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

Hi Kalyn, thanks for joining us today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

I rebranded my firm in 2024, and I felt inspired and attached to the name Forward Collective Group. It represents the new direction without completely abandoning the foundation of the company I started in 2016. “Forward” signifies positive movement because my work makes the world better. “Collective” symbolizes partnership because my work benefits more than just me. “Group” denotes a web of comprehensive services that build companies people love to work for and buy from.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m an accidental HR and OD professional. I began my career in social services during the Great Recession working as a trainer in workforce development. My early career start in a community in crisis led to working in-house as an HR and organizational development specialist in the public sector and at evolving tech companies. By the time I worked in leadership and executive roles at tech giants, Fortune 100 companies, and unicorn tech startups, I had the emotional temperament and technical expertise to revolutionize how People and Culture work works.

I value the balance my background provides. I know how HR and organizational development decisions impact people because I’ve seen the fallout face-to-face. I also know how the C-suite thinks and makes decisions because I’ve been an advisor and a decision-maker myself. Furthermore, I’ve studied the science of the work – I’m an organizational psychologist and certified coach. The comprehensive services I offer at Forward Collective Group are a reflection of my own well-rounded skillset.

The Forward Collective Group specializes in advisory services, training design and facilitation, executive coaching, and experiential marketing. The 4-pronged approach targets the main areas impacting business growth: the sensibility of the organization design, the capacity of its workforce, the effectiveness of its leaders, and its likable presence in the market. I’m proud to offer these services because I’ve tested and refined my methodologies for over 15 years at brands the world loves.

The main takeaway for clients, followers, and fans is that I love what I do, and that love extends to how I show up in the market. Forward Collective Group’s differentiators are intimacy, creativity, and efficiency. That’s intentional. Getting to know clients so I develop the best solutions for them without wasting time is my hallmark.

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 being an employee. The last two years of entrepreneurship broke me emotionally because I didn’t realize how much toxic self-talk I’d ingested throughout my career. I’m a strategist, dreamer, and communicator at heart. I work best in blocks of deep thinking, open-ended conversation, and unfettered creativity. I spent my in-house career being undervalued, mis-titled, and over-critiqued. Most of the time, I did my boss’ work for them with no credit while being told my skills weren’t valuable; it was truly a miserable experience emotionally.

I transitioned to full-time entrepreneurship at the end of 2022, and it has been so freeing. I create without needling criticism, I build what I know matters to my target audience without questioning, and I grow relationships in expected places without being undermined. It has changed me for the better. I revamped my whole company in two years, expanded into new global markets, created new marketing channels, and refined my own personal brand. This never could have happened if I was still treating my company as a side hustle.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

I founded Forward Collective Group as an emotional response to job frustration. It was the best revenge plot ever! On a serious note, I have been a leader at the intersection of OD, HR, and DEI for over 15 years and worked across the country in cities like Chicago, NYC, LA, and Detroit. I’ve secured wins in every sector, from nonprofits to government to Big Tech to tech startups. No one executes People and Culture work well across the board. I wanted to create a system with frameworks and tools that professionals can use to make their companies lovable and equitable.

From that purpose, Forward Collective was born. I’m also passionate about being knowledgeable so I have continued my own learning journey through certifications and degrees, including my doctorate, which I will complete this spring. I scaled to six figures, which is a major accomplishment for a solopreneur and for a Black woman-owned business.

My most important milestone is staying in business. Most businesses close within five years; 2025 makes nine years for me! Entrepreneurship is an unexpected dream for me, and I don’t take it lightly. I’m grateful to own my work, my time, and my capacity to change the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://4wardcollective.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/4wardcollective
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/4wardcollective
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/4wardcollective
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@4wardcollective
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/0COn8CN46uKJsub0QUPwM3

  https://www.threads.net/@4wardcollective

  https://www.tiktok.com/@4wardcollective1

Image Credits

Flarehaus Creative Agency