We’re looking forward to introducing you to Antaya Hampton. Check out our conversation below.
Good morning Antaya, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: Are you walking a path—or wandering?
Honestly… both. It feels like I’m wandering sometimes—like I’m figuring it out as I go, making turns I didn’t plan, and taking steps that don’t always make sense in the moment. But deep down, I know I’m on a path. A path that the LORD has laid out just for me. He’s been ordering my steps even when I didn’t fully understand where I was going. So even when it looks like wandering to others—or even to myself—I trust that it’s all part of His divine direction. I’m just learning to follow, even when I can’t see the full picture.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hey y’all! I’m Antaya Hampton—Christian, wife, mother, Gospel advocate, and the visionary behind Dream Big Child Development Center and Heart to Hands Educational Services™.
Dream Big is more than a name—it’s a calling. As a Christian-based early learning program, we nurture children spiritually, academically, socially, and emotionally. Our mission is to focus on the whole child and equip them with the tools they need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). Through love, structure, and joy, we lay a strong foundation that prepares children to flourish in school and beyond!
Heart to Hands is my other baby—this is where I empower other educators, child care owners, and aspiring providers to take what’s in their heart and bring it to life in their work. Whether it’s coaching, training, or helping someone launch or elevate their own child care business, I’m all about turning passion into purpose and practicality.
What makes me and my work unique? I’ve lived it. From being a Head Start teacher to running my own center, to directing and mentoring others—I’ve walked the walk. And now I get to help others dream big in their own way!
Right now, I’m focused on expanding both brands—supporting more families and helping more providers build strong, purpose-driven programs that make a difference.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
One of the most defining moments in my life happened back in 2011 when I obeyed the Gospel of Christ. That decision changed everything—how I see God, how I see myself, and how I approach the work I do both inside and outside the Kingdom.
Before that, I believed in God, but I didn’t fully know Him or understand His will for my life. Through studying the scriptures, I came to understand the true Gospel: that Jesus died, was buried, and rose again for my sins (1 Corinthians 15:1–4). I learned what it meant to hear the Word (Romans 10:17), believe in Jesus Christ (Mark 16:16), repent of my sins (Acts 2:38), confess Him as Lord (Romans 10:9–10), and be baptized for the remission of my sins (Acts 22:16). From that point forward, I began walking in the newness of life (Romans 6:4), committed to growing and staying faithful (Revelation 2:10).
Staying committed hasn’t always been easy though. Life has tested me in ways that could have pulled me away. There were moments when I stumbled, doubted, or felt like giving up. But I’ve learned that faith isn’t about having it all together. It’s about trusting God enough to keep going. His grace has carried me through every season.
That moment shaped how I see the world because it gave me purpose beyond just success or ambition. It grounded me. It helped me realize that everything I do, even in business, is part of something much bigger. My work with children, families, and fellow educators isn’t just about education. It’s ministry. It’s about planting seeds, showing God’s love, and doing everything with eternity in mind.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering taught me how to truly see God. Not just as a provider or protector, but as my sustainer. In seasons where things didn’t make sense and when I had more questions than answers, I came to know Him in a deeper way through His Word. I learned how to sit still, how to pray differently, how to wait, and how to trust when I couldn’t trace Him.
Success feels good, but it doesn’t refine you the same way. Suffering stripped away the noise and revealed what was really in me—and what God wanted to do through me. It showed me what faith looks like when things aren’t easy. It taught me obedience, discipline, and how to cling to hope when everything around me said otherwise.
One thing I’ve come to understand is that the valley is where character is built. And often, it’s where I’ve grown the most spiritually, especially through studying Scripture and reflecting on God’s promises. Without suffering, I wouldn’t be as anchored in His purpose or as passionate about helping others press through their own struggles. It’s not something I would’ve chosen, but it’s something God used to grow me in ways success never could.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
Absolutely it is! To know me is to love me. What you see is truly what you get. I show up the same way whether I’m leading in business, serving in ministry, teaching children, or just having a conversation. I believe in being real, relatable, and rooted in my faith. I don’t have time to put on for the public—I’d rather let my light shine and let God get the glory in all that I do.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What light inside you have you been dimming?
The light I’ve dimmed the most has been my own voice—the confidence to fully own who I am and what I carry. For a long time, I wrestled with imposter syndrome. Even though I had the experience, the education, and the calling, there were moments I questioned if I was really equipped to lead, to speak, or to build the vision God gave me.
That insecurity made me shrink back in rooms I was meant to show up in boldly. But over time, I realized that dimming my light wasn’t humility—it was fear. And fear doesn’t come from God (2 Timothy 1:7). I had to remind myself that God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called. So I stopped second-guessing myself and started trusting the God who put the light in me in the first place.
Now I’m committed to showing up fully, without apology. Not because I think I’m perfect, but because I know I’m being perfected.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://DreamBigCDC.com
- Facebook: Antaya Hampton
