My Story
Hello and welcome. My name is Rena Whittaker. I am so honored you have chosen to be here and read my story. My story is unique but no more unique than your own. And that’s why I am so grateful you are here. My story matters and so does yours!
The genesis of BeingTribal was an epic journey of struggles and joys. One that I would not change because it brought me to where I am today: an empowered mother, daughter, sister, businesswoman, coach, author, speaker, and expert in creating tribes. And it brought YOU to me.
I started as a girl who learned to hide who I was in shame. But I adapted. I learned to put on a mask for the world. I had experienced what far too many of us go through. Abuse. The kind that makes you keep quiet. The kind that starts life out in a tailspin. The kind that has you question your worthiness to even exist…
I had loving parents. I came into this world with an extended family of people who loved me dearly. Many are not so lucky, but these people will always be the inner circle of my tribe. Even amidst the comfort of family as a very young child, I experienced divorce, uprooting, poverty, abuse, pain, confusion…the human condition. I learned to lie before I ever learned to tell the truth. I share my full story in my book, BeingTribal: Practicing Life in One-Degree Shifts.
Ultimately, I found my voice. It was my tribe that lifted me up and allow me to shine. My tribe heard me but did not try to solve my problems. They accepted who I was deep down. Little by little, one degree at a time, I made changes. Changes to my life in so many ways. I changed my beliefs about who I was and what my value was. And through these one-degree shifts with my tribe I learned about love, intuition, vulnerability, courage, and service. We saw each other’s woven fabric that was filled with joy and pain and we celebrated it. As I began coaching, I realized that having a tribe around you is incredibly powerful and made a significant impact on the success of individuals. Gradually, I began helping individuals and corporate teams create tribes. To learn more about building YOUR tribe, find some helpful resources here.
Since then I have been coaching women and men to create and cultivate meaningful tribes. I also serve as an executive coach, guiding leaders and teams to traverse through the work of discarding guilt, shame, and resentment and moving forward with positive visioning, team agreements, and authentic interpersonal communication, to achieve their highest ideals.
Additionally, I’ve spent over twenty years as a philanthropy executive and community change maker. My expertise in “restarting” foundations and community coalition development has empowered leaders and teams to think unconventionally and collectively.
My commitment to coaching and mentoring throughout my career has helped transform not only me but others. I am passionate in my belief that “anything is truly possible.”
I am the president and founder of Polallie, LLC, and BeingTribal. And at the heart of my mission is you. Even though I don’t know you yet, I know we share common ground. Please take a moment to reach out to me and tell me about who you are. We are all in this together.