Meet John Childs | Executive Director and Founder

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

Hi John, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Well..Ii was a teacher. I loved teaching. However, I had grown weary of the profession of teaching. For me it had become much too much about accountability and checking boxes instead of creativity and innovation. There are some amazing teachers that navigate the system flawlessly but I knew it was not where I should be.

I knew however that I had the ability to be a great influence on children so I decided to open my own shop. At that time (2013) the practice of STEM was pretty new and the notion of STEAM was still something that came out of the business end of a teapot. I latched on to those concepts as my means for starting an academic enrichment company based around those two rising rockets.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m super excited about where Mental Fitness STEAM Academy is today. We are so far from where I started but yet so far away from the endpoint. There is so much left to do. I am most proud of the fact that I stuck to my decision to leave the security of the school system and teaching profession even when the times were the hardest. It has been a humbling and also rewarding experience the entire time. I overcame challenges by always remembering why I started in the first place. It was to make my own path. I knew before i started how difficult it would be so I was mentally prepared to stay the course.

I learned to be the best teammate on someone else’s team so others would be the same for me. I learned to treat people well and accept nothing less from others. I learned to only go and stay where wanted. I never try to force anything. I absolutely never hold grudges because there may come a time down the road that paths cross and hearts and minds are in a better place.

The Mental Fitness logo is a combination of a power button and a question mark. The company was started to engage children into learning the power of inquiry and to be inquisitive life long learners.

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?
If someone was visiting a this time…I would definitely take them over to Ponce City Market to hang out on the rooftop, grab some good food from Bar Vegan and just enjoy the vibe. The Westside loft section is always chill and just a great place to relax and meet good people. I’m a grill guy so we’d definitely invite some friends by for a good time.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My mother never raised me to be a fearful person. I was never taught to be afraid of mistakes. I was taught to learn from them. When it came time to take a leap of faith like quitting my job, I had an example right at home.

The group that made up my initial board of directors believed in my concept and took the challenge on with me. They mostly have remained and are still some of my most trusted confidants, Jaron Trimble, Marisa Elliott, Janet Kinard, Allison Shelton, Phillip Luck, Ben Leblois, Caroline Creel, Steve Cephus, Josh Gough and a few others.

There were two people that pushed me and believed me the hardest. Preston Marshall and Donna Foland from The Atlanta Woman’s Club. I cherish their continued friendship.

Website: www.mentalfitnessatl.org

Instagram: @mentalfitnessatl

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-childs-mental-fitness/

Twitter: @mentalfitnessatl

Facebook: www.facebook.com/mentalfitnessatl

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcuMvB3RCLR45Xq-yYjVHww