An Interview with Entrepreneur and Bestselling Author Tina Wells

Entrepreneur and Author Tina Wells

Tina Wells began her entrepreneurial career at just 16 years old doing product reviews for different companies. A few years later and a phone call from a big brand made her realize “There’s a name for what I’m doing and I can turn this into business.” Over 20 years running the multimillion-dollar marketing agency she started in college, Tina has developed new businesses, expanded her influence, written over 20 books, and is dedicating herself to helping underrepresented retail founders find success in crowded markets.

“Cultivate your network. Don’t collect people; nurture relationships.”

-Tina Wells

Please tell us about yourself and your inspiring story. We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.

I started my first company, sort of by accident, when I was 16 years old. I realized that I had something to offer companies that were trying to relate to younger generations, and that was information. I was in my community having peers fill out surveys and giving them to companies in exchange for goods. It was in college that I truly realized what I was doing: market research. 

I partnered with a professor, created a business plan, and created the company I would run for 20 years. With Buzz Marketing Group (BuzzMG), I worked with names like Dell, Apple, P&G, and The Oprah Winfrey Network, and it opened many doors for me. I was honored as one of Fast Company’s top 100 most creative people, named in Essence’s 40 under 40, and helped launch Oprah’s Super Soul 100. I loved what I was doing, but I was on the road to burnout. 

I started adding more things to the list of what I was doing, other things that I really enjoyed. I started writing books, including the bestselling tween series Mackenzie Blue, and I started really considering how to create better work-life harmony. It was this that led me to write and launch the book The Elevation Approach. The methodology in this book helped me make a big life pivot, find more joy in both my life and my work, and make more space in my life to do what was calling me. 

During this time I developed and launched two brands that were sold through Target: Elevation by Tina Wells (home office) and WNDR LN (luggage and travel accessories). I did it all in the course of a year and each was extremely successful. But the learning curve was steep as I figured out how to work with a major retailer and develop million-dollar brands. 

This inspired me to launch my most recent venture, Wellspring Studio. Through Wellspring Studio I work directly with underrepresented product founders and help them bring their retail vision to life. I launched THE RETAIL BUSINESS BLUEPRINT, a book that gives founders the guide to a successful product-based business, and have plans to launch a podcast and a course that will also support these founders. I love seeing women succeed, but so many of us don’t have the playbook on how to do it. I’m sharing my life experiences in hopes that it can be helpful for them.

What made you decide to go into business for yourself?

It wasn’t something that was thought out in the beginning. I was always a leader. It was something that felt comfortable to me, being the oldest sibling of six. But I didn’t consider that I was going into business for myself when I started at 16. It was honestly a way for me to get fun, free products from different companies. I was young and inexperienced and saw an opportunity. It wasn’t until later that I really began to realize that what I was doing was running a business, even if it didn’t look like it at first. 

When I realized that I had been doing market research, something that actually had a name, it changed my perspective. I thought, this is something that I’ve been doing already, and that means I can do it in a bigger way. Partnering with my professor on creating a business plan and then establishing Buzz Marketing Group happened because I believed in myself enough to know I could scale what I had already been doing and make money off of it.

How did you market your business when it was brand new?

I got lucky! It was 1996, and there weren’t a lot of teen entrepreneurs in the US. Pretty quickly, local media started picking up on my story, and in 2000, I had a huge breakthrough. I was featured in an early issue of CosmoGIRL! magazine. From there, features in Marie Claire, Glamour, and of course, the cover story in O, the Oprah magazine were gamechangers for me.

How do you prioritize self-care and well-being while managing the demands of your business?

Jumping into being a CEO in college set me on a path to burnout. For over 20 years I ran BuzzMG, pouring myself into my work. But it came at a cost. At some point, I realized that I couldn’t keep doing what I was doing and I needed some type of change. This led me to create a new approach to work and life. It worked so well, that I wrote a book about it: The Elevation Approach. 

It’s important for me to set non-negotiables in my day-to-day. I prioritize daily rituals that bring me joy and give me time to breathe, reflect, and have time for myself. I am also very conscious of how much energy I give to different projects and people. If I realize that I’m not getting the same energy back that I give out, then I need to change what I’m doing or I’ll be resentful and burnt out. 

Often people work themselves into the ground because they don’t think there is enough time in the day to manage their business. The reality is, if you don’t set boundaries around your life, create rituals, have a spiritual practice, or get out and move your body, your work will consume you and it will be harder to be successful. Creating space in your life allows you to show up to run your business with joy, a clear head, and motivation. It’s a recipe for success.

What are the three most important habits for being a successful entrepreneur?

1. Always have a framework to work from when you’re creating or scaling your business. 
2. Listen to your gut. Full stop. It will never steer you wrong.
3. Cultivate your network. Don’t collect people; nurture relationships.

What would you consider your biggest accomplishment and why?

Always showing up as my authentic self. Those closest to me will tell you what you see is definitely what you get!

What is a typical day like for you?

I live my day with the Elevation Approach, from my bestselling book. My mornings focus on preparation, which includes reading, checking emails, watching the news, and listening to podcasts. I spend my afternoons in the inspiration zone, meeting with people. Then it’s time for recreation, which could be anything from a short walk to a quick check-in with a friend. Then I end the day with transformation, pulling everything together for that day.

We all face challenges. Looking back, what have been some of the biggest challenges and obstacles you’ve had to navigate?

My biggest challenges in my career have been my moments of pivot. I’ve made two major pivots in my career – closing my agency and then deciding to shut down my two 7-figure retail brands. Both involved a lot of soul-searching and deep planning to make a pivot.

Can you share some of the most important lessons you’ve learned from your successes and failures in business?

My dad always says that “nothing beats a failure but a try.” So I don’t really see my failures as failures; they’re just something I tried that didn’t work out. When I was teaching at Wharton, I learned about a concept called feed-forward. I love the idea of thinking through the things you need to bring into the next experience. 

What initiatives or actions do you believe are crucial for fostering a more supportive and inclusive business environment for women?

I’m a board member of Girl Up, an organization dedicated to providing girls with the tools, training, and community to become leaders. We need to support women early on, teach them how capable they are, and give them the resources they need to be successful. There are so many ways to do this, and so many organizations are doing great work. If you want to give back as a female business owner, I think starting with supporting the youth is a powerful place to start.

What advice would you give to a new business owner? Or to your younger self?

Have a plan and realize the plan can change.

What are three websites or podcasts you can’t imagine your day without? Why those three?

Goal Digger – such great interviews 

Audible – I’m always listening to a book!

Voxer – it’s how I keep in touch with my team

Which female leader do you admire, and why?

Ursula Burns. She has an incredible career journey and I love how she’s found time to pursue her personal passions.

Do you have a favorite quote or motto that inspires you?

I would say my favorite poem is Langston Hughes’ “A Dream Deferred.”

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