Welcome, Ms. Tiny Hailey! We are so grateful to be able to chat with you today!

When you look back over the chapters of your life, what moment stands out as the catalyst that transformed your journey into purpose and set you on the path to the impactful work you’re doing today?

A single moment didn’t just change my life — it cracked it open. And when I look back now, I can see exactly where the shift began:

The catalyst wasn’t a triumph. It wasn’t a degree, a job, or a lucky break. It was the collision of a mother’s love, a daughter’s unraveling, and the unbearable grief of losing two friends in the streets of Los Angeles.

Through The PEARLS Foundation, you’re pouring into the next generation in an inspirational and important way. Tell us about what the foundation entails and what do you hope young people gain from your work that goes beyond programs and resources?

I created the PEARLS Foundation, which stands for Positive Energy Around Real Life Situations, to empower young women to uncover their passions and step into a more focused, uplifting, and purposedriven future.

Many people know you as a successful entrepreneur and television personality, but what are some of the lessons from your personal struggles that continue to shape how you lead, serve, and show up for your community in the present?

I was the baby of the family — the one my African American single mother prayed over, worked double shifts for, and protected with a love that felt like a shield. When she passed, that love didn’t leave with her. It shifted into me, heavy and luminous, a kind of inheritance I didn’t yet know how to carry.

Before I understood that gift, the world outside my front door had its own gravity. LA’s streets pulled me in with their mix of belonging, adrenaline, and survival. Piece by piece, the soft girl my mother raised hardened. I sharpened my tongue, my instincts, my walk. I moved like a gangster because in my world, softness felt like a setup.

But that fire inside me — the one I thought came from the streets — was really hers. And when I finally picked up a mic, that love found a new language. Rap became the place where I could alchemize pain into power, chaos into clarity, survival into story. My voice stopped being a weapon and started becoming a bridge.

As I grew, that inherited love kept evolving. It pushed me to mentor young women who were fighting their own battles, searching for their own voices. It taught me that leadership isn’t about being the toughest in the room — it’s about being the one who remembers what it feels like to be lost, and chooses to guide others home.

And somewhere along the way, I stepped into a role I never expected: the matriarch. The one who holds the wisdom, the one who protects the lineage, the one who pours strength into others the way my mother once poured it into me.

Her love didn’t just transfer to me — it transformed me.

Entrepreneurship is rewarding, but it’s very hard-work. How do you balance being a businesswoman while staying connected creatively to your mission and purpose?

Balancing entrepreneurship with my creative purpose really comes down to staying rooted in people. I genuinely love people — their stories, their struggles, their brilliance — and that empathy keeps me aligned with why I do this work in the first place. My history in music and publishing plays a huge role too. It keeps me connected to my own creativity while giving me the knowledge and experience to help other musicians protect their art, navigate the industry, and find their voice. Pouring into others actually fuels me; it reminds me of the power of expression and keeps my mission alive. So even when the business side gets demanding, staying close to the artists, the community, and the creative process keeps me grounded, inspired, and aligned with my purpose.

Legacy is something that I feel needs to be talked about more because it correlates with the life we are living and the things we do. Legacy is also often built through the lives we touch. When people look back on your impact and The Pearls Foundation years from now, what do you hope to have achieved? 

When people look back on my impact and The Pearls Foundation years from now, I hope they see a legacy built on opened doors and transformed lives. I want them to say that we created real pathways — not just inspiration, but access, opportunity, and tools that helped young women build generational wealth and rewrite the stories they inherited. My goal is to show that you can come from the streets without being defined by them, and that healing, purpose, and prosperity are possible for anyone willing to step into their power. If the foundation becomes a place where cycles are broken, dreams are protected, and futures are expanded, then that’s the legacy I want to leave behind.

What does self-care look like for you when you need to decompress and reconnect with yourself?

Self–care, for me, is about getting quiet enough to hear myself again. When life gets loud or the work gets heavy, I retreat into the things that bring me back to center — silence, solitude, and stillness. Sometimes that looks like a spa day where I can let my body unclench and my mind soften. Other times it’s me alone with my Bible, letting scripture steady me, or spending time in prayer until my spirit feels grounded again. Those moments of quiet aren’t just rest; they’re reset. They help me release what isn’t mine to carry and reconnect with the version of myself that leads, creates, and loves from a full place.

Thank you so much, Ms. Tiny!

Keep up with Ms. Tiny Hailey:

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