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

Hi Tenecia, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
Hello, my name is Tenecia. I’m from a small town called Sylvania, Ga., where I was born and raised. Growing up, life was tough. I was bullied at school throughout my entire life because of my size (being skinny). One incident I remember, is when I was in elementary school. I was on the monkey bars at recess, and a girl pulled down my pants. It was so embarrassing, having everybody laughing and pointing at me. My family was supportive and would tell me that the kids that were picking on me were jealous, but as a kid, I didn’t understand what that meant.

In middle school, I was picked on even more. The guys were bullying at me as I walked down the hallway to class. They kicked and pushed my chairs in class. The teachers moved me away from them, but the harassment persisted. I wore shorts and short sleeves to school one day, and as I walked in the cafeteria, the entire lunchroom started snickering, pointing and picking at me. From then on, I began to wear long sleeves and jeans year round, even in extremely hot weather.
At home, I would wear shorts and short sleeves, but whenever I would go out in public, I would continue to wear the same ensemble. Once it was time for me to go to high school, I was terrified to go. But I discovered that it wasn’t as bad as the pervious years has been. I began to like guys, and my friends were starting to stand up for me. I remember one of my friends told me to start fighting back, and some of the kids stopped bullying me. Even on the school bus, my cousins would defend me as well. After high school, I still was wearing long sleeves year round. Three years after school, a guy I was dating made me feel more comfortable wearing short sleeves. And then I started wearing capris, and long dresses. I was still being mistreated by family members, and my co-workers as well.
I was able to become more confident, and was wearing more outfits that I felt comfortable in. I always stayed to myself and was a very private person. I was living in Statesboro, Ga by that time. In 2013, I moved back to Sylvania, Ga and met my husband. We got married on April 10, 2017, and our son was born April 19, 2019. My husband accepted me as I was, and that gave me the courage to handle being harassed. We went on dates, vacations, and other excursions. Unfortunately, he passed away in September 2021. I then had to learn to love myself all over again.
About a year later, I begin to get on social media. To show the new “Tenecia” I had become, and to show more about my keychain business. Last year, I FINALLY began to love the skin I’m in. I am comfortable wearing sleeveless shirts and shorts. This year, in July, I wore a bathing suit to the beach for the first time in my entire life. I even posted it on social media! It took a very long time for me to get to where I am today. I think that I am a very successfully lady. Not in wealth, but because of what I’ve been through, and what I’ve been able to accomplish in life. Being bullied hindered me, but I was able to finally break free of that. I am proud to be a mom to a 4 year old son and to have my own business.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve always been a DIY type of girl. I love being put to the test to make and come up with something creative. When I started my keychain business, I knew that I wanted to be unique, to stand out from other keychains. I did my research to see how other keychains were and knew what I needed to do. Several customers asked me to surprise them. For example, they would let me know what their favorite color was, and I incorporated that in the design of the keychain. By doing so, that lead me to create two of my best sellers. I want my customers to be happy and excited when I make my keychains, and I want to show them off to the world.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people that have helped me along the way, that I can’t name them all. But there is a circle of friends that I’ve known for over ten years (they know who they are). When I thought about starting my business, they told me it was a great idea and to go for it. Even when I thought it wouldn’t be successful. I took one of my best friend’s advice, and today my business is prosperous. I’m on Amazon, I was featured in Augusta, Ga hardcopy magazine, and several online magazine articles. During the toughest part of my life, when I lost my husband, I was still able to push through with the love and support from these ladies. I took a few months off to take care of our son, to get myself together, and went back into work. These ladies are the best friends I could EVER have, and I am forever thankful.

Instagram: https://instagram.com/itsakeythingllc

Facebook: https://facebook.com/itsakeything

Other: TikTok: tiktok.com/@itsakeythingllc

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