Tanisha Frederick - BAYA Corporation

By Terry L. Watson

Photos Provided by Chanel Wells-Henderson

It has been said that you should never judge a book by its cover. In the case of Tanisha “Tish” Frederick, this adage is sufficient. The Louisville, KY, resident has made it her life’s mission to serve at every opportunity given. Whether as a wife, mother, or community leader, she remains in a position to answer the call.

Tanisha is a mother of three young adults. She has also been married to her amazing husband, Idris, for 27 years. She shares people often ask what her educational achievements are. They are in disbelief when they learn she only has a high school education. More than anything, Tanisha is a go-getter. She is a certified life coach who focuses on working with teenagers and guiding them on a path of true selflove.

In 2014, she made the decision to launch the BAYA program, which stands for Beautiful As You Are, as a response to some tenuous life situations her young daughter had encountered.

My daughter eventually tried to take her life because she didn’t see a way out. Unfortunately, we didn’t know at the time how to handle all her feelings and attempts to harm herself, so we decided to have her hospitalized for a period of time.

Tanisha shares, “Our family had relocated several times and finally landed in New Albany, IN, outside Louisville. When she started her new school, she was bullied relentlessly and became a self-harmer. My daughter eventually tried to take her life because she didn’t see a way out. Unfortunately, we didn’t know at the time how to handle all her feelings and attempts to harm herself, so we decided to have her hospitalized for a period of time. While she was in the hospital, I felt lost and as if I had failed as a mother. One day, while sitting at my desk at work and crying my eyes out, the CEO of the company I worked for walked by and asked why I was crying. I told him the story of my daughter and what was going on. He told me two things: Win the day and, stop worrying about what’s going to happen to my daughter in the future and just take it one day at a time. He also asked me what I was going to do about it. As soon as he left my desk, I grabbed some sticky notes and began writing plans for a girl’s group to help girls with issues similar to my daughter’s. I decided on “Beautiful As You Are” with the goal of serving girls who didn’t fit in or were overlooked and offering a safe space where they could simply be themselves. This is how it all began.”

The BAYA program has several parts. They teach from three volumes of curriculum that Tanisha has written, and she says each lesson is very interactive and hands-on and teaches girls the importance of loving themselves unconditionally and unapologetically. Each time a girl goes through one of BAYA’s workshops, they leave with something tangible. “They may forget what we talked about, but they will never forget the visual they created,” Tanisha says. “Our self-esteem building program is in 54 Louisville, KY, and Southern Indiana schools.” They also offer programming at a community center Tanisha created just for girls, The BAYA Center, which is located in Clarksville, IN. There, Tanisha and her team can really dig in and teach their core values: community, growth, hope, and resilience.

Additionally, they teach workshops like yoga, dance, art, and sewing. However, their foundation and primary focus is selfesteem-building workshops. Tanisha has also created several journals that accompany her program in the schools and at the BAYA Center: The Burn Journal, Wreck it Journal, and Affirmation Coloring Book and Journal. Tanisha’s footprint extends beyond her immediate community. She has spoken at conferences nationwide and taught educators and parents how to connect with teenagers and make a lasting impact. “Speaking is truly one of my favorite things to do because it allows me to get the word out about the BAYA program. It also allows me to help educators tear down the walls that many teenagers put up while dealing with adults,” Tanisha said.

Learning how to run a business from the ground up has been extremely challenging for Tanisha. She explains, “Before BAYA, I had worked in hospital insurance and collections for years. I didn’t have any experience that prepared me for what I am doing now. I had to take many business classes, attend leadership conferences, and watch and learn from many successful businesswomen. I have also purposely surrounded myself with successful business leaders who offer me advice and suggestions and have really helped me develop a strong business model. I always tell the BAYA girls, “You are who you hang around.” I want BAYA to become a sustainable organization that is here long after I’m gone, and I learned early on that the only way this is possible is to surround myself with people smarter than me who share the same passion for serving the community.”

When asked what she loves most about what she does, Tanisha shares it’s watching girls grow beyond their fears. “I enjoy seeing young ladies grow from feeling unseen or unheard to girls who stand tall and unconcerned about what others think of them. I love to see them become confident about themselves unapologetically. I also love creating new and exciting content and programming for the BAYA girls. Outcomes are everything. Our stats say that 98% of the girls surveyed share that BAYA has increased their self-esteem. This lets me know the program is doing what it was created to do.”

While having to endure the stresses of her daughter’s ordeal, Tanisha says she thanks her for allowing her to build the BAYA organization in response to her pain and struggles. “The curriculum was created from lessons I practiced with her and her friends. The feedback of my daughter and her friends has helped me develop an outstanding curriculum and program. Watching my daughter go from broken and not wanting to live to the woman she is today truly makes me proud and inspires me to keep going to help other girls just like her. All the tears and many struggles are all worth it.”

Looking ahead, Tanisha says her goal is to have a BAYA Center throughout the United States. She also hopes to have the BAYA program and curriculum offered in schools nationwide because she knows that it’s effective and the impact is real. Within her curriculum, she has written three volumes and is close to completing volume four. Her overall goal is to develop a package with seven volumes and 24 lessons in each book, each accompanied by a journal. “Schools across the country are already using our curriculum, and the feedback truly humbles me, especially knowing the impact this program is making.” Additionally, she says her personal goal is to develop a coaching business, “Self-Love Coaching with Ms. Tish”. It will be offered virtually and will allow Tanisha to reach more girls and their families. She currently has five clients, has partnered with several foster homes to provide coaching support for their girls, and is looking to expand.

www.bayacorp.org