Wife, mother, educator, entrepreneur, and an avid advocate for early childhood, Krystal Jones is the founder of her own childhood educational brand, Brilliant Babies, a collection of teaching materials that only teaches kids, but also helps moms too.
Krystal Jones: The Businesswoman, Teacher, & Voice for Kids
Krystal initially started the concept of Brilliant Babies as a hobby while working as a classroom teacher. She would often affirm her students of their brilliance each day and loved them as if they were her own “babies”. She saw the power of making learning fun and the impact that engaged, interactive learning had on cultivating a love of learning in our young students. While teaching children she also felt that it was equally as important for every child to be able to see themselves as well in their learning materials. And so, The Brown Brilliance Collection was born out of the lack of representation that Krystal saw as a teacher and a mother in learning resources for Black children.
“I remember never really seeing any little girls on anything who resembled me. Not on the cartoons I watched. Not in the books I read. Not even on lunch boxes or backpacks – and surely not in my daily classroom learning materials. So, when I became a teacher, I was then reminded of the difficulty of creating an inclusive classroom for my students, and these moments are full circle for me because, I never thought I would be the one helping to bridge that gap for our Black children, but I’m happy that it is me!” – Krystal Jones, Founder, Brilliant Babies
Krystal has always loved helping “little humans” and moms alike since her teen years. Her very first job was at 16 years old working at a daycare. She believes that she was destined to work with the little humans of the world. “Even as an educator, I have also always had an entrepreneurial spirit, so of course, I knew whenever I started that chapter of my life that it would be connected to young children.” Adds Krystal. “Since becoming a mother, I have grown increasingly passionate about motherhood and wanting to help moms so being able to help moms educate their babies has been so fulfilling.”
Dreams & Goals
Krystal would like to be known for leaving a lasting positive impact on children. “I can say with assuredness that my Kindergarteners, who are now entering high school, will say that I am their favorite teacher,” says the Brilliant Babies founder, “Not only did I teach them and make learning fun every single day, I built relationships, I loved on them, I empowered them, I gave them a true, solid foundation of preparedness to take on their educational career with confidence.” This season, she is determined to do these same things even though she is no longer in the classroom environment. However, on the plus side of things, Krystal only had the opportunity to reach out to 25 students a year in the classroom, but now, with the extent of Brilliant Babies, her reach to a broader audience of children is limitless and that is something she loves and cherishes.
Krystal’s daily goal is to be the best mommy that she can be. She is immensely grateful for her wonderful husband who believes in her more than anyone she knows. She has two children, Elrick III (4) and Khari (2), who are her entire world. As a mother, Krystal knows just how raising little humans to be kind, loving, caring, and productive beings in this world is a hard and ever-evolving job, and how parenting styles have huge effects on the types of adults our children will become, so these are matters that Krystal does not take lightly.
“Mommyhood is my absolute favorite place. I have loving parents who are also the world’s best grandparents and three siblings of which I am the oldest. My friends are a super special and integral part of my life and have truly been instrumental in my entrepreneurship journey.” – Krystal Jones
Positive Influences & Creative Inspirations
Krystal’s mother will always be her biggest influence, who raised her to be the woman she is today, to keep God in the forefront of every single thing she does, and to always be kind. Her mother preached daily on the concept of a person’s attitude determining their altitude. Other huge positive influences in Krystal’s life have been her father, who instilled determination, hard work, and the mentality to never give up on her gifts. His support throughout her journey has been unmatched. Her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, has consistently reminded her that she can always push past the limits and barriers that she sets against herself. She also lists her mentor-teacher as a positive influence for being someone who saw her skillset from the very beginning of her career, and, last but not least, her life mentor, who has encouraged, inspired, supported, and helped her so much in so many areas of her life. She is extremely grateful for the village that has shaped who she is today.
Regarding creative inspirations, Krystal credits Beyonce as being her inspiration for all things and admires her not only for her music, but also for her grace, class, determination, perfection, and professional success. She also looks up to First Lady Michelle Obama as a figure of wisdom and regards Auntie Tabatha Brown as the epitome of light and peace, whose encouragement transcends time, there is no one who makes her smile more.
Krystal Jones: The Person
What most people don’t know about Krystal is that she has traveled to 20 countries! She even taught in Abu Dhabi for two life-changing years. However, her favorite place thus far is Santorini, Greece. Her favorite quote is “In a world where you can be anything, choose to be KIND”, and if there was ever a movie created about her, she would want it to be called “To Teach is to Touch Lives Forever”.
What ultimately brings Krystal the most joy and happiness in her life is her family, who she loves so much and feels blessed to have such a healthy, full, caring, and loving family. She also loves seeing children engage with her activities and learning resources while being thoroughly engaged and excited about learning.
To find out more about Krystal’s educational content brand, Brilliant Babies, be sure to check out the Brilliant Babies website, BrilliantBabiesBusyBags.com, and media pages on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok) for additional info.