Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dr. Kenyatta Starks. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Dr. Kenyatta , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Looking back, do you think you started your business at the right time? Do you wish you had started sooner or later

I am neutral because there are pros and cons to both. However, I started at just the right time because I wouldn’t have had the experiences I’ve had to help me in this journey. And so it allowed me to get every aspect of education and experience needed to support our clients fully.

When I say experience, I mean public, charter, and suburban school district experiences. My experience also includes K-12 (which is rare), diverse staff, and diverse student populations. If I would have started earlier, I would not have had those rich experiences. I am a woman of faith, and when GOD says it’s time, nothing can stop you.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Yes, my name is Dr. Kenyatta Starks. I am a Chicago native and grew up in the Chatham community on Chicago’s Southside. I am a K-12 education and leadership consultant and own Starks Education Consulting. I got into education over 30 years ago. My journey started as a preschool teacher in Chicago’s Roseland community at Farr Academy. My experience at Farr Academy sealed the deal for me. Initially, when I went to college, my major was criminal justice. In 1996, I got my first teaching job, and I have not stopped doing what I love. During my tenure, I served as a teacher, Dean, and Assistant Principal; I was the first Turnaround/Transformation Principal in Chicago. In 2013, I entered the Charter world and ran a K-12 campus in Chicago. My tenure consisted of Principal, Director Supervisor, and CEO of Empowered Community School, a management organization I co-founded, Deputy of schools and CEO of a Charter organization. Lastly, I wanted to be well-rounded with my experiences, so I took my last Principalship in the suburbs. My ultimate goal was to be a Superintendent, and I knew I needed suburban experience to be competitive. As you can see, I got out and never reached my original ultimate goal; instead, I made my second act of starting my own business. It has been rewarding, and with the continued grace of GOD, I will keep winning at helping leaders and school districts.

I have enjoyed serving in education from the classroom to assistant principal, principal, and now consultant. Most of my work as a school leader was focused on the Chicago public school system. Most of my services are directly geared towards school Principals and their teams. The work can be categorized as professional development, but also very necessary to help these leaders manage their schools and school districts. I take a grassroots approach to the work so that leaders have the support they need to handle daily situations while also developing themselves in the process. Educational consulting is a type of leadership that requires partnering with someone who has done the work. Our clients rely on our experiences to help them navigate a very complex set of daily challenges.

I have also recently completed the design of a Burnout prevention and recovery platform called ReFresh Your Leadership™. It was created to directly support leaders who have lost themselves in their work and need guidance and support to make themselves whole again. Refresh Your Leadership™ is a learning platform, community, and a source of professional development content. I am also in the process of launching a leadership academy for new and/ or low-performing Principals and Assistant Principals called NextWave™. It is designed to help them improve their leadership performance through coaching and a support component. In addition, we are adding another program called Reflections which is a safe space for Principals and Assistant Principals to reflect on challenges, communication, goals, and action. These are exciting and our way to offer additional support to K-12 and other leaders.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I found the initial capital for my business by paying off debt. I did not need a lot of funds to get off the ground. However, paying off debt stopped me from needing credit cards or loans. I had already started getting into consulting prior to leaving my job, so once I won the first contract, it allowed me to invest in marketing and get additional professional development. Working with a business consultant to develop a business plan was also important as it helped to identify costs and potential sources of revenue.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

One of my lifelong mantras is to lead with relationships. This has been the key to me growing my clientele. I take the time to invest in those around me, and they do the same for me. My relationships opened the door to long-lasting partnerships. And so that has helped me get my foot in the door. Many times it was someone I knew in an organization that could make the connections needed for my company to be considered for new business. So having and continuing to grow those relationships has helped me grow my clientele.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.starksconsults.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starksconsulting
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100065109026573
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenyatta-starks-ed-d-2bbb8a17/
• Other: ReFresh Your Leadership™ | Self care and Wellness community for leaders of color: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100065109026573

Image Credits
Nick Nelson