We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kaila Dione. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kaila below.

Hi Kaila, thanks for joining us today. Do you wish you had started sooner?

I have always been a creative at heart. As a child, I lived in worlds stitched together by fashion, plays, music, performance, and art—each one a language I spoke fluently before I ever learned to name it. Creativity wasn’t something I discovered; it was something I existed within. And yet, even then, I felt the quiet tension between the practical and the imaginative—between what made sense and what made me feel alive.

My senior year of high school, I participated in a fashion program that introduced me to the foundations of styling and the inner workings of the industry. It was the most alive I had felt in years—pouring energy into something that gave me both joy and a sense of purpose. For a moment, everything felt aligned. But life, as it often does, asked me to choose.

I went on to college on a track scholarship, attending a university that didn’t offer fashion design as I had originally envisioned. So I pivoted. I chose entrepreneurship, believing that maybe I could build something of my own—something that would hold both my creativity and my ambition. But somewhere between balancing disciplines, expectations, and opportunity, I graduated with a business degree, an offer from a Fortune 500 company, and creative dreams that felt like they had been carefully folded away for safekeeping.

I chose stability. I chose impact. I chose the path that made sense.

And yet, creativity never really let me go.

It showed up in quiet, persistent ways—through creating paintings for the walls of my first apartment so it felt like home, through music that found its way out of me whether I planned for it or not, through modeling and performance opportunities that reminded me of who I had always been. Even when I wasn’t choosing it, it was choosing me.

Performance, especially, has always been a paradox for me. It comes naturally, yet it terrifies me. I would step on stage and feel my body react as if I were preparing for a race—heart pounding, palms sweating. And still, there is a deep, undeniable pull toward the stage. I sing in my aunt’s choir, lose myself in the freedom of a well-chosen karaoke song, and in those moments, something shifts. Time softens. The noise fades. For a brief while, I exist fully as myself—or perhaps as every version of myself I’ve yet to become. And then, just as quickly, I return to reality, reminded that this feeling has not always been my everyday.

In many ways, I did start early. But I didn’t always stay.

If I could go back, I wouldn’t necessarily start sooner—I would start more intentionally. I would nurture my creative spark with the same discipline and belief that I gave to my practical pursuits. I would trust that creativity is not a detour from impact, but a pathway to it.

It has taken me years to return to that belief—to understand that my creativity is not just a passion, but a calling worthy of investment, sacrifice, and space. Today, I see it differently. I see that joy and fulfillment are not distant rewards, but choices I can make daily by honoring that part of myself.

So no, I don’t wish I had started sooner or later. I wish I had believed sooner. And now, I’m building a life where the creative and the practical are no longer at odds, but in conversation—each one strengthening the other, each one guiding me closer to the life I’ve always been quietly creating.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am originally from Dallas Texas, now residing in Detroit Michigan. My creative portfolio spans multiple mediums, each one an extension of how I experience the world. I am the voice behind Kandidly with Kaila Dione, a podcast that evolved from my earlier platform, Liberated Libations that was co-created with my friend Catherine Duluc. What began as intentional dialogue over shared experiences has grown into something deeper—a space where responsibility and passion meet, and where I explore what it truly means to build a life that honors both with my guests.

I am also a painter, working primarily with acrylics to bring to life the stories of women—complex, layered, and unapologetically dynamic. The women I paint are often inspired by the people I’ve encountered in my own life. They carry contrasting colors, unexpected textures, and quiet strength. They are a reflection of the truth that we are all made up of pieces that don’t always “match,” yet somehow come together to form something whole, something powerful.

Beyond art and storytelling, I offer guidance shaped by my own lived experience. Having spent over 10 years in corporate environments, I understand the tension between professional success and personal authenticity. I provide practical coaching and insight for those navigating their careers—helping them move with intention, avoid the pitfalls I’ve encountered, and choose themselves sooner rather than later.

I also curate experiences—hosting culturally impactful events and offering personal styling that goes beyond aesthetics. My approach to styling is rooted in alignment: helping individuals feel confident not just in how they look, but in how they show up, whether that’s in the boardroom or at the storefront.

What sets me apart is not just what I create, but how I hold space. There is room here—for exploration, for evolution, for contradiction. You don’t have to fit into one version of yourself to belong in my world.

What I’m most proud of is my willingness to return to myself—to honor every part of who I am and to build something that reflects that fullness. And what I want people to know is simple: this is a journey you’re invited into. Whether you stay for a season or a lifetime is up to you—but while you’re here, there is space for you to see, to feel, and to become.

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

The lesson I had to unlearn was the belief that I needed to choose one thing—the one passion—and pursue it relentlessly. I’ve sat in panel discussions, read the books, watched the clips about “finding your thing.” That singular pursuit that ignites a fire so strong it feels as necessary as air. The message was always the same: find it, and give it everything.

But I struggled with that idea. Deeply.

Because I have never been pulled in just one direction. I’ve always felt drawn to many things—creativity in its different forms, expression in its different languages. And for a long time, I questioned whether that meant I lacked focus, or worse, that I hadn’t yet found “it.”

What I’ve come to understand is this: my clarity doesn’t come from choosing one thing—it comes from engaging fully with what I love. I reach a flow state when I’m actively pouring my energy into the things that bring me joy. Not just one thing, but the collection of them. The rhythm between them.

And when I do that—when I stop trying to narrow myself and instead allow myself to expand—something shifts. As a multi-talented person, the right people and experiences begin to find me. There’s a magnetism that forms when you honor your gifts instead of trying to confine them. What is meant for you starts to recognize you.

So I’ve learned that I don’t have to choose. Not in the way I once believed. I just have to be honest about what I’ve been given—and intentional about how I show up for it.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My goal is self-realization, and my mission is home.

I want every encounter, every experience, every piece of art I create, every conversation I hold, every outfit I style, and every meal I prepare to reveal something new within a person—something they may not have known about themselves before. Through each medium, my intention is to bring people closer to home.

And not just the place we call home, but the temple of our bodies and the fullness of our lived experiences. A home that never feels foreign or far away, but instead feels like a constant—something within you, something you can always return to.

Growing up, I was surrounded by moments like that—warm, grounding experiences with people that shaped me. They live in my mind rent-free, showing up as quiet reminders that make me smile, no matter where I am. That feeling—of comfort, of belonging, of being seen—is what I hope to create for others.

So if I accomplish nothing else, I want you to walk away from an interaction with me feeling whole, warm, and at peace—like you’ve just visited a version of home you didn’t realize you were missing.

I may not reach that in every single encounter, but it is my intention—and my prayer—that I create it more often than not.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: kaijams_
• Linkedin: kaidjames
• Youtube: @kaijams

Image Credits

Image 3- Darren Clark of Redfoot Vegas Photographer