Meet Sierra Cunningham, MA | Mental Health Professional & Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sierra Cunningham, MA and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sierra, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My name is Sierra Tayler. I am the CEO of HERbySierraTayler, LLC. H.E.R stands for Healed, Elevated, Refreshed. Much like a woman my service is not neatly wrapped or confined in a box, rather it is presented on a multi-faceted platter designed to reach women from every aspect of life and across the globe.

H.E.R was created from a place of pain and passion. As a mental health professional and African American woman, I saw a need to create a community for all women, with a primary focus on the African American community. In 2020, I attempted suicide. I was living in a changing world and dealing with the “roller-coaster ‘we call life.  As, a child I was raised on the motto “what happens in this house, stays in this house”, Truth be told the house is where all of my trauma began. As a survivor of a suicide attempt, and a minority female its very import for me to share my story. During my time of struggle, I longed for someone who looked like me to walk me through my feelings and let me know I was not alone.  Sadly, I didn’t find any type of network for women dealing with mental illness that was relatable to me. I didn’t want to feel like a victim, I didn’t want to deal with stigma, and I didn’t want to join an app just because mental health was trendy. I wanted a community where I could laugh, cry, grow, and be vulnerable. The thought of any women ever crying in the dark like me, sickened me.

The truth is we all know that one person who appears to have it all together! Some of us are the” Little Ms. got it all together “people reference.  You know the one who can smile and laugh; they can act like everyone else, even while they are in excruciating emotional pain. People who are depressed but act like they are fine may not confide in anyone. They “cry in the dark”. Usually, they find a way to spend time alone crying or letting down the facade and then go back to acting when they have to be with people.

I created H.E.R so that every woman would have a resource and community so they would never feel alone in times of internal struggle. I wanted to build a platform that assisted women in becoming H.E.R. (healed elevated refreshed)

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I created H.E.R so that every woman would have a resource and community so they would never feel alone in times of internal struggle. I wanted to build a platform that assisted women in becoming H.E.R. (healed elevated refreshed) H.E.R focuses on the holistic development of a women, with a primary concentration on mental health. H.E.R is for the overwhelmed mother/companion who needs that special time to replenish back to herself what she constantly gives out to others. H.E.R. is for the college student who is finding herself among a society of misplaced and misguided friends. And H.E.R is for the career women who is ambitious and doing life her way against all odds. Most of all H.E.R is for the everyday superwomen who often needs a gentle reminder to take off her cape.
H.E.R is a resounding resource for all women. We conduct mental health seminars, roundtable support discussions and women empowerment sessions in underserved communities. H.E.R is here to bring a broader awareness to, and end the stigma surrounding mental health, and assist in cultural acceptance for treatment.
As a start up company our goal is to bring H.E.R into local schools, churches, and state agencies. We want to conduct mental health prestation’s in the community to stop the stigma and bring awareness to the topic of mental health. We also would like to develop an app that would allow members to connect globally to resources and build a community amongst each other.
Additionally, we would like to develop monthly subscription boxes that focus on key mental health elements. For example, a box for one month could focus on anxiety that may include a stress ball, lavender bath soap, lavender body oil, and a journal.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We would kick off the weekend at Chateau Elan enjoying the fine wines , amazing food , and luxury spa. Then we would make our way into the city to walk off the wine at the belt line and enjoy city views at Ponce City market ! After that I’m sure we have worked up another appetite so we would head over to ROC South Cuisine for some amazing soul food . We would surly break for a quick nap , and upon or awaking we would get dressed for a night cap LOA Rooftop!

Did I mention we would be staying at the stunning hotel the Thompson Buckhead .

Once our night has wrapped we would prepare for noon church service on Sunday at Change Church in Duluth

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give the biggest SHOUTOUT to God! He is the head of my life and truly the author of my story . God gave me the vision for my business and he allowed me to go through situations in life so I could have a story to tell . He also blessed me with a mother Brenda Cunningham who is the Illustration of H.E.R. She was my first super hero and my role model . She encourages me daily and supports me in becoming who I am called to be.

And shout out to the man who broke my hard and caused me to search for the H.E.R inside of me . Thank you to that man ,lol !

Instagram: HERbySierraTayler