Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kawika Miles Black. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Kawika Miles, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Alright – so having the idea is one thing, but going from idea to execution is where countless people drop the ball. Can you talk to us about your journey from idea to execution?
Every time I talk about having written a book, a vast majority of people say how they’d love to write a book but just don’t have the time, or they have this awesome idea, but writing is just not a strength of theirs. I truly believe that everyone has what it takes to create or build something of their own. Whether that be writing a book, or starting a small business, all of us have the capability of moving from employee to self-employed/business owner. The trick is not a matter of “if” they can, but “do they really want it?”
That all being said, going from idea to execute comes down to two things in my opinion: discipline and intrinsic motivation.
As an independently published author, writing is only a fraction of the work. I had the idea for my first published novel 10 years ago and since that time, I’ve been learning the publishing industry from hands on experience. Draft after draft I wrote and edited. I had to find an editor I trusted. I needed to learn and gain experience in the marketing industry. Designs for cover art fell into my responsibility. I needed to find people to review my novel, both professionally and not. And on top of that all, I committed to creating a free audio podcast of the novel. With a limited budget, that all came down to me.
So many people are good at being bossed around, but too few want to boss themselves around. There is a disconnect between what they want (being a published author for example) and what they are willing to do/learn (the business of publishing). If there is no deep, intrinsic reason to doing something outside of someone’s comfort zone or current skill set, people will always just settle.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I have a diverse professional background that has offered me a lot of experience that I’ve been able to apply to my publishing career. From blue collar manufacturing to the military to digital marketing, it has all given me a better perspective on business and personal discipline that has allowed me to have the confidence of taking on being an independent publisher.
I’ve been writing for over 10 years and have learned that that is only a fraction of the industry, for better or worse. If I wanted to be successful and own my own writings and publications, I had to learn what most writers don’t, and that is the business part. Understanding the Free Enterprise system that America founded, allowing me (and anyone else) to start and operate their own business/organization was vital to being successful as a writer. So, as far as the thing I am most proud of is the fact that I took that leap of diving into the unknowns of the writing business so that I could own 100% of my work.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
Ideas are being suppressed more and more with the rise of social media and cancel culture. Yes, there is the sway of the free market, but when organizations actively smother other businesses, that is a crony market that is influencing our buying decisions. So, the drive for me is to bring back the heart of the First Amendment, allowing people to worship and express ideas as they see fit without hinderance from governing political bodies or collusions from deep seeded organizations.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
I love reading and learning, and as ironic as it may sound, it is the main reason I dropped out of college. From my experience, college education was training me to be a well behaved employee of someone else. That being said, we live in a fantastic age that allows us to learn pretty much anything and everything for little to no cost.
Some of my favorite books that have influenced my entrepreneurial thinking have been:
-Propaganda by Edward Bernays
-Cynical Theories by Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay
-Building a Storybrand by Donald Miller
-Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink
-Free to Choose by Milton and Rose Friedman
-The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John D. Mann
Contact Info:
- Website: www.damnitiloveamerica.com
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kawikamilesblack
- Other: Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/saga-of-the-nine-origins-dystopian-audiobook/id1670033480 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4d3MBZcvRm6487j5HcMme7
Image Credits
All images designed/sourced by Kawika Miles