Part 1 Empowering Community Through Publishing: The Abundant Life Story and the Power of Perseverance

From the streets of Gary, Indiana, to the helm of Abundant Life Publications, Tavetta Patterson joins me, CJ Moneyway, to share a narrative that's as much about triumph as it is about the transformative power of storytelling. With Tavetta's guidance, we unpack how our most challenging moments can be alchemized into opportunities that not only uplift ourselves but also empower others. Her ability to help authors, including those with unique challenges like a blind writer, amplify their voices is the embodiment of turning adversity into advantage. As we converse, a synergy emerges, hinting at future ventures that promise to extend the impact of our shared experiences.

My personal passage from a Gary guy to an author is interwoven with the inspiration I draw from Tavetta’s journey. Our discussion also ventures into the realm of educational hope, illustrated by Erin Gruwell,  and the "Freedom Writers," and the deep emotional healing inspired by an encounter with a Holocaust survivor. The thread of resilience is further woven through the revival of Steel Town Records, which stands as a beacon of support for GI’s community and a testament to the undying spirit of its people. We wrap up with a nod to our commitment to nurturing talent and a spotlight on the fresh Michael Jackson-inspired merchandise, a tribute to the lasting legacy of GI's most famous son. Join us for a journey through pain, power, and the pursuit of purpose.

Welcome to The CJ Moneyway Show Podcast! The Podcast Show where we Unlock Potential, One Dream at a Time. Today, we have another guest whose journey is truly worth hearing. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the Moneyway experience.

Thank you for listening to The CJ Moneyway Show! Don't forget to share this episode with your friends, leave a comment, and drop a review. Be sure to tune in every Tuesday and Friday for more inspiring journeys. Who knows, your story might be next. 

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:16

God will show you who believes in you and the people who believe in you. You want to know how you tell those people.

Speaker 2: 0:22

Yeah, tell me how.

Speaker 1: 0:23

They will either invest their time with you, their energy with you or their money with you If they don't invest time, energy or money because, see, we all have one or the other, even people that don't have money. We all have 24 hours in a day so how that would look is, if they can't buy the book, they can tell other people about the book to children, because grief is something that can be all consuming if you don't put a stop to it and get your life back. Cj Moneyway Show, and I'm with your host, cj Moneyway, let's get it.

Speaker 2: 1:23

What's up, my good people, welcome to the CJ Moneyway Show. Hey, I'm proud. I'm happy to have a special guest on with me today, tavetta Patterson. Very accomplished woman, multiple books. She's also co-authored a couple of books, books founder of Abundant Life Publications. Hey, welcome her to the Money Waste Show. I'm glad that you came on today. How you doing?

Speaker 1: 1:48

I am doing well. I want to begin by saying thank you, I appreciate you, one for remembering who I am and a speech that I did many moons ago. Thank you for that, because sometimes what we do, we don't see the people right, we don't see what kind of difference is made in their lives, so we may not get to hear that, but you made sure that you expressed your gratitude and now you have this amazing platform that you've invited me to speak with you on, and so I say thank you.

Speaker 2: 2:24

No, thank you, I really appreciate it. And yeah, I mean the story that you actually told that day. It was refreshing and I love you know, because sometimes you put yourself in a situation, you know, and then when you see somebody talk about something that you're like, wow, you know, that's a resemblance of me, that's a resemblance of my lifestyle and the way that you put it, the way that you said it and I never forget it was you went through the story and you say the little girl and you say the little girl. And then you went through all these things that the little girl had been through and what the little girl had done, and the things that after all of this you know turmoil and trauma in the beginning, and now the accomplishment. And then in the end you say, and that little girl was me, and that just always stuck with me, you know, because it inspired me to say, well, that little boy was me.

Speaker 1: 3:24

Absolutely so. We show up in the world as our adult selves, right, but inside of the adult is the little girl or the little boy who had all of our childhood experiences. Some of those experiences were traumatic of our childhood experiences. Some of those experiences were traumatic being born and raised in the housing projects of Gary, Indiana, going through junior, high school and high school, seeing people that I'd grown up with as friends and classmates being murdered like that was traumatic. It was a part of my past. However, our past does not get to define us right. We get to define what our future is going to look like, and we can do one of two things we can become a prisoner of our past or we can find the purpose in our past and then use that purpose to build a platform to help other people go through what we've already gone through, and that's the path that I've chosen.

