Story & Lesson Highlights with Tracey Kennedy of Birmingham

Tracey Kennedy shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Tracey, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What do you think others are secretly struggling with—but never say?
Let me start off by saying, Bold, you genuine outdo yourselves each time I interview with you! Your questions ignite thought surpassing the superficial. Now, back to the question!

Being that I’m knee deep in my healing journey, I have learned what we all struggle with is, accountability. Let’s say it louder for the audience in the far back row; ACCOUNTABILITY! Especially in American culture. It’s always someone else’s fault. they did it, not you. If the other person didn’t do this or didn’t say that, you wouldn’t have behaved the way you did. We actively work to find ways to absolve ourselves of any wrongdoing. In turn, causing more chaos and detriment to the relationships we have. Accountability is such a difficult attribute to obtain because it absolutely requires being self aware and reflective. One must be able to take an honest look at what they contributed to a situation that led to the positive or negative outcome. Remember that old saying, “Honesty is the best policy”? That is the truest statements ever said, yet it is mocked by so many. However, when it comes to emotional deflection, one unwilling to take accountability for the things they do, would most definitely work to dismiss the importance of being honest.

When we hold ourselves accountable, we can evaluate the actions and emotions that have positive outcomes, to ensure we build a foundation upon our goodness. On the polar opposite end, we can also evaluate actions and emotions that have negative outcomes by consistently working to correct how we perceive the world around us, thus creating better long-term outcomes. Admitting when you’re wrong allows you to be right more often in the future! Go be honest with yourselves, y’all!

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
For the past eight years, I have been known as the founder and face of California Country Organics Body Care. I have always held true to my brand slogan, Love Yourself Organically. From traveling across the country to TV or radio interviews, setting up shop at markets, or snuggling in a blanket and my laptop to fill out questions for an article (Such as I am currently doing), I thought I was loving myself by piling on my goals to achieve. I was unrealistic about timeframes, financial planning, mental stability; none of that matter. I could only see the goal. While being the sole operator of my organic manufacturing company, I was raising two highly gifted children and battling a divorce made for a TV mini series drama. Through it all, I achieved a new goal, publishing my first book, Tender Nights With Tracey: Swiping During The Age of The Rona, and spending a year and a half traveling the country for book signings and poetry and improv shows.

August 1st, 2024, my life changed in a flash. I went in for a routine mammogram and left in a frantic puddle of emotions. There were calcium build up in my left breast that absolutely looked like cancer, they said. A week later, it was confirmed. I went from a stay at home mom to an organic body care manufacturer overnight, through one of the emotionally hardest times of my life. The stress of it all developed into a 6.5″ in. breast cancer mass. Breast cancer forced me to authentically apply my slogan to my life and stay consistent in loving myself organically.

I took a step back from pushing out products, and worked on strengthening the relationships I have with my children. I took more time to focus on my health, physically, by getting more exercise. I took the time to really hone in of my mental health and how I processed stress. I had to learn real boundaries for myself and immediately implement them. I figured out how to live in my internal joy, rather than moments of happiness.

One year later, I’m finishing up my second book, The Only Ones Listening, working on new poetry, bring California Country Organics back in small batches, and cancer FREE!! The best of you is out there. Love yourself truly, deeply, organically.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
Little Black Girl, this answer is for you.

There is pure strength in humility. You do not have to be hard to be great.

In my early years, I was sexually assaulted for years. I grew up around drug and alcohol abuse, gang violence, and two grandmothers avoiding reality by being doped up on commercialized Jesus. No one paid attention to the little girl who talked everyone’s ears off and was, “Anyways in grown folks business.” There was no one to reach out to. I had no one to voice my pain to. Everything happened at such a young age and it seemed so common, how was I to say what was right or wrong? I was a child. I grew more and more resistant to authority as puberty struck. My hormones were everywhere and I built the defense mechanism to lash out in rage.

As I moved into adulthood, everything felt like an attack against me. I held on to all of my hurt from my childhood that I was on defense 24/7. I had a massive wall built around all of my unprocessed emotions. I was pouring all of my pain onto those around me. It felt like negative energy consumed my world. Bad things were always happening. I was always in a rage or in some manic panic. I felt like I wasn’t breathing properly.

