BOLD JOURNEY Interview

We were lucky to catch up with Tammy J Cohen recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Tammy J, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

Developing confidence and self-esteem has been an ongoing journey for me, not something that happened overnight. Growing up, conversations around worthiness, mindset, limiting beliefs, emotional intelligence, or self-awareness simply was not part of the dialogue. Even today, many of the very things that help us build confidence, gratitude, resilience, self-worth, accountability, and emotional well-being are still not taught in any meaningful way.
My real turning point came later in life, during the March 2020 shutdown. When my clients, my income, and much of what I tied my identity to suddenly slowed down, I was forced to pause and take a hard look at myself. I realized that much of my self-esteem had been built on external validation, and underneath that, I was carrying unworthiness, fear, resentment, and a deep sense of failure. As difficult as that time was, it became a gift because it gave me the space to reflect, learn, and grow.

I immersed myself in books, courses, coaching, masterminds, and personal development work. But what changed me most was not just what I was learning, but what I decided to do with it. I began sharing what I was learning with my three sons through a daily text messaging practice rooted in love, gratitude, encouragement, and wisdom, with no expectation of a response. Over time, that practice not only transformed my relationship with them but also the way I spoke to myself. It helped me become more accountable, more compassionate, and more grounded in who I am. That journey ultimately led to the publication of my book, Text Messages to My Sons: A Guide to Using Mobile Devices to Connect and Communicate With Your Kids, and opened the door to speaking, writing, and sharing this practice with others.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

Over the years, I have worn many titles: mother, wife, entrepreneur, founder, podcaster, author, and speaker. While those roles have all shaped me, the title that resonates most deeply with me today is simply this: human being. That shift in perspective has become the foundation of both my personal growth and my professional mission.

Today, I am a messaging strategist, speaker, and award-winning author of Text Messages to My Sons: A Guide to Using Mobile Devices to Connect and Communicate with Your Kids. My work is centered around one powerful idea: in a world dominated by technology and AI, we can still use our devices to build trust, deepen connection, and communicate with greater intention and humanity.

What feels most special about this work is that it was born out of my own transformation. During the pandemic, I began using text messaging differently with my three sons, not to remind, correct, or direct them, but to share love, gratitude, encouragement, and wisdom with no expectation in return. That practice not only transformed my relationship with them, but it also changed me. It helped me become more intentional in how I communicate with everyone, from family and friends to audiences, teams, and business leaders.

That personal journey evolved into a larger mission. Through my keynote, “Connecting Across Generations in a Digital World,” I speak about how to use technology more intentionally to strengthen relationships, reframe conversations, and bridge disconnection across generations, families, workplaces, and communities. I also work with professionals and business leaders to help them communicate with greater empathy, trust, and authenticity in an increasingly digital and AI-driven world.

One of the newest resources I’ve created is a 30-Day Messaging Calendar, designed to help people build a daily practice of heart-centered communication. It offers prompts and themes to help people get started, and it pairs naturally with my book, which includes 215 pages of messages readers can personalize and make their own.

This year has been especially exciting. I’ve had the opportunity to speak at both in-person and virtual events, continue sharing this message through interviews and podcasts, and expand my work beyond family connection into human messaging for leadership, business, and trust-building in the digital age.

At the heart of everything I do is this belief: technology itself is not the problem; it’s how we choose to use it. We can use it to create more noise, manipulation, and disconnection, or to deliver love, encouragement, and meaningful connection. That choice, and that message, is what my work is all about.

For more information about upcoming events, resources, or my newsletter, readers can reach me at connect@tammyjcohen.com

Read the full interview here.