At an early age, Tiffany learned not to expect life to be easy. At 17, she was on her own, putting herself through college with a restaurant job. There, she ranked among the top 10 in sales for the nationwide restaurant chain while consistently being promoted to leadership roles and winning sales competitions.

 

“I’m super gritty because I’ve always had to be,” she said. “Even though my drive and determination may have originated from things out of my control, I’m so grateful for that today”

 

She moved on from the restaurant industry to work with real estate investors, who ultimately encouraged her to get licensed. “Right out of the gate, I had an investor client who bought an apartment complex off of Highland Road,” she recalled. She made the connection while working as a bartender, and the timing proved perfect. “The transaction was featured in Baton Rouge Business Report, and that’s when I knew I could do it. I knew that I could control the outcome in sales because I would get out what I put into it. So I decided I’m going to hustle all day, every day and be okay.” Over the next several years, Tiffany made good on her promise to herself.

 

But in the wake of that car wreck, Tiffany’s gritty, determined, competitive spirit was tested like never before. “For several years, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to hold my baby again, much less work again.”

 

Over the next five years, Tiffany fought through every day. Not only did she physically ache, but her heart broke a bit more with each passing day that she could not pick up and hold her growing toddler. “She could sit on my lap, but it was so painful,” she recalled. “I could not pick her up or put her to bed or even just sit in the room with her because I was in so much pain all the time. It was devastating.”

 

She juggled life as a wife, mom and Realtor with a schedule full of physical therapy appointments and underwent over 30 medical procedures. When the doctor told her she would need a second spinal surgery, it felt like the weight of the world was caving in around her, she said. Without it, the doctor warned, she may begin to see cognitive decline. Having already lost all function in her left hand, she knew she couldn’t risk it. “I had to do it,” she said. “He got me in three days after that appointment.”

 

After the surgery, she got right back to work. “I told myself it’s mind over matter. I am determined to get back to where I was and be a better wife, mother, Realtor - a better human. I was so low for so long, and I told myself I had no other choice.” Tiffany wanted nothing more than to return to her usual hustling self. And that meant jumping right back into real estate, momming and life.

 

To keep fighting for the life she wanted felt like second nature. She dug deep and continued pushing forward with the support of her husband, Chris, and close friends. Many of those friends took turns driving her to appointments and errands as she physically recovered.

 

As her business picked up again, she told her broker, Brittney Pino, that she struggled to keep up with client communication because she refused to be on the phone while driving. “I told her I needed a driver,” Tiffany laughed. “So, she set me up with someone to drive me around to appointments so I could text and make calls from the passenger seat. It was amazing.”

 

Her days of being chauffeured are no more, though it’s a goal she carries with her, along with the permanent reminders of how tough those years were - and how much tougher she is.

 

“These scars are a reminder of where I’ve been and where I’m going,” she said, pointing to the surgical scars on her neck.

 

Growing up, Tiffany often did her homework in the car before a late night in the dance studio. In front of that mirror is where she developed a strong work ethic and sharpened her endurance, chipping away at big goals daily without losing sight of the big picture.

 

“You’re only as good as your last performance,” she said, pointing to the competitive drive that has fueled her from a young age.

 

After being cleared by her doctor following her second spinal surgery, Tiffany tried a class at the local barre studio at the suggestion of a friend. As soon as she saw the ballet barre and felt that familiar wood floor under her feet, a new chapter started.

 

“Barre changed my life,” she said. “It was the gateway for me to be able to move forward. I started light once a week for a couple of weeks, then I went up to two times a week, and after six weeks, I picked up my daughter for the first time. I could hold her, and I felt strong.”

 

Now, Tiffany spends her evenings on the other side of the dance studio glass, watching her 8-year-old daughter Elizabeth give competitive dance her all. She’s already landed her first solo, and for Tiffany, there’s nothing better than watching her daughter work on her routine day in and day out and then enjoy the fruits of her labor after a big performance.

 

Tiffany dances with life's adversities, emerging not just unbroken but stronger, proving that the rhythm of resilience can create a melody of success. Finding solace and strength in barre classes reflects her ability to turn challenges into opportunities. As she watches her daughter shine on stage, Tiffany sees a reflection of her own journey - the rare beauty that lives in facing struggles with poised shoulders and a confident smile.