Meet Chenita Tayborn of Youth Be Known

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chenita Tayborn.

Chenita, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I born into a chaotic world. By the time I was born, my mother was heavy into her addictions and was at the point of no return. I am number 8 of my mothers 13 children. Myself and 7 of my siblings were placed with my grandparents, and the other children were placed into foster homes and later adopted by unrelated relatives. My grandparents raised us with the love of Christ, morals and values, respect and dignity, and to always be able to forgive.

I’ve always been aware of my reality. I knew at a very early age that my mom was different. Although she broke my heart with her addiction to drugs and alcohol, and her absence in my life, I loved her in spite of all of the hurt she caused me. My mother is truly my inspiration. No matter what people said and thought about her, what she did or the lifestyle she lived, I’ve always just seen her as Mom. Anytime we were around each other. I wanted to love her and protect her because I knew she was hurting from fighting so many silent battles. My desire to start my organization Youth Be Known was inspired by the neglect and trauma of my childhood, the pain of a mother, the love of grandparents, God’s grace and mercy, and the ability to forgive. Everything that I have experienced in my life has prepared me for the role I am in today. I stand strong on the foundation I have built, because I know the pain and hurt I had to let go in order to get here.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The journey into becoming an entrepreneur has not been easy. In the beginning, I faced dozens of hardships and challenges along the way. I faced the uncertainty, struggled with making decisions, found many flaws in my ideas, took many financial risks, and dealt with many situations that were beyond my control. The more time that I’ve spent as an entrepreneur, the easier things have gotten. The greatest obstacle I was able to conquer, was turning my failures into wins. Today, I am guided by my failures and have become confident in making educated guesses in advance about what will work for Youth Be Known, and what will not.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Youth Be Known is a nonprofit organization. Our programs are designed to support families who are fostering and adopting children from the public foster care system. Youth Be Known specializes in bringing awareness and advocacy to foster care and adoptive communities. We are known for meeting our clients’ needs, by providing them with the best and most rewarding programs services. As the founder, I am beyond proud of all the success stories we are apart of. Our clients’ testimonials are proof that Youth Be Known is on the right track with edifying its mission. Youth Be Known stands out because we recognize that we each play a part enhancing the lives of the children and youth in foster care and those being adopted.

What were you like growing up?
Growing up I was very creative and outgoing. I loved to use my imagination and write fictional stories. Since I was a small child, I’ve always wanted to do something that my greater than myself. I was the little girl with the big hair bows, the ruffle panties, and big lace socks. Having a speech impediment didn’t stop me from speaking my mind and telling my truth. I often got teased because of my stuttering, but the taunting made me a stronger person.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.youthbeknown.org
• Phone: 832-416-4064
• Email: info@youthbeknown.org
• Instagram: Chenita_Tayborn
• Facebook: Youth Be Known

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