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

PJ, appreciate you joining us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

It of course takes drive and motivation! All ya money, time, energy, blood, sweat, and tears but to be honest, it also, takes people who believe in you in an actionable way. A lot of people will just say they wanna support or help, etc…but then they’ll keep making empty promises, never get back to you, or not have a good work ethic. It boggles my mind when someone creates an opportunity and people just throw it away instead of saying “Sorry, I thought I could help but I have other things I want to give my time to instead”. It sucks to hear, but it’s honest and a hell of a lot better than being known as a person who lacks integrity and a good work ethic. As a person on the spectrum, I take things at face value a lot…couple that with a genuine disposition and you get a crap ton of confusing situations lol. I’m learning, but there’s still so much to learn. It makes me more appreciative of the small village I got and finding a community that really does have your back!

PJ, 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?

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

I originally created my company to sell books on esty about alt lifestyles and help all the peeps learn the best things to help them on their respective journies. Being a social butterfly and lover of events, that wasn’t enough and I had a few friends nudge me into doing more. That was when I realized I already had the skills to take it to a grander scale and could start to take it to the next level. While I had the skills, I didn’t have much capital and the struggle was real. Everything was out of pocket (still is) and I’m restructuring a lot to create the space I wish to see in the world. It’s still hard lol. I didn’t realize just how hard it was to create a niche business. After I got diagnosed with some debilitating health news and had quite a few scares… I really had to pivot and find a new sustainable path because our government was def not worried about me and my inability to make a regular source of income. Also, the entertainment industry was striking for most of last year, so all my peeps and I were hit pretty hard. I decided to expand on my original idea and work towards creating a home base. To do that I had to create the vision…and open another business. I’m now in this phase of finding the right people to work with, who to trust, and where to spend my time and energy. It’s a battle when you only have 24 hours and health flares that take you outta the game for weeks at a time. It’s a balance I’m still learning how to navigate.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I booked the biggest gig of my life just after suffering a mild heart attack. That was the hardest, most terrifying moment of my life. I’ve had the best support system and I’m still trucking along even though the healthcare system in the USA leaves so much to be desired. I wouldn’t have survived without my team It’s tough mentally, and physically. Sometimes I really do wanna give up and just move to a country where life doesn’t seem so hard….but then I’d miss my people, the sunshine, the folx I’ve helped, the memories I’ve created, and the dreams I’ve yet to make my reality. I really do love life and love people and there’s joy in seeing people be their authentic, true selves and lean into that confidence. It’s still exhausting and this NB queen is still finding her footing that’s becoming a bit more solid each day.

Contact Info:

• Website: kinkinkolor.com
• Instagram: kinkinkolor
• Linkedin: kinkinkolor
• Twitter: kinkinkolor

Image Credits
Professional Photos: Rebekah Schoenbach Photography, Jenny Rolapp Photography, Others:Friends