Speaker 2: 4:27

And what a wonderful path so for the people, tell us some of the things that you're working on right now, currently that you're working on.

Speaker 1: 4:34

Absolutely Well. In 2006, I started this publishing and consulting firm, abundant Life Publications. To date, we have been blessed with the opportunity to publish 16 books, to publish 10 magazines, to produce 13 television programs, all from the very same community where I once experienced trauma. God has allowed me to experience triumph, and so I always share that. I am from the Housing Project of Erie, indiana, because I want other children and other people who come from where I come from to know what is possible where I come from. So that's what we've done in our business, and so we're always looking to give people an opportunity to publish their books in their authentic voice. We don't look to change people's stories because everyone has a story to tell, and so we're always welcoming people who want to tell their story in their authentic voice and then build businesses around those books, because a book is a business, and if you have a business, you should have a book to tell the story of your business.

Speaker 2: 5:53

I appreciate that because after this show I do want to talk to you. I do have some things that I've been working on coming down the pipeline. So you say that you help people publish books. So is it any type of gym you know what I'm saying or is it just spirituality, christian books, or is it you know?

Speaker 1: 6:15

We've done a variety right, so we've done memoirs. We've done novels variety right, so we've done memoirs. We've done novels. We've done stories of people who were once. I have a friend that I went to school with, junior high school to high school, was shot in the head, lived to tell the story, and so we published his book.

Speaker 1: 6:34

I have a young lady named Shana. A few years ago she experienced being blind and she wanted to write a book. Right, and it was like how do you write a book if you cannot see? Well, she reached out to me and we were able to audio transcribe her voice and transform that into her book. And so we take people from all walks of life and we give them a place to tell their story and their authentic voice. Of course, we have faith-based titles. Our goal is to reach the world, though, to take the message of the gospel, the good news, even if you've experienced trauma, and put it in a format, in a book where, no matter what walk of life people have come from, they can understand what it is you're saying, the pain that you went through, but how you found the purpose, and utilize that purpose to build a better life.

Speaker 2: 7:31

Oh, that's wonderful, and you know that's as we talked before. That's you know what the platform is for, for you know inspiration. You know to inspire people, to encourage people, because, like you say, you said that because I came from the project that didn't define me, and so too often and a lot of times we you know we use this phrase I'm a product of my environment and so sometimes we get stuck where we at. You know what I'm saying, because all we see is people doing the same things that we desire to do. But when you branch out and start doing something different, you know like, okay, I don't know what projects you was in, but I grew up in Glen Park and Marshalltown, right?

Speaker 1: 8:17

Oh my goodness, we were close. My first place of residence was Dora Miller East 20th the DM right. Oh my goodness, we were close. My first place of residence was Door Miller East 20th.

Speaker 2: 8:23

Ah, the DM. Huh, yeah, we was right next door then. Only thing that was separating us was old Marshalltown. So you probably know some people that I know, I'm sure, I know that's a fact, but you know. But when you so say, like, okay, we was confined in Dortmilla, Glen Park, Marshalltown, but then you go out to Miller and you see something different, you know, or Aetna, or to the west side, you see something different and it broadens your horizons to a sense. You know, I'm just using that as an analogy. And so sometimes when you come out of where you're at, you know you'll start seeing some things differently because you're, you entertain more things. You know why some people ain't never left out of the hood, and so I'm glad that God chose you to take you out of the neighborhood, and not only take you out but bring Build a community, and I think that's wonderful, you know. Another question I have I have to ask you because I don't know what this is or what it consists of. You're a freedom writer teacher. What is a freedom writer?

Speaker 1: 9:40

So have you ever heard of the movie Freedom?

Speaker 1: 9:43

I've heard of it, yes, so the actual movie, the real life person. Her name is Erin Gruel. She started a foundation in real life and so I got to travel to California. I spent a week with a fully immersive experience with Dr. I don't know what I'm calling her a doctor, she's a teacher. But with Erin Gouel, with the original students that the movie was made about and her entire team, and they talked from the perspective of teaching hope.

