ABOUT ME
When I started my career in education almost 20 years ago, it was with the drive to build the knowledge and skills in my students that could eliminate zip code as a determiner of social and economic mobility. What I now know is that often teachers, schools, and other social and economic impact organizations do not get the support they need to make that happen.
To overcome these broad systems undermining our most historically impacted students, we need multi-faceted supports that work collaboratively and alongside families, that are constantly evolving to meet the needs of an ever-changing world, and that are stronger than the generational forces that touch all aspects of our most vulnerable people’s lives. So as I planned my first real organizational transition in nearly a decade and a half, I knew that maximizing my impact means leveraging both the unique breadth of experience and the exceptional depth of expertise I've amassed.
I'm more than an instructional and school leader. For my entire career in education, I’ve had to function beyond my role.
From being a new teacher in Harlem, doing extra duty as my own defacto Dean, Extracurricular Director, and Director of Development, to being a founding teacher and leader of a small, independent public charter school, where I built, scaled, and evolved, instructional, operational, and leadership systems and structures.
Now, I can leverage my experience and expertise by coaching principals and leaders, consulting mission-driven organizations, facilitating professional development, and supporting project-specific initiatives in education and social impact.
Yes, the Six-Foot Consultant is a Phife Dawg reference, but it's more than that.
I was in the car listening to Low End Theory at the time when I was trying to figure out what to call my coaching and consultancy, and it seemed like every iteration and combination of my name was taken in some capacity. Phife came on announcing himself the "Five-foot Assassin", and it clicked.
1) I'm six feet tall and love both A Tribe Called Quest and Phife Dawg's self-deprecating swagger. It's also catchy.
2) The six feet of my family - mine, my wife Benee's, and my daughter Sula's - keep me grounded, motivated, and inspired.
3) It's a nod to music's real and metaphoric power. In music, as with people, teams, and organizations, sometimes you need a key change to transform impact.
4) Music has always been a way to connect people. I'd share music in my weekly staff updates, and it became tradition that every year on Valentine's Day, I'd share my "Best of" mix from the previous year with everyone on staff. (Send me a message for the link)
"Six Foot Consultant"
According to color psychology, each color has a meaning and connotes a particular feeling or action, So I chose the colors that represent my brand intentionally...
Yellow represents joy and optimism
Blue represents trust and balance.
Green represents healing and growth.
My logo is built on triangles as triangles are the strongest shape, keeping their structural integrity in the face of greater force and pressure than other shapes. There are six growing triangles representing the six feet, both of my height and my family, and the improvements and growth we'll make together.
