my marketing services that I provide to small business owners and entrepreneurs, and my eCommerce women and men inspirational apparel designs, all bring inspiration to individuals. If I’m able to inspire one person, that person will go out and inspire the next person, and that person will inspire the next person, which becomes a domino effect. I realize that I don’t necessarily need to inspire a crowd, as long as there’s one person in the crowd to receive what I’m giving. This quote helps keep me humbled and grounded in knowing that I’m still a work in progress myself and when I give inspiration to others, I’m receiving it for myself first. I like that we all have the opportunity to change the world one step, one process, one person, and one day at a time. What better way to understand that than knowing that it only takes one touch to inspire change.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am the Owner of Ms. Positivi-T, LLC, which houses my services As You Wish websites|engagement|marketing, providing marketing services to small business owners and entreprenuers, AdorAble Designz, providing empowering apparel designs to inspire women and men, and Designed With A Purpose cfs (aka DWAP), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that empowers young ladies and women in the community to be courageous in who they are, faithful in their pursuit of happiness and strong leaders in the opportunities life presents them.

There have been a number of ups and downs and “aha” moments along the way of my entrepreneurial journey and I’m sure I’ll continue to learn more lessons. One lesson learned was I didn’t need two LLC’s for As You Wish and AdorAble Designz. The costs of annual reports and other business requirements became too expensive for my small business budget at the time. I decided to dissolve those organizations, and instead have one article of incorporation, Ms. Positivi-T, LLC, which is my brand. I’ve branded my business as a marketing and eCommerce business, which are my As You Wish and AdorAble Designz services. This has been such a relief financially and a perfect opportunity to have all of my services under one brand, as well as market to my target audience.

This journey is not always easy and there are a number of long nights. I still work a corporate job, and absolutely love what I do, however when I’m working my “9 to 5”, I’m focused on the responsibilities and daily tasks of that job; which I consider my career. This role can be challenging mentally due to the detailed aspects of my role, and sometimes I’m mentally tired when the work day ends. As a business owner, I have clients who depend on me for their marketing needs. I learned to set healthy boundaries not just for my clients, but to protect me from me. I tend to think that I must respond right away, but experience is teaching me to slow down. I’m learning to give myself grace and take care of me first. There are specific days and hours that I work as a business owner after my 9 to 5 ends, and my days off my small business are dedicated to me and my family. It’s very important to have that balance and not burn myself out.

Not only do I own a small business, but I also own a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Designed With A Purpose cfs. Knowing the struggles I encountered as a young lady, as well as watching my own daughters encounter some of the same struggles, this led me to encourage and uplift other young ladies and women. I started my nonprofit in 2018 and it has been a movement ever since. I’m happy to announce that starting early 2024, the mentoring program for young ladies between the ages of 12 to 18 will be brought back with a strong Board of Directors to help me implement the vision for Designed With A Purpse cfs. I’ve learned that it’s okay to ask for help and I don’t have to do everything myself. Successful leaders understand that they must surrond themselves with people of different strengths to compliment their weakness and bring forth greatness. Also, each year I have an annual women’s empowerment event, which takes place on the third Saturday in October. The goal of the event is to celebrate and encourage women from all walks of life. That’s the fun part of the business. The not so fun part for me is the business administration of a nonprofit,. The best advice I can give anyone who wants to start a nonprofit is to be sure to check behind your CPA to confirm and ensure your taxes have been filed annually, and your exempt status is in good standing. It’s ultimately your responsibility, not your CPA’s.

What sets me apart from other small business owners and nonprofits is my purpose, which is to empower, inspire, and uplift people by spreading positivity. My business name, Ms. Positivi-T was created because I love spreading positivity and my name starts with “T”, hence Ms. Positivi-T. Also, my services have one thing in common, inspiration. I love to inspire other people.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

I love this question because my besties and I have talked about hosting each other in the cities we live in and rotating each year. I live in the Raleigh, NC area and when it’s my turn to host my besties, our itinerary could look like:

Sunday – go to First Watch on Page Road in Morrisville for brunch, then back to my home to catch up
Monday – get mani pedis at VIP Nails in Morrisville, then order Vittles at the Park in RTP for dinner

Tuesday – hang out on the rooftop at The Durham Hotel and have food and cocktails
Wednesday – have an amazing spa day at the Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary, then ice cream at The Parlor downtown Durham
Thursday – stay in and make it a sleep over and Netflix night
Friday – go shopping at Versona in Brier Creek then a movie at the AMC Southpoint 17 cinema
Saturday – visit the DPAC for an evening show

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are a number of people in my life who genuinely support me, but the person who stands out at this time in my life and who deserves credit for the work she does in the community is Dominique Alphonse-Sainvil, Owner of The Dominique Experience, www.dominiqueexperience.com. Her and I have a story that is inspirational for others to hear regarding our journey to friendship and sisterhood. We share a passion for inspiring other women to be their authentic selves. She 100% has my back and supports me on my vision for my non-profit, my business and my personal experiences that I’ve encountered in life. She is a true visionary and philosopher, as well as a life mentor to me and so many others. We can bounce ideas off each other and respect each others differences. We balance each other in our personalities, me being more of a “Type A” planner, and her being more bold and courageous enough to make big moves. She is a true definition of a friend, which we were not always at this point in our lives, and I’m very grateful that our story happened that way that it did, because I’m convinced that it made our bond as sisters even stronger. Thank you to everyone who believes in me. You know who you are.

Website: https://www.mspositivi-t.com/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyamcowan/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tonya.m.cowan2015

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mspositivi-t/featured

Other: https://linktr.ee/MsPositiviT

Image Credits
Shawn Gillen