Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Edwards.
Tiffany, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I always knew I wanted to do something to make a difference I just didn’t really know what. One thing I knew was I didn’t want to stay in my hometown after high school because it just wasn’t for me. A quick Google of Saginaw MI and you’ll see they still hold the number 4 spot for most violent crime per capita in the US. After a few years in college, I decided to join the military to get my college paid for. I started my career in human resources when I was in the Air Force.
After I left the military, it wasn’t as easy to find a job as the career counselors they bring in to speak make it seem. Despite having a bachelor’s degree, most companies would only reach out for jobs to work overnight for larger veteran employers or at the mall kiosk for phone providers. None of those jobs were related to the general human resources work I did in the military. I was frustrated that 4 years serving my country, working in military HR, and having a bachelor’s in business got me lower job offers (experience and salary) than someone who went straight to college and had no experience.
It was like being in the military was bad for my career despite all that it taught me and the time I sacrificed. It honestly felt like companies hired veterans, but only for the lower jobs that weren’t enticing to most. I got a teaching certificate while I was working in federal human resources and finally got hired at one of the underprivileged school districts in the San Antonio area. Despite having an MBA and working on my Doctorate in Business at the time, I was only able to get interviewed and ultimately hired in a school district similar to the one I was brought up in Saginaw, MI.
A principal at one of the only schools in a more affluent area that I was selected to interview at actually called to tell me I had a great interview and if it weren’t for a parent of a student who they ultimately hired, I would have been his choice. Of course, I was excited to take on the challenge and finally get a job outside of the government (which is where most veterans ultimately land) to grow and progress in my career.
I taught business for a few years and ultimately took a lesser-paying job back with the federal government and away from a school that recently had a shooting during my break period. After working for the federal government and getting certified in federal HR, I got a job offer as an HR Director for a healthcare conglomerate (it’s not about what you know but who you know). My role taught me valuable experience in not only the field of HR but corporate America in general.
My husband and I co-founded Edwards Consulting Group (ECG) in 2018. We could only work after hours and spent months getting our company certified to do business with local and federal government agencies. We officially began working for ourselves 100% of the time at the onset of the Covid-19 Pandemic which changed the way the world worked.
Prior to the pandemic, I used the self-determination theory to perform a study where I examined the relationship between training programs, new hire onboarding processes, frozen positions, and nurse retention in Texas hospitals. Self-determination is a theory of human motivation and personality that suggests that people can become self-determined when their needs for competence, relatedness, and autonomy are fulfilled. I got where I am today thanks to everyone who took a chance on me and whether knowingly or not guided me to where I am today.
I realize that everyone is different and so businesses in different industries have to operate based on who they are not who their neighbor or competitor is. 99% of people do things the same way because they aren’t thinking for themselves or including people who matter in decisions that matter to them. I want to help change that narrative to help organizations be open to accepting their current states and thrive through change.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It hasn’t always been a smooth road. Some of the struggles I had along the way included not knowing what I didn’t know. Mentally I had to come to terms with a lot of things and I finally accepted that everyone is going through something. People aren’t always willing to help because they feel like if one person succeeds there won’t be enough room for them to do the same.
Everyone wants to succeed, it’s just crazy to realize the people closest to you will either be for you or so far against you that they pay people they don’t know for a service you offer. I decided that if I want to live my purpose and be the change I want to see in the world, I have to keep pushing forward and ignore the noise of social media and society that overarchingly points out the bad in people and the world. Struggle and change help us grow and that’s the biggest obstacle I had to overcome.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
ECG is a consulting firm in San Antonio, TX. We help companies work to identify and resolve HR and workplace inefficiencies and work with your internal team to increase the value of your People Department. We specialize in small business consulting, human resources consulting, professional recruiting, workforce planning, team building and training workshops, executive coaching, and government contracting partnership opportunities.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
What I like best about San Antonio is the demographics. San Antonio is a melting pot and has people from all walks of life and around the world who work together more than I have witnessed in other major metropolitan areas. It is a great family city with traffic that although heavy at certain times of day, dies down after rush hour.
What I like least about San Antonio is how long it takes to get to the other side of town. It’s very widespread which is great in terms of opportunity, but not great in terms of time.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://edwardsconsultinggroup.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwardsconsultinggroup/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ECGTexas/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/edwardscg
