We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tia Brown a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Tia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?
If I were to imagine a legacy, I’d hope to be remembered as someone who truly listened and cared. In terms of education, I’d want people to see me as someone who sparked curiosity and inspired others to always seek knowledge and growth. As a philanthropist, the hope would be to have made a tangible difference in people’s lives, whether through small acts of kindness or large-scale initiatives aimed at bettering the world.
As a wife and mother, I would hope to be remembered for the love, support, and encouragement I gave. I’d want to be remembered as someone who nurtured the people I loved, creating a safe space where they felt valued and respected. As a friend, I’d hope my legacy would reflect my authenticity, loyalty, and compassion.
At the end of the day, I think it all boils down to the connections I make with others and how I made them feel—valued, supported, and understood. I’d hope that people would remember me as someone who, above all else, tried to make a positive impact on the lives of others.
My legacy is one of empowerment, inspiring others to recognize the transformative influence of dedicated educators, entrepreneurs and nonprofits on the educational landscape and community well-being.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am a retired veteran teacher with more than 21 years of experience, coach, business owner and executive director, who embarked on a life-changing journey that seamlessly transitioned me from the classroom to executive leadership. My career path took a pivotal turn when I co-founded The Brown House Experience in 2016, a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing educational disparities and empowering under-served communities. With a keen focus on innovative programs, mentorship initiatives, and collaborative partnerships, our vision translated into a tangible force for positive change, offering countless students the tools for a brighter future using STEAM, Trades and Mental Health strategies.
Beyond my role as an executive director, I masterfully navigated the delicate balance between professional leadership and the joys and challenges of being a wife and mother. Juggling the demands of raising three children, supporting my husband’s entrepreneurial endeavors with his business, Athletic Konnection Training, and supporting my commitment to educational equity, I try to serve as an inspiring example of the harmonious interplay between personal and professional aspirations. As a passionate advocate for educational reform, I utilized my extensive teaching and coaching experience to influence community initiatives by founding Urban Education Avenue. My goal is to push for equitable opportunities for minority business owners, parents & students by offering affordable consulting and tutoring services with the mission of empowering communities, as well as nonprofit and business leaders with the knowledge and skills needed to propel to the optimum level of success. Under UEA, I have assisted multiple for profit and nonprofit businesses with establishing proper business entities, as well as identifying and applying for grants. I have clients across the nation that rely on my guidance to ensure their business affairs are properly in place. My tutoring services have successfully moved students from below grade level in Reading and Math to at or above the national standards in a few months. What sets me apart from others is my passion for educating at all levels, the affordability of my services, as well as the creativeness in how I approach instruction.
I am most proud that under my guidance, The Brown House Experience & Urban Education Avenue, initiates interactive initiatives that continue to have a lasting impact on students and communities. From collaborative efforts with schools to innovative solutions addressing educational challenges, my leadership exemplifies the potential for positive change when fueled by dedication and a commitment to empowering minds.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I arrived at a major crossroad in life during the fall of 2021. I was physically, and mentally exhausted from working full-time as a teacher, being a full-time Mom and Wife, running a nonprofit organization, and assisting my husband with running his athletic training business. Something had to give, but I didn’t know what it would be. I prayed for guidance and assurance that if I left the career that I had worked so hard to build as an educator, that I would continue to climb the ladder of success as an entrepreneur. My husband and I planned my departure from teaching years ago, but as the writing on the wall became more and more clear, I knew that it would have to be the sacrifice. I loved teaching but despised the lack of resources and support we were provided in the inner-city schools of Chicago. My classroom was my safe haven, but I found that the paperwork, lack of accountability and top-down mentality present in the school system was what was driving me away. I prayed some more. I wanted to be sure that this step out on faith was one that I wouldn’t regret.
