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

Nikeya, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I have not always been a business owner. In fact, I was a Special Education Teacher for about 5 1/2 years. Although being a business owner has its challenges, I do not miss working in a traditional job setting. I love the freedom and flexibility that comes with entrepreneurship. I am also a homeschool mom of three and I love that my children are growing up seeing entrepreneurship as their norm. Mommy and Daddy work from home. The kids are schooled from home. Whenever we want to pick up and travel someplace, we do not have to ask anyone for permission to do so. That kind of freedom and flexibility is PRICELESS!

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

I am the CEO/Founder of Victorious Living Solutions, a transformative coaching company and podcast that empowers high-potential leaders to CRUSH their goals despite life’s challenges and live VICTORIOUSLY! Ever since I was a little kid, I have known that I wanted to do some sort of profession that helps people. At first, I wanted to be a nurse, but I did not want to take all those math and science courses! Around 8th Grade, I was chosen by my school counselor to be a peer mediator. That was when my interest in what makes people tick was piqued. I received my B.A. in Psychology from DePaul University and went on to earn an M.A. in Special Education. After being a teacher for 5 1/2 years, I left to pursue other interests and eventually started a family. I knew once I had my first child that I wanted to work from home, so I began exploring ways that I could compile all my life experience and education and create a profitable business. I became a Certified Master Life Coach and started Victorious Living Solutions in 2018, and it has been growing steadily ever since. The services I offer include the Victorious Living Solutions podcast, Group Coaching, Workshops, and Speaking.

The clients that I serve are mostly women (except for my business workshops). I also love speaking to college students and sharing some victorious living solutions that they can use as they prepare to launch into the job market. I am also an Ordained Minister, so I speak to Women’s ministries as well. People book me to speak mostly regarding these topics: Mental Health and Wellness, Leadership (time management and productivity, team building, communication), and Confidence. Essentially, I am a person who knows what it’s like to go from being full of self-doubt and anxiety (not wanting to put myself out there for fear of what others would think) to experiencing the success that I always dreamed of after I faced my fears and had the audacity to TRY. One of the things that I love most about what I do is that I help other high-potential leaders to do the same things I wished I had more help with back then.

Some of the things that I am most proud of in recent years include:
-Becoming the 1st black speaker to do a TEDx Talk on Homeschooling (my talk is entitled “Let’s Normalize Homeschooling” and can be found on YouTube)
-Completing my Ph.D in Christian Organizational Leadership
-Launching the first online course for Victorious Living Solutions
-Securing great press locally and nationally.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

There are a few things that have helped me build my reputation within my coaching and speaking market: 1) PRESS! – Having a press plan for your business increases your credibility and visibility. And let’s face it, when your business is just starting out, you don’t have much money to hire a PR agency, so you have to start pitching yourself! Back in the 2010’s I did a lot of writing/blogging from my days as a plus-size fashion blogger. I am also a SAG-AFTRA, agency-signed talent. Though I am no longer focusing as much on acting and blogging, I am still using the skills that I developed from that period (knowing how to pitch the media to gain interviews, confidence on-camera, etc). All you need to do is land one press opportunity to start the ball rolling. When you pitch people after that, be sure to include a link to the previous press opportunity that you just gained, and so forth.

2) Testimonials – LinkedIn is a valuable tool that more and more people are utilizing. Lately, I have been more intentional about asking people to give me a recommendation after a speaking engagement or group coaching. When you pitch them, one of the first things people do is look at your LinkedIn page. Having recommendations from other people that you have worked with is very helpful.

3) Being good at what I do – I take my personal and professional development seriously. I am always reading, taking certification courses, and staying abreast of ways that I can be better at who I am and what I do.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

My husband is also my business partner. We met in college and have known each other for twenty-five years (and married for fifteen). As a very ambitious woman, it was vital for me to marry a man who understood and admired my ambition instead of trying to suppress it. I have seen and heard far too many horror stories of women whose romantic partners became jealous or intimidated by their success and sought to sabotage them. Unfortunately, this is very common. Thankfully, my husband has consistently been my BIGGEST supporter and closest friend. In addition to that, he is also a Marketing Director and does all of my graphics and websites. He also edits my podcast episodes. We are both full-time entrepreneurs, and it feels fantastic to do business with my favorite person.

Contact Info:

• Website: victoriouslivingsolutions.com
• Instagram: @CoachNikeya & @victoriouslivingsolutions
• Facebook: facebook.com/victoriouslivingsolutions
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikeyayoung/
• Twitter: @nikeyayoung
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJzQJTQkXzWR6sAqbI7FUvg

Image Credits
Michelle Dokes Photography