In this episode of the See Life Different podcast, we welcome Tai Goodwin, CEO of That Marketing Team and creator of the Liberated CEO Accelerator. Tai, with over 20 years of experience, shares her insights on marketing, technology, and lead generation. She emphasizes the importance of implementing strategies and not being hindered by fear or excuses. This episode is perfect for creative entrepreneurs who want to take their business to the next level. Tune in for an inspiring conversation on marketing and stepping outside of your comfort zone.

Tai Goodwin is the CEO of That Marketing Team and the creator of the Liberated CEO Accelerator. She’s an award-winning instructional designer with 20+ years of experience creating learning experiences and content for Fortune 500 companies like Barnes & Noble and tech start-ups like Leadpages.

Corporate life wasn’t for Tai Goodwin. In this episode, she discusses her journey from being a teacher to a corporate trainer and eventually finding her passion in marketing and entrepreneurship. Tai’s decision to leave the teaching profession was fueled by her dissatisfaction with the education system and the social promotion policies that didn’t prioritize the students’ needs.

As a fifth-grade teacher, Tai witnessed firsthand the detrimental effects of social promotion. She had students who couldn’t read above a third-grade level, yet they were still being passed on to the next grade. This realization broke her heart, and she knew she couldn’t be a part of a system that didn’t prioritize the students’ education and preparedness for the future.

Before becoming a teacher, Tai spent two years with AmeriCorps, where she had the intention of showing teachers what needed to be done. However, after two years, she realized that she didn’t possess the superhero-like qualities required to navigate the challenges of teaching. This realization led her to explore other avenues, eventually leading her to corporate training.

One of the key aspects of Tai’s business is the use of quizzes in marketing. Quizzes, according to Tai, provide valuable insights to individuals and help them understand their problems or gain more insight into their situations. This approach to marketing is not only effective but also engaging and fun for the audience.

Tai’s experience with quizzes goes back to her childhood when she would eagerly take quizzes in magazines. This nostalgia and familiarity with quizzes inspired her to incorporate them into her marketing strategy. She recognized that people love taking quizzes and saw an opportunity to use this format to not only entertain but also educate and provide value to her audience.

While Tai enjoyed the work she did as a corporate trainer and instructional designer, she never truly felt like she fit into the corporate world. She often found herself being the youngest person in the room, the only woman of color, and the one who didn’t conform to the traditional corporate mold. Despite working with amazing leaders and enjoying her work, Tai felt a constant sense of not belonging.

The turning point for Tai came when she started experiencing physical symptoms of stress and discomfort in her last corporate job. Her neck issues were a physical manifestation of her unhappiness and dissatisfaction with her environment. Tai realized that she didn’t want to be in a place where she wasn’t supported or celebrated but merely tolerated.

This realization led Tai to pursue her passion for marketing and entrepreneurship. She started coaching and training entrepreneurs on social media, marketing, and business strategy. Tai’s goal was to help people implement their ideas and overcome the obstacles that held them back. She wanted to create a community where black women and women of color could step outside their comfort zones and see life differently.

Tai Goodwin’s journey from teaching to corporate training and finally finding her passion in marketing and entrepreneurship highlights the importance of finding a career path that aligns with one’s values and passions. Corporate life wasn’t for her because it didn’t provide the fulfillment and support she needed. Tai’s decision to leave the teaching profession and eventually the corporate world allowed her to create a platform where she could empower and inspire others to pursue their dreams and make a difference in their lives.

[00:02:10] Teacher background and leaving.

[00:04:19] Realizing corporate life wasn’t for her.

[00:07:12] Focusing on quiz marketing.

[00:10:19] Being permissionless.

[00:14:02] Permissionless in my life.

[00:17:30] Using quizzes for lead generation.

  • 00:02:47 – “And so I left and actually before I was a teacher, I did two years with AmeriCorps.”
  • 00:05:50 – “…get their marketing together, get the word out about who they are.”
  • 00:09:03 – “But the better quizzes are things that are going to help people figure out what the problem is or give them some insight.”
  • 00:10:19 – “I want my legacy to be around helping more women become permissionless.”
  • 00:13:58 – “I want to be permissionless in my life. I want to see more women be permissionless so that we can change the world.”
  • 00:15:46 – “There are people who can’t step into their purpose until you step into yours.”
  • 00:18:38 – “You’re opening a platform for women and that’s just incredible.”

