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Tambra Cherie is a full-time media personality who has a passion for people and entertainment. You may have seen her as one of the stars on OWN’s Belle Collective. Throughout her career, Tambra has worked with a number of entertainers and hosted a number of events, concerts, and music festivals. She has interviewed countless artists, celebrities, entertainers, and community activists. The Jackson, Mississippi native enjoys hosting events and talking with others!
Tambra is also an author. In her book, Surrounded By Sin, Grounded By Love: 8 Simple Keys to Becoming A Better You, she shares various experiences and lessons she's learned throughout her journey of becoming a better version of herself and hopes this book will encourage you to take a deeper look within yourself while embracing your own truths.
Fancy: How would you describe your swagher? What makes Tambra, Tambra?
Tambra: What makes Tambra, Tambra? Tambra literally. And the reason I say that is because no one else can be you but you. I feel like that's the only thing that nobody else can duplicate, you. No matter how hard they try, no one can duplicate you, your personality, your energy- you know, so being Tambra makes me Tambra.
Fancy: Cool. So I’m from Mississippi as well, and I wouldn’t have ever imagined an opportunity like OWN’s Belle Collective coming about, but I wanted to know did you foresee such opportunities?
Tambra: Yes, I would say yes. I definitely think I saw it coming because you know, we have actually had some other shows that come through the radio station and by the radio stations, trying to do something in the market. So I can honestly say that I did see it coming.
Fancy: I was actually shocked but I guess since you were already in the industry and know what’s going on in the city that makes sense. So I didn’t watch the full season of the show but I caught a lot of it and I know that you discussed freezing your eggs with your ex. What became of that?
Tambra: We have frozen embryos now.
Fancy: Oh, really? That’s exciting. So what is the next step after that?
Tambra: Well, it gets a little tricky. We're talking. We’re back dating. So we'll see.
Fancy: So what was it like discussing that matter on tv and being that transparent?
Tambra: Honestly, I don't have a problem with being transparent because even in radio, I'm transparent with my listeners in my audience. It came naturally because of the people that I worked with and who I was with, so it wasn't a problem being transparent. I guess I had kind of always been transparent through other areas so it’s not such a big thing. Radio is very transparent, like when you just have conversations on the radio with your audience or your co-hosts- you know, you just have conversations. So I definitely think, no, it wasn't hard to be transparent.
Fancy: I never actually thought about it that way but that makes a lot of sense. So do you have a preference for TV or radio?
Tambra: I love them both. I absolutely love them. Even before Belle Collective, I was guest-hosting on Dish Nation, which involved talking with other television personalities and radio personalities and just offering your opinions and just being you. All they want you to do is be you. That's it. You can't mess that up.
Fancy: it's funny hearing you say all of this, because I've been doing this for 11 years now and I still struggle with it, but as I listen I agree that it is all true when you think about it.
Tambra: Yeah, you can't mess that up. Like seriously, Dish Nation only wants you to be you. That's why you're there, to offer your own opinions, to offer your voice- a voice. Even before that, I was a guest host on Lifetime’s Bring It, and that was fun! That's why I love them both because I've always had different aspects of television if that makes sense. Belle Collective was more personal because you know, it does take them to your personal life, as opposed to Dish Nation is still your job, your career, and your entertainment. We get to talk about topics like what's going on in entertainment news. So that's still part of your job, and then Bring It was just fun. I was hosting with kids and the Dancing Dolls. It was just fun-long hours but fun. I love people, like I have a passion for people. So in television, I've been able to see different aspects of television. Therefore I can honestly say I love them both.
Fancy: It’s awesome that you are passionate about both and being that you enjoy what you do you never work a day in your life.
Tambra: I absolutely love radio and television. It's not like I'm working at all. Every day I get up and I don’t have a problem going to work. It doesn't even feel like work.
Fancy: That brings me to my next question because I was gonna ask, do you feel like that you came across as yourself on the show?
Tambra: Yes, I do, and you can't fit everything into the series.
Fancy: I know in the past a lot of times when I'm talking to people, they've been like, “Oh, well, you know, this side of me didn't come across”.
Tambra: Yeah, everything is not shown during that timeframe and during the series, but I definitely think what I do like is the part that stood out the most. It seems like there was a big impact when I talked about fibroids. That had the biggest impact because I went on to be an advocate and I went on Capitol Hill virtually fighting for the bill. A Congressman out of New York reached out to me because of Belle Collective because of my fight in my state just for that to pass. This bill is about the research for fibroids and things like that. Then so many different women reached out to me to talk about fibroids. Many women also reached out to me to talk about freezing their eggs, and some reached out to me to talk about their stories of what they had gone through. So that had a big impact and anytime you can have an impact on someone, think that you did a good job. I thought that was amazing.
Fancy: How do you find a balance between work and personal.
Tambra: How do I find balance? I love what I do, so I don’t see it as work, but I definitely believe in self-care and taking care of myself and being able to turn it off. I read the Bible other books. I'm an author, too. I love reading motivational books and inspirational books.
Fancy: That was my next question. I know you have your book Surrounded by Sin Grounded by Love: 8 Simple Keys to Becoming a Better You. What would you say is one key to a better life or a better you?
Tambra: I would probably say one of the biggest things for me and anyone else is you give life to things that you entertain. You don't have to entertain everything. - you give life to that situation. You don't want to bring attention to it? Don't give it your energy. Everything doesn't deserve you.
Fancy: That's a great point, and I think it's something that people often overlook.
Tambra: Yes, everything doesn't need a response. I think everyone learns that. That is the key. That is the key to everything because you know a lot of us always want to have the last word. We always want to respond and we always want to tell our side of the story. You don't have to. Sometimes it just doesn't even deserve a response from you.
Fancy: So my last question, what advice would you give to other black women in media?
Tambra: Honestly, the advice that people give me, be yourself, your personality. Do not be scared to speak up. There is no wrong answer. Even if it is wrong, you learn through your mistakes. That's how you work through it. Don't be afraid of the word, “no”. Don't be afraid of rejection. That's all a part of it. It helps you grow and everything that you do, but be yourself and don't be afraid to speak up.
Tambra Cherie & Fancy
It is still unknown if there will be a season 2 of OWN’s Belle Collective but you can follow Tambra at www.tambracherie.com or @tambracherie.
By Francheska "Fancy" Felder
Francheska “Fancy” Felder is a quiet Southern, media mogul in the making. In 2010, she launched SwagHer Magazine, an empowerment and lifestyle publication for the progressive Black community.
Fancy’s passion for all things creative combined with her love for writing, Black culture, and business guided her to also offer her public relations, creative, and branding services, making the magazine more of a media boutique having its own subscription clients as well as advertisers, hence why the name changed to SwagHer Magazine & Media.
SwagHer Magazine uses positive media and storytelling to create new narratives and mindsets around Black people, their communities, and the businesses and organizations they lead. Fancy executes campaigns for Black women-led businesses, coaches, authors, and girl bosses so that they receive more visibility and establish themselves as an authority.
The Mississippi native is also one half of Theories & Thoughts Podcast, a discussion-driven show that tackles Black issues and taboo subjects with a kitchen table talk feel, which she hosts with Arnya T.M. Davis. The two also co-produce and host Theories & Thoughts Deep Dive, a millennial talk show.
The former teen mom graduated from Southwest Mississippi Community College with her associate’s in marketing management and studied mass communications with a focus in public relations from Southern University A&M College.
Instagram:http://www.instagram.com/swaghermagazine http://www.instagram.com/fancyswagher
