Turning Pain into Purpose
Air Force Veteran, TaTanisha Randell, overcomes pain, changes careers, and creates affordable housing for Veterans after working on her Personal Health Inventory with a coach.
In addition to the standard minor aches and pains associated with getting older, Air Force Veteran TaTanisha Randell found herself in a career that was draining her energy and in need of change after suffering huge loss in her life. “I lost my brother who was a Marine, in November 2019 and I wanted to do something to honor him,” she said.
TaTanisha worked in the Fiduciary program for the Veterans Benefits Administration Regional Office in Indianapolis with Veterans who were unable to manage their funds. She said, “It was heartbreaking for me to see so many of my fellow Veterans in this program and I kept thinking, there has to be something I can do to help Veterans before they got to that point.”
She attended an event for women Veterans in Indianapolis where she met Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, Keri Maloney. “I became her first client,” she says. Looking at the Circle of Health and Well-Being, TaTanisha focused on personal development and recognized that she wanted a more meaningful career and wanted to serve others.
“Keri helped me to stay motivated to find a job that would help Veterans in Whole Health.” TaTanisha was a Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach at one of the Dublin VA Outpatient Clinics in Georgia where she worked one-on-one with Veterans the way Keri worked with her. “In that role I got to work with the most amazing Veterans,” she said. “To have a Veteran come in and not know what they want or what they are purposed to do, and then they start filling out their Personal Health Inventory and they become more involved and interested in how they can better their lives, is a great thing to witness.” She recently accepted the job of Employee Whole Health Coordinator at the Little Rock VAMC and is very excited to use her skills to support VA employees who work with Veterans.
With Keri’s support and coaching, she also started Honor Homes, LLC, a small business that helps Veterans and others with affordable short-term housing. “I had a property that I owned that I ended up turning into a safe-haven where Veterans and some civilians can stay. I affectionately named it ‘Gene’s House’ in honor of my brother.” The house is designed to be a short-term residence for Veterans and others in the community who are transitioning to permanent housing and it offers all furnishings and amenities. Her goal is to continue to develop additional housing and name each house after a member of her family who has served.
TaTanisha points out that by working on her personal development goals, she was able to have a positive impact in other ways as well. “I was doing a lot of yoga and meditation and the mind/body connection was integral in me dealing with the aches and pains, which then helped me lose weight and feel healthier overall.” She says that when one area improves, all areas of the Circle of Health and Well-Being can be impacted, noting that even her relationship with her daughter has improved.
“We had a strained relationship for a bit and being accountable for my behavior in the relationship and where I wanted it to go was huge in our healing. So, now we’re there!” said TaTanisha.
The beauty of Whole Health is that healing is not limited to one area of your life. TaTanisha says that it’s all about your personal journey and self-discovery. What you find along that journey might just surprise you!
