Today we’d like to introduce you to Kayla Nias.
Hi Kayla, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I graduated from Howard University in May 2022, where I obtained my B.S in Health Sciences, Magna Cum Laude. Throughout my college experience, I was exposed to what was called the “Howard Hustle,” which referred to literally every student on Howard’s campus having their majors with something else on the side. People were Theater majors and had their own photography business. Others were Health majors and were also successful celebrity makeup artists. Everyone had duality. This inspired me to find my hustle, which at first, was co-owning a YouTube channel with one of dear friends from my dance team. I really enjoyed the creativity and thought processes behind building and maintaining our channel, so my inquisitive nature led me to learn more. I started making YouTube graphics for clients under the name “Designed By Kayla Sheree” and was doing that for about 2.5 years before business started to die off. Around this same time, I had a part-time job as a social media & Communications Specialist with a small company in Maryland and ended up being laid off this past January. I gained a lot of knowledge about the corporate world through my experience with this company and started to question if this was all life had for me. I’m someone who likes to have Fridays off and have autonomy over my personal and business decisions. I took all of this as a sign that God was moving me to greater. He knew that I wouldn’t have taken that leap of faith myself, so I was pushed to leap and rely on faith to get me where I needed to be. After months of researching like a crazy person (it’s the Virgo in me), building a website, and creating a brand I truly love that is based on my values of intentionality and family, KIN Creative Agency was born. I’m now almost 2 months into my entrepreneurship journey and am learning new things every day. I’m so excited to grow and evolve with my business and have opportunities like these to share my story and journey with others, especially those who are in the same positioning that I was in and few months ago: going back and forth with investing completely into themselves and their own businesses or playing it safe in their 9-5.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been the furthest thing from a smooth road. When I first started planning for my business, I had to juggle college work, a part-time job, running my dance team’s social media, and the back-end work for my business.
This past September, a week after my birthday, my mom ended up breaking her ankle pretty bad and had to have surgery. At this point, I had graduated, but I took on another responsibility of making sure my mom had everything she needed, as she wasn’t able to walk around much. The stress of this took a huge toll on my mental health and it was very hard to give energy to my business, but I had to find some way to push through. It was truly a miracle that I ended up launching on the day I had planned to, February 3.
Now that my mom is on her road to recovery, the journey is smoother but still not smooth enough. I am now going through what almost every new entrepreneur experiences in trying to figure out time management and find a healthy work-life balance, and of course, trying to find the magic potion that would put me in a place to make thousands of dollars every month.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a branding and web designer that specializes in helping creative entrepreneurs achieve their wildest branding dreams through soulful branding and creating genuine, intentional connections. I am known most for my WIX website designs and my social media flyers from a design perspective, but I am also known for creating a family-oriented, personalized experienced for my clients (hence the name KIN). On my website, I have my portfolio, but I use it to not only showcase the work I’ve done for my clients but also as a hub for my clients to connect with each other and find people to for needed services.
I like to send texts and voice messages rather than email (email feels way too professional, but I will email if the client prefers it) and really get to know my clients aside from their business. My business is based on holistic strategy and growth, so how would I be able to help my clients grow holistically if I don’t know anything about them personally? I think this is what sets me apart from others: my genuine desire to learn everything I can about my client to produce the best product. I’ve always said I like to know about my clients, as deep as their childhood experience (which definitely comes from wanting to be a therapist at one point in my life) because I feel like every part of life connects and contributes to the greater picture of your story, which is the foundation behind a good brand. People follow and trust others that have relatable values, undying passion for their craft, and inspiring stories.
I also take pride in (and am frequently recognized for) my ability to take even the most outlandish idea from my client’s brain and make it happen to a T on paper.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My entire circle of family and friends deserve credit for my success, specifically my friend Simone, my old dance coach and mentor, Katie, my mom Brenda, and my boyfriend Tarif.
My friend Simone – Simone is the co-owner of my YouTube channel and was always one of my biggest cheerleaders creatively.
My old dance coach and mentor Katie – Katie has inspired me to do all things in life with passion and feeling. When I danced competitively from ages 12-18, I used to do lyrical (a style of dance that focuses on telling a story based on the mood of the music) solos, but I initially struggled with showing the emotion necessary to tell the entire story of the dance. Showing emotion is synonymous with vulnerability, and I hated being vulnerable because I felt like it made me look weak. She taught me that vulnerability and authenticity in your craft is the key to relating to and inspiring others, which I now realize contributes to directly to my personal values, and now the values and inspiration behind my business.
My mom, Brenda – My mother has been my greatest source of inspiration, and I don’t think she realizes it. I’ve watched her as she has defied the odds and accomplished everything she set her mind to. She taught me that all the passion and power you need is within you, that you are the master of your fate, and that hard work and dedication will get you as far as you need to be in life. She has also supported me through every change I’ve made in career paths and has had full belief in me to succeed, even when I didn’t have that same belief in myself.
My boyfriend, Tarif – He is actually the creator behind the name KIN. I was struggling trying to find a name that fully encompassed my vision, and he hit the nail on the head. He is also fantastic at taking an idea from someone’s head and making it come to life. Watching him give his all to his photography business and approaching every opportunity with the same excitement and passion has been a joy to watch and a huge source of motivation that has inspired me to follow my dreams and invest in my craft. He also affirms me every chance he gets that I am smart and talented and will always find a way out of no way, which has been so helpful at times where I’ve lacked motivation or energy.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kincreative.org
- Instagram: instagram.com/kincreativeagency
- Facebook: Facebook.com/kincreativeagency
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/kaylasnias
- Other: https://www.canva.com/design/DAFUkO6aRHw/KlJ5dt7Y3nRsHPOYrDjBcw/view?utm_content=DAFUkO6aRHw&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=homepage_design_menu
Image Credits
Tarif Walker
Tablo Vision Photography
