Female Disruptors: Taylor Nassar of UNIFY THE TIES On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry

“What’s meant for you will come to you” — The pandemic caused me to really reevaluate what was going on…what ties needed to be cut and what I needed to be unified. What narratives I was attached to and needed to let go of for the greater good of this vision (and sanity). One of the biggest ties to cut was the way I showed up…stressing, trying to control the narrative, stuck in my perfectionism, holding myself back, afraid to be seen…the list goes on and on. Until I realized that I was so entangled in expectations I wasn’t even allowing what was meant for me to come to me.

As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Taylor Nassar.

Artist and Designer, Taylor Nassar founded UNIFY THE TIES with a vision to unify her passions of fashion and design with art and spirituality; creating one of a kind pieces that empower women to embrace their individuality through self expression and self love. Art was the tool Taylor used to cope with her mental health and body image struggles and eventually led her to find her purpose in life. That journey is reflected in UNIFY THE TIES — a name that represents the space between good and bad, light and dark, pain and power, and how navigating that space led Taylor to future growth.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?

My vision behind UNIFY THE TIES was born while searching for harmony between my mental health and body image struggles. In the process, I reconnected with my fine art roots and tied my love of painting with my deep commitment to inspiring women to embrace their own unique individuality.

I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with swimwear. And like many other women, the culture I grew up in made wearing swimwear intimidating, leaving me feeling incredibly vulnerable. So, my goal was to create a brand that aims to emphasize how the individual feels rather than how they look. This was the inspiration that led me to UNIFY THE TIES; from the very first day of starting my business, I really wanted to help change the perspective for women, so they can show up as their best selves — strong, confident and authentic.

It was a space I was being called to disrupt and I really infused my unique perspective and love into it. It is so much more than swimwear; UNIFY THE TIES marries the concept of designing wearable art swimwear that is functional, comfortable and completely unique, while focusing on spirit over appearance, empowering women to show up as their truest most authentic self.

Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?

We put the idea of ‘paying it forward’ at the forefront of everything we do. Our latest collection, Radiant Roots, is one of the ways we’re doing this. With every purchase of Radiant Roots, proceeds will go towards mental health nonprofit organization, The Art Therapy Project, an incredible cause that help trauma survivors for free, through their art therapy program.

This value of ‘paying it forward’ all circles back to our goal of helping women be their truest self. Being more purpose driven and less product driven has inspired us to lean more on ways we can empower women to develop a deeper connection to their intuition and ultimately feel empowered to go after their dreams and passions.

Mental health and creativity are woven into the very origins of UNIFY THE TIES. I talk about mental health very openly, and I do this because I’m committed to sharing my heart, my story and how it’s shaped me, to help reduce the stigma and connect with others.

When you look back to only fairly recently, most swimwear brands had a clear focus — sex sells — slim women with long legs and bodies that were deemed to be perfect. We are bringing art, depth, conversation, connection, creativity and individuality to an industry that really follows the current, while we go against the current. We march to the beat of our own drum, daring to be different.

Our collections are also hand-painted and then transferred digitally onto the fabric. As a deeply spiritual brand, we are inspired by the world around us, and this is integrated into the artistic process. For instance, the Radiant Roots collection was inspired by working the moon, the earth and the rainbow — and these symbols and elements are reflected in the overall aesthetic.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I was designing these special marketing boxes to go to stores — I worked so hard, hand-making swatches, printed materials…I went all out. The boxes were packed up and ready to go. I’ll never forget the day I realized that the postcard was designed completely wrong (post shipment) and that it wouldn’t even be able to function properly. And I was expecting these stores to 1) be able to mail back a little note to us and 2) want to do business with us…and on top of everything, I didn’t hear back from anyone. HUGE let down. Today I laugh. Laugh that I made such a silly mistake, and I can also feel comfort in trusting that it wasn’t meant to be. I now see that the stores I was reaching out to just weren’t the right alignment for us. Thankfully we started to find the partners where we were the right fit for one another. And that partnership that’s a true fit is a beautiful thing. The biggest lesson I learned was “what’s meant for you will come to you” and I apply this to really everything I do.

