Tonya and Arielle Winfield

Tonya Winfield

Tonya Winfield has over 35 years of experience in Sales and Marketing. She started as a sales consultant at Xerox Corporation and then worked her way up to management as one of the 5 Region Managers in the U.S. and consistently achieving President's Club status along the way. She is also a licensed real estate professional working within the luxury markets for purchases and rentals in Beverly Hills, New York, New Orleans, Houston, The Hamptons, Tampa, Aspen and Atlanta.

She is passionate about luxury living as a lifestyle choice. “I help to make it a seamless process for your busy life including my partnership with the global luxury fine jewelry brand, Nigaam Jewels. For my client who is a busy professional or has an active social life, I have a network of stylist who can organize and edit your closet. Help you with shopping to fill in where needed and finally put together a look book to keep you perfectly styled for all occasions.”

Q&A

1.CA: We know you have an impressive career! Congratulations on all of your success! Can you please tell us a little bit about your journey? 

Tonya: I was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana into a loving home with 2 brothers and 1 sister. My mother was a former school teacher, then a stay at home mom. My father was a railroad engineer for 44 years until retirement. After graduating from LSU, New Orleans at 20 years old, I went on to have a successful career in corporate America. Once I got married I decided to pursue my entrepreneurial dreams by using my expertise in marketing to launch several endeavors. I became a licensed real estate agent, then launched my consulting business that now works with luxury jewelry brands.

2.CA: As a mother, what’s the most important thing you try to teach your daughter? 

Tonya: One of the most important things I’ve taught her is to rely on her gut/intuition. She’s always had a good sense of things, including when something does or doesn’t feel right. I always tell her that is God speaking to her. Listen. Also, I always want her to know that she is enough! Everything she truly needs is within her.

Lastly, it’s important to be self-sufficient. Put yourself in a position to stand on your own two feet. I really wanted her to grasp this because I want her to always make choices in her life based on what she wants, not necessity. Even choosing a mate…. I want her to be with a person because she truly loves them, not because she has no choice. I want her to take a job because she’s qualified and it fits what she wants to do in her life, not because she’s not qualified to do anything else. Choices and options are always a good thing and I raised her in that way.

3.CA: How do you build friendships with other mothers? 

Tonya: I’ve always sought out other women who had similar values as mine. My friend group truly is a united nation of women who all share similar desires and wants for our children. We all want them to be good, giving and kind people who seek their own path in life and try to be the best that they can be. With those things being the foundation of what you want for your own children, things naturally come together. We had playdates, ladies’ lunches, supported charitable ventures and often times collaborated together. We have also been support systems for one another. We lost one of our moms to cancer and it devastated our group. But, we rallied around her husband and child as we grieved too. Those moms that I met when my children were very young are still some of my closest friends. I believe it takes a village to raise kids and I am proud of mine.

4.CA: What are some of the things you are most passionate about? 

Tonya: I am very passionate about my spiritual life and my relationship with God. It is truly the center of my life. I’m also passionate about supporting other women and their dreams. When women dream and pursue those dreams, I feel we should support them. Often times when women are successful, families and communities are successful.

I also absolutely love to travel. I’ve been all over the world and the more places I go, the more I realize how much I haven’t seen! I want to be more deliberate about planning and taking trips in the future. My lifestyle often dictates the places I go every year but I want to do more independent planning and going places I’ve never been.

5.CA:What lessons have you learned over the years that have helped you to evolve into who you are today? 

Tonya: Family is everything. Whether it’s your biological family or the family you’ve built, they are the ones who will sustain you. Everything I do and every part of who I am evolves from that foundation. Also, I’ve learned that you really don’t need a lot of friends. If you’re lucky to have 2-3 really solid ones, you are blessed. Lastly, live in your truth, whatever that is. Really try to discover who you are as a person. What are your talents and gifts? God made all of us unique and powerful. Live that to the fullest and don’t let the world define you. Keep people around you that honor that and support you.

6.CA: Personal improvement is essential for personal growth. Can you share how you approach self-improvement and personal development? 

Tonya: I love to read. Whether it’s newsletters that I subscribe to or books on a variety of topics, I’m always trying to learn something new. Travel if you can, even if that means looking at travel websites to learn about the world and how others live and experience life. Talk to people, especially those that don’t live or look like you. You’d be surprised at how much you will learn about the world and yourself. Also, take care of yourself. I’m always reading something about how to improve my body whether it be hair care, skin care, exercise, or eating right. I don’t always do it perfectly but that’s ok as long as I give it my best. Lastly, keep learning! The older I get, the more I realize how much there’s still to learn. That’s exciting to me!

7.CA: What’s your favorite movie and book? 

Tonya: I have to pick two movies, Madame X and Black Panther. Choosing my favorite book is so hard. There have been so many over the years, but if I had to choose one it would be “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou.

8. CA: Can you tell us a mantra you live by? 

Tonya: Treat others the way you want to be treated. Everyone has their own insecurities no matter who they are. That’s why I am never afraid to talk to anyone. Some of my friends have said to me “You just seem to be able to talk to anyone no matter how famous or rich or celebrated.” My mother was like that so I definitely learned this from her. She used to say, “People are just people, treat them like that.” After being married to a superstar athlete, we have met many famous and infamous people in the world. I’m at ease around them because of my mother’s words.

I live life with a sense of gratitude and I try to view the world every day through that lens. Even when things are tough, I know that it could always be worse and it’s up to me to decide how I will deal with it.

9. CA:Any final advice or thoughts you would like to share, especially for young mothers? 

Tonya: I would tell any young mother that it’s all going to be ok. Young moms put so much pressure on themselves to be perfect. There’s always that fear that everything MUST go exactly as they want it to or their child(ren) will be scarred for life, but that is not so. Cut yourself some slack. Children are resilient and our best truly is enough. Things happen, and as long as you give your child a safe, loving environment they will thrive. The human spirit is truly amazing.