Today we’d like to introduce you to Tia Cole.
Tia, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My story starts 35 years ago when I was born prematurely in Omaha, Nebraska. I was less than 5 pounds, and I couldn’t go home until I made that weight. At that time, the doctor told my mom I would always be small; I would not be able to learn like other kids, and that she should just sit back and collect a check. But, fortunately, my mom decided to treat me like a regular child and wait to see what happened. As it turned out, I was in advanced classes and pull-out enrichment programs in Elementary School. I was an AP and Honors student all throughout high school, and I was the first in my family to earn a college degree. I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, and I earned a Master’s in English from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. I got the opportunity to student teach in Houston, and after finishing my Bachelor’s degree, they offered me a job, so I taught high school in Houston from 2005-2007. Then, I decided to go for my Master’s degree, after which I began teaching part-time at the collegiate level while also teaching in a high school back in Omaha.
Throughout all of this, my passion for education has remained steady. I see education as an unparalleled equalizer that is always inherently valuable, and my focus is on empowering people through education. It is up to the community to improve the community. We cannot rely on others to do what we need to be doing. So, in and beyond the classroom, I consistently look for opportunities to improve education and educators.
After spending a lot of time helping out family, I decided that it was time to venture out once again, so in 2013, I decided to move away from Omaha again. I started applying for jobs in several states, but I, ultimately, decided to come back to Texas where I knew I could work in a college or a high school as I still have my Texas Teaching Certificate. I had several interviews, and I ended up being offered a position with Tarrant County College which is where I have been since I moved here.
Since moving here, I have been active both at work and in the community. I serve as Education Chair for the Arlington NAACP; I serve as a board member for the Fort Worth Public Library Foundation, and I am immediate past board member for both BRIDGE Fort Worth and Ladder Alliance. At TCC, I served as Discipline Leader and community Liaison in addition to my full-time instructor duties. So, I have been writing curriculum, mentoring and training instructors, and providing supplemental services for students for years. Most of what my company does, I was doing for free, and many people were telling me that I should monetize my services.
During all of this, I continuously sought opportunities for professional development. This lead me to the PATHS Forward program offered through the Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce. Through this program, I met Mrs. Paulette Turner as well as many other individuals who inspired and encouraged me to pursue my big dreams. I followed Mrs. Paulette to Leading Edge through Leadership Fort Worth to learn more about leadership and Fort Worth. Then, the opportunity arose to take over the PATHS Forward program. I applied and was hired as the facilitator. This both gave me the confidence to officially name and launch my business and the funds to start the process in addition to the recognition.
Having officially named my business, I began to get calls from people in my network who wanted to patronize my services. Companies like Melanin Origins requested services. Then, my church, Freedom Church in Bedford, Texas, decided to sponsor an official launch event because my church believes in supporting small businesses and positively influencing the marketplace. So, on Saturday, August 5, 2017, we had our Power of Perspective launch event.
Since then, we have launched a website: www.thecolelab.net, and we have welcomed new clients. The plan is to ramp things up this summer.
Has it been a smooth road?
I have to say, it has been surprisingly smooth because I am always surprised by and in awe of my progress. I never thought I would be able to have this in the first place, so every opportunity that has come my way, I have just been immensely flattered and grateful. So far, so good.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into The Cole Lab story. Tell us more about the business.
The Cole Lab is Your Development Destination. We serve in several categories: leadership development, diversity and inclusion, literacy curriculum, teacher/facilitator training and coaching, writing and copy editing, and tutoring services. We can create, assess and retool, implement and/or train in implementation of curriculum (education, leadership, literacy). We can create or edit documents. We can facilitate workshops in the aforementioned topics. And, we can train on-borders and trainers to be more effective. Many companies have successful employees train other employees, but we can help them with curriculum writing as well as train them in educational strategies.
We are known for our quality, our expertise, our dependability, and our care. We are a relationship based company that specializes in experiential learning and individualized service.
I am most proud that my reputation/brand is strong, and that I am able to serve and impact change in the community.
What sets me apart is that my primary focus is not profit, and my quality standard, my education, my experience, and my relationships work together for the ultimate benefit of my client. I look good when you look good.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Education is always a shifting field, but it is always relevant. And, right now, especially in Fort Worth, education needs some serious attention. Fort Worth ranks lowest in literacy and graduation rates, and cities across the metroplex struggle with academic disparities especially with minority and economically disadvantaged students. That means there is work to do.
I see more focus on community based education opportunities and more diverse career focuses. I also see a shift in leadership and writing trends where we will see more diverse writers and more connections to the community.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thecolelab.net
- Phone: 7138347181
- Email: tia@thecolelab.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecolelab
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/yourdevelopmentdestination
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/LabCole
- Other: https://fwmbcc.org/paths-forward/
Image Credit:
Alex Shelley
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