Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Andrea Pickens. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
This is a powerful question. To be honest, it is an ongoing process. One thing that I am constantly reminded of when I enter rooms where I am the ‘only one’ is that I never enter a room I’m not supposed to be in. I believe it is critical to be aware of three things: who you are, whose you are, and what you carry. What I mean by ‘who you are’ is no one knows you better than you or who you had to become during the process; walk in that! Additionally, ‘whose you are’ reminds me that I am the daughter of a King (God) and should operate from a place of victory. Lastly, ‘what you carry’ just means that you hold a specific gift that always makes room for you! I walk boldly and operate in that. There’s always going to be ‘the only’ in any room.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a native of Vicksburg, MS; however, Dallas is my home away from home. I have been in education for the past eight years. I am a lifelong learner. To that end, I am a doctoral student (c/o ’24) at Baylor University. Shoutout to my cohort, the Perfect 10. Over the past few years, my passion for advocating for equitable outcomes for marginalized populations of learners has increased tremendously. This fuel has led to my work as an educator and education consultant.
I am the chief consultant of Andrea Pickens & Associates, LLC. Our work focuses on two branches: K12 education and Business Consulting. We are an educational consulting company that provides various consulting services and professional development training to K-12 schools centered on MTSS/RTI, asset-based view of learning, transformative learning, and differentiated instruction. For the business side of our consulting, we provide program evaluations, strategic planning, and instructional design services to our clients. We work with many clients in the business world, such as EdTech companies, hospitality companies, beauty and wellness businesses, etc.
What makes us different is that we use our lived experiences, professional expertise, understanding of learning and organizational change, and transformative worldview to bridge what our client(s) are looking to accomplish and what is preventing them from accomplishing their goals. We are research-based and detail oriented. We consider equity in helping our clients achieve their goals.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Three things that were most impactful on my journey was having faith even when things did not look or feel like I was headed in the right direction, the pruning process, and being a steward of the small things.
Here’s some key advice that I would share with people early on their journey:
1. Identify your core values and operate in that.
2. Align yourself to a mission or vision.
3. Recognize that what you do or don’t do impacts those around.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
When I feel overwhelmed, I typically go to my place of solitude and reflect. Journaling and prayer has been my go to in moments that I am overwhelmed. I also unplug from the outside world and plug in to what brings me peace. Find your safe place and bask in it.
Contact Info:
- Website: apickensconsulting.com
- Instagram: apickensllc
- Linkedin: inkedin.com/in/andreabracey/
- Twitter: andreapickens_
Image Credits
TheTwentyFifth Darius Pickens
