Tiana Fech, Founder of Tiana Fech Consulting.
Learning is a lifelong endeavour especially with the ever-advancing resources that enable us to communicate and connect with one another. Tiana Fech is at the forefront of this movement—touching the lives of others in more ways than one. Not only has Tiana translated her education to educate prospective teachers as a sessional instructor at the University of Calgary, she has also built a unique consultation business “to support entrepreneurs, small business, and organizations to confidently create courses that inspire, engage, and connect with their clients, customers, and communities.”
Tiana is inspiring because her passion for education is contagious, leading her to carve a non-linear path that meaningfully translates her skillset to various communities.
She shares a notable quote by Robert A. Heinlein: “when one teaches two learn” where she treasures learning as a truly reciprocal relationship. She champions this iterative process throughout her career in educating others and now in her consultation business.
Another phenomenal platform that Tiana has created is The Part-Time Jungle Podcast which creates conversation and community about swinging motherhood and work in a way that works best for each of us and our families. This is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify & more!
Follow along to *learn* more about Tiana’s journey, the obstacles she has faced, her inspirations, and her unique experiences. We invite you to connect with her!
(Pink Tank Group): We are so fascinated by the niche business that you have built from your many years of experience in the field of education. What sparked the transition, or, rather, the extension from being an educator to a course development consultant? Put differently, how did you take that leap?
(Tiana): I really started to look at other opportunities in education after having our third kid. I loved being a teacher but wanted something with more flexibility and something that utilized my skills in education that didn't require a lot of the same energy that I found that I needed as a mom with three young children. I completed my Master's of Education degree just after our third baby was born and this has definitely helped to open more doors for me in the field of Education.
My course development consulting business is new but I have actually previously written three published curriculums after "retiring" from the Calgary Board of Education. Two with Junior Achievement of Southern Alberta and the Calgary Board of Education and one with a non-profit organization here in Calgary called Humainolgie. I have taught as a sessional instructor in the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary for 4 years and one of my roles is supporting and supervising student teachers during their very first teaching practicum.
I have learned that I don't need to be an expert in a particular subject area or field to be able to create and to support the creation of teaching and learning opportunities.
To top it off, I LOVE this work. It uses my skill set and expertise and it fills my soul! This past spring an accountant that I know was looking to improve an existing course she had created and I said that I could help. It seemed like the perfect "sign" and opportunity to make the leap and to officially start a business doing what I love.
(Pink Tank Group): We love the relationship-centered approach in your practice along with the various strategies that you have provided on your website for course creators. How did you develop your curriculum? Were there any specific experiences that helped shape your curriculum?
(Tiana): I don't actually have a specific curriculum. I would say that I have a specific approach to supporting businesses with creating teaching and learning opportunities. I want businesses to remember that they are teaching content to "people" and that their learners need to be at the forefront of the approaches that they take with the learning opportunities that they create and implement.
I would say that my work with my student teachers at the University has really solidified my approach. The message that I share and emphasize with my student teachers is that teaching and learning is really all about relationships.
It is not about having the perfect lesson plan or PowerPoint slides.
You need to know your audience in terms of who they are, what they know, and how they learn best. You need to actively engage them in the learning experience by using strategies that have them do something with the content and ideas that you are sharing so that they can make it meaningful to them. You need to create opportunities to get feedback from your learners so that you can better understand where they are at, what questions they still have, and what next steps you should take to support their learning journey. Creating and implementing teaching and learning opportunities is a way for businesses to build and strengthen relationships with their clients, customers, and communities.
(Pink Tank Group): What are some challenges you have faced throughout your career, both as an educator and as an entrepreneur? What advice would you offer to others who may be on a similar path as yours?
(Tiana): When I became a mom, I really struggled with finding the "right" juggle of motherhood and work for me. I wanted something in-between working full-time and staying home full-time. I felt alone for a while in this "grey area". I also struggled with the fact that I had gone to school to become a classroom teacher and now, this career that I had invested so much in, wasn't what I wanted anymore.
I learned that the more you can talk openly about your hopes and dreams and what you are looking for, the greater clarity you can achieve in carving out your own path. I also realized that our experiences and education can take us in many different directions if we are open to new opportunities and possibilities.
(Pink Tank Group): Which networks do you lean on as an independent consultant? Was there anything that surprised you?
