We recently had the chance to connect with Tunisia Offray and have shared our conversation below.
Tunisia, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
The first 90 minutes of my day set the tone for everything that follows. I believe how you start your morning determines how you carry your purpose, your energy, and your mindset into the world.
I begin with silence. For 5 to 10 minutes, I simply lay still and allow myself to breathe, reflect, and center. No phone, no emails, no noise — just a quiet moment to prepare my spirit and mind for the day ahead. That stillness is powerful. It gives me the clarity and peace I need before I step into all the roles I carry.
Then it’s all about my children. Mornings in my home are busy, filled with breakfast, checklists, and making sure everyone is prepared for the day ahead. It’s a sacred kind of chaos — the laughter, the conversations in the car on the way to school, even the occasional “we’re running late” scramble. Those moments ground me and remind me of why I do the work I do.
Once the kids are set, I shift into work mode. The first thing I tackle is reviewing my calendar, prioritizing the top three things I must accomplish that day, and checking in with my teams at Shepherd’s Door, Prestige Insurance, or Women Wealth Warriors. I believe in starting the day with clarity, not clutter, so I focus on what will have the biggest impact.
For me, the first 90 minutes are about balance — spiritual, personal, and professional. They remind me that I’m not just leading organizations, I’m leading a life of purpose. By the time I walk into my first meeting or phone call, I’ve already nourished my spirit, poured into my children, and aligned myself with my goals. That’s what keeps me bold, grounded, and ready to face whatever the day brings.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Tunisia Offray — I’m a mother, entrepreneur, and community leader committed to building pathways of healing, empowerment, and financial freedom. I serve as the Managing Director and President of Shepherd’s Door, a nonprofit that has been a lifeline for survivors of domestic violence for more than 25 years. At Shepherd’s Door, we provide crisis intervention, housing navigation, youth education, financial empowerment, and healing programs designed to meet families right where they are and help them rebuild with dignity and hope.
Alongside my nonprofit leadership, I founded Prestige Insurance & Financial Services, a company that equips families and small businesses with the knowledge and tools to protect their assets, grow wealth, and build legacies. Financial literacy is a cornerstone of stability, and my passion is helping people feel secure about their future.
I also created Women Wealth Warriors, a platform dedicated to helping women heal from trauma, reinvent themselves, and step into entrepreneurship. What began as an annual luncheon honoring women in business and entertainment has now grown into empowerment workshops, financial healing resources, and a soon-to-launch mobile app that guides women through modules on self-love, manifestation, emotional intelligence, and financial independence.
Beyond my professional work, I serve on the Human Services Commission for the City of Pasadena as Vice Chair, where I help shape policy and programs that impact some of our city’s most vulnerable communities. I also serve on the Violence Against Women and Girls Committee for Los Angeles County, where I contribute to regional strategies addressing gender-based violence and advocate for systems that better protect and empower women and families.
What makes my work unique is how it all connects — it’s not just about nonprofits, businesses, or platforms in isolation. Together, they form an ecosystem of support: Shepherd’s Door helps families heal, Prestige Insurance provides stability and protection, and Women Wealth Warriors equips women to rise and reinvent their lives. My mission is to ensure that others don’t just survive — but thrive, build, and create legacies of their own.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
After becoming a teenage mother by the age of 16, the world had already labeled me. I had to quickly choose between who the world said I was and who I wanted to be. Society told me my story was written — that I would be limited, that my future would be defined by struggle. But deep inside, I knew that wasn’t the life I was destined for.
Before the labels, before the expectations, I was a girl with big dreams, creativity, and a natural gift for leadership. I’ve always been someone who loved to bring people together, organize, encourage, and pour into others. Even then, I had a vision of possibility bigger than the circumstances around me.
The world tried to box me in, but what I discovered is that the essence of who I was — bold, determined, and purpose-driven — never left me. Becoming a young mother didn’t diminish my potential; it awakened it. It gave me the drive to prove that I could rise above every label and limitation.
Who I was before is who I still am today: someone who refuses to let the world define me. Only now, I stand in that truth unapologetically, walking in purpose and showing others that they, too, can choose who they want to be.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
I stopped hiding my pain the moment I realized it wasn’t just my story — it was a story that could heal and free others. For years, I carried the weight of everything I had been through quietly, pushing forward while keeping the scars hidden. But there came a point when I understood that silence only serves shame, and shame has no place in healing.
The turning point for me was when I saw how many women and families were suffering in silence, just like I once did. I realized that by sharing my journey — the struggles, the rebuilding, the victories — I could give someone else permission to do the same. Pain loses its grip when it’s spoken out loud, and that’s when it transforms into power.
When I stepped into leadership at Shepherd’s Door, founded Prestige Insurance, and created Women Wealth Warriors, I knew I had to lead with authenticity. My strength didn’t come from pretending everything was perfect — it came from showing that broken pieces can be put back together into something even stronger.
I stopped hiding my pain when I chose to no longer see it as weakness, but as my fuel. Today, I use it as a tool: to connect, to empower, and to remind people that the very thing meant to break you can be the thing that builds you into who you were always meant to be.
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?
Yes — the public version of me is very much the real me, but it’s not the whole me. What people see in public — the leader, the organizer, the speaker, the advocate — is rooted in my true character. I don’t put on a mask or pretend to be someone I’m not. The passion, the boldness, and the commitment people recognize in me are authentic.
But there are also sides of me that the public doesn’t always see. I’m not just the woman leading meetings, launching programs, or speaking at events — I’m also the mom juggling homework and school drop-offs, the friend who loves to laugh and enjoy life, and the woman who sometimes needs quiet moments to recharge.
I believe authenticity is what allows me to connect with people the way I do. If I only showed up as a polished version of myself, I’d miss the opportunity to build real trust. The truth is, I bring my real self into every room — strong, imperfect, determined, and grounded in purpose. What you see in public is me, but like anyone else, there are deeper layers that I share more intimately with those closest to me.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope the story people tell about me is that I lived a life of purpose, faith, and impact. That I used every gift, every challenge, and every opportunity to pour into others. That I didn’t just build programs or businesses — I built bridges for people to cross into new possibilities for their lives.
I want to be remembered as someone who chose courage over comfort, who stood up for women and families when it wasn’t easy, and who created spaces where people felt seen, safe, and empowered. I want people to say that I made them believe in themselves, that I left them stronger, and that I showed them what was possible when you refuse to let the world define you.
More than anything, I want my children and my community to remember me as someone who turned pain into power, and then used that power to create legacy. If the story told about me is that I gave more than I took, loved harder than I feared, and left this world a little better than I found it — then I know I fulfilled my mission.
And let’s be honest — I also hope they remember that every time I showed up, I was always the best dressed in the room.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://womenwealthwarriors.org/
- Instagram: @tunisiaoffray
- Linkedin: @tunisiaoffray
- Facebook: @tunisiaoffray
