We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kayla Greaves a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kayla, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

My views on success have changed a lot throughout the years. I used to think it was all about the professional accolades: a big, flashy job title, and an even bigger salary. But now, I look at success as having freedom and full autonomy over my life. The ability to pick and choose which projects are right for me, not having to answer to a boss, and spending my days how I choose is a level of success I once never even imagined for myself. Now that it’s my reality, my entire mindset has shifted. Success is being able to be happy and feel fulfilled doing what you do, and having the privilege to experience life in ways that are meaningful to you.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’ve been working in media for over a decade now. I always knew I wanted to be in this industry, but my focus on beauty was kismet and a bit of a full circle moment. I grew up in a town where I was basically one of one when it came to both race and ethnicity. There weren’t a lot of other Black girls or people who looked even remotely like me, so I didn’t see myself as beautiful. It wasn’t until I was much older when I started to appreciate myself for exactly who I was. So when I got into beauty, I knew it had to be intentional about the work I created. I wanted to be a part of the shift that normalized Black beauty—I didn’t want other Black girls to grow up thinking their natural features were inherently “bad” or “ugly,” and I wanted to help older women let go of the complexes they developed as kids. I worked as a full-time beauty editor for many years at mainstream publications like HuffPost and InStyle and created a lot of Black-focused beauty content I’m really proud of. Now I’m using the skills I learned over the years to forge my own path as an independent writer, consultant, speaker, and more. Late last year, I formed my LLC and it’s been going strong for the past seven months. Being able to stand on my own two feet, define success on my own terms, while still making money and maintaining the lifestyle I’m used to has been the greatest accomplishment of my career.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

That I needed a big company or entity to establish my worth. Don’t get me wrong, though. When you’re early in your career, working with a legacy brand definitely helps. The name will help get you into rooms and spaces that may otherwise be hard to enter. But it’s important to remember at the end of the day, the one who is coming up with these ideas and doing the work is you. It’s your own brilliance that makes these companies money and keeps them afloat. So it’s important to never forget what you bring to the table and how valuable you are.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Being able to create pieces that I have some sort of emotional attachment to, feel passionate about, and helps other people feel good and feel seen.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kaylagreaves.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaylaagreaves/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaylaagreaves/