Meet Dr. Crystal L Riddle

We were lucky to catch up with Dr. Crystal Riddle recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Crystal, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?

Extensive conversations with my grandmother provided insight about how she viewed the world and how she was taught to exist and even thrive in a world that never really considered her to be a human being. As a black woman, because of her race, she was forced to deal with what society had deemed as her place in the world, and as a woman, her existence was minimized all the more, leaving her voiceless, voteless, and ultimately, invisible. However, the stories of her struggles were fuel for my tank, motivating me to tenaciously pursue greatness and a legacy that would not only inspire my own children, but would challenge the depths of their being for generations to come, as well as the infinite number of children, women, and even men that would come to know me through even a single experience with me.

I will never forget accompanying my grandmother to the general store and her providing me with a long lecture about how I needed to address the store owners, being sure to add “ma’am” and “sir” to any answer I provided. I remember not really understanding why I “better not forget” to add those pleasantries when talking to the caucasian store owners, but this same sentiment was not drilled when going to church on Sunday and talking to my grandmother’s friends as I experienced them throughout the community.

I also remember taking my grandmother to a doctor’s appointment and having her stare in awe as I engaged in a conversation with some older Caucasian patients who were also sitting in the waiting room across from us. When the white couple was called to go back, I remember my grandmother leaning in and saying to me, “Girl, you are something else!” Perplexed, I asked what she meant. She said, “You weren’t afraid to talk to those white people?” I chuckled a bit and said, “Absolutely not! Why should I be afraid to talk to them?” Grandmother didn’t return a response, she just stared into my eyes, offered a brief smirky chuckle, nodded her head and turned her face. Neither of us said anything else, but I knew she was experiencing a myriad of emotions.

There are infinite examples I could give of the many unplanned lessons that have fostered my comfortability in shining my light, basking in my many talents and abilities, speaking my truth, and authentically engaging despite the ethnicities of others sharing that same space, and it is without a doubt that I attribute my confidence, consciousness, voice, and truths to my grandmother. For it is my grandmother’s invisibility, her many gifts and talents unnoticed, her unshaken will for excellence, her undying wisdom, her impenetrable pride, and her thirst for knowledge and more that have allowed me to excel in my own academic endeavors across my home state of Mississippi and throughout this country as both a student, teacher, professor, practitioner, leader, trainer, and doctor of education, collaborating, leading, and modeling alongside some of the finest educators this world has to offer.

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 took the road less traveled by, and THAT has made all the difference!” This year marks my 20th year in education, and I couldn’t be more proud of the impact I’ve had on students, teachers, and leaders alike.  My name is Dr. Crystal Riddle, and I was born and raised in Jackson, MS.  I heavily attribute my success as an educator, Incorporator, CEO, and Transformational Consultant and Coach to the invaluable experiences attained through studies at Tougaloo College, University of Mississippi, University of Phoenix, and Mississippi lCollege, and while each of these fine institutions have made sizeable deposits into my lifetime account, both the initial deposit and the on-going contributions were provided by my exceptional parents, Mr. Herman Waters and Mrs. Sandra Wesley.  It is for them, I am eternally grateful.

My journey began in the classroom, where I spent 12 years at both the secondary and post-secondary levels.   Feeling my reach was limited, I decided my impact could be even greater if I began equipping educators with the tools needed to have the impact they were seeking and the Equipped Educational Consulting Group was formed. Alongside my amazing husband, Mr. Sherman Riddle, we have successfully coached educators in nearly 40 of 50 states and have recently taken our reach to the next level through our newly formed 501c3 Non-Profit Organization, Systems RE-Imagined. As I travel the country to support various school districts, I am afforded the opportunity to meet and talk to people from all walks of life, and together, we take the time to re-imagine! How awesome would our educational system be if teachers were highly regarded and supported, or if our justice system provided support for the children and families impacted by incarceration? Can you imagine a system where hunger and homelessness were addressed and then followed up with the support needed to acquire and sustain employment and housing? What about a foster care system where social workers aren’t battling their own mental health challenges from being overworked and not adequately supported and paid? These, along with many other seemingly insurmountable challenges, seem to plague not only Memphis, but communities everywhere.

Actively communicating with others in this re-imagining effort caused my gears of collaboration and creativity to turn without cease, shifting my focus from solely the instructional side of education, to the systems that heavily impact its effectiveness. Oh, the lives and communities that will be positively impacted as we begin to RE-Imagine together!

I am the mother of two adopted daughters, and one biological daughter, Author and Young C.E.O., Ryleigh Grace Riddle, who keeps me extremely busy and constantly evolving. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and researching, singing, traveling, mentoring students, coaching teachers and supporting those interested in entrepreneurship, and planning experiences for my close family and friends. I am a member of the Rotary Club of Memphis Central and a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

These 42 years of living have provided many lessons that have impacted numerous areas of my life. While there are many principles and values that have helped guide my steps, I would like to think my decision to heavily regard effective communication, daily reflection, and kindness are at the core of my being and have been the greatest contributors to my success thus far.

I believe that the world’s biggest problems can be solved if people were willing to just sit and have a conversation. So often, we assume things and base significant decisions and next steps around those assumptions. Who does that help? Absolutely no one, and if we could find a way to listen to understand what is being suggested, it is very likely that solutions can be achieved.

Kindness is such a powerful quality, and costs us nothing to share with others. However, its impact is invaluable. Its reach is immeasurable, and its return is infinite. Dr. Maya Angelou said it best, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” If you allow kindness to sit in on your meetings, to show up in your encounters with friends and strangers alike, and to even engage with your presumable enemies, you will leave a little more compassionate, a little more optimistic, a little lighter both inside and out.

Finally, but possibly most importantly, daily reflection is essential to a long, successful journey. I literally just finished a session with new consultants about the importance of asking for feedback and truly reflecting on your practices. I explained that we are walking representations of our beliefs, values, experiences, mindsets, and assumptions, so it is important that we reflect daily to ensure that we are aware of our own selves and that we are being true to and honoring our values in our daily interactions with others. Was I kind with my words? Did I offer my support when presented with an opportunity to do so? Did I seek out an opportunity to make someone’s day?

I truly believe that actively engaging with these three qualities will yield infinite success for all.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played an important role in your development?

Oh, how I would love to answer this by saying, The Holy Bible is the book that has been most valuable to me. The problem with naming THE New York Times Best Seller of all times book, is that in all transparency, I have yet to read it from cover-to-cover. It has many lessons that have helped shape me into the person I am becoming and serves as a reminder of how to navigate this journey called life, but I just haven’t quite finished reading the entire thing! So, I am going to say the book that has played an extremely important role in my development is called The Go-Giver, by Bob Burg and John David Mann. The most valuable nuggets are these:

  1. True worth is determined by how much you give in value than what you take in payment.
    2. One’s impact is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.
    3. Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first.
    4. The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.
    5. The law of receptivity is staying open to receiving.

Wildly enough, I can think of several scriptures that pair nicely with each of the 5 nuggets.

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