Quizzes help provide valuable insights.


One of the key aspects of Tai’s business is the use of quizzes in marketing. Quizzes, according to Tai, provide valuable insights to individuals and help them understand their problems or gain more insight into their situations. This marketing approach is not only effective but also engaging and fun for the audience.

Tai’s experience with quizzes goes back to her childhood when she would eagerly take quizzes in magazines. This nostalgia and familiarity with quizzes inspired her to incorporate them into her marketing strategy. She recognized that people love taking quizzes and saw an opportunity to use this format to not only entertain but also educate and provide value to her audience.

The power of quizzes lies in their ability to help individuals gain insight into their problems or situations. Tai gives an example of a gynecologist she worked with who used a quiz titled “Where did my O go?” to help women understand the factors affecting their libido. By answering questions related to stress, relationships, and diet, women were able to identify the potential causes of their decreased libido and seek appropriate solutions.

This approach to quizzes goes beyond the surface level of fun and entertainment. It delves into the realm of providing valuable insights and helping individuals make informed decisions. By connecting the quiz results to the products or services offered by the business, Tai ensures that the quizzes serve a purpose beyond mere entertainment.

Quizzes also have the potential to generate leads and drive sales. Tai shares her own success story of using a quiz to generate over 9,000 leads in just four months. This demonstrates the effectiveness of quizzes as a lead generation tool and highlights their value in the marketing world.

Overall, quizzes help provide valuable insights by allowing individuals to gain a deeper understanding of their problems or situations. They go beyond entertainment and serve as a tool for education, empowerment, and decision-making. Tai’s focus on quiz marketing showcases the power of this approach and its potential to transform businesses and help them connect with their target audience in a meaningful way.

In conclusion, quizzes are not just a fun pastime but a valuable marketing tool. They offer individuals the opportunity to gain insights into their problems or situations and make informed decisions. Tai Goodwin’s use of quizzes in her marketing strategy exemplifies the effectiveness and value of this approach. By providing valuable insights, quizzes have the potential to transform businesses and empower individuals to take control of their lives.

Be permissionless, change the world.


Tai discusses the concept of being “permissionless” and how it can lead to changing the world. She explains that many individuals, especially black women, often put their dreams and visions on hold to serve others. This can lead to emotional, spiritual, and physical sickness. However, Tai believes that when individuals prioritize their own highest good and pursue their dreams without seeking permission, everyone around them will be taken care of.

Tai wants her legacy to be centered around helping more women become permissionless. She believes that by empowering women to pursue their dreams and live without the need for permission, they can change the world. Tai is currently working on a book about being permissionless, highlighting the importance of breaking free from societal expectations and limitations.

The concept of being permissionless extends beyond personal aspirations. Tai also applies it to her business goals. She acknowledges that for her business to grow, she must first grow as an individual. By removing limits and restrictions, she can reach new heights and achieve her goal of building a seven-figure company.

Tai’s message about being permissionless resonates with the idea of empowerment and self-determination. It encourages individuals to take control of their lives and pursue their passions without seeking validation or approval from others. This mindset can lead to personal fulfillment and success, as well as inspire others to do the same.

Tai’s message of “be permissionless, change the world” emphasizes the importance of prioritizing one’s dreams and aspirations. By breaking free from societal expectations and limitations, individuals can empower themselves and make a positive impact on the world. Tai’s goal of helping more women become permissionless highlights the need for individuals to take control of their own lives and pursue their passions without seeking permission. This mindset has the potential to transform businesses, empower individuals, and ultimately change the world.

Step into your purpose now.


Tai’s message of “step into your purpose now” is a powerful call to action for individuals to embrace their true potential and make a difference in the world. She emphasizes that each person has unique gifts and talents that are meant to be shared with others. By stepping into their purpose, individuals not only fulfill their desires and dreams but also have the opportunity to impact and inspire others.

