Today we’d like to introduce you to Kia Smith.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
If I was to look back on my life, it seems that writing was the most constant thing about me.
When it was time to sit and do math work, nope Kia was somewhere writing.
When other kids wanted to go outside and play, I would come… but sometimes, I would sit down and start writing.
I was that kid who filled up countless notebooks and journals writing — everything from short stories in my head to poems to songs to vent about my day.
Moral of the story, writing was always something that I enjoyed. It wasn’t until 2009 though, that I realized writing was something that I could turn into a full-time career. In this year, I joined True Star Magazine, a non-profit org that has employed over 10,000 Chicago youth over the last 14 years by training them in media-related things such as editorial writing, radio, graphic design, marketing, and much more. At 15, I started getting published in the magazine, where I wrote about everything from dating as a teen to the importance of having good sexual health. I also had some notable interviews with NFL players, authors, and up-and-coming entrepreneurs.
In 2012, I shifted gears a bit and started blogging.
The short story is that I’ve been a blogger since I was 17 years old almost 18 in the year 2012. I started off under the pseudonym Kween K, your edgy hip-hop blogger who had a lot of shit to say. I spent a lot of my time on camera, interviewing the local and up-and-coming Chicago artists. Around this time, Chicago was getting a lot of buzz for its music scene, and I was in the midst of it all.
A shift then happened.
I no longer wanted to be Kween K anymore. I just wanted to be Kia.
But who was she?
By early 2014, I stopped interviewing artists and doing on-camera work altogether. I took a brief hiatus. Then, Kia Smith Writes was born.
Since then, I’ve been writing my way into discovering who I was.
I was always a very opinionated child. Writing about things like social justice before the term was even coined was my thing. I also talked a lot about love and relationships. The older I got, the more I saw and the more transparent I became. College played a huge role in my self-discovery journey and my posts began to reflect that. I also learned that I had a huge knack for motivating others, my posts began to reflect that too.
So after many start overs and rebranding, I finally got a bit of a handle on who Kia Smith Writes is. A creative turned budding businesswoman, a writer who dreams out loud. A motivator. A friend. Kind of like your favorite Auntie who talks to you about getting your shit together but has the best stories of when her life was falling apart. Someone you can hopefully relate to. A black woman. A queen (Kween). A multifaceted young woman trying to survive her 20’s, always evolving.
My blog is my public diary with an intimate twist because really I’m talking to myself in these posts… I just happen to let everyone else read them.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Smooth? Nothing in my life has ever been smooth and to be honest, I’m glad it hasn’t. Without struggle, you can’t build character and the wins you receive in life wouldn’t be appreciated.
The biggest struggle I have faced during this journey is self-doubt, which can kill more dreams than another person would. I battle constantly about how open I want to be, how professional should I be, how can I make different things happen with limited funds. I have doubted myself so much during this journey but in retrospect, I never gave up on myself either.
Whenever someone reaches out to me for advice about starting a blog, I always leave them with three things:
1. Do it even if it scares you
There’s no such thing as being too late to get something started, you just have to get started. Don’t wait until everything is “perfect” because if you do that, you’ll never start.
2. Don’t be afraid to change
As you grow up, your content will too. Don’t be afraid to honor your growth in your creativity. Your old audience may not understand and may even look elsewhere but growth welcomes a new audience with a new understanding. If something you were once doing no longer serves you, then change it.
3. Your work does not have to go viral to be valuable
This is my personal favorite because, in this hyper-visible, social media age, I have struggled with comparing myself to other bloggers and wishing I was as popular as them and that my work went viral… I even contemplated stopping as a blogger because I felt my work wasn’t as important, I desperately wanted that social media validation. After self-reflecting and soul searching I realized so many things: first of all, F*ck the numbers and just DO the work. I learned that the grass is only as green as where you water it, so stay in your own lane. My blog isn’t for everybody and that’s OKAY. And the last, most important thing I’ve learned is that as long as my work touches at least ONE person, then I’ve done my job.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
As I’ve entered into my 6th year as a blogger, I am now transitioning into being MORE than a blogger and while it is scary, I am ecstatic to see where my talents take me. I’m known for motivating you, being as authentic as I can, and talking about the shit that everyone else is too afraid to discuss. At 24, I feel as if I have accomplished so much over the last six years but I know I have so much more to achieve.
Thus far, what I’m most proud of is that I transformed my blog post & social media campaign #WriteYourselfALoveLetterChallenge into a full-blown event where I invited people out to talk about self-love, relationships, and uncovering their challenges with loving themselves. In the end, we wrote ourselves love letters and some of us even shared them out loud. These days, I’m getting booked to bring this workshop to different community organizations and in the future, I am going to go on tour to different states across the U.S. and bring it to high schools, college campuses, and professional companies.
What sets me apart from others is my tenacity, longevity, consistency, and willingness to change. Creating evergreen content has helped me boost my confidence while proving to me that I can accomplish all my dreams.
Do you think there are structural or other barriers impeding the emergence of more female leaders?
The biggest barrier to female leadership is patriarchy, and if you are a Black woman, then your barriers are both race and gender. Men literally get paid more money than women in a lot of areas, yet women are so badass that a lot of us rise above the barriers we face. Access is the name of the game around here and it’s no secret that everyone isn’t awarded the same opportunities in this world, especially if you are a woman.
Ironically, my industry is heavily female dominated. I know far more female bloggers than I do male bloggers. I would say the biggest barrier to having success as a female blogger is an access. Everyone just doesn’t have the same access to knowing things or attending these fancy conferences, that’s why I have never minded sharing what I know with other women, especially the young ones who may not be as knowledgeable in this area as I am.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kiasmithwrites.com
- Email: kiasmithwrites@gmail.com
- Instagram: @KiaSmithWrites
- Twitter: @KiaSmithWrites
Image Credit:
Kia Smith
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