We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kiah Arnold a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Kiah, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Going back to the beginning – how did you come up with the idea in the first place?
My business focuses on helping small businesses and startups (primarily owned by minorities or service minorities) clarify their brand to lead to more visibility, and ultimately more revenue or opportunities. After seeing multiple start ups (particularly those owned by Black women) lack a clear brand story and professional marketing materials, I restructured EKMC to be a “brand-in-a-bag” solution.
E11even Keez was initially created so I could utilize my creativity to tell visual stories. Then, I realized I could use my plethora of skills to help businesses increase their visibility and amplify their stories. In establishing this company, I also thought about how I could provide economic opportunities, teach others about financial freedom and discipline, and create generational wealth for my family.
Kiah, 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 company—E11even Keez Media + Creative—is a digital creative consultant agency ideal for brands who want quality creative, brand, and image consulting to help clarify their brand, tell their story, enhance their reach, and influence their audience. Services include creative direction, brand and marketing strategy, and content creation; summarized as “Vision, Video, Voice, and Visuals.” There are many options for creative consulting, but E11even Keez Media + Creative focuses on small businesses and startups that are minority owned/operated or minority centric.
My goals are to lead others to a path of success, promote minority (especially Black owned) businesses, and create opportunities for economic growth. Why? Because representation matters and I want people (who look like me especially) to put their best foot forward. In summary, I aim to advise, contribute to, and provide innovative solutions; tell compelling stories; and serve the community.
I’m most proud of the clients that I’ve helped and the opportunities I have been afforded that I never would have thought were possible.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
I wish I would’ve known about business gurus such as Dr. Lynn Richardson and organizations and conferences that cater to Black creatives such as CultureCon/The Creative Collective NYC. I probably would’ve made more progress and less mistakes in the beginning. However, I’m grateful to be made aware of these resources now and using the knowledge to increase my business capacity. There is no one path to become successful and there are plenty of opportunities to learn and grow at every stage–even if you consider yourself a vet in the game.
What do you find most rewarding about being creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is seeing how my services have helped elevate brands. I enjoy getting positive feedback from my clients. I’ve gotten many messages that they are more prepared, or the products I’ve created for them have helped to elevate them to the next level. I have so much pride when I see my work displayed in public and online. It’s an honor knowing that a brand came to be with my help. I love being the behind-the-scenes person of so many opportunities.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.e11evenkeezmedia.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/e11evenkeez/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/e11evenkeez
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiaharnold/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kiah_Arnold
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCspiB94i5USjA-fV3Iuuupw
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/e11even-keez-media-creative-lexington