Today, we honor Tiffany Roxanne Barrett as a Pink Love Purveyor. She is an artist, educator, and entrepreneur. Tiffany has been a great influencer and is the creator of the Magic V. Steam: a health and wellness product, that has helped many. Thank you for sharing your story and journey, as I am ever so grateful to speak with you!
💕Hi, Tiffany! Please tell the people “a lot a bit” about you.
Where do I even begin? Just know I’m laughing as I say that. So many layers and facets to the woman that I’ve become especially in the past year. I was born and raised in the Bronx and Harlem, NY; so though being multi-faceted is common for most people I think is even more common for New Yorkers. I’m an artist, educator, and entrepreneur; but everything I do is centered in and around creating safe spaces for women but more importantly especially women of color.
💕You are doing such incredible work! I'm so impressed! Tell us more, if you can.
I started my professional career off as an actor and dancer in the Philadelphia market after graduating with a BA in theater from Temple University. Though I did not recognize it at the time the foundation for the work that I’m currently doing 15 years later was being laid during those foundational years. Under the tutelage of my mentor, Dr. Ardencie Hall-Karambe, the women I matriculated with were creating art activism and developing a very strong community that we still depend on to this day. My responsibility to that community influenced the rules I would take and didn’t take. It also ultimately lead to the development of my first entrepreneurial endeavor, The Priceless Woman, a lifestyle brand that curated sisterhood developing experiences for women of color. The act of developing and building experiences for The Priceless Woman led me to come full circle in my life and familial legacy to the work I’m doing now with my newest venture Magic V Steam, a women’s wellness brand that is bringing the ancient holistic practice of vaginal steaming to the forefront for modern women. The key to my life’s purpose was in my birthright all along I just had to sit still long enough for Spirit to reveal it to me.
💕That is really beautiful and lovely to hear. I enjoy seeing people like you, having such a tenacity for giving back to the community. Can you tell me a little more about how you've been so involved in the community?
For the last year, I have been working tirelessly to bring vaginal steaming mainstream for women in America in general but especially black women. Black women suffer from reproductive ailments such as fibroids and cysts at an alarmingly higher rate than any other race. We also die in childbirth at an astounding rate. I want to do anything and everything I can do to change that. Vaginal steaming offers women a way to reclaim control of their feminine health and educate themselves about their body and its processes. Gynecology is a male-dominated field that makes no sense whatsoever. Nature has always provided us with ways to heal ourselves that don’t include damaging life-altering surgeries that we are often presented with as the only cure for ailments.
💕Thank you for sharing, you reminded me of a quote as you were talking about nature: "The mind does not exist unless leagued with the soul"- Moby-Dick. With that in mind, what led you to this particular work?
Though I was already doing this work it became amplified once my younger sister became ill with a devastating disease. Watching her navigate the medical system and hear her symptoms be dismissed and ignored time and time again by medical professionals made me furious. My wanting to help and advocate for her spilled over into me wanting to shift the entire culture around our reproductive care, and here we are. I’m pretty relentless when I put my mind to something. She isn’t the first and she won’t be the last, why not kick in the door for everyone to come behind her?
💕I know that it can be difficult to discuss so I'd like to thank you for opening up to me. I'd like to ask you how social media has played a role in your journey.
Social media has really been a lifeline for me during the pandemic. At times I feel like we haven't missed a beat with friends and colleagues because we’ve been able to interact so much online. Some college friends even organized a reunion via FB. I have taught both dance and Theatre exclusively online since March and we have had to use social media to engage students. Also, my wellness business has been thriving through social media marketing alone. It’s been a blessing for me. I have more respect for it now than I did previously.
💕I too, have such a respect for social media platforms. Speaking of which, where can we reach you?
If people would like to stay in touch they can follow me on IG and Twitter at @thetiffbarrett and also at my blog www.thepricelesswoman.com and it’s IG @thepricelesswoman. To learn more about vaginal steaming they can follow @magicvsteam on IG.
Spotlight written by N. Seth on behalf of PLW.