Speaker 1: 10:22

At the end of that experience I had met people changing the world, from all over the world.

Speaker 1: 10:28

I met a Holocaust survivor who I had the opportunity to learn that a person could survive a Holocaust and then not take their joy.

Speaker 1: 10:42

I had the opportunity to learn from children who had become adults, but I say children first, because the child in us is always there, even when we show up as adults.

Speaker 1: 10:54

But I had the opportunity to travel to the school where they made the movie Freedom Riders about in California. We had an opportunity to really deep dive into what it means to teach from a perspective of hope, and so that movie was captivating to me, and so to go to Long Beach, california, and meet the original students, the original teacher and a Holocaust survivor. It was transformative in every sense of the word, in that I had an opportunity not only to learn but also to continue the healing process, because sometimes trauma comes in waves. Right, we had one activity that week where we had to write a letter about the hardest trauma that we had experienced in our lives, and the healing that took place was like the best thing. I could describe it as is a baptism almost in a sense, because the children that are within us as adults sometimes they heal in phases. So it was a learning experience, an immersion experience and a transforming experience.

Speaker 2: 12:09

So I'm glad you got a chance to experience that. Yeah, that's awesome. So, with writing, I believe you have five published books yourself and co-authored a couple with your husband.

Speaker 1: 12:22

I've written 18. Wow, I was waiting. Ten have been published. Okay. Eight are still in circulation. Okay, ten have been published. Okay.

Speaker 2: 12:29

Eight are still in circulation. Okay, so I guess my question is with that from, like you said, a girl from Gary Indiana. I was reading somewhere where you say that you graduated top ten in your class or whatever.

Speaker 1: 12:50

So what was the inspiration that motivated you to move beyond where you were at? So I had a mother who instilled in me if I wanted to continue to live in her house, I had to get an education. Education was not optional, an option. Going to school was not optional, even though I was born and raised in the housing project. My mother consistently told me you are college material. My mother consistently told me if you want to stay in this house, you must get an education.

Speaker 1: 13:21

My mother, before I knew what my purpose was, was a pit bull of a guard person over my purpose, and what that means is she would tell me you can't hang with everybody, can't go where everyone else go, you can't date everybody. She would ask people that wanted to pursue me, that came to our house where are you going? What are you doing with your life If they couldn't answer that? When I tell you she was like a pit bull of a protector over my purpose, I seriously mean that, and she had to be, because she was a single mother raising a child in an environment that can devour you like you a throw away the key or you can lose your life in the street. She was a serious protector. She held it down, and so her push and her protection is my foundation and everything that I am now. I consistently live in a way that honors everything she invested in me, because she invested a lot.

Speaker 2: 14:34

You know that's like the song back in the day. It said I had a praying grandmother or a praying mother.

Speaker 1: 14:44

I had a praying grandmother, but I had a fighting mother.

Speaker 2: 14:47

A fighting mother. I had a grandmother, but I had a fight mother, a fight mother. And you know, because I can think about my life, because as long as I've been able to comprehend things or whatever my mother, I have seen her pray every day. You know what I'm saying. Like when I was younger I didn't see her miss a beat without praying. And so, like you say, a fight, because sometimes it's not a natural fight, sometimes a spiritual fight to a spiritual warfare, and and I, and and I have to give my mother a lot of credit too, because I know that it's a lot of things that I was out there doing. When I was doing that, god God actually heard her prayers and protected me and saved me from a lot of things that I was doing. So I can relate to the fighting mother and the loving mother, the pushing mother. My mother was a little forceful too, but I wasn't as receptive.

Speaker 1: 15:46

Listen, and that's why I had to clarify I had a fighting mother, because that meant during those teenage years when I thought one, my mother didn't want me to have any friends. Two, she didn't want me to have any fun. That meant if she had to go against me to protect my purpose. And when I say I had a praying godmother, she was a woman that I met in either of her projects, because we moved there after Dora Miller and she was the one who prayed over me, who gave me the word of God, who told me, just like going to school wasn't optional in her place, going to church wasn't optional. They both balanced out each other very well and made sure I become who I am today.

