We were lucky to catch up with Kelly Thomas recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kelly, thanks for joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

Leaving a stable teaching job to pursue an MFA in creative writing—poetry, no less—felt like a pretty big risk. At the time, it didn’t seem like the practical choice, and honestly, I wondered if I was a little crazy.

The year before, my life had been turned upside down. My mom died suddenly and without warning, and I was completely blindsided. I was in my late twenties and suddenly navigating life as a motherless daughter while also serving as the executor of her will. Grief felt overwhelming and disorienting. I often felt like someone dropped in the middle of a forest with no path out.

In the middle of that time, I stumbled into a creative writing class and started writing poetry. At first, writing was simply a way to process the emotions I couldn’t quite name. It became a lifeline. Instead of trying to “do grief right,” I began putting words to what I was feeling. Writing gave me a way to live inside my grief rather than run from it, and slowly it helped me feel more like myself again.

One poem in particular shifted things for me. I wrote a piece called Collard Greens at a Republican Picnic, which explored the experience of feeling like the black sheep in your family—a feeling I had carried for much of my life. I had no idea how people would respond. I wasn’t even sure anyone would resonate with it. To my surprise, the poem was very well received. People connected with it in ways I hadn’t expected, and that experience changed a lot for me.

For the first time, I thought, maybe I’m actually kind of good at this writing and creativity thing. More than that, I realized how alive writing made me feel. In the middle of deep loss, it gave me a sense of purpose and connection.

So I made the leap. I left my stable teaching job and pursued an MFA in creative writing. It felt risky, uncertain, and definitely unconventional, but it ended up being far more fulfilling than I could have imagined. That decision didn’t just change my career path—it helped me reconnect with myself. Creative work continues to light me up and has shaped the way I move through the world.

Looking back, taking that risk taught me something important: the moments that shake us the most can also open the door to meaningful transformation.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a writer, learning designer, and storyteller who works at the intersection of creativity, education, and mission-driven work. Much of what I do centers on helping people and organizations turn ideas into meaningful experiences—whether that’s through writing, courses, workshops, or community gatherings.

Today, my work brings together several threads that I care deeply about: storytelling, learning design, and helping mission-driven individuals and orgs communicate their work clearly and meaningfully.

I work with Fortune 500 teams, non-profits, educators, and entrepreneurs to design learning experiences and messaging that people genuinely connect with. That might mean developing curriculum or courses, shaping a narrative or brand story, facilitating workshops, or helping a team clarify how their ideas translate into real-world impact. At the heart of it, I help people connect the dots—from an initial idea or vision to something tangible that moves their work forward.

Many thoughtful leaders and organizations have powerful ideas but struggle to translate them into language, programs, or experiences that others can easily understand and engage with. My role is often to help bring clarity and cohesion to those ideas—so they become stories, learning journeys, or offerings that inspire people to participate and take action.

What sets my work apart is that it’s deeply relational and grounded in listening. I care about understanding the heart of what someone is trying to do in the world before shaping how it’s communicated or expressed. I’m also someone who moves comfortably between creativity and strategy—helping organizations articulate their vision while also designing practical ways for that vision to show up in the world.

In addition to consulting and writing, I also create spaces where people can gather around creativity and meaningful work. Through workshops, writing gatherings, and programs like Spark Series, I’m interested in helping people move from inspiration to action in ways that feel aligned with their values. Many people have ideas or dreams they want to pursue but feel overwhelmed by where to start. I enjoy helping people take the next clear step and build momentum.

What I’m most proud of isn’t just a single accomplishment, but the moments when my work helps someone feel more confident in their voice or more able to bring their vision to life. Whether that’s a writer sharing their story, an organization clarifying its mission, or a group of people discovering new possibilities together, those moments of transformation are what keep me doing this work.

At the core of everything I create is a simple belief: meaningful work grows from authenticity, courage, and community. I want people who encounter my writing, workshops, or collaborations to feel both inspired and supported—to know they don’t have to pursue their ideas alone.

And perhaps most of all, I believe that prioritizing joy, creativity, and connection—especially in challenging times—is a radical and necessary act. That belief continues to shape how I write, how I teach, and how I build community through my work.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My creative work is guided by a simple question: how can creativity help people reconnect with what matters most and bring more of that into the world?

Whether I’m writing, designing a course, or facilitating a gathering, I’m interested in helping people move from reflection to expression—from an idea or inner spark to something that can take shape in the world. When creativity becomes a bridge between inner insight and outward action, it can open possibilities people didn’t know were available to them.

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

One book that deeply shaped my thinking isn’t a traditional business book at all—it’s The Good Body by Eve Ensler.

For much of my life, I struggled with body image and eating disorder behaviors, and spent a lot of time feeling at war with my body. In The Good Body, Ensler explores women’s relationships with their bodies and the cultural pressure to achieve an “ideal” form, ultimately calling readers to reject those expectations and move toward self-acceptance.

While the book isn’t about entrepreneurship on the surface, it profoundly influenced how I think about creativity and work.

One of the lessons I took from it is that there is no perfect way to inhabit a body—and similarly, there’s no perfect formula for building a business or pursuing creative work. The pressure to follow someone else’s model of success can be just as limiting as the pressure to meet an impossible standard of beauty.

The real work, in both creativity and entrepreneurship, is learning to trust your own voice and find your own way. That authenticity is often what makes someone’s work stand out and resonate with the people it’s meant to reach.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kgrace.co/
• Instagram: @kgracethomas
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/-thomas-kelly/

Image Credits

ederzani.com/cincinnati-photographer-blog/cincinnati-job-crops-prom-2015