Trina J. Romanowski
Trina Romanowski is the dedicated owner of Birth Toddlers & Beyond, a family-run group of three early learning centers located in Hudson, Adrian, and Cement City, Michigan. With a career spanning over three decades, Trina has committed herself to providing nurturing, developmentally appropriate environments for children from infancy through age 13, including after-school and summer programs. Her centers focus on early childhood education that emphasizes play, exploration, and hands-on learning, ensuring children develop confidence, curiosity, and resilience in their formative years.
Trina’s passion for education and child development began in her family’s home-based childcare, where she worked alongside her mother while pursuing her studies. Over the years, she transitioned from in-home care to opening dedicated center locations, leveraging family support and local resources to expand her impact. Her approach combines the Creative Curriculum for infants and toddlers with developmental and social-emotional screenings, helping children build foundational skills early, from self-regulation to problem-solving and empathy. Trina has also infused her love of discipline and perseverance from athletics into her professional philosophy, coaching track and cross-country teams while encouraging resilience and goal-setting among the children she serves.
Beyond her centers, Trina leads a balanced life rooted in wellness and mindfulness. She begins her days with running, incorporates meditation, and works with a life coach to stay grounded while managing multiple responsibilities. She emphasizes loyalty, honesty, and purposeful engagement both personally and professionally, instilling these values throughout her centers. With a multi-generational team, including her daughter and family members, Trina continues to grow Birth Toddlers & Beyond while shaping the future of early childhood education in her community.
• Certified Level 1 Track and Field Coach
• Penn Foster Group- A.S.
• Child Care Success Academy
• National Association for the Education of Young Children
• Volunteering at local Hudson school for concession stands and chaperoning dances
• Assisting with Jackson Road Race Series at water stations and registration
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to patience and steadfastness. It's about being able to weather things that come at you and always looking for the positive side at the end. I'm big on meditation and work with a life coach to help me stay on that even teeter-totter and remember to stay calm. With owning three centers, there are always little bumps that come up, but it's important to not look at them as problems but as moments of growth. You need to approach challenges with the right mindset and see them as opportunities to grow rather than obstacles.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received was don't forget your self-worth. In the beginning, when we were pricing our services, we wanted to be affordable, but sometimes I forgot my self-worth. I realized that I can't get to that next level of care that I want to provide unless we charge for it. So it's important to remember that it's okay to charge more when you're wanting to get to that next level and provide that next level of care. Just remembering your self-worth and knowing that it's okay to bump up that price has been crucial for my business growth.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering this field is to put yourself in rooms with people that are higher achievers to help give you those connections. Make the connections and meet the people in your community - let them know you and who you are about, and your mission and vision. It's also important to really know what you're talking about when you go in and to self-advocate for yourself, because sometimes being taken seriously by higher professionals like bankers can be challenging. My daughter recently joined our team and she's really lit the inspiration under me by showing me we can be so much more. We were lucky that our local banker, who my husband taught his kids, helped us get our first loan and walked me through creating a business plan when I didn't even know what one was. But as we wanted to grow more centers and he retired, making those next connections got trickier, so building those relationships early is so important.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in my field right now is being taken seriously by higher professionals, especially when trying to obtain funding to open a center. Because it was mainly me that started the business and not my husband, who had his own career, I think sometimes being taken seriously by bankers and other professionals can be difficult. That's why it's so important to really know what you're talking about when you go in and to self-advocate for yourself. Making those connections in your community and building relationships with people who can help you is crucial to overcoming these challenges.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that are most important to me, both in my work and personal life, are loyalty and honesty. These are two things that I value most in both my personal and professional relationships.