My decision came to a head when my husband came to me and told me that he believed that we were in a place financially with his business, that I could comfortably leave my career and step full-time into entrepreneurship. Our goal was to build his business first, and then I would make the transition. We were finally there, but because I was always taught to go to school, get a career, work until I retire and live happily ever after, I was quite apprehensive. I prayed even more. Our oldest daughter and I created and published a guided journal on Amazon, “Hey Ma, Hey Princess”, for mothers and teen daughters to share emotional stories and secrets that may be difficult to discuss face to face. We sold so many copies that we decided to start our own publishing business, The Brown House Publishing. The success of our journal launch gave me reassurance that I was on the correct path. In January of 2022, I put in my letter of resignation/retirement from Chicago Public Schools. As the months went by, I battled every emotion from depression to immense happiness. Although there were moments I thought that I wanted to just go back to teaching, I knew that wasn’t what I needed. It became apparent that although I was nervous about my next phase in life, I made the right decision. I began to plan what I would do in my new role as Executive Director of The Brown House Experience and Urban Education Avenue. I needed a sign to show me that what I chose for myself was what I needed. My first objective was to complete as many grants as possible. I began in July and by October I was notified that we were awarded a $100,000 grant from Sony! That was the sign I needed! I continued to push forward with creating strong partnerships, expanding programming and submitting grants.
I created a website for Urban Education Avenue with hopes of getting at least 1 client. By the end of 2023, I had multiple tutoring clients that made exceptional gains in both reading and math in class, as well as on standardized assessments. I helped to create nonprofits and businesses across the nation, geared to help not only the business owners, but their communities thrive. I wrote and received my first $10,000 business grant in 2023 for a client. I was on a roll and was determined to continue to excel no matter what. 2024 was my year to take my businesses to a new level. My step out on faith was undoubtedly the correct choice. We expanded our programming to include more participants and more trade academies with The Brown House Experience. I accepted more clients for Urban Education Avenue and was able to help even more new entrepreneurs step out on faith and realize their own potential to build lucrative businesses. Pivoting from a career to entrepreneurship is not for the weak, but even as a 5 ft. 7 in, 130-pound woman, I’ve never considered myself to be weak, so it was destined for me to succeed!
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I had to unlearn how to be a worker in order to be a successful business owner. Throughout my entire life, I was told to make sure I earned good grades in school, so that I could get a good job as an adult. I was told that I should work towards a career that would allow me to retire after working for 30 or more years. As a kid, it sounded reasonable. I watched my mom work at different warehouses and grandmother as a supervisor at a clothes cleaner, and we were able to live a fairly stable life. I always knew that education was the route for me, so my first goal was to become a teacher, transition to a principal and eventually open my own school. I had my whole life planned by the age of 13, or at least I thought.
After entering my career as a Teacher, I realized that working for someone every day of my life was not what I truly wanted. Did I really want people that had no educational background and no ties to the youth telling me what my students needed to excel in life? Did I really believe that the public school system had the best interest of my students in mind? I saw firsthand that the disproportionate funding across schools in Chicago proved that no matter how hard I worked to ensure my students made gains, the lack of community resources and opportunities would hold them back. I had to do more, but I couldn’t do it from the confines of a school district.
Altering my mindset from worker to entrepreneur took a lot of patience, perseverance and grind. How could I become a successful business owner when I didn’t know what it took to get there? Would I be able to remain on track when I had control over my schedule and deadlines? I knew I had the discipline, but the transition to alter my mindset proved to be a challenge. Although the transition had its difficult moments, my ability to unlearn the worker mentality and step full speed into entrepreneurship was by far one of my biggest accomplishments in life. I couldn’t imagine life working for someone now. I love the flexibility, freedom and spontaneity that comes with entrepreneurship. Each day is different, but every day is what I make it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.urbanedave.com www.TheBrownHouseExperience.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrstiasbrown
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/urbanedave www.facebook.com/thebrownhouseexperience
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrstiasbrown
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBrownHouseExperience2016
- Other: https://msha.ke/tiasbrown
Image Credits
Sony Electronics