We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kai-Lee Worsley a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kai-Lee, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

I think the first thing that’s important on a journey to success for yourself, is defining what that looks like.

What does the word ‘success’ actually mean to you? Only if you truly understand what it is for you, can you get there.

Often times we see people running around trying to reach a certain ‘level of success’ but when they get there, they are unsatisfied. And why? Because their idea of success is usually what everyone else around them thinks as well, and it isn’t what they truly wanted. You can be successful everyday if your idea is to simply wake up. If your goal is as easy as breathing, then you become successful.

This is an important practice because it opens something up for you in a way that pushing against the grain can’t, it opens up a world of possibilities. Through something as simple as redefining success for yourself, you give yourself little wins everyday, creating momentum for bigger things to come into your life.

For me, success is simply having the time and money to do the things I like.

This doesn’t mean I have to become a millionaire. I grew up poor, I don’t need a lot of money to be happy. Because I had a lack of money in my childhood, I had to become creative and figure out ways to make money without having access to any. So, I started a digital marketing company and the only investment I needed was a phone, and a laptop. Plus, I had to put hours of studying in, but it was all free. YouTube, courses, online graphics, etc. There are ways to become successful without having anything.

Now, I’ve become so successful that I gave myself time to develop my other passions: writing, painting and music. I recently got a 5 year contract to write with one of the biggest publishers in Greece, where I currently live, and I can still run my business. I have time to enjoy life. I have time to travel and be inspired. This is success to me.

Kai-Lee, 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?

For those who don’t know me, I first started in the ‘creative’ space as a model. One day, I was playing the Kim K: Hollywood game, and I thought to myself, “I can easily do this.” So I deleted the game and called every agency in my city, was signed and began networking.

I started at 17, and ended up getting in photography shortly after my 19th birthday. After that, I decided I wanted to start my own photography business, so I went to a business training institute that was free, and paid students to learn, because I didn’t have a lot of money, and because my family was poor.

After I gradated from the short program, I began a photography journey. I had a lot of knowledge of how to pose, so it made for taking photos easier for me. At the time, I was really focused on networking, so I became a freelance model, which is now called an ‘online influencer,’ (I did it before it was cool), and travelled between Canada and America being a photographer and a model.

I recklessly quit my job in February 2019 after attending a 10-day silent meditation course, sold my car and other stuff, then moved to live on an undeveloped rooftop in Mexico to try my luck at an online career.

From there, I created a lot of content but one day on the beach I thought to myself, “me being here isn’t helping anyone.” So I got up, packed my one backpack that I brought, and moved to Toronto to join a start-up marketing team.

I moved there with only $1,000 Canadian, and it was the exact portion of the rent I had to pay. The apartment had nothing in it, not even appliances, so I used a microwave and mini-fridge until the landlord finally brought me a stove. I slept on an air-mattress until one day I saw some people moved a couch out of their house. I ran over and asked if I could take it, then they told me they were moving to Colombia and needed to get rid of everything. I furnished my entire house from them.

I began writing for a company based out of New York, doing club reviews. I was still trying to piece all my skills together until one day someone asked me if I could become their Social Media Manager. I really had no idea what that would mean, but I figured if anyone could do it, it would be me. I have the skills in front of the camera, behind, writing and networking/understanding the platforms.

I did this for a bit, but then I had a dream where my dead grandpa told me I needed to go back home, to Edmonton. I didn’t know what or why, but I packed up my apartment, giving all the stuff away to sibling who had just moved to Toronto from Mexico City, and went back to Edmonton.

I felt lost for the first few months, but then the pandemic hit. A friend of mine asked if I could take over her mother-in-laws social media, and I jumped at the opportunity. I haven’t looked back since. I’ve been full-time for 4 years now.

The service I provide is: Social Media Management and Strategy. Meaning I can take your business and communicate what needs to be communicated to your consumers, or audience, in order for them to trust, and stay loyal to your brand.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn that I don’t need to do what everyone else is doing. This was particularly important because we see people all the time online, and especially as someone who’s job it is to stay-up-to-date with the internet, it was more harmful than helpful.

I unlearned this because of writing books actually. I realized that I didn’t give a shit if someone else made $50k a month and I didn’t. I didn’t want to pour more energy than I had into something like scaling so large. I’m happy where I am, and that’s okay. I make enough to be comfortable and to save, that’s good enough for me. I had free time to read, and write, explore and create even outside my business. Everyday I get to be creative, and money comes from it. That’s awesome.

How did you build your audience on social media?

The best thing to do when first starting out on social media is to define who you’re speaking to. What is your personal or business brand?

From there, I think it’s important to be yourself. Yes, be yourself. You don’t have to always share personal things, but allowing yourself the space to do it is important for people to feel closer to you.

Talk about things people can relate to. Inspire them with your craft. Make content and pay attention to which piece of content does the best, then keep repeating that cycle. You’ll know once you find your audience, and keep going. The numbers will come, but it’s important to experiment with it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://spiritinfusedmarketing.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kworsley_/
• Other: I wrote a social media course for those wanting to get into the industry: https://spiritinfusedmarketing.teachable.com/p/social-media-manager-in-60-days

Image Credits
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