We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?

Mentorship is something I am very passionate about and committed to in my life at every stage. I have had a ton of mentors along the way, some of which have been close friends and family members. While others have been more business related or traditional therapists, to spirituality and female empowerment mentors — I can’t express enough how critical and vital mentorship has played in my life. Working with a mentor feels like accepting an invitation to expand.

A pivotal moment in my journey that really changed the game for me personally was when I started attending sacred women’s circles hosted by my mentors Dany and Sarah. In these virtual spaces (which during the pandemic saved me) women from all over the country would come together — strangers and friends — to connect, heal, express and manifest.

What happened in these spaces was pure magic. You saw empowered women empowering women. It was a space to be completely raw, real and open. It was a safe space to just be — enough. To share what’s on your heart, to get things off your chest and to be unconditionally supported by other women who truly see you embodying your truth. Our hosts would hold space, provide wisdom, help us move through whatever was coming up in a really beautiful way and provide amazing tools that we can practice on our own time in our own space. Tools that last a lifetime.

These spaces have really played a part in the transition from “I” to “we” for me. They have taught me how to be more compassionate to myself and to others. And how to see people and even myself for where we are at in the present moment. More love. More acceptance. More authenticity.

In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?

I explore themes of duality through everything that I do and one of the concepts I often speak about is the importance of cutting ties in order to unify the ties. Meaning, sometimes things need to be let go, shaken up, or completely flipped upside down to create a change.

During the pandemic I heard it all the time — individuals who parted ways with people, places, things that no longer served them so that they could elevate higher, change their perspective, create the change they want to see etc. Whether this is examined on a micro or macro level, I believe there can be real growth in shaking things up especially when you feel into something and decide to make a choice from a place of heart, purpose and good intention.

I also believe that if it’s playing some part in healing/shifting humanity, creating oneness or inspiring others, then being disruptive is celebrated.

I do think it’s important to note that sometimes chartering your own path can bring up some things that are uncomfortable. The outside noise and chatter can actually be disruptive to you following your intuition but if you can anchor into trusting your own inner genius, you can make decisions from a place of love, purpose and intention and follow through with courage, commitment and integrity.

Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.

“In order to keep it you gotta give it away” (words from my grandfather) which actually mirrors another quote from one of my favorite artists — “the meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” — Pablo Picasso

I believe that we each are here to find our calling, our purpose to fulfill our Divine Agreement — however you relate to it. And I believe that we are here to share those gifts with the world. These gifts make us illuminate from within which consciously gives other people permission to do the same. It’s a beautiful cycle that creates a ripple effect that is infinite. Inspire while being inspired.

“What’s meant for you will come to you”

The pandemic caused me to really reevaluate what was going on…what ties needed to be cut and what I needed to be unified. What narratives I was attached to and needed to let go of for the greater good of this vision (and sanity). One of the biggest ties to cut was the way I showed up…stressing, trying to control the narrative, stuck in my perfectionism, holding myself back, afraid to be seen…the list goes on and on. Until I realized that I was so entangled in expectations I wasn’t even allowing what was meant for me to come to me.

I believe that when you’re walking in your truth and embodying your truth, the right opportunities, connections, experiences, wins will come to you. It’s an inner knowing you develop where you learn to trust in the process so deeply (it can still be a little scary!) — that you can manifest then let go. And enjoy seeing what unfolds.

“It was when I stopped searching for home within others and lifted the foundation of home within myself I found there were no roots more intimate than those between mind and a body that have decided to be whole”, Rupi Kaur

During the pandemic I was able to sit back and reflect on my journey so far with UNIFY THE TIES. I was able to clearly see spaces and places where I looked outside of myself for solutions. I learned from mentors lots of tools to connect deeper with my own body through creative self-expression so that my own unique wisdom could emerge. From dance, creativity, movement, creative writing, intention setting — the list goes on of different tools. From there I started to integrate mind exercises with body exercises.

We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?

I will continue on with my mission of putting emphasis on spirit over appearance. I also am really excited to explore ways I can grow the brand, grow the community and be able to continue giving back in even bigger ways.

