Introducing Tesa Colvin

We are pleased to introduce you to our newest team member, Tesa Colvin. Tesa was born in Birmingham and raised in Detroit. She returned to Birmingham years ago, but in a sense, we like to think she really came home in May, when she joined the DREAM4 team. Sometimes, it feels like the gears are falling into place, and that is the way it seems with Tesa. 

Translating in Birmingham and Detroit

Tesa feels like she has always played the role of a translator. 

"I've always been able to explain complicated concepts in simple ways. It starts with empathy for the person you are communicating with. Two different people don't hear things the same way. I learned that when we moved to Detroit, when I was eight years old. The first time I asked for a drink, they said, 'you are too young for alcohol!' I didn't even know what they were talking about."

At first, Tesa struggled in her new school. "The education system hasn't been revamped since it was established. It's designed to produce a good worker pool. It's not designed for dreamers, and I was a dreamer."

Fortunately, Tesa had one of those teachers that changes your life forever. 

"Mrs. Paula Bailey gave me a journal and a pen, and she said three words I will never forget."

"Write your worlds." 

Tesa went home and wrote an account of the night her biological mother died. 

"I've never forgotten those three words … “write your worlds.” That was the moment when I discovered that I had a voice and a perspective. It felt like coming home." 

Failing Forward

In high school, Tesa studied Engineering. "I lived in Michigan, so of course, I studied engineering. That's just what you did in Detroit. Somebody had to build all those cars."

One thing led to another in college, and she ended up back in Birmingham at UAB and then in a technical job writing code. Tesa had children at that point, and the programming position provided a good income, but she knew the job wasn’t quite right for her. She decided to invest in herself by trying her hand at writing, at night, after her kids had gone to bed. 

First, she started a writing checklist, demonstrating one of the key planks in Tesa's philosophy: "Write a vision. Make it plain."

A dream inspired her first book, and she completed it in just two weeks. Tesa's editor loved her writing, but didn't connect with the story. 

The editor said, "Try writing to trend,” in other words, writing what was popular at the time. “Maybe work in some vampires and werewolves," he suggested. 

The advice hurt, because it showed the editor had not understood Tesa's voice in her work. As a result, she grappled with writer's block for the next two years. Eventually, a friend confronted Tesa with a message that reminded her of the challenge she'd received from Mrs. Bailey years before. 

"How long are you going to allow someone else to write the end of your story?" asked the friend.  

That simple question awakened Tesa’s voice and called her to action. She developed a writing process that helped her complete 19 books in the next six years. 

"I got in there and dug into the methodology, and it reminded me of my process. It starts with awareness that leads to action," said Tesa. "It's all about moving forward. My life motto is, 'I would rather fail forward than fail standing still.'"

Life at Home

Tesa's commitment to action doesn't diminish her appreciation for the scenery along the way. 

"When you are driving the car, you miss the scenery. When we have goals, it's easy to miss the journey, because we are focused on the destination. We have to learn to celebrate the journey." 

Tesa shares the journey with her husband, two daughters, and their two dogs, Sasha and Bella. 

Tesa met the man she would eventually marry at the age of 8. "We were just friends for years, and then we reconnected through Facebook, around a high school reunion.”

“He is a military staff sergeant, and our oldest daughter is just like him. Her little sister is just like me. To be honest, though, my two favorite people on earth are my dogs," she says with a laugh.

When Dreams Align

As Tesa experienced success and gained notoriety as an author, she became a mentor, guiding others through book development, from concept to publication and marketing. She formalized her five-phase writing process and built a lucrative business working with over 100 authors. This was more fulfilling than the programming job she had left years before, but somehow she knew this was a stop on her journey and not the destination. 

Tesa started looking for her next opportunity, and a door opened when an interviewer recognized Tesa's wisdom and insight.

The interviewer said, "You need to meet Allen Ritter and DREAM4. Your approach has so much in common with theirs."

That started a series of conversations that brought Tesa to the DREAM4 team as a Dream Leader. 

"Tesa has been such a great addition to our team," said DREAM4 Senior Dream Leader, Allen Ritter. "Her approach aligns with ours, but it also challenges us to consider our assumptions. Her perspective makes us stronger and equips us to serve our clients better."

"It's really interesting," said Tesa. "We have different perspectives, but our perspectives align. We are learning from each other and challenging each other. And I have never been happier than when I'm listening to individuals and investing in them to help them accomplish their goals and dreams. Honestly, this feels like coming home."

Tesa, we couldn't agree more. 

Get to know the rest of our DREAM Team by clicking here!