1. Please introduce yourself and your journey as an Eduprenuer, to our readers, and also tell us what inspired you to pursue this career?
Hi, I’m Brittni! I’m a native New Yorker now living in North Carolina. I began my career in the north but a majority of my time in education has been served here in the south. I can honestly say that becoming an edupreneur was not something I ever considered until meeting friends in North Carolina. In fact, I had never heard of the word until the past few years. I owe much of my new journey to a friend of mine, Beth Philemon with Choir Baton, who successfully launched her own business and has since given me the right push to help teachers in this unique capacity. She saw the value in what I had to offer and inspired me to research more edupreneurs. Once I finished my second Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Curriculum, I knew I was ready to pursue this line of work.
2. Tell us more about the organization you are associated to and how you have been assisting the prospects. Brief us about your services.
I’m still very, very early in my edupreneur career. In fact, time spent at home during Covid-19 was what led me to finally begin the early steps of starting a business. My business is in my own name, Brittni Doyle, and my website is where I hope to expand into offering master classes, professional development, and training for teachers and administrators. However, because I am still in the classroom full time and pursuing my National Boards Certification I haven’t made that leap yet. I am currently producing and selling resources that allow for teachers to teach across content areas and I’m using both my website, BrittniDoyle.com and Teachers Pay Teachers to build my brand and reputation.
3. Please share your views on the current educational system in your nation.
Goodness! The idea of discussing our country’s educational system is a fully loaded question. I believe there is an immense amount of work that needs to be done, but our country lacks the right people, with the right experience, in the right places to make the necessary changes and improvements. Until our leaders and policy makers hold well-versed backgrounds as servant leaders in education and therefore understand the needs of all stake-holders and have lived through the demands of the job, our country will continue to face a myriad of obstacles as it pertains to our education system.
4. What’s the one thing you would change about the education system (nationally or globally)?
Without hesitation, my answer is plain and simple. I want to change the culture and stigmas that surround those that work and serve in the field of education.
5. What challenges have you faced throughout the course of your career, and how have you tackled them?
Over the past ten years, there are two major challenges I’ve faced, and the first one was certainly the most taxing. I struggled for years to land my first teaching job. At the time, I was living in upstate NY and the country was in the midst of our 2008 recession. In a strong union state, even teachers with 7+ years of teaching experience were being laid-off, so I was then competing against those experienced candidates as I was applying for jobs. A Bachelor’s, years of substitute teaching experience, plus being in the process of completing my first Master’s degree was just not enough. Most recently, I felt the challenge of losing my job as a teacher and assistant principal due to financial restraints in a fairly young public charter school. While working for this organization provided me great resume building experiences for the future, leaving was emotionally difficult. This experience forced me to face a couple tough life lessons. Ultimately, it was perseverance and it was saying yes to every opportunity that helped me through these rough patches. I know what I love to do and I know what I want to achieve.
6. What would be your advice to those who wish to venture into the same field as yours?
My advice to those pursuing a career in education, regardless of the position, is to make sure you’re serving in that role for the right reasons. Working in the field of education can be mentally, emotionally, physically and financially demanding. Make sure your next step will fulfil you and your needs and that you are ready to give in the capacity that is needed of you.
7. Where do you see yourself in the near future?
In terms of my career, I hope to successfully complete and pass my National Boards Certification and I hope to return to serving in a leadership capacity in a school or for a district. I fully intend to earn my Doctorate, but just how soon in the near future I pursue that plan will be determined based on what opportunities arise between now and then.
