Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kealah Parkinson, Founder of KiKi Productions, Inc, located in Crown Point, IN, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Hi, I'm Coach Kiki! As a Communications Coach for business professionals, I've been in practice in the Greater Chicagoland area for nearly 15 years. Since the pandemic, with more and more people working/schooling/doing it all from the home base command center, I've expanded my practice to work not just with my clients and their teams but with their entire families. Kiddos communicate, too!

Tell us about yourself

I believe that when you are confident, focused, and authentic with your message, you are a magnet to those you wish to attract. That's true in running a business, a family, an online presence—or any other organization. As human beings, we're prone to fight-or-flight as a means of survival. But it can be a liability when our lives aren't actually on the line. As a personal survivor of trauma (who isn't, right?), I find it really important to acknowledge the information our bodies, moods, and thoughts give us. Only after that can we truly successfully speak our truth with purpose.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Dollar figures and follower counts definitely do impress me. But my biggest accomplishment continues to be the bulletin board in my office that's completely wallpapered with thank-you notes and printed email and text messages, telling me specific examples of how personalized coaching has improved their self-acceptance and, thus, their lives.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

As a business owner who is also a homeschooling mama, my biggest challenge is keeping all of my goals in alignment. Connecting to intentional communities, both locally and globally, has been my biggest ally in this.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

I love the idea of "taking time to make time"—in other words, investing in planning my calendar, goals, and intentions. That's true for self-care, as well. And having a support team, even as a solopreneur, is the only way to really succeed: We need people who think differently than we do to see problems and solutions that we're blind to. We need their unique capabilities to fill in our personal gaps, plus their outside encouragement to get the job done—and honest metrics to measure what isn't working.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I think out loud about a lot of the GoSolo topics and questions in recorded conversations at my podcast, anchor.fm/tuneinmindfulradio. It's about mindfulness in everyday application, which has so many uses at this time. And for families who need more social-emotional resources but aren't ready for coaching, you can subscribe for free to the We Build Better Humans newsletter on Substack: Buildbetterhumans.substack.com.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://coachkiki.com/
Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/kealah.parkinson
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kealahparkinson/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KealahParkinson
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kealahparkinson/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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