Tai highlights the interconnectedness of individuals and the ripple effect that occurs when someone embraces their purpose. She asserts that there are people who are waiting for the gifts and breakthroughs that each person brings to the table. When individuals hold back, play small, or compare themselves to others, they are preventing others from stepping into their purpose and experiencing their breakthroughs.

This message serves as a reminder that each person’s purpose is not just for themselves but for the benefit of others as well. It encourages individuals to overcome fear, comparison, and self-doubt to fully embrace their purpose and make a positive impact. Tai’s golden rule is a powerful reminder that by stepping into our purpose, we are not only fulfilling ourselves but also enabling others to do the same.

In addition to her message of stepping into purpose, Tai also offers practical guidance through her marketing company. She helps clients generate leads and stand out in their respective industries. By providing tools such as quizzes, she empowers entrepreneurs and business owners to effectively market their businesses and attract clients.

Tai’s work and her dedication to supporting other women is commendable. Through her platform and presence on various social media platforms, she creates a space for connection and collaboration. She encourages individuals to reach out, share their experiences, and engage with her content. This sense of community and support is crucial in empowering individuals to step into their purpose and make a difference.

In conclusion, Tai’s message of “step into your purpose now” is a powerful reminder for individuals to prioritize their dreams and aspirations. By embracing their purpose, individuals have the opportunity to make a positive impact on the world and inspire others to do the same. Tyga’s work in helping women become permissionless and her practical guidance through her marketing company further support individuals in their journey toward purpose. Ultimately, by stepping into our purpose, we have the potential to transform businesses, empower individuals, and change the world.

thatmarketingteam.com/maquiz

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TaiSpeaks/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taigoodwin/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TaiGoodwin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taigoodwin/

Zaakirah Muhammad 0:03

Today on the see life different podcast, we have Tai Goodwin, she a the CEO of That marketing team, the creator of the liberated CEO accelerator. So she's an award winning instructional designer with 20 plus years of experience creating learning experiences because he used to be a teacher. And then she became a corporate trainer that creates training and learning experiences for Fortune 500 Companies such as Barnes and Nobles And LeadPages. And now she's just passionate about marketing and the technology and lead generation. And so after coaching and having conversations and leading and training and developing 1000s and hundreds of entrepreneurs on social media and marketing and business strategy, she's like, you know, what, it's time for people to really implement and actually do it what they say they wanted to do and not be stopped by it. So we're gonna talk about that and how you this episode is for you. If you are a creative you already have your business you want to touch your business. You know, you love people, but you know that you need to make it. So this is the conversation for years. So, Tai, thank you so much for being here. How are you?

Tai Goodwin 1:19

I am so excited to hear this conversation. Thank you for opening up this platform for people.

Zaakirah Muhammad 1:24

You're very welcome. You're very welcome. So I kind of want you to start a little bit backwards, right so I'm sure everybody listening but like teacher, tell me more because I'm proud of my teachers right now. Good. What do you have to say also introduce yourself about your teacher background and say whichever you have to say about the teacher going on in this way right now?

Tai Goodwin 1:44

may well it's one of the reasons why I left now it was 20 something years ago when I was a teacher but you know, I remember looking at the system that I was working in and listen, I love teaching is still what I do today in my business, but I just did not want to be a part of the system. And at the time. I was working in a school district in Maryland that focused on or you know, they utilize social promotion. So I had kids that couldn't read above a third grade level. I was a fifth grade teacher, by the way, but we still had to pass them on to sixth grade. And that broke my heart. You know, I'm like these kids are not going to be prepared. I don't want to be a part of that system. And so I left it actually before I was a teacher. I did two years with AmeriCorps. And I was like, I'm gonna show these teachers what they need to do. I lasted two years. And that was like, I am not that kind of superhero. I don't have that kind of Cape. I don't have those boots and I'm gonna leave that to the professionals and I moved on to the dark side of corporate training.

