Ms. Tisha is the creator and host of the “Speak Out: Declare Your Day” talk show. The Long Island, New York, native launched her show with the ambition of bridging the gap between gospel and hot-button talk shows, tying faith and entertainment together in her own uniquely sincere way. A dedicated pastor of REMA Ministries Church, motivational speaker, wife and mother; Ms. Tisha spoke to rolling out about her vision.
“What sets me apart is that I am not looking for fame,” she explains. “I want [the public] to have an option to choose from. I’m not looking to climb a ladder.”
“I’m not interested in being the next Oprah or the next Wendy Williams because God made them who they are and he’s not going to duplicate his process,” Ms. Tisha continues.
“I was talking to a girlfriend, a well-known voice in the community, and there was nothing else for people to have an outlet to talk and to explain and voice their concerns,” she says, recalling the impetus for her launching the show. “If something happened in church, they didn’t know where they could talk about it without being attacked. That’s when God gave me this vision to start this talk show.”
“They all have been positive, because one thing I’ve learned; people that are famous and in the gospel spotlight, they’re hurt. When they come on my talk show, they have a voice to say ‘This is what’s going on. I’m dealing with a record label’ or ‘I’m still struggling with my sexuality.’ And we’re not here to judge. We don’t judge.”
In contrast to many other talk show hosts, Ms. Tisha wants people to know that they can free themselves without worrying about a backlash or criticism. She feels that black people learning to cope with emotional issues is of paramount importance.
“So many black people and gospel people weren’t taught to deal with emotion,” she adds. “That wasn’t in our culture growing up.”
“The challenges of building a brand, they are there, but I know with God, everything is possible. I’m an entrepreneur, anything you attempt is going to be hard work. We’re going to face challenges and feel overwhelmed, but we’re not going to stress out. With God, there is no stress — because he takes everything away. Even when you feel overwhelmed, you need to get on your knees and pray. The challenge is being available to people at all times.”
Ms. Tisha is proud of what she’s done and focused on continuing to build. She recalled an incident with an R&B star who appeared on her show and became emotional while performing.
“We had Lil Mo on our show and she started singing a song and started crying,” she explains. “That was an opportunity to connect. Sometimes you have to know that [a person] needs that love and show them love — not always trying to get something out of it.”
