We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tanya Hadley. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tanya below.

Alright, Tanya thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s kick things off with a hypothetical question – if it were up to you, what would you change about the school or education system to better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career?

I currently work in the Guidance Counseling Department in a local high school and Education has always been a passion of mine! One of the biggest issues in education I would like to tackle is simply making sure EVERY child is receiving an education regardless of their social-economic status. Sometimes it can be very easy for children’s education to “fall through the cracks” so we must ensure every child receives the right to learn! When students have issues at home, are facing abuse, displacement and stress, learning can be a challenge for them….If Teachers, Counselors, Administrators and the community bond together and commit to helping each and every student, the education system will positively change for the better!

Tanya, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

All about me! My name is Tanya Earls-Hadley and my career began in the Education/Social Services field 25+ years ago! I have worked very hard in my career, literally starting from the very bottom as an Early Childhood Teacher and working my way up over 25+ years to become an Area Trainer/Director in Early Childhood Education, a Director of Student Services, and now I am in the Guidance Counseling Department at a local High School which is my favorite career move as of yet!

I have worked as a Director of Student Services for two local colleges Allied College and Everest College, providing social services resources to ensure college students would be successful while attending college. I served as an ADVOCATE for the students, especially young women who may have gone through some very serious challenges and trauma in their lives. Along the way, I was also given the AMAZING opportunity to work in the music/entertainment industry serving as a manager for local St. Louis artists as well as working for Radio One St. Louis in the Marketing/Advertisement arena.

As I was working at Radio One several of the DJs approached me to request I start doing radio commercials because they loved my voice! I would go on to provide voice overs for commercials for national and local businesses such as McDonald’s, radio show intros, and much more! I am a music lover! In addition, I am a writer so over the years in my career I was able to write several different articles and biographies regarding music, love, entrepreneurship, and more! I wrote several articles for a St. Louis/Midwest-based magazine called “MadFlava Magazine” as well as other publications.

In 2021, I started my own mobile notary business called “Notary at YourDoor! LLC” and it has been very successful thus far! Notary At YourDoor! LLC is a FULL-SERVICE mobile notary business. We specialize in traveling to notarize important legal documents for the St. Louis/Illinois community. The service is especially HELPFUL for older/elderly individuals and disabled individuals who may not be able to drive or venture out to have important paperwork notarized.

I am a fully licensed Notary Public for the State of Missouri. I am also very PROUD to offer FREE notary services to ANY individuals who are victims of Domestic Violence, displaced or unhomed, suffering from abuse at the hands of their partner or spouse, going through legal custody issues with their child(ren), or have a disability in EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. I am a true advocate for our community!

I often tell students from my past, my friends, my WONDERFUL daughter Amaya and colleagues my story… I truly believe we all have a hand in who we choose to become regardless of our childhood, economic status, or religion. I was raised by an exceptional single mother and learned my strong work ethic from her! My greatest accomplishment in life has been to be a mother, and my goal is to pass down strength, resilience and all of my wisdom and knowledge about life to my daughter.

My own mother worked very hard to provide me with the best life although we didn’t have much money. Watching my mother work in the cleaning/hospitality field (cleaning homes) gave me a sense of pride, dignity, and again, seeing that hard work pays off! I encourage single mothers/fathers daily to never give up, to work hard, and to stay inspired!

I am currently a radio personality for internet radio station “KCTC-Cassette Tape Chronicles” R&B. I am also a contributor/producer for “314 Bird Studios” and in late 2021 we released a riveting documentary called “Our Precious Hope-St. Louis’ Baby Jane Doe” about the unsolved murder of a young girl that took place in St. Louis, Missouri in the ’80s. Exciting news for us as the documentary is revisited, in September 2022 you can watch it on Amazon Prime! You can also watch the documentary on YouTube or on our website at www.314birdstudios.com.

I have been blessed to be able to have my hands in several different pots in my career. It has been so rewarding!

I truly enjoy working in the community and I tend to get many requests for mobile notary services at local nursing homes where I go and notarize documents for several elderly residents all at one time and it’s very rewarding! To visit with them and talk with them makes you appreciate life so much more! I believe what sets my business apart from others is the “hands-on” approach I have in being willing to travel, my genuine, down-to-earth customer service approach, and my very affordable rates!

One of the most EXCITING aspects of starting my own small business is the fact I am the first business owner in my small family. The day I received my official business license I was in awe! It was the best feeling. This was also very important to me to accomplish so I could show my daughter we are strong, capable, and can do anything we put our minds and passion to in life!

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

I must say, over my 25+ years career, I have learned a few key things in having successful RELATIONSHIPS with clients and helping my business grow. One huge strategy is doing quite a bit of grass roots marketing and word of mouth! I receive many referrals from friends telling their friends, families and co-workers about my business. In addition, if you offer excellent customer services and exude professionalism, the referrals will keep coming in! As far as marketing, I often network with other small business owners and I use the “old school” marketing strategies such as letters to the community and flyers mixed with using new and innovative ways of marketing my business, for example social media. It works!

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

The best advice I have for managing an effective, happy team is to make sure to recognize them as often as possible! Employee appreciation is very important and it shows the employees how much you value them. Even something as simple as a gift card, bag of chocolates or even openly recognizing an employee for the great work they did on a project can go a long way. I also believe in being very honest during conversations with employees and being REAL with them whether it is a good or uncomfortable conversation. Employees (and even customers!) will respect you more if you are completely transparent with them. Also, making sure to speak with employees on a daily basis is very important. Saying “Good Morning”, “hello” or asking someone how their day is going means so much! Let them know your door is always open and you do not mind digging right in with them as a team to create successful projects!

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