Zaakirah Muhammad 2:43

I love the way you said. I love the way you said dogs died. Why? Because it's been different from being with the kid the perfect agent, third grade, fifth grade elementary school, where they stay fully free, right and they're just brain is still it's fine and then then a time ago to the adults with a little dark and I feel like you know it all goes back to mindset a little bit they they've been brainwashed so long that it's like oh

Tai Goodwin 3:12

I'm a corporate as the Dark Side like you know, I'm so anti corporate in a lot of ways these days. You know, I'm just I never fit into a box in corporate America. You know, I was always the youngest one. I was always the only woman of color. I was always you know, the two smart girls and I didn't fit into their boxes and I really tried to squeeze myself into different places. I love what I did. I love training. I love instructional design. I even loved the bosses that I had some really amazing leaders that I got to work with. But at the end of the day, corporate life was not for me at all.

Zaakirah Muhammad 3:48

I love that you were able to realize that corporate life was not for you. And although there's advantages and disadvantages to being the only or the few, but what was it for you that was that lightbulb moment that is like you know what I really prefer working with? What was that moment for you that you knew you had to decide who you wanted to work with and that it was not

Tai Goodwin 4:10

well that's actually two different pieces. Right? The first piece was when I was in my last job my last day job. I kept you know like having issues with my neck. And if somebody sends you sleep on the wrong side of the bed, and I realized it was because I did not want to be there I was stressed out and I was actually having some physical reactions to being in an environment that didn't support me where I wasn't celebrated. I was more tolerated, you know, is what I felt like there. And part of my epiphany then was when I went to the people that were in leadership, and I said, you know, I've done this, I've done this, but I haven't gotten to do these three things. Is is you know, something that we could find a way to do this within the organization. I had been there almost two years at that point. And they were like, Well, nobody's going to create a job for you. I'm like, that wasn't even a conversation. I'm trying to figure out how I can stay here and grow. So I knew Yes, time for me to just have me to leave. But in my business when I finally decided who I wanted to work with. I took a look at what my gifts and my talents are. I took a look at who I really, really have a heart for. I love working with women. I primarily work with a lot of women of color, and I love helping them get their marketing together, get the word out about who they are. So our mission, our vision for our business is that we intend to be the machine behind the message for black women who are changing the game and transforming lives and transforming the world and so that's what I get to do and that's who my clients are. I'm helping them get their message out there so that they can show up and be resilient and badass in a world.

Zaakirah Muhammad 5:48

I love that so much like you can contributing to transforming the world and in result you are transforming other black woman's empathy because you get Issa Rae I work for everybody black.

Tai Goodwin 6:01

Oh yeah,

Zaakirah Muhammad 6:02

I love that so much. So then that makes sense for that marketing team right one the name of it that sounds so like poor the way that they were you did Erivan but I definitely hear that you bought it in it by the fact that you could still be self expressed and still be market you know, marketing, you know. So tell me more about how you a been able to be a little bit more about Ben How were you able to narrow down the type of marketing because that's not the only one.

Tai Goodwin 6:35

Yeah, you know, we it's a recent conversation because, you know, we were doing lots of different types of things. But this is the year that we decided that we're focusing on Quiz marketing. When I left my last day job, I used a quiz to build my business like really fast. Like for example, we have one quiz that we use to generate over 9000 leads in just four months. And I knew I was onto something and we went on to build quizzes for other people that helped them generate like $20,000 in sales, you know, like within two weeks for a quiz. And so knowing the power of using quizzes to bring in new clients, I really want to focus on that for our businesses. So we've got a whole program around helping people build lead generation systems that are based on Quiz marketing. So that's our focus and our niche. And we are committed to owning that space and really, really helping more people use that technology to get the word out about their business.

Zaakirah Muhammad 7:31

I love that I love that and but for me what's coming up is like Quizlet is so weird because if I'm an IT girl, and I grew up reading the magazine, I would not go straight to the credit in the magazine. But then when it came from me doing it for my own business, I blank out I'm like, I take it all day everyday. Like that's how I will waste my time in my business, take quiz, but created for myself. Oh my goodness. But how did you do deal with those kinds of objections even similar to those by just kind of getting ready for this new era in marketing. How do you deal with those objections?

