Episode #86: Having an Impact & Making a Difference featuring Tonya Mckenzie
“There are people in the world that do the right thing because it's the right thing to do. Not necessarily because they're looking for something out of it. So I think the overall arching theme is just trying to leave the world better than I got it based on my own experiences.”
Tonya Mckenzie
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A “difference maker” is someone who seeks to improve the lives of others with absolutely no expectation of anything in return. The key is recognizing and believing that we are all made to make a difference in some way shape or form. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do, those who make the biggest difference to others are often ordinary people who accomplish extraordinary things by creating positive change in his or her community and in the lives of others. In some cases, the desire to make a difference is driven by personal experiences.
Publicist, Community Leader, and Community Liaison; Tonya McKenzie has made it her life's mission to help others get through their own trauma by using her personal story of victory. She survived gun violence when she witnessed her mother get shot and her boyfriend get murdered at 4 and a half years old. Much of her childhood was spent either in a federal witness protection program, in a prison for women with children and time in a shelter with her mother.
“When you've felt down or when you've really felt in despair, and you don't like what that feels like, not only do you want to heal yourself, you want to don't want anybody else to feel that. You just, you don't want any other living human to feel that. Anything you can do to help them not feel bad.”
Tonya doesn't let her experiences define her and in turn uses them to be a difference maker for others. As the founder of Sand and Shores Public Relations & Leadership Firm, Mckenzie helps civic organizations and nonprofits tell their story, build brand awareness, and manage their reputation.
She joins The Audacious Living Podcast to discuss her personal journey of overcoming trauma and shares how she has learned to be more vulnerable to find common ground with people on opposite sides.
Tonya Mckenzie is up next on The Audacious Living Podcast!
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