Today we’d like to introduce you to Teia Jones.
Teia, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
As a little girl, I saw both of my parents work as entrepreneurs. My mom cared for children for most of my childhood and my dad owned a landscaping/remodeling business for over 20 years. My mother was not just an entrepreneur but also a stay at home wife and mom.
I would watch her care for her family, take care of the home, and make money from direct sales and babysitting. My dad would come home from his day job, spend time with us, eat a quick meal, and head off to run his own business in the evenings. On top of all that they did in our home, they both served in the church and in our community.
My parents fed many in the community, took in many of those who’d fallen on hard times and simply loved people past their misfortunes. Watching them live such well-rounded lives, I knew from a young age that I wanted to not just serve as my parents did but I wanted to learn more about people and why they made certain choices. I chose to study psychology and early childhood education.
Throughout college, my focus was on human development and learning the best ways to help people make healthy, productive choices. After college, I started a nonprofit organization, For I’m Only A Child (FIOC). The goal of FIOC is to provide children with the tools that they will need in life such as mannerism, educational consulting, and career guidance. After working with children for many years, I discovered that the best way to make a lasting impact on them was to bring in the entire family. From the years of work and research on issues that today’s families have I became a Family Life Coach to help families learn to create synergy.
The more I worked hands-on with families, my desire to bring creative arts to them and others in the community-led me to start A Child At heART School. In this position, my daughters and I bring fun, creative arts projects to schools, corporations, and families. The goal of the mobile school is to allow children of all ages the ability to create, dream, imagine, explore, and believe!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I was always taught that anything worth having is definitely worth fighting for. As a serial entrepreneur, a single homeschooling mom of two, a caregiver to my mom, family life coach, podcast host, and the editor of two online newsletters, my plate is full..overflowing at times.
Before I learned how to define balance for my life, I was literally always running on empty. I felt that I had to be all things to all people and at all times. However, after suffering from a panic attack a few years ago and rushing to the hospital thinking that I was having a heart attack, I knew that things had to change immediately.
I decided that for me, balance started with me creating a center or core of peace and then building from that core. When things take me away from peace, I make choices. Sometimes those choices require me to decline a new client, walk away from a possible business opportunity, or canceling a late-night network event.
It is essential for me to do the things that bring me joy. I choose to be around positive, happy people to keep me motivated. I choose to go places that I want to go to. I use prayer and my relationship with God as my lifeline. I’m even selective about the families that I work with. I only work with families that are ready to create real change.
For me, taking these steps helps me overcome so many of the obstacles that many entrepreneurs face. I avoid burnout by stepping away from it all often. My sister, daughters and myself love going to new places, trying new things, and meeting fun people. Because of these things, my life stays more balanced today than before. I strive for peace and laughter daily.
We’d love to hear more about your organization.
As a Family Life Coach, and the owner of A Child At heART School, my business is unique because I’m mobile. I get to go into the homes and businesses of my clients and be a part of their environment. Whether I’m sitting at the dinner table of a family or leading 35 preschoolers in a creative arts project, I’m in my element. I’m doing what I love.
I help families learn create synergy. In other words, I teach them how to communicate effectively. What I’ve learned is that most problems can be solved in the home when people talk and listen to one another. I specialize in helping families create a dream or a goal and then assign each family member with a role and responsibility to make that dream a reality. When given their duties, each member usually works fervently to accomplish it. When they know that there’s a reward in the end, they’re committed.
My job as a Family Life Coach is just like that of an athletic coach, to push the client to their next capacity level. With Child At heART, fun projects keep the family entertained and involved. This year, my focus is to encourage more of my clients and the whole world to be kind. I Am A Kind is a movement that will hopefully make a huge impact in our society. To purchase I Am Kind merchandise or recieve my free ebook on creating a family vision, please visit www.familyvision2020.com.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
As I mentioned before, my parents have been my greatest mentors. I didn’t just hear them talk a good game but I witnessed them doing whatever it took to make things happen. I remember my mom wanted to redecorate the house. Instead of spending her money from babysitting, she signed up with a direct sales company where she could earn home accessories. When my dad felt that his day job as a construction laborer wasn’t acknowledging his God-given talents to build, he started his own construction company. From them, I learned tenacity, commitment, and integrity. I am so grateful for my daughters. They truly are my reasons why and my loudest cheerleaders. Finally, my village provides me with the genuine support that helps me do all this and still stay grounded. Thanks villagers..you know who you are (wink)!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.childatheartschool.com and www.coachteia.com
- Phone: 9728101588
- Email: info@coachteia.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/childatheartschool
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coachteiacom-105563684154744/
- Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/coachteia
- Other: www.childatheartschool.com
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