Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tia Clark. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Tia , thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
This is an easy question for me. I get my work ethic from my mother and my grandmother. Growing up witnessing these two getting it done under not the easiest or best of circumstances gave me my drive. My work ethic is something that I take a lot of pride in and I know without a doubt that former bosses and coworkers praised me for it.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I own a small business called Casual Crabbing with Tia based out of Charleston, S.C where I help folks get to the water and build unbreakable bonds. My business was created from what I would call the most devastating time of my life. A decline in my health due to quitting smoking cigarettes led me from doctor to doctor with no answers for what was going on. The 4th place I was referred to led me to a holistic doctor practicing functional medicine. After months of constant pain, hives and total body inflammation an elimination diet calmed my system so we could get to the real problem. It was suggested that I find a way to get physically active and that led me to the docks. I chose to make a place on the docks to be active instead of going to a gym. The first time I went crabbing was also the first time that I caught and prepared my own meal. That changed the make up of my brain. I started chasing that feeling of being on the water and the joy of providing nourishment for me and my family. My journey on the water was making me close with my family, community, culture and the food that I was eating. I wanted to share this with everyone I know. I felt like I knew a secret although folks had been living like this all around. I was 37 years old. I grew up around this water eating all the food out of it but I didn’t know that. There was a huge disconnect for me and I know now that it wasn’t just me. I thought I wanted to just share the joy of crabbing but what I do has become so much more than that. Once I started having a bond with the water I instantly wanted to protect it. As far as my business goes I knew there needed to be balance. We couldn’t just go to the water and catch crabs every day. I needed to make sure the crabs could thrive. This led me to building a relationship with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, SCDNR. I knew it was my responsibility to not only teach about crabbing but to also teach about conservation. Anyone aged 16 and up that takes my crabbing experience purchases a recreational saltwater license which that money goes to the SCDNR and supports or local waterways. I volunteer with the SCORE, South Carolina Oyster Recycling and Enhancement, program building and deploying artificial oyster reefs around our community. I partner with that program and NOAA fisheries to work on a grant that gets kids to the water, too. I believe everyone has a right to have a relationship with the water and nature and my mission has shifted to support that belief way beyond just crabbing.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
My three most important qualities are my work ethic, my passion and my food and beverage background. My work ethic because it is impeccable. My pride for who I am and what I do helps me to continue to execute my experience at a 5 star level. My passion for what I do is electric and pours out of me when you get me started. Most folks think I have been doing this for a long time because of how I speak and the knowledge I pass onto them when we are on the docks or when I get started talking about conservation. Lastly, my 20 years in the food and beverage industry prepared me to deal with folks from all walks of life. Casual Crabbing with Tia is offered on the Airbnb experience platform under “Let’s go Crabbing” and has only five star reviews. 658 to be exact. The advice that I can give is find something you really love and that moves you because it will just pour out of you when you share it. Trying to force it will make it not feel authentic. Take a chance and work for joy and not money and everything will get in line behind it.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
The challenge that I am facing currently is figuring out how to get funding for the work I want to do with kids. I feel passionate about the work that I do but in the past I have spent more funds of my own than I should have to execute some of these events. I sometimes make bad business decisions because I want every kid to have what I didn’t. I would love to find support for my mission without breaking the bank. I am a small business and not a large corporation.
Contact Info:
- Website: casualcrabbingwithtia.com
- Instagram: @casualcrabbingwithtia
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/thecasualcrabber
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/@CasualCrabbing
- Other: linktr.ee/casualcrabbing
Image Credits
Casual Crabbing with Tia
