We recently connected with Kayla “K-Roc” Middleton and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kayla “K-Roc”, thanks for joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

I grew up in a single parent home in the projects of Richland Village in Columbia, South Carolina in the 90’s. My Mommy worked a lot to make sure she provided for us. Keeping food on the table and clothes on my back was a struggle and she never showed the pressure. It was just us, so she made sure I was versatile by dividing my time from living in the projects to staying in the country with my grandparents while she worked multiple jobs. She is extremely creative and I always saw her establish multiple hustles and ways to make money. She sold Avon, Mary Kay, Pampered Chef, and Home Interior. It was a way for me to see passion, hard work, and patience will always prevail in the end. It wasn’t until I was about 19 that I saw first hand that using your creativity and thinking outside the box can create income as well. Mommy had this idea, which was just a mustard seed of faith, that she could sell baskets for Valentine’s Day on the side of the road to allow people an alternative to regular store brought gifts. She invested in herself and made up all these beautiful baskets full of candy, teddy bears, wine, lingerie, flowers, and balloons. I offered an extra fee to deliver the purchase to your loved one at work. It was a success! We sold out in about 6 hours and made more money than you could make in two months of clocking in and out.  That was my first taste of the hustle of entrepreneurship. Thank you Mommy for always showing by example that you have to go get it on your own and don’t ask for any handouts or look for short cuts.

My Dad was always in my life. Even though he didn’t live with me, I would go and spend weekends with him and my brother in Eastover, SC. My dad is a man of action! He owned his own Detail & Tint Shop in the 90’s and showed me how to wash, wax, and detail cars and trucks. He loves to cook and sold dinners on the side as well. He taught me how to cook and rationalize food when feeding a magnitude of people, how to season meat, and cook on the grill. Such a humble and giving person, my dad. If you didn’t have enough money to eat he would still give you food and just ask that you spread the word about how good the meal was. Thank you Dad, your generosity showed me that giving is more important than receiving and to always fill the earth with positive energy and kindness above all else.

My parents gave me the blueprint to life and how to make a way even when you see no way by using the talents and gifts God has blessed you with and to stay full of gratitude and patience especially in the toughest situations. By using their demonstrations of perseverance, dedication, and truth, I have been able to become an entrepreneur and radically change the way I make money.

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 background and context?

I’ve always had a hustle or 2 even while working a 9-5 job. One of the distinguishing qualities about my work ethic is I’ve always juggled multiple ventures at the same time. I became a DJ about 15 years ago doing parties, weddings, and family reunions converting it into Kwality Soundz and Entertainment in 2016. In 2017 I started Kwality Tripz, which is like Uber on a golf cart giving rides to University of South Carolina football fans. In 2018 I invested money into vending machines and started Kwality Vending & Snackz. Things got dark for me when the last company I worked for had me depressed, miserable and uninspired. I needed to make a total change if I wanted a better life. The life I knew was meant for me. I knew I had to make a well calculated and faith-filled decision. Something I could be proud of when I looked back later in life. That’s when Kwality Venturez LLC and Thrash the Smash Room cultivated in 2019. Thrash the Smash Room took about 3 years from concept to reality, officially opening in 2021, Thrash the Smash Room is a safe, fun place people can come to de-stress through the art of breaking things to pieces. By using bats, hammers, crowbars, golf clubs, and mallets, people can break things such as plates, cups, bottles, TVs, microwaves, laptops, vacuum cleaners, etc. There are 5 different sessions people can choose from based on how many people they have smashing with them or how much they actually want to break up. With prices ranging from $40-$300 it’s very reasonable and affordable for the memory and experience. Having 4 rooms with Bluetooth speakers for people to smash out to their mood tunes and markers to write down their troubles on the breakables before smashing allows people to acknowledge the issue and let it go in a no judgement, no cleanup environment. What sets us apart from the competition is the incredible customer service we deliver constantly and the fact that people can feel motivated and inspired by the quotes displayed in all our rooms. Even being able to use the holsters on the wall to record the session to show off later to friends and followers or just to have as a constant reminder that they can get through anything in life is a valuable asset. I’m most proud of the landmark that Thrash the Smash Room has become for travelers or people just visiting or stopping through Columbia, SC. To have people from Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, England, and Canada, just to name a few, is an accomplishment in itself. Everybody that has experienced Thrash has had nothing but positive reviews and testimonials with the 5 star reviews on Google to back it up. I’m also proud of myself for maintaining my faith while accomplishing goals and staying dedicated to something I believed was possible despite all the tribulations I experienced.

The main thing I want potential clients and people to know about Thrash the Smash Room is it’s something you never knew you needed until you do it. It’s so satisfying and purifying to see and hear the glass break or smashing up a TV then leave it all on the floor in little pieces and not get in trouble for it or have to clean it up.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Some people may call it crazy, but I took the untraditional, less traveled route in business. I personally bootstrapped all of my businesses by investing in myself and using my own money and resources. I wanted to create a solid foundation of not being a slave to debt, especially in business. I wouldn’t be forced to have to pay back loans or other borrowed funds if any of the businesses were unsuccessful. I also knew if any of the business were successful, later on down the road, I could attract venture capital, angel investors, or other outside funding.

Giving up equity was not an option for me. I wanted to make my own decisions on my own terms and do things my way independently. I wanted to grow the businesses organically and maintain my flexibility to make a difference and be generous to others through my faith. It was and still is important to me that I own 100% of my enterprise because I’m about creating generational wealth for my nephews and my family.

My spiritual mentor told me something a few years ago that stays with me and has helped me out of the darkest situations. He said, “It’s out of the ashes of difficulty that God is building you up to be tough, competent, and prepared to be used greatly.”

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

I have always been a student of success. I love to study successful entrepreneurs and people who got it out of the mud in an unconventional way. I love to read stories about underdogs that prevailed in the mist of trials and hard times, and had enough perseverance to keep going. I attend business conventions and stay up to date attending webinars and reading blogs online about staying strategic with marketing and the ever changing internet. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki was the very first book I read on entrepreneurship. It changed my mindset in a positive and uplifting way by helping me understand money, investing, and the global economy. I’ve also read The Power of Broke by Daymond John, who created FUBU. I took a class he offered in Columbia, SC that enlightened me on how he evolved into a fashion icon and branding expert. I learned a lot about starting and branding a business while maintaining a creative vision and knowledge for the marketplace. A timeless business classic, Who Moved My Cheese by Dr. Spencer Johnson is another book that revealed profound truth to me about dealing with change and how to get more success in work and life.

Most recently I’ve read The Perfect Day to Boss Up by Rick Ross and The Marathon Don’t Stop: The Life and Times of Nipsey Hussle by Rob Kenner. Both books have allowed me to make progress in my journey and develop a blueprint for my life, my family, and the people in my community.

Contact Info:

• Website: Breakinthrash.com
• Instagram: @thrashthesmashroom
• Facebook: @thrashthesmashroom
• Twitter: @thrashthesmashroom
• Youtube: Thrash The Smash Room
• Yelp: @thrashthesmashroom
• Other: TikTok: @thrashthesmashroom

Image Credits
Dirty Redd Productions