I couldn’t fight all those unnecessary battles any longer, once I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I had to go in search of my joy because my pain was, literally, killing me. The fire breathing animal that stood in front of me at all times was laid to rest. I face my issues within my humility now. I now live by what I like to call, The Five Principles of God: Love, Kindness, Mercy, Grace, Humility. Consistently relying upon the core definitions of those five words has brought about better outcomes in my daily life and the relationships I have with others. I have now realized, I didn’t need to yell and scream and be mean in order to feel like I had value and respect. I, along with others, valued and respected me more because shining light became my priority.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Imagine buying your first home that is a complete fixer upper because you are coerced into thinking you are about to hit a financial jackpot being a vendor for The World Games. As time grows closer, your instincts tell you something isn’t right. You even go so far as to write an email 45 days prior to the event with a laundry list of concerns, only to be told by the head representative that, “…You’re just a single mom having some anxiety about a big event…” Everything was supposed to be great. Imagine three days into the World Games, all of your concerns coming true, and more you couldn’t even fathom. Imagine watching the money and time you put into showing the world who you were and the company you built, go to pure hell. You have to watch it for eleven grueling days in the heat of an Alabama summer. Imagine losing $20,000 because of it.

That’s what happened to me during the summer of 2022. I thought I was going to have all this money to remodel the house I bought. I thought I was going to be able to take my kids on a cool trip for a summer holiday. After The World Games, my anxiety was on level infinity. I couldn’t see straight I was so panicked about where I was going to get this money from. I decided to take my kids to Chicago for “holiday”. Every time I attended a market in Chicago, there was always a profit. I assumed it would be the same this time around. I signed up for an event last minute at the convention center. Had I done just a little research, I would have realized it was one of those Chella concerts events going on that weekend. NO ONE was at the convention center that was over an hour away from the music concert. I sat there with other vendors for a total of 30 people to show up to an event I assumed would host thousands.

Did I stop there? Absolutely not. I was spiraling out of control, emotionally. I spent $20.00 to pay to park near the concert event, packed up my little travel wagon and set up a little table on the street corner with the other panhandlers, desperately attempting to make any kind of money. One Black woman bought two jars at wholesale price because she wanted to support Black business. One lady bought a jar for less than wholesale and gave me the advice of, “You’re too pretty to be out here on the streets like this. Don’t let the cops catch you. You could make money easier ways,” She laughed and gave me a look of, “You know what I’m talking about,” Then, she headed towards mass transit tunnels. I knew I had hit rock bottom. I couldn’t even afford to reimburse my friend the money she spent to feed my kids. I was ashamed. I packed everything up with my head held low, and picked up my kids.

I learned to trust my instincts and never move in haste and uneasy emotions. You lose the ability to think critically through a situation in order to find the most logical outcome.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
I a world full of falsehoods, fairy tales, fantasties, and fallacies, everyone is looking for authenticy, When you have nothing left to give other than who you are, you learn just how valuable and worthy the best of you is. Go be you in public so that you can find your tribe.

With that said, I am absolutely the same person. I’m too old to hide being curmudgeon with a twist at this point in life.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. When do you feel most at peace?
I know this is wild, but I tell people that I am Mother Nature in human form. Why, you ask? I currently have over one hundred varieties of plants growing in my yard. I intend upon having even more! Mostly everything is edible as well! 8 types of berries, 7 types of preppers, 8 kinds of tomatoes, orangedew melons, roses, 20 herbs and spices. I think that’s better than KFC! I love making my own fertilizer. I love digging my feet in the soil and talking to the ancestors early in the morning while drinking a cup of coffee.

I have built a pond. I’m rebuilding a creek. I have an outdoor shower I’m building with recycled rocks from a staircase the original owner of the home had. I will eventually build multiple natural ponds that are connected with little streams. I even have a zipline! It brings me so much joy, that I’m smiling while I”m typing all of this out. My garden is an extension of who I am. When she is flourishing, so am I. That’s why I take such good care of her. I offer love, she offers peace.

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