We were lucky to catch up with Kisha “Coach K” Simmons recently and have shared our conversation below.

Coach K, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

In 2014, I was at the top of my game. As a senior manager traveling back and forth from New York to San Francisco, winning free trips to Hawaii for performance, and being recognized throughout the company globally, people would think there was nothing more I could ask for. This was also the time I decided to take the leap of faith at 33 yrs old, to leave my six-figure salary, move back to Texas after being in New York for almost three years, and kick off the entrepreneurial life I had dreamed of. This was a risk many in my family could not understand, but I did it. I had no idea what God had in store for me. That was also the same year I experienced a sold-out Barnes and Noble Book Tour as a self-published author, launched a speaking career, and transitioned into a completely different industry. Now eight years later, I am the founder of the nonprofit Teen KICK and the owner of KICK Counseling & Consulting. I know for sure, that I would not be in this role if I did not take the risk to leave the retail industry.

Kisha “Coach K”, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hey There, I’m Kisha “Coach K” Simmons, current Ph.D. Counseling & Psychological Studies student, Christian Counselor, Mental Health Curriculum Creator, Author, Coach, & founder of nonprofit Teen KICK. I am known throughout various school districts as the teen whisperer. My current impact is 20,170 teens. I’ve spoken at more than 30 schools and 10 universities on mental health topics.

From Christian Counseling for Youth, customized Confidence K.I.C.K.™ Workshops, K.I.C.K.START ™ Mental Health Intensives, International Retreats, One-on-one coaching, and content-driven speaking engagements, I empower each person to, KICKstart their confidence in order to unlock potential!

My mission is to provide the highest quality and compassion in kickstarting mental and behavioral health solutions with a concentration on disadvantaged adolescents.

Aside from my mental health coaching and counseling services, I provide books, curriculums, affirmation cards, workbooks, and host retreats.

I am most proud of my current impact of 20,170 as my goal is to impact 1 million teens.

www.iamcoachk.com

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Seeing instant success when leaving my six-figure salary to become a full-time published author, speaker, and life coach led me to believe nothing would stop my success. Unfortunately, just a few short months after stepping into entrepreneurship, I also became an immediate caretaker to my grandmother which required me to move back to my hometown abruptly and never return to my condo in Dallas. Not only did I experience a great change in taking on this role, but I also met my then-husband, and got married just four months after meeting, only to go through a tumultuous divorce once choosing to escape his abuse. These life-altering events caused me to lose not only materialistic and financial gains but also a lot of my confidence. Overcoming the death of my grandmother, and the debilitating depression experienced through the tumultuous divorce, I still chose to press forward on the path God had for me. This illustrated resilience. Through all of this, I was recognized as the Humanitarian of the Year in 2019, was awarded more than $50,000 during the first four months of forming the Teen KICK nonprofit organization, and was even recognized for my consistent community efforts in Sheen magazine.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Becoming an entrepreneur during the era of social media, I had to unlearn society’s definition of success. It can be difficult to turn the blinders on when scrolling through Instagram, but through learning not to compare myself or my work to others, I unlearned defining success based on what social media displayed.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.iamcoachk.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candidlycoachk/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoachKSpeaks/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kisha-simmons/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/candidlycoachk

Image Credits
Kerygma 85 Photography