News Detail
Tanai Milgram ‘11, Life Coach
Where do you live at this time?
I live in Miami Beach.
What educational path did you follow?
At the University of Florida, I studied Telecommunication and Business Administration and I pursued Life Coaching training and certification after graduating.
What is your current profession and where do you work? How did you come to work in this field?
Currently, I run my company, Tanai Milgram Coaching. One of the main demographics I work with is teen girls. In my teenage years, I struggled with self-esteem, body image and the pressure of doing everything "right" to get the approval of my parents and friends. As a consequence, I was very unsure about what I wanted to study; I was obsessed with losing weight and "fixing" myself and always felt inferior to my peers. I remember thinking that I would "find myself" in college, but my insecurities just came along with me. It wasn't until I was a young professional in New York that I started working with a coach and began to pursue my passions, express myself authentically and really love myself and body.
This is what motivated me to want to help this generation of teen girls while they are still in high school and college. My mission is to support them in growing their confidence and self-esteem so they can manage the pressures of social media, body image insecurities and the stresses of having to stay home and social distance from their friends. It kills me to see how much teens are dealing with today and I know I can make a big difference.
What is most rewarding about the work you do? What are the challenges?
The most rewarding is when a client's face lights up and they tell me, "My friends told me I sound more confident and sure of myself!"
It's one thing when THEY notice they're starting to feel different, and it's another when their loved ones are paying attention and affirm their transformation. That's when they start to realize the power they have to really change how they think and feel. That's when they realize that it is possible to love themselves without losing weight or getting many likes on a Tik Tok video or an Instagram photo.
The challenges are that Life Coaching for teens isn't super common yet so parents are still unaware of the benefits of coaching. I am excited to raise awareness of coaching in our community.
What is one essential academic or life skill you honed at Scheck Hillel?
A life skill I took away from my years in Hillel is the importance of creating community everywhere I've lived in my life, and how important it is to help others find a community to belong to as well. What stood out to me when I moved to New York is how many people say that their first years living in the city were very lonely, whereas when I moved to New York, I connected with 15+ Hillel alums and felt at home right away.
What is your advice to future Scheck Hillel students who might consider a career in your field?
The most important experience to have as a Life Coach is life experience. Whatever you have dealt with and overcome in your life is what you will be able to help others with.
What is the last book you read/podcast you heard that taught you something you didn’t know before?
I just listened to a podcast episode of 'Super Humans at Work" of an interview with one of Netflix's co-founders, Marc Randolph. I loved learning about the origin story and how it started from an idea Marc had with his cofounder Reed, of a video rental delivery service. Neither of them had any idea that they were going to completely transform the way we consume content or subscribe to services one day. What I took away is the importance of taking action on your ideas, no matter how much you have figured out. If you have the drive, passion, and a good head on your shoulders, the idea will take on its own life and eventually lead to something great.