Speaker 2: 16:35

And it's good to have people that can see your purpose, you know, because you know God will give people insight on things that you don't even know. You know saying to guard you, to lead you in a different direction, you to lead you in a different direction, and so that's awesome that he had somebody, that he placed somebody there strategically just for you, so that you can blossom and be the woman that you are today. So, with writing, I guess I have to ask this with writing, what actually started you? You say, well, you know what. I want to become a writer. You know I want to put my thoughts down on paper and just put myself out there to the world. So what was the inspiration to actually start writing and what was the first book that you ever wrote?

Speaker 1: 17:26

When I was eight years old, I was attending Norton Elementary School I had a teacher named Mrs Hopkins. Every day Mrs Hopkins came to school dressed to the nines from head to toe. She'd walk around the school with a pencil in her hand. And so one day she gave me her pencil and at that moment you would have thought I had been made the captain writer of the whole school. You would have thought I had been made the captain writer of those books. I was like, oh my goodness, I could be like Miss Hopkins.

Speaker 1: 17:56

And I started writing at eight years old and I held on to the joy of writing for the last 37 years of my life, because I'm 45 now, but I held on to the love of writing all of those years and I'm thankful, one that God chose me. But I'm thankful too, because sometimes people have dreams and life gets in the way. But God has allowed me to live my dream all of my life for the last 37 years. And so that's how I started writing, literally just seeking to be like Mrs Hopkins, because she was absolutely phenomenal. And when she gave me her pencil I started writing and it was like I was just writing, like a recorder almost. It didn't come hard. There was no writer's block or any of that, and so I'm thankful for that. And then my first book that I wrote was entitled the Tongue of Life. It was published in 2002.

Speaker 1: 18:57

I graduated college because my mother made that a requirement. I gave her my high school diploma and my degree because she made those requirements, because she didn't graduate. But I always knew that I would be a writer and a speaker, and so after I gave her the degrees, I went on my publishing journey. I went to college for a computer. So I'm totally different.

Speaker 2: 19:21

What's up? It's your boy, cj Moneywear again. Hey, I told you I had a couple projects coming up. Hey, I got a book coming out either at the beginning of next year or the end of this year. It's called Mud G the Confessions of a Rolling Stone. Hey, man, you're going to have to check that out. True story, mud G. You're going to love him or hate him, but you're going to want to read it because Mud G was something else. Adhd was a thing back then, or a big thing as it is now. That boy definitely would have been put on some medicine, man. So you're going to have to check out Mud G. Like I say, true story, real life, real stories coming from my man, cj Moneyway, interviewing my boy, mud G. So check that out.

Speaker 2: 20:06

I have another book coming down the pipeline as well. I'm going to have another book coming down the pipeline as well Issues of Life, self-help book, man, personal growth, spirituality. Man, if you want to grow in the spirit, if you want to grow in the Lord, man, you're going to have to check that book out. Issues of Life is going to be entwined with Stop Eating From those Forbidden Trees, and you're going to have to check that out so you can pre-order your books now. Man, hit me up on my website, hey, sign up, log in, subscribe and I'll give you all the information you need. Leave your email address so I can keep you up on all things Money Wave. But you can go right now and grab this book Both Eyes Open and Both Eyes Shut, by Arthur Corwin Johnson, right there on amazoncom and, like I say, I'll be giving you guys some quotes from these books, man, some inserts from these books, to keep you, keep, keep you interested, to let you know that it's going down on the money way. Show what's up. My people, this, your boy, cj, money way. Hey, be on the lookout for that.

Speaker 2: 21:07

Steel town records coming back, the rebirth of GI. They coming back to rebirth for GI. They coming back with a record label looking for independent artists, looking for producers, looking for artists. They coming back full of force. Hey, check out the merchandise. Got some hot merchandise, got some polos with Michael Jackson on the front? Check it out in my links on the podcast show. Check out my Facebook page out. Check out the Steel Town website. Hey, grab you some merchandise. Man, support the city of GI. We coming back. Peace, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm.