We were lucky to catch up with Kiva Williams recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kiva, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a time you helped a customer really get an amazing result through their work with you.

I was hesitant about branching off to start PR work for other business owners. Earlier this year, I had just finished collaborating with a fellow blogger on highlighting Black owned businesses during Black History Month. A large part of what we did involved getting media attention for business owners.

Pitching to news outlets and gaining media attention for our new business venture came with ease and I enjoyed telling the story behind our why. Could I branch off and do this on a regular basis for others?

So many questions ran through my mind, I almost let fear stop me from moving forward. Doing something for yourself is a no brainer, putting in late nights to garner the results you’re trying to achieve becomes something that comes with the territory. When things don’t go as planned you can easily brush it off. But if someone is paying you for these services then you have to 100% yield results. So, I took a leap of faith and decided to step up to the plate and take on my very first PR client in April of this year. I am happy to report that betting on myself and what I could bring to the table for my client 100% paid off.

I successfully achieved getting my client on local news shows, radio and in the newspaper. I was nervous but relied on my network and hard work to work to my advantage. To have had such monumental success with my first client was the push I needed to keep going. I’m so excited to continue the journey of building my PR business and exploring where this new journey will take me.

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

I’m Kiva Williams, creator of The Fun Foodie Mama blog. Through my blog I share fun things to do with families in Tampa Bay, the best places to eat around town and of course my motherhood journey as a mom of three. I experienced extreme burnout from trying to climb the corporate ladder during my 15 year career in the finance industry. One day, I decided that my mental health was at stake and became an accidental stay at home mom due to quitting my corporate job.

My blog has been featured in a national commercial with McDonald’s, numerous local news stations and on the cover of Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine. I enjoy creating content and sharing about various topics as a contributor for the Wesley Chapel Weekly and Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine.

Last year, in March of 2021, I founded Mahogany Kids Fine Arts Foundation. The sole purpose of my non-profit is to empower minority youth through music, art and dance.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I’m excited to continue to elevate my blog and monetize it so that it can be a reliable resource for my family. I really enjoy creating content and sharing resources that people who support my platform can utilize. I recently partnered with a restaurant owner to host quarterly events tilted “Business Women Who Brunch” where we network with fellow business owners to share resources over brunch. I want to continue to make a meaningful impact and add value in any way I can.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media requires a lot of time and consistency. It also requires a lot of self-perseverance. Many times you will feel like giving up because you’re not getting the views and engagement like you’d hope for. Keep going! I think the biggest thing you should hold on to is the “why” behind what you’re doing. This will help sustain you when you’re weighing out the options if you should keep going. Share valuable resources that people can depend on, be the first to know about upcoming events, news, community activities. Take your audience on the journey with you. When you build a community and share relatable content people will want to follow you for the value that you’re offering.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thefunfoodiemama.com
• Instagram: @thefunfoodiemama
• Facebook: The Fun Foodie Mama
• Linkedin: Kiva Williams
• Twitter: @funfoodiemama
• Youtube: The Fun Foodie Mama
• Yelp: Kiva Williams

Image Credits
Headshot images (all black top) Yokie Empire Media