In a world where we were programmed to ‘do do do’, I am on a mission to bring more creativity and self expression to women as a way to hold space for them to tap into their feminine expressive energy. To tap into the softness, flowing, fun, creative energy that exists in all of us.

This isn’t something that I see being done alone, it’s something that will require an entire community in which I am committed to unifying together within this space. Big visions will require big minds — and all different minds for that matter that all magically unify together.

I’m also continuing to step into being the artist I was born to be, allowing my intuition and connection to Source/Universe guide me and tapping into my own inner power to manifest all of my dreams and then pass that insight onto others so they can experience it too, just as others have passed onto me.

In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?

I do think women have been told how to show up, how to act, what to care and not care about, how to look, dress and communicate — don’t be too this…don’t be too that — that we have lost connection to our own inner wisdom and disconnected with our intuition. I feel that naturally our world has been programmed to favor more of the masculine energy of being doers, that you need to be mean or aggressive to make it, or better yet fake it ’til you make it and naturally this energy works for men.

This programming in our world has really taken women away from letting their own unique inner wisdom guide their own unique path. We are taught to look outside of ourselves to compete to compare. Who’s to say that we can’t be leaders, be successful, be direct, be a boss AND be graceful, loving, not take yourself too seriously, passionate and expressive, creative and vibrant. And who’s also to say we can’t and shouldn’t do it with an army of other badass women by our side.

Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?

The Audacity to be Queen — The unapologetic art of dreaming big and manifesting your most fabulous life.

This book was gifted to me by my mentor and it pretty much is in near perfect alignment with my overall mission and vision of my brand. I’ve been going through a huge transition phase and this book couldn’t have come at a better time. She bravely talks about topics that anyone can relate to but may bury deep down so that we can find the courage to lean into the fears and blocks and really step into our own power. Shadow work for me has played a huge part in learning to love all parts of myself. What I love most about this book is that there are clear action steps, exercises, prayers etc to help you really work through some important aspects.

In the book, Gina normalizes things that I think most women internalize, bury deep down and often never speak about, out of fear and shame. The fear and shame then continue to fester and stick with you and often clouds your truest self.

I especially love where she dives into different archetypes that we can relate too. It helps bring light to the very things that we tend to judge ourselves on the most. Having that mentality of not taking life too seriously at times is something I’m really learning to lean into, which has also freed my soul a ton. And that everything really is figure-outable and able to be redesigned and reworked.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

My vision for the brand is to create commUNITY while also empowering the individual from within. They both go hand in hand for a brighter future. Supporting women on their journey with themselves, empowering radical self love and expression, because I believe that once an individual embraces their own unique individuality and truest self light and dark the next part is transcending into unity; seeing people where they’re at, having more compassion and acceptance of one another, which I know is a big dream but that’s how I see being able to contribute to world peace.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

Trust your own inner genius.

I truly believe that each of us has an intelligence within and an ability to tap into it to find guidance on our path to creating and becoming our highest self. That it is not just in some people but all. I believe deeply that it’s our honor and responsibility to connect to our own unique offerings to the world and share them. That no one else truly knows what makes us tick but us. And the minute you start to look outside of yourself for answers is the minute you give away your power.

There have been countless times throughout my life where I was Rejected. Misunderstood. Judged. Doubted. Dismissed. Where my work was put down so much I could have easily let that one teacher’s remarks back in college hold me back so deeply that I never made steps towards pursuing my dreams with UNIFY THE TIES. If you don’t see your own potential within then you can’t expect others to see it. You have to blindly trust your vision and I’ve learned to do that by connecting my mind and my body in my own unique process.

Tap into your intuition for guidance, clarity and direction. You get to be the artist of your life. And you get to create a life that is uniquely yours and fulfilling. Trust your own inner genius because there is no guidance greater than what lies within. Be patient. Every great love story takes nurture, blinded trust and time.

How can our readers follow you online?

You can follow me @unifytheties reach out anytime! I’d love to connect with you!

Or head to the website www.unifytheties.com

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!