Brandi Garey, M.S.

Above all, I attribute my success to two constants: my family and my faith. My mother further shaped my foundation by modeling independence alongside traditional Southern family values. Through building her own child care business while prioritizing family, she showed me that ambition and stability can coexist, and that success does not require sacrificing love or grounding. Raised as a Jehovah’s Witness, my faith instilled integrity, purpose, and values that guide every stage of my life. It serves as my moral compass, shaping my decisions, relationships, and definition of success beyond material achievement.My family provided the confidence to pursue ambitious goals without fear of failure. Knowing I had a strong support system allowed me to take risks, leave the country, and expand my ambitions globally, shaping both my personal and professional trajectory.

As my journey evolved, mentors expanded not just my perspective, but my edge. Skye, a fiercely unapologetic Australian, didn’t simply introduce me to the corporate and profitable side of education and child care—she fostered my intense and ruthlessly competitive nature.

Later, Mrs. LaTaniya, a billionaire tycoon and my greatest industry mentor and friend- deepened this evolution. As her right hand, I witnessed firsthand that extraordinary success can be achieved without compromising integrity. In her environment, I learned to think in terms of positioning, leverage, and outcomes. She didn’t teach me to simply participate in the industry; she pushed me to think like someone who is there to win it. She sharpened my instincts for strategy, timing, and execution, reinforcing a mindset built on discipline and dominance, qualities I had learned and observed through my father's example from an early age. She demonstrated how to lead with both strength and empathy, balancing ambition with compassion while operating at the highest level of business.

Together, these influences form a clear progression: my faith provides direction, my family provides courage and unyielding support. My mother, Stephanie modeled independence and my father, Robert modeled discipline and hard work. While my sister, LaTasha modeled radical grace, my brother Rashaun modeled relentlessness, and my aunt Danielle, modeled sovereignty. And then my mentors refined my ability to think strategically, compete tenaciously, and lead at the highest level.

"It always seems impossible until it's done."

"You can break out of any box they put you in."

"You're gonna fall sometimes in a run for greatness."

I would tell young women entering this industry, and really any industry- Do not wait for permission to be successful! NEVER inherit someone else's limits and ALWAYS outgrow the room. Know your value, advocate for yourself, and make sure your work speaks loudly enough that it cannot be overlooked. Work hard, but understand that hard work alone isn't enough, because you have to make your value visible in a strategical way. It is important to build relationships, keep learning, and never become so comfortable in a position that you stop growing. Most importantly, I'd tell them don’t let a title, a company, or someone else’s perception of you put a ceiling on your ambition or success. Break ceilings. Then raise them.

Ultimately my advice to young women is: Bet on yourself- but know the odds, control the variables, and pick your moment. Be audacious enough to believe you can have it, and strategic enough to make sure you get it!

In female-dominated industries like education and childcare, the challenge isn’t necessarily men versus women. It’s competence versus connections. The “boys’ club” never disappeared—it just changed membership. Too often, access to leadership is still determined by who you know, who you’re comfortable with, or who is already in the inner circle instead of who is actually capable of delivering results.

I believe leadership positions should be earned through performance, not proximity. The person who can make the hard decisions, challenge complacency, and relentlessly pursue results should be in the room—not simply the person everyone likes or knows. Organizations hurt themselves when they choose familiarity over capability. You cannot hand a lion’s job to a sheep simply because the sheep is part of the herd.

Faith and family are my foundation. After that, I would say integrity, accountability, ambition, and independence. I believe in doing what you say you’re going to do, doing it well, and taking ownership of the outcome. I’m extremely ambitious, and I don’t believe ambition is something women should ever have to apologize for.

I value being able to stand on my own and create my own success. To me, independence doesn’t mean doing life alone—it means being strong and accomplished in my own right while still having someone beside me to build and share that life with. I believe you can have your own identity, your own success, and your own financial independence while still deeply valuing partnership and family.

At the end of the day, I want my success to mean something beyond a title or a paycheck. Real success, to me, is building a life I’m proud of individually and having people I love to share it with.