Meet Irishia Reed Williams | Educational Consultant and Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Irishia Reed Williams and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Irishia, other than deciding to work for yourself, what was the single most important decision you made that contributed to your success?
Other than deciding to work for myself, the single most important decision I made that contributed to my success was opening up. Growing up in various cities across the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles, I had dreams. Those dreams were fueled by fear of not falling prey to the many negative traps of the city. To accomplish this I became a closed system. Closed self, heart and mind which allowed me to keep my head down, in books and focused. Being closed off to the world did help me accomplish my dreams of going to the college of my choice, UCLA, studying under the professor I admired and graduating with my Bachelor’s in Psychology. My next dream was to become a teacher which I accomplished all by keeping this system of self closed off to the world. Once I created the vision for my business I started to notice that this closed system that assisted me so beautifully before was not going to get me where I wanted my business to grow to. I had to make some changes and fast. I began to meditate to open my soul to the universe and it’s great guidance. I began to open my mind by reading business oriented books, listening to podcast and Youtube videos. I began to open my heart by opening my social media pages and meeting some fantastic people online and in my community. Opening my soul, mind, and heart has opened many doors for me; more clients, business partnerships and even this beautiful shoutout opportunity.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Having over 20 years of experience as an educator has prepared me for this moment. In the later 13 years of experience is where my expertise as a Certified Education and Program Specialist has been developed, refined and cultivated. This experience involves the teaching and training of preschool through adult learners with varying needs, including, but not limited to: Autism, Learning disabilities, Other health impairments, Intellectual disabilities, Emotional disturbance just to name a few. Through my special education training, I am also versed in analyzing a variety of educational assessments that assist in the education process. Navigating the ins and outs of parenthood can be overwhelming. Being a mother of three children I also wear that pretty large motherhood hat! I have two teenagers who are voluntarily home school students and one involuntary distance learning senior in High school. The training I received as an Education and Program specialist prepared me to be the mother of a son who is on the spectrum of disruptive behavioral disorders. Navigating through various assessments with 5 questionnaires, rating scales, teacher assessments and recommendations followed by reviewing all of the documents during a 2+ hour meeting was exhausting! It definitely takes a village of passionate and skilled people to build a great education program for our children. I’m Irishia Williams, founder of Educational Ties. I am passionate about helping parents who have children that receive special education services through their local school district. Here at Educational Ties it is our mission to help support and create meaningful ties between families and specialized school programs by educating parents & building confidence to bridge gaps in their child’s individualized education plan through coaching and empowerment solutions. It is my purpose to help parents in this position because they are me. I am a parent with students with learning challenges and specialized school programs. I understand how to navigate this system because I’m trained in the system as an Educator and as parent.
I am excited about helping my community gain knowledge and confidence in this world of special education.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I dedicate this shoutout to my beautiful family. From Mom and Dad, Aunties to Uncles, sisters to cousins, my family has been there for me from day 1. They uplift me when I’m down, praise me and my successes, and even keep me grounded when my head goes into the clouds. Also my 3 children. They are a daily reminder of my purpose; to guide, educate and motivate.

Website: www.educationalties.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/educationalties

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/irishiareed

Facebook: www.facebook.com/educationalties

Image Credits
Acacia Smith @ Modest Women Organization