An Inspired Chat with Tanesha McQueen of Newark DE

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Tanesha McQueen. Check out our conversation below.

Tanesha, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
Whew… honestly, it’s the legacy I’ve built inside the four walls of my home. I married young when folks swore it wouldn’t last, raised four beautiful daughters who walk with confidence, know their worth, and are rooted in love—and now I’m a whole Pretty T to the sweetest little girl who gets to grow up seeing strength, softness, and stability wrapped in one.

People see the brands, the books, the business moves—but what they don’t see is the intentional love, sacrifice, and faith it took to build something generational. I didn’t just build a family. I built a foundation. I raised queens. I kept a marriage thriving through storms, silence, and seasons of growth. That’s the real legacy. That’s what I’m most proud of.

And it may not be posted or praised daily, but babyyy it’s planted. And what’s planted in love always grows. 🌱✨

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hey y’all! I’m Tanesha McQueen — wife of 20+ years, mama of four incredible daughters, and now a proud grandma to the most beautiful little light. I’m a licensed cosmetologist, educator, author, and the heart behind the Styling Her Esteem brand — a movement I built to help girls and women heal, grow, and glow from the inside out.

What makes my story different is that I’ve lived every layer of it. I was a teen wife, a teen mom, and now I’m walking proof that you can defy every statistic placed on your name when you know your worth and walk in purpose. I don’t just talk legacy — I build it daily, in business and in my babies.

From healing-centered children’s books to adult inner child work, credit and tax game ebooks, and my new luxury lifestyle on a budget brand with Farmasi, everything I create is rooted in helping people level up — mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and financially. I’m currently working on some more books and adding a new extension to my brand.

At the end of the day, I’m just a woman committed to making sure other women (and girls) remember who the hell they are. 💁🏾‍♀️✨

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who taught you the most about work?
I was raised by both structure and hustle — and that balance shaped me into the powerhouse I am today.

My mama and biological dad taught me what it means to show up. They clocked in for over 30 years, gave their all, and never missed a beat — even when the company didn’t deserve their loyalty. They proved that showing up with integrity, discipline,
and pride pays off in the long run — they retired well, and with their heads held high.

Then my stepdad? He was all hustle, no timeclock. He was a barber, a car dealer, sold CDs and DVDs, had a music group, sold clothes — you name it, he did it. He showed me how to build your own table instead of begging for a seat at someone else’s. He may not have seen the full fruits of his labor, but he passed the mindset on to me: bet on yourself, always.

I’m proud I lived both sides — loyal grind and fearless entrepreneurship. I work like a boss because I come from workers and visionaries. That’s the formula. That’s the fire.

When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
When I did the work — for real. Not the surface-level stuff, but the soul-deep digging. I stopped running from my pain and started sitting with it. I got quiet, got still, and got one with nature. I started thinking through my emotions, not around them. Writing became my release. My first workbook, Becoming a Whole You, wasn’t created for the world — it was a lifeline for me. Every page was a conversation with my healing self.

That book was the moment. The moment I stopped bleeding in silence and started turning my scars into strategy. I realized that when I dropped the “e” from emotion, I was left with motion. And motion meant I was no longer stuck. I was moving. Growing. Becoming.

I used to hide my pain behind performance. Now, I use it as purpose. And baby, there’s power in that.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I’m fully committed to the belief that healing, confidence, and wholeness should start young — like, childhood young. I’m on a lifelong mission to pour into girls and women in a way that helps them see their worth before the world tries to discount it.

That’s what Styling Her Esteem is all about. It’s bigger than a brand — it’s a movement. A project of the heart. Whether it’s books, convo cards, courses, or events, I’m creating tools that help girls and women unlearn shame, reclaim their power, and love the skin and soul they’re in.

Even if it takes years, even if it only changes one life at a time — I’m in it for the long haul. Because I know firsthand: when you heal a girl’s esteem, you change a whole bloodline.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope they say I was a force. That I loved hard, lived loud, and left every space better than I found it. That I broke cycles and built bridges. That I made healing look possible — even in the middle of the mess.

I want people to say, “She didn’t just talk about legacy — she lived it.” That I raised daughters who walk in power, gave grandbabies something to be proud of, and created work that kept pouring into people long after I left the room.

I hope they say I reminded women who forgot who they were — to remember. That I stood ten toes down in my purpose and still managed to laugh, love, and glow through it all.

When I’m gone, I don’t want to just be remembered — I want to be felt.✨

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