We were lucky to catch up with Kaylon Williams recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kaylon , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Is there a historical figure you look up to? Who are they and what lessons or values have you learned from them?

A historical figure that I look up and reference their story for inspiration for my own business is Madame C.J Walker. She was the first black self made millionaire.

The thing that about her story is all though and underdog , she never stopped believing in herself. She knew that god gifted her with something special that would not only change the course of black hair care in America but would bring hope and life to women’s lives. To add that sparkle back where they thought it had gone out. She pushed her product on foot and by word of mouth which I incorporate in my business because no one else can push the passion in what you when explaining the “Why”.

I just trying admire how she pushed through the obstacles that came in front of her. Instead of accepting defeat it gave her more space and room to get INNOVATIVE. That’s why I look up to madame C.J Walker.

Kaylon , 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?

My name is Kaylon Williams, I am retired professional athlete turned children’s author.

I’ve played basketball for 15 years, graduated from the university of Oklahoma and went to play professional basketball in Europe for 4 years. After Covid took the world hy storm, this was the perfect time for me to transition out of the world of sports and start a new chapter in my life.

At that time, I wasn’t quite sure what was next for me outside of working. Then god placed the idea of story writing in my life. I’ve always had a knack for creative writing and throughly enjoyed reading as a kid. It was a great escape for me. When I read those stories, I was IN. The books themselves and that brought me so much joy.

Later on when I was getting started with my business I got the inspiration from my oldest nephew Logan. At the time, he was so curious about reading. Although hw couldn’t read the pages yet he was so excited for me to read the books to him. I asked if he wanted me to write a story about him and the rest is history!

Being able to dive back into my love of literacy and share that with this younger generation has been something that is so special to witness. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed watching the excitement behind seeing my readers get a new book or seeing them read for the first time with my story. That’s what I want to continue to do with my business.

KLX Online Bookstore is a Segway for little readers to find their literary match. In an array of genres, learning tools or even writing their own story. I believe that books are the gift that keep on giving and everyone has a story to share, so whether is already established and they find it relatable or looking to share their own unique story and being it too life, we got you covered.

Now it hasn’t been all sunshine and smiles. There have been quite a few highs and lows navigating authorprenuership. The hardest thing for me at this time is social media. Since I am a small business, I’m a one woman show. So I’m in charge or distribution, sales, marketing etc. it can get a little overwhelming. Especially with keeping up with the latest algorithms to spread the word on the internet. So I’m hoping the more I grow and learn in this business the better those outlets will become and the more readers I can reach.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

The story on how I built my social media following is thorough pop up events!

These are my favorite type of events to participate in because not only do I get to see new and other small businesses but it’s such a great opportunity to network and connect.

I’ve met SO many special individuals through pop ups. The coolest part is even if I didn’t sale as much at the event I made it a point to go through each vendor at the event and follow their social media and they follow mine in support of one another.

This can lead to me spreading word about opportunities that fit their business and vice versa.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

The book that has impacted my business and the structure of how I do things is Atomic Habits by James Clear.

I love the structure of his book and how he emphasized little habits turn to big changes. So this can be how I break down my work day. Sitting giving myself time to reflect or structuring my space to give me the most efficient creativity possible have made some significant impacts on the success of my business.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.klxpublishing.com
• Instagram: Klx online bookstore
• Facebook: Www.Facebook.com/KlxOnlinebookstore
• Linkedin: www.LinkedIn.com/KLXOnlineBookstore
• Other: Tik tok: Klx online bookstore

Image Credits
Photos taken by West End Asthetics