We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kennedi Glass a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kennedi, thanks for joining us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?

I believe that faith and walking in God’s purpose are what it takes to be successful. Success is defined as “the accomplishment of an aim or purpose”. Does success really end with an accomplished goal? Success is a misinterpreted term but as a Christian believer, joyful life is success. For one to be motivated by wealth and influence is society’s take on success. True success is eternal life.

Attending college, especially in another city, was a pivotal point for me. I was inspired to create new memories and introduce myself to newer faces but during those four years, I faced many obstacles (which are to be expected in life). My faith was tested but in developing a personal relationship with God, I had to remain faithful in order to stay the course. By dedicating time to learn and trusting Him, I am gifted with kindness, peace/healing, and knowledge among other gifts while using my skilled talents to encourage those around me. I believe what drives success is impact and the desire to live an eternal life.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

My name is Kennedi Glass, a talk show host and graphic designer from Saint Louis, Missouri. I am a proud alumna of the University of Missouri-Kansas City, with a degree in Business Administration (emphasis in Marketing). During my collegiate experience, I started my very own radio show called Kandid Konvos w/ Ken. I used my networking capabilities to connect with high-achieving entrepreneurs and creatives in Kansas City. The show quickly evolved and became a platform for individuals to be discovered, heard, and credited. After graduation, I moved back home and planned my launch for Noel Visions & Design (NVD). NVD is my graphic design business where I help curate seamless and customizable content for creatives and entrepreneurs within the industries of entertainment, beauty, tech, etc. Aside from this, I exclusively work with an independent music artist in content creation and social media management.

I see myself expanding in the near future. I plan to scale my business into a digital marketing agency where I offer social media, brand identity, and video production services. I also find public speaking to be a passion of mine so along with my continuing Kandid Konvos w/ Ken, I would love to host and/or sponsor networking events, guest speaker workshops, and VIP experiences.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

My journey on social media stemmed from my passion and love for dance. Long story short, I’ve been dancing since I was a little girl but started training in ballet, modern, jazz, and hip hop heavily around the age of 10 at Grand Center Arts Academy (Saint Louis). I used platforms such as Instagram to document my progress as a dancer. I unconsciously grew an audience by posting combinations from dance class, improvisation, and choreography. By the time I attended UMKC, I began to pivot and document more of my newer passions of interviewing and content creation. In this, I experienced a lot of trial and error in my content. There are times, even now, that I would share a new post with the intention of performing well when in reality, the engagement was low. Instead of beating myself down, I took note of what worked and didn’t work so I can try again.

My advice for new users wanting to build their social media presence would be to show up consistently if able and authentically. By consistency, I am not suggesting posting on 2-3 social media platforms 4 times a week because this method may not work for you. This advice can be intimidating, especially when the average user isn’t utilizing social media to particularly grow a business or brand. You must be realistic with your time and work capabilities. If you don’t have the time to be consistent, use your resources to either test software/tools that will automate your content or pay someone who could perform those tasks for you. There are ways to take advantage of the systems of social media but even that boils down to strategy.

On social media, it is also important to be YOURSELF. Content creation should not be a hassle or feel forced.  If you enjoy what you do and want your story to be heard, start by starting. Document your journey and cater your content to your intended audience. One of the biggest advantages that users are exploring more of in 2023 is creating anti-niche content. Although centering your content on a specific topic or area of expertise is still an effective marketing strategy, users are intrigued by the lifestyle of their favorite creator or entrepreneur. People will follow you not only because they admire the information you provide but because they enjoy your personality, values, and perspective. Once you solidify the topics you want to cover on your preferred media platforms, you can then establish routines for brainstorming, content creation/batching, scheduling, and engagement. This can be done by you or someone you hire but having a system in place will ease any added stress. From there, nurture your followers. Be personable and communicate with them through messages, comments, emails, or videos. Building a solid community and maintaining a relationship with those who choose to press the follow button is where the real growth truly lies.

It is essential to understand that social media changes by the day and every platform is different. What worked last week may not work as efficiently the next week and what works on TikTok may not work on LinkedIn or Instagram. This goes to show that in the process of growing a social media presence, you will experience trial and error. Creating the content is the simplest part but your uniqueness and ability to pivot with the times will keep you aware and ahead of the game.

Here are four takeaways that I believe all new users of social media should consider:

Define why you are on social media, show up as yourself, allocate your time to what you are capable of doing (in regard to creating content and posting frequency), and when growth occurs, develop a way to sustain it.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect or part of being an artist/creative for me is engaging with the community. In all of my endeavors, I am able to meet a lot of individuals that come from different upbringings and backgrounds, which is truly a delight. Hearing other people’s journeys of how they got to where they are in the present with life or business is inspiring. I believe my experience in dance sparked the joy and love I have for storytelling.

A great story should be heard, seen, or captured. Personally, I digest stories in multiple forms. When I use to perform throughout middle and high school, my facial expressions were a dominant factor in my overall performance so when I watched other dancers perform, I would pay attention to theirs. In interviewing guests for KKWK, I always pose questions about their journey. This included identifying what it is that they do, when the passion sparked, who influenced those passions, and how they are able to maintain a love for what they do. Lastly, when I create graphics and promotional content for a client, I’m able to get a glimpse of what they do along with the short and long-term goals they have for the content that I assist them with.

In all of this, I’m maintaining those relationships and it’s a pleasure that I have the opportunity to communicate with talented individuals year-round.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bio.site/kennedinglass
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noelvisions/ https://www.instagram.com/kandidkonvoskg_/
• Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/kennediglass
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kandidkonvoswken

Image Credits
Davion Sanderson ( @sauce_demon3 ) & India ( @indiglow.innovation )