Tai Goodwin 8:04

Well, you know what, people love taking quizzes, right? You know, I mean, we all took the Cosmo quiz and all that kind of stuff back in the day and I was laughing because, you know, I had never seen a Harry Potter movie in my life. But I took the quiz to figure out which house I was in like I was slithering or whatever those houses were. I didn't know what the heck they were. But I took the quiz because it was a lot of fun. Now you can take quizzes for fun and you can use them you know in your business, but the better quizzes are things that are really going to help people figure out what their problem is or give them some insight. So for example, we work with a gynecologist, and the quiz that we made for her was Where did my oh go? And we're talking about that. Oh, ladies, right? But it was a quiz about helping women figuring out what happened to their libido. Right? So you know, is it stress? Is it you know, your relationship? Is it your diet, like what's causing your libido to go on a dance, you know, like on a down curve and then she's able to help them with her solutions. So when you put it in context around using quizzes to help people get more insight, right, it's not just a score. It's not just like a fun, you know, what color's your aura kind of thing. It really is about how can you help people get some insight so that they understand, like what they need to do to fix things. Or how they can make things better or get results faster. And then you're connecting that to what you do in your business. So it makes perfect sense for that.

Zaakirah Muhammad 9:27

Exactly. That part right there. Yeah, I love it. I love it. I love it. Love it. So I think you said it right there. And so now when asked like kind of a fun question, but what do you want your legacy to be like? What do you kind of want to be known for when it's all said and done?

Tai Goodwin 9:49

Oh, wow. Oh, goodness. That's a great question. I want my legacy to be honestly around helping more women become permissionless you know, and that's the book that I'm actually working on about being permissionless like, you know, a lot of us have grown up, always bending to somebody else's you know, expectations or dreams or desires and, and art and I know when I was growing up, I would say well, who does she think she is? You know, I don't know if you've ever heard that before, you know, people would talk like that. And so at some point I realized even to build my business like my goal is to build first of all I want to build a seven figure company right but in order to get into that mindset, I had to realize that I don't need permission from anybody. And how do I show up and be permissionless in how I live? Because then once I get into that space, the sky's the limit for my business, right but until I take that off, you know, I'm stuck because your business can only grow as big as you are growing right if you've got limits you can't grow and neither can your business.

Zaakirah Muhammad 10:56

Permission less. And me like I think also what I heard it like, need like permission to get yourself out of those limits out of those boxes break. Gosh,

Tai Goodwin 11:08

absolutely. Yeah, we don't need anybody's permission to tell us so we can leave our day job. You know, and I understand you know, I had a six figure job and you know, you're gonna leave your good job, you know, you're good job to, you know, start a business and this economy blah blah, blah. Yeah, I am, you know, and five years later and multiple six figures later, you know, I'm good with it, you know, but if I had stayed behind, and oh, I probably shouldn't do that because this person is going to be mad and then what will they say about me? You know, I would not be able not only would I not be able to fulfill what I wanted to do, I wouldn't be able to impact all the people that I'm able to help

Zaakirah Muhammad 11:48

that but the important part about that because even for me, I've you know, done all of it. I've had a job I've not had a job I've been an entrepreneur longer than I've had a job and that's really where we are right now in 2022 of like, really just rediscovering all over again, like what is it that you said you wanted to do? And no matter what, well actually, I think despite you know, the comfort zone, whatever that looks like for you know that black woman, whatever it is that job whether it is that spark, whether it is you know, whatever it is that comfort zone of this is the year to really just do that be that Yeah.

Tai Goodwin 12:35

Yeah, that's so, so important is you know, just owning that vision that you've got, you know, there's a reason that vision or that dream you have is there. And, you know, a lot of times I say this all the time, like I think women especially black women, there's a verse in Proverbs that says, What does it say? Hope deferred makes the heart sick. And I think about that a lot with women in our community, because we put off our dreams we put off our vision, we put off all the stuff that we want to do because we're quote unquote, serving everyone else. And then we get sick we get sick emotionally, spiritually, physically, like we get all of that when in reality, everybody is served at their best when we are serving our highest good, right? So that's what has to be am I serving my highest good because I know if I'm in that space, that everybody else around me is going to be taken care of and we don't always get that, you know, we put everybody else first so I want to be permissionless in my life. I want to see more women be permissionless so that we can change the world.

