Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kayla Nias. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Kayla, thanks for joining us today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

In the branding & web design industry (and honestly in various industries across the board), it is so common to see people rush through the process of completing a client’s project – whether that be because they want to hurry up and get to the point where they are getting paid, they have something else to tend to during or after that client, or because they think the client will be happiest if the project is finished quickly. Here at KIN Creative Agency, we realize that clients, especially the creative entrepreneurs we work with, would rather a job be executed well with attention to detail and quality, than for it to be executed quickly. We take a good amount of time trying to genuinely understand not only our client’s business, but the client themselves, to make sure we are infusing your branding project with as much character and personal magic as possible.

I once had a client get really frustrated about the length of time her project was taking. It was a branding AND web design project, which takes about 12 weeks to complete from beginning to end. It is so understandable from the perspective of a new business owner just really wanting to get started with their entrepreneurship journey, but at the same time, from the perspective of a designer, brilliance takes time! Sometimes, it’s hard for other people to understand the immense brain power and long hours it takes to develop a whole brand concept from beginning to end, especially a brand that is very YOU-centered and intentional. At the end of the process, she was very pleased with the result and I produced a product beyond what she could’ve ever imagined, so all the frustration was worth it. But that is exactly why this difference matters. Had I rushed to give my client a product to appease her frustration, it might not have been what she was looking for. It’s so important to take the time you need as a creative to complete a project, and not allow yourself to influenced by other people’s thoughts or feelings. Of course it’s important to stick to promises and set deadlines, but don’t feel like your genius should be rushed.

Kayla, 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?

I graduated from Howard University in May 2022, where I obtained my B.S in Health Sciences, Magna Cum Laude. Throughout my college experience, I was exposed to what was called the “Howard Hustle,” which referred to literally every student on Howard’s campus having their majors with something else on the side. People were Theater majors and had their own photography business. Others were Health majors and were also successful celebrity makeup artists. Everyone had duality. This inspired me to find my hustle, which at first, was co-owning a YouTube channel with one of dear friends from my dance team. I really enjoyed the creativity and thought processes behind building and maintaining our channel, so my inquisitive nature led me to learn more. I started making YouTube graphics for clients under the name “Designed By Kayla Sheree” and was doing that for about 2.5 years before business started to die off. Around this same time, I had a part-time job as a social media & Communications Specialist with a small company in Maryland and ended up being laid off this past January. I gained a lot of knowledge about the corporate world through my experience with this company and started to question if this was all life had for me. I’m someone who likes to have Fridays off and have autonomy over my personal and business decisions. I took all of this as a sign that God was moving me to greater. He knew that I wouldn’t have taken that leap of faith myself, so I was pushed to leap and rely on faith to get me where I needed to be. After months of researching like a crazy person (it’s the Virgo in me), building a website, and creating a brand I truly love that is based on my values of intentionality and family, KIN Creative Agency was born. I’m now almost 2 months into my entrepreneurship journey and am learning new things every day. I’m so excited to grow and evolve with my business and have opportunities like these to share my story and journey with others, especially those who are in the same positioning that I was in and few months ago: going back and forth with investing completely into themselves and their own businesses or playing it safe in their 9-5.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I knew that there were resources for free business mentorship. Paying thousands of dollars for mentors is a common theme these days, but there are tons of resources online or in your local library that will be of so much assistance free of charge.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn that asking for help is weak. As a business owner in my first year of business, I’ve been wearing many hats – from social media manager to designer to virtual assistant. I had to admit to myself that I am not proving anything to anyone by trying to multitask like this, and I am just burning myself out. Finding systems that make life easier for me while also learning to delegate tasks have been important to my mental health over the last few months.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kincreative.org
• Instagram: @Kincreative
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/kincreativeagency
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/kaylasnias
• Other: Pinterest: https://pin.it/2Zp4f9P

Image Credits
Tarif Walker of TabloVision Photography