Meet LaTonya Reliford, M.A. ED: CEO and Founder

We had the good fortune of connecting with LaTonya Reliford, M.A. ED and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi LaTonya, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Full Potential Educational Resources, LLC was born out of my love for teaching and the desire for all scholars regardless of ethnicity to have access to quality and affordable educational resources. I have been in education for over 16 years and understand how challenging it can be for teachers and parents to find the right tools for their child’s educational journey. Our mission is to enhance the educational process for all scholars by providing quality yet affordable resources that are strategic and rigorous with the understanding that all scholars have the ability to thrive given the right tools to reach their Full Potential. If you notice, we call our students scholars. It is important to our company’s purpose that students recognize their role in their academic career and how being a scholar, one who goes above and beyond academically, is not just a word but a lifestyle. Through our commitment to our mission we have partnered with the nonprofit, Project Educate, for our joint initiative Project Scholar.  Project Scholar’s goal is to provide educational resources, supplies, clothing, and meals to our K-12 homeless and underserved communities. Project Educate’s wishlist and Project Scholar donation packages can be found on our website. We are so honored to be a part of such an amazing movement and look forward to the awesome events an projects happening in the upcoming months.  

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Full Potential Educational Resources is the hub for all your scholar’s educational needs. Our website provides educational games, toys, gifts, books, workbooks, teacher resources, office/school supplies, and free worksheets. Educators and parents can access these worksheets under the free resource tab on our website. New items are added to our site weekly and we are also working on developing our own math and language arts curriculum. We are so excited to launch our exclusive brand apparel and accessories line, The Young Scholar Collection™, which features hoodies and t-shirts. We are also in the process of starting our own YouTube channel, Full Potential Teaches™, which will provide free tutorials and lessons. As our company continues to grow, we are looking to expand to offer virtual and in person tutoring, workshops, and consulting. I often get asked, “Why would you start a business now? Why during a global pandemic?”.  Trust me when I say that I have asked myself those same questions many times. As I reflect, I am reminded of the words my mentor Ms. Hunter said to me, “Your motive determines your outcome.” To many it may not have seemed like the “perfect” time to take on such a huge risk, but when you focus on your motive…you can’t go wrong. My motive is not about money, it is about helping all scholars reach their full potential in and out of the classroom. If I stay focused on the why, I know that Full Potential Educational Resources, LLC will be successful in accomplishing our mission.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Originally from the Chicagoland area, I’m still finding new places to eat, visit, and hang out in LA. It is such a diverse city and there are so many options. One of my go to restaurants is Benihana in Torrance. Their shrimp is amazing and you can’t go wrong with their chicken fried rice. Gyu-Kaku in Beverly Hills is another one of my favorite spots. You can cook your own food on a shared grill while enjoying fun conversation with your friends. They also have one of the best happy hour menus! When I want to go to the beach, I love stopping by The Albright on the Santa Monica Pier. My favorite dish is the tiger shrimp and chips. When I’m feeling like chicken, I head over to Louisiana Famous Fried Chicken on Centinela Ave in Inglewood. It’s spicy but so good! Anyone who knows me knows I love cupcakes! My two favorite cupcakeries are Sprinkles in Beverly Hills and Vanilla Bake Shop in Santa Monica. Before the pandemic, I frequently attended musicals at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. I love musicals and seeing the words of the songs come to life. Hopefully, we will be able to get back to taking advantage of all the wonderful places and events LA has to offer. We are so blessed to be in a city with so many diverse opportunities for fun and entertainment!

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 would love to shoutout my family and friends; each one of them has helped to make me the woman I am today. Without their love and support, I would not have had the courage to start my own company. Whether it was a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, help with my business concept and design, or a motivational pep talk…I can truly say that because of their confidence in me, I am the owner of a successful educational resource company. Next, I extend a special shoutout to my brother JR, who worked with me for months to design my logo which I feel encompasses exactly what Full Potential Educational Resources, LLC is all about. The lightbulb in our logo represents each scholars’ potential shining brighter and brighter as they reach their academic goals. We want every scholar to feel confident in their abilities and to never dim their light for anyone. Lastly, I would like to shout out LaTanya Sherman and her nonprofit, Project Educate, for an amazing partnership as we work together to help our homeless and underserved men, women, and children.

Website: www.shopfullpotential.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getfullpotential/
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/getfullpotential
Twitter: FPE_Resources
Facebook: facebook.com/getfullpotential
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0WMa16nYZqCFv2nCE1NWqA
Other: https://linktr.ee/getfullpotential www.getfullpotential.com www.youngscholarstore.com Tick Tok: @getfullpotential

Image Credits
Full Potential Educational Resources, LLC