Interviewing a Business Owner - Part III

In this newsletter segment, I am sharing a few interviews I had the privilege of having with business owners. Every business owner is in a different stage of their journey, allowing us to see what it takes to become an entrepreneur!

Next up, we have Kimberly King from Alabama! On top of running her own marketing business (KDK Marketing Group LLC), Kimberly is also an adjunct professor! Talk about amazing! She attained her Masters degree in mass communication and digital media. She was always interested in marketing and entrepreneurship, even while enrolled in school, so it was bound to happen. After graduating, she tried gaining employment in marketing but kept getting declined because she was either underqualified or overqualified - who else has heard this??? So, she began teaching. Her students encouraged her to start her own business, and friends started chiming in too. So, in 2019, she took that leap of faith and started her business.

However, imposter syndrome held her back for an entire year… during COVID, Kimberly decided to share what she was doing and her first client was a former boss. She created a case marketing strategy and that just led to additional referrals.

I asked Kimberly how running a business has helped her grow both personally and professionally. For personal development, she shared that she has learned how to balance everything - between her business, teaching, and a teenage daughter, finding balance can be daunting. Professionally, running a business has gotten her out of her comfort zone and also TRUSTING herself. This resonated with me so much because sometimes, especially as women, it can be hard to get rid of imposter syndrome. But, Kimberly shared that building her business has given her the confidence to share her expertise with potential clients and allow them to trust her versus trying to accommodate every request.

Kimberly also shared some wins throughout her entrepreneurship journey so far such as receiving a grant, becoming minority women certified, increasing clientele, and truly gaining leadership skills. One of the struggles of entrepreneurship she shared is people failing to see the importance of her services. Another is continuing to believe in yourself when there are droughts in the business. Building a business isn’t linear, there are ups and downs, and keeping faith in the mission is key to that success.

As always, I ended the interview by asking Kimberly to share some advice she would give to anyone considering entrepreneurship and she shared the following: whatever cost you think you’ll spend, double it, Remember your why - in the seasons where you aren’t reaping what you sow, you’re harvesting, and don’t start too many things at once. All amazing advice!

Thank you so much to Kimberly for taking the time to meet with me and share her experience.

For your marketing needs, you can find Kimberly on Instagram and Facebook! You can also view her site by clicking here.

Until next time!

Ariana - The Wealthy Tea