(Tiana): I have had the immense privilege of connecting with a number of amazing communities along the way. One is "YGT Media Co.". I wrote a chapter in a co-authored book called "You've Got This, Boss Mama" which is a collection of stories and personal reflections written by an amazing group of moms all about the inspiring and unique journeys of juggling work life and family life. I have been a member of an online community of mompreneurs called Mamas and Co. for the past two years. Last fall, I did a small group coaching program with the Mamas and Co. CEO, Lianne Kim, called A-Players where I learned so much and made many incredible connections. I am a member of Real Biz Moms, with Founder and CEO Vivian Rajic, which is a community of mom entrepreneurs that empower and support one another. I recently joined The Ace Collective, with Founder and CEO Mandy Balak, which is a community "for heart-driven entrepreneurs who are looking for clarity, confidence, and community."
I think the thing that has surprised me the most is how welcoming each of these communities has been as I have been navigating and finding my way along my business journey. I was nervous about joining these communities when I felt like I had so much to learn and so little to offer in return. What I found was that these communities are places where everyone is open to learning and growing. They are places where members want to build connections and to support and encourage one another. I can honestly say that I wouldn't be where I am today without these communities.
(Pink Tank Group): We love how you mention that your approach is through "teaching and learning". Can you elaborate more on this duality?
(Tiana): There is a famous quote by Robert A. Heinlein: "When one teaches two learn". I believe that the journey of teaching and learning really involves a reciprocal relationship.
In order to be an effective teacher, you need to also have the mindset of a learner.
This mindset will help you to get more clear on what you are teaching and how to teach it effectively. This mindset will also help you to be open and receptive to how your learners are engaging with and understanding the information, ideas, and tasks so that you can adjust your response and approach accordingly. You are teaching but you are also learning from the teaching experience itself and from your students. Your students are learning but they are also teaching you how you can teach more effectively by the questions they ask, the progress they make, and the insights that they share.
(Pink Tank Group): How important is social media to the success of your consultation business?
(Tiana): Social media has definitely been a tool that has helped me to grow my network leading up to the launch of Tiana Fech Consulting. I feel that it has been a way to actively build my "know, like, and trust" factor and to help people get to know the person behind my business and to learn more about what my business is all about. It has also been a way for me to support other businesses and to learn more about and be inspired by the incredible things that small businesses (and female entrepreneurs) are doing!
(Pink Tank Group): Is there anything that you would have done differently in your career, knowing what you know now?
(Tiana): I actually love looking back on my journey and seeing how all of the twists and turns, ups and downs, and highs, lows, and in-betweens have taken me to where I am today. I don't think that I would change anything. Even the really tough times were learning experiences that influenced a choice or decision or change that I made. If I "had" to pick one thing, I would have started talking out loud about my hopes and dreams and what I wanted sooner. Once I started putting things out to the universe, I learned that I was not alone in how I felt with struggling to find a motherhood and work juggle that worked for me and my family. I also ended up finding most of the amazing opportunities that I have had in the field of Education through these conversations!
(Pink Tank Group): Is there anyone that has inspired you or is a mentor to you throughout your journey?
(Tiana): I have been fortunate to have had many mentors along the way! One mentor who has inspired me, in particular, has been Jill Drader. She and I met and worked together on the "The Entrepreneurial Skilled Trades" course with Junior Achievement of Southern Alberta and the Calgary Board of Education. When we met, we discovered that we lived in the same community and had kids in preschool together. I absolutely love these small world moments. Jill was one of Avenue Magazine Calgary's Top 40 Under 40 in 2014 for her role in helping women get their start in the skilled trades and was granted the Honourable Albertan award in 2015 as a result of her advocacy work. She has numerous other accolades, has worked as a business consultant and facilitator for a number of non-profit organizations, post-secondary institutions, and private businesses, has served on a variety of committees, and has been a keynote speaker and panelist for many organizations. Jill has been a phenomenal sounding board for me as I have navigated my journey in both work and motherhood. She is incredibly knowledgeable when it comes to the world of business and entrepreneurship. As well, she is an amazing connector and has been so supportive in helping me learn, grow, and find people, communities, resources and opportunities. Jill is also an all round fantastic person and I continue to be so inspired by her kindness, generosity, desire to always learn more, work ethic, creativity, and passion to make the world a better place.
(Pink Tank Group): What do you think is one thing women can do more to support each other?
(Tiana): I feel that women can support one another by keeping it real. I think that the more that we can be open and honest and share the ups, downs, and in-betweens with one another, the more we will feel like we are not alone. It takes a village!
Learn More About Tiana Here:
Instagram: @tianafech
Facebook: @tianafech
LinkedIn: Tiana Fech
TikTok: @coursecreationcoach
Podcast: The Part-Time Jungle Podcast