Zaakirah Muhammad 13:40

Yeah, let's change the world. I love it. Picking a world where in the world you want to travel to next.

Tai Goodwin 13:48

Oh my gosh. So listen, I've traveled so much this year, and it gave me the travel books I actually. So I turned 50 This year, right, believe it or not, and I decided for this year I was going to travel every month this year, which I did.

Zaakirah Muhammad 14:06

I'm not going to skip over the 50 pot for those of you who are watching. You're probably like, say what not you probably just rewind the video like they wouldn't. Yeah, black literally does not interrupt.

Tai Goodwin 14:21

Yes, yes. But yeah. I've been all over the country from San Diego to Minnesota. You know, Tennessee, to Dubai. I've got a trip coming up to Jamaica. I'm going to Panama at the end of the year. But I've got a list. I want to go to Vietnam. I want to go to Portugal, Nova Scotia. I love traveling I love being in other places, learning about other cultures. And so I got a few of those places on my bucket list next.

Zaakirah Muhammad 14:47

There we go. Sounds like it sounds like every single continent are gonna get checked off. I love it.

Tai Goodwin 14:53

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. We're going to South Africa too. Yeah.

Zaakirah Muhammad 14:56

Yeah. I love it. Okay, and if no one else got anything like say they heard everything but they're, they're, you know, multitasking. But what that one thing if they got nothing from what you shared at all in our conversation, what's the one thing you want them to pay attention to right here right now.

Tai Goodwin 15:16

So this is this is it. There are people who can't step into their purpose until you step into yours. You know, there are people that are waiting for all the gifts that you bring to the table. And if you don't show up, they're not going to get their breakthrough. They're not going to get there next thing that they need and so, like I said, when you have that vision, when you have that desire, it's not just for you. It's for all the other people that you're going to impact. So when you are fearful when you are playing small when you are stepping back and I'm comparing myself to other people, I want everybody to pause and remember that until you step into your purpose. Those other people are not going to be able to step into theirs. And that is the golden rule for me.

Zaakirah Muhammad 16:04

That's it that everywhere they go definitely within MacGibbon thank you for being a vessel for other black women. Great All right. So now tell me more about your your accelerated course and who that's for.

Tai Goodwin 16:22

Yeah, so what we do in our business is you know, we were marketing company, and we help our clients generate leads. That's one of the biggest challenges in why businesses go under is they don't know how to generate leads, like they're really good at what they do. And especially you've got a lot of people that are coming out of corporate America, you know, we were talking earlier about the great resignation, and then I'll come to this in corporate. I should be able to do this and not corporate and 100% True, but there's 1000 or 10,000 other people who are trying to not do that in corporate as well. And you've got to know how to market your business so that you stand out from them. And so we help our clients get leads so they can get clients and one of the ways we do that is with a quiz. And so we've got a quiz if they go to that marketing team.com forward slash quiz, they can answer those questions and they'll find out like what kind of quiz they can use in their business to generate leads.

Zaakirah Muhammad 17:16

Perfect. Yeah, quiz time is and the length all of them are going to be in the show notes. So that link will be in the show notes and also for more for the other LinkedIn esto note which ties about to stay where else can they find you on social media?

Tai Goodwin 17:30

Well, the great news is if you just know my name, thi T A I Goodwin, you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, even Twitter and yes, even Tik Tok. I'm out there now. Don't laugh too. Hard and go to zig zag. Because we are trying to figure that out and it's a lot of fun. But yeah, Tai Goodwin, you can find me on all those platforms. And I would love to hear from folks that are listening tell me what resonated with you. And I look forward to connecting

Zaakirah Muhammad 17:54

perfect and I'm gonna spell that out because some people may or may miss but Tai Goodwin. Great. And thank you Tai for being a guest on the see life different podcast.

Tai Goodwin 18:09

And thank you so much for doing what you're doing. You're opening a platform for women and that's just incredible. So thank you.

Zaakirah Muhammad 18:15

Thank you. Thank you.

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