Meet Robyn Tedder | CEO, Candor and Co Consulting

We had the good fortune of connecting with Robyn Tedder and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Robyn, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
I feel the most important habit someone can have is making space for reflection. This habit of setting goals and reflection started when I was a TFA Corps Member. We were required to complete periodic reflections about our practice in the classroom. Quickly, I discovered when I made time to reflect, revisit or set a new goal I accomplished more with my students. Over time, I embraced reflection as a personal habit and I’ve used it to accomplish so many things. For the last several years, I’ve made it a ritual to begin the new year this way. I block off time from the end of December through January 1st to step back and reflect on what’s occurred that year and where I want to go next. I even block off New Year’s Eve to bring in the New Year quietly reflecting and creating a new section in my vision book, setting new goals and dreaming up my next big thing to accomplish. After I’ve set my goals, I block at least one day per quarter to reflect, check-in and reset where needed to ensure I’m still on the path to achieve what I want.

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?
My passion is early childhood education. I am a fierce advocate for young children and families. I believe we will not fully have justice in our society until we have quality access to care and education for our youngest citizens. Leading with that passion, my journey has been a unique set of twists and turns which ultimately led to me launching a consulting business in late 2020. I started my career at 16 years old working in early childhood centers in Pittsburgh, PA and then moved to Atlanta after undergrad to serve as a Teach for America Corps Member teaching Kindergarten. Shortly after my time in the corps, I began to provide coaching and support to other early childhood educators. I served in a few instructional coaching positions and then had a bit of a personal pivot and thought I wanted to leave education and open a bakery. That was short lived and I eventually decided to return to the field of education. I would say the decision to explore something I had never tried before and take a deep dive into the food industry taught me so much about myself. It helped me normalize taking risks, it guided me back to my passion and gave me a deeper appreciation for my entrepreneurial spirit. Fast forward a few years and after a few other education roles and I’m now the CEO of my own consulting company, loving every minute. Candor and Co Consulting was founded with the mission to create a better world through better outcomes for children. Having the ability to combine my entrepreneurial passion with my passion for children and families has truly been a gift. I get to provide guidance and support to clients assisting them align their strategies and programs to better serve children. I’m advising, supporting strategic planning and program innovation all in service of better outcomes for our youngest citizens. My company is still in its infancy, but my hope is that it grows and serves many, many more clients, ultimately ensuring that our communities thrive.

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?
This is a great question. I love Atlanta and have really made it home over the past decade. Atlanta is a beautiful place filled with rich history, great food and entertainment.

I’m a foodie so I’d take my friend to a few brunch spots, a personal favorite that just closed is Le Petite Marche. Now that it’s closed I’ve got to find a new favorite. Second place brunch is probably Sun In My Belly. I love the Pimento Cheese Omelette and they’ve always got great baked-goods. Another favorite is Ria’s Bluebird. After we’ve had a great brunch I’d want them to enjoy a great rooftop and a good day party, so I may take them wherever there’s a good DJ, great drinks and beautiful view. We couldn’t finish out the week without having a great dinner experience at Kimball House and SOS Tiki Bar. I enjoy their cocktails and always feel like the food is quality at both places. Kimball House gives us upscale dining vibes and SOS Tiki Bar is just fun and always has a tasty pop-up kitchen experience.

Outside of food, I’d definitely take them to a sporting event, I especially love Atlanta United Games, so much energy and fun! We’d hit up one of the awesome trails, the Beltline and no visit to Atlanta is complete without going to visit the King Center or the Center for Civil and Human Rights.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I believe my success is attributed to many people within my village of support. First, my parents, Robert and Michele, very early on in my life they foster my leadership skills and helped me discover my strengths. Second, I shout out my incredible mentor, Michelle Figlar, who provided me with guidance and direction for my career in early childhood and continues to be a guiding light and one of my biggest cheerleaders. Last but not least, I attribute my career path and the direction my life has taken to Teach for America and its incredible commitment to grow and develop young leaders.

Website: www.robyntedder.com

Instagram: @robynmtedder

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robyn-tedder-consultant/

Twitter: @robynmtedder

Image Credits
Michael Jackson, Awesome Dose Branding and Marketing Agency website: www.awesomedose.com IG: @theoldnew