Terrina Taylor shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Terrina, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What do you think others are secretly struggling with—but never say?
Boundaries!!! The real kind that protects your energy, time, and value. Too many of us are conditioned to equate being available with being valuable. We say yes to people who drain us, stay in collaborations that don’t align, or keep answering messages at midnight because we’re scared to look “difficult.” But that’s not professionalism, but people-pleasing disguised as hustle.
The boundary problem is a big deal because it’s expensive. Every time you stretch yourself past your limits, you pay in energy, clarity, and creativity. You end up making emotional decisions about money, business, and partnerships, and those decisions rarely serve you in the long-term. Boundaries are systems, not walls. They create structure so you can grow without resentment.
When you finally start enforcing them, you notice that the right people respect them, and the wrong ones fall off. But most folks never get that far because they’re afraid to disappoint someone, not even realizing they’re disappointing themselves first.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Terrina Taylor, founder of The Payments Connoisseur, a merchant services consulting firm helping small businesses understand and optimize how they get paid. My work blends financial literacy, tech, and community education. There are too many entrepreneurs that are brilliant at what they do, but unclear about how their money moves behind the scenes.
I started in my family’s salon, learning firsthand how easily great businesses lose money to hidden fees and bad systems. That experience shaped my mission: to make payment processing transparent, empowering, and built for us.
What makes my brand unique is the approach. I don’t just talk about merchant accounts, I teach business owners how to think like CFOs. I’m currently expanding partnerships with organizations that serve entrepreneurs and developing resources under my Edges & Assets brand to connect beauty, mindset, and money. My goal is straightforward: to help people protect their profits and build genuine financial confidence.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
This is my 40th year, and a lot of who I was no longer fits who I’m becoming. I’ve outgrown the version of me that thought constant motion meant progress. Overworking served its purpose, building discipline, resilience, and a strong foundation, but it’s not coming with me into this next chapter.
Now, I’m focused on peace, clarity, and alignment. I’m learning that real growth is knowing when to step outside my comfort zone and when to be still. Knowing when silence holds more power than words, and when speaking up can shift everything.
This season of my life is about becoming more intentional with everything I build, from business to my boundaries. The new me is rooted, strategic, and grounded in purpose.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Focus on building wealth early. Learn how money really works, not just how to make it, but how to grow it.
Don’t wait for the “right time” to invest or start saving; the right time is the moment you get your first dollar.
Read more books, study the game, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Every hour spent learning about money, credit, and investing will buy you freedom later.
You don’t have to have it all figured out; you just have to start. Small, consistent moves compound faster than you think.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
The public version of me is the real me. I don’t have the ability to be fake. My kids joke about it all the time.
Since I’ve never worked in corporate America, I never learned how to “code-switch,” and honestly, I see that as a blessing. When you meet me, you get the unfiltered version — straight, no chaser.
Everybody can’t handle that level of realness, and that’s cool. I’m not for everybody, but the people who get me, get me, and that’s more than enough.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
I understand deeply that everyone has trauma, but not everyone takes the time to heal from it. Your background, your family, your upbringing all shape who you are, but they don’t have to define who you remain. There comes a point where awareness has to turn into accountability.
I’ve learned that mental health work isn’t about blaming the past; it’s about taking ownership of your present. You can’t control what happened to you, but you can control how you move forward. At some point, the story you keep repeating about your pain becomes the reason you stay stuck.
Healing doesn’t erase what happened; it just stops it from running your life. Taking care of your mental health isn’t a weakness, but maturity. And accountability is what transforms survival into growth.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Terrinataylor.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/yesher.terrinataylor
- Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/terrinataylor426
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TaylorTerrina
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/terrinataylor.9
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfygg78kmKpwFufhs4U8sBQ
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/shop/yesher.terrinataylor
Image Credits
Terrina Taylor
