The only day-to-day constant in Tamika Reed’s typical day is “30 minutes of self-care in the morning and 30 minutes of self-care in the evening.” She lives every day with one purpose in mind, bettering herself in order to better others.

Between pursuing her own career as an investment banker, community responsibilities as the partner and wife of Montgomery Mayor Steven L. Reed, and maintaining her most important role as the family matriarch, morning and evening self-care is about the only thing consistent in this “typical” day-in-the-life.

Wearing many hats and carrying many titles, Mrs. Reed is making her impact on the city of Montgomery and the state of Alabama as a whole.

Start strong

As a health and wellness advocate herself, tea is Mrs. Reed’s first drink of choice to start her day. After sending kids off to school she takes herself to the gym for her 30-minute morning self-care routine paired with a little gospel music to get in the zone.

No matter what workout regimen she’s following at the moment, taking the “opportunity to release” keeps Mrs. Reed healthy and focused for what that day brings. “Everybody has the potential to burn out but we have to decide to make things happen instead of make excuses.” Her motivation behind self-care is simple, “bettering me to better my family.”

Starting her day with a little time to invest in herself doesn’t stop Tamika from making her life all about others. Her drive is to have her hands in things she cares about and to shares them with others, whether it be education, mental health and wellness, community culture, supporting small businesses and women-owned businesses, and so much more.

After a well-balanced morning, she heads into the office of The Frazier Lanier Company to “engage in all aspects of municipal bond transactions for institutions throughout the Southeastern region.”

Maximize the middle

As the only female investment banker when she began with The Frazier Lanier Company two years ago, Tamika Reed’s prowess is backed up by her previous twelve years of experience as an attorney for the Alabama Education Association.

How does she manage it all? “It has to be on the calendar” says Reed. Sharing calendars between each member of her family is key to maximizing not only her time but her ability to make a difference within the local community as well, Reed explained in a previous article from Yellowhammer News,

“In the course of my work, I became very interested in working with school boards and superintendents to explore options that would help them achieve their financial objectives. Having adequate funds for facilities will ultimately enhance the educational experience for students, teachers and support staff.”

She explained to the MBJ that she enjoys the opportunity to help Alabama communities by “developing new relationships and providing financial avenues through which entities can accomplish their established goals.

It is no surprise that Mrs. Reed has found herself in a role of empowering others. What is most admired is that she not only talks the talk, she walks the walk, literally. A high focus of Mrs. Reed’s behind the scenes comes back to self-care with her health and wellness initiatives. She launched the Move Montgomery task force alongside local health advocates, serves as chairperson of the Montgomery Health and Wellness Task Force and the 100 Women Strong Committee and has no plans to slow down, including her recent service as honorary chairwoman of the Women in Training, Inc. 3^rd annual 5k race to end poverty. PERIOD! Not only did she serve as honorary chairwoman but ran in the race herself, of course!

Tamika Reed is a woman of action. If she cares about something, she sees to getting it done. Her work in women’s advocacy is a priority for her calendar as well. Nominated by Governor Kay Ivey to serve on the Alabama Women’s Tribute Statute Commission created in 2019 to commission and place statues of Rosa Parks and Hellen Keller on the grounds of the Alabama State Capital.

Following in the footsteps of exemplary Alabama women, Mrs. Reed’s typical day, whether traveling throughout the South or investing in her beloved city, is spent as an advocate; for women, health, family, and education.

End effectively

Being partner and wife to Montgomery’s Mayor comes with its own set of responsibilities that First Lady, Mrs. Reed has embraced enthusiastically. Ending the day with her family, she invites her kids into their world as they attend different dinners and events.

Mrs. Reed says proudly about her kids, “we involve them as much as possible. They love doing community service projects and enjoy traveling with us so they can go where we go as long as their school and commitments come first.”

A recent community project that has much of her attention is the second annual family-friendly Christmas on the River. 2021 was their first year moving Christmas festivities to the river and it was a big hit. Overall, Tamika has a passion for what’s happening on the river in Montgomery. When she first moved to the city, the river was so underutilized, but Reed saw the potential. “15-20 years ago, the river wasn’t utilized enough. Now there are fun things to do and more developments coming. Christmas on the River is a great way to get everyone involved.”

Following events, dinners, or a rare evening at home, Reed prioritizes her 30-minutes of self-care to decompress with a slower paced work-out like yoga or Pilates. So even though every day is different, her priorities remain the same. It all comes back to taking care of herself so she can take care of others, an inspiring message for all women.