153: "Put on your freaking shoes and walk." Keyani Washington's Journey From Hairstylist to Skin & Hair Wellness

Speaker 1 0:00

Oh, wait, I need to remove this banner up here. Let's see generic template. Okay, good. It doesn't matter. I do actually because when it actually downloads it doesn't show that but kind of for my own sanity. Okay. All right Kiani Washington. Welcome to Season Seven of a whole nother short podcast.

Unknown Speaker 0:21

Thank you. I'm excited.

Speaker 1 0:23

I'm excited to considering what happened offline before we started starting. So I just, we made it. So I want to thank you for tolerating 27 minutes of me being out of the office because of a fire alarm that went off. And luckily, I walked out and it just finished raining. So it wasn't all that bad. I just had to wait a little. And I really want to thank you for your patience to you know, really, you know, candidly speaking being the first guest from the Rosi network that I have the fortune of interviewing for season seven of holding down the fort. So thank you for this opportunity.

Speaker 2 0:56

Thank you so much. I'm excited. This is Brett.

Speaker 1 1:00

Oh, good. Okay, so I thought that we would warm up by doing an icebreaker question. So go ahead and pick like a number between one and 15. And then I'm gonna pick a card seven.

Unknown Speaker 1:11

I love how that I love my favorite numbers.

Speaker 1 1:15

, two, let's do it on camera.: 123456

Speaker 2 1:36

Oh, I have nice calf muscles. I hear that all the time. My friend is like, you gotta accent those calf muscles. Like, okay. Yeah, that's the one that I hear all the time.

Speaker 1 1:55

I love that. You know, part of my goal nowadays, because I'm in my mid 30s now is to like, like, have a good physique without wearing heels. Because I feel like heels accentuates calves and like, your curves and all that. And I'm like, Well, if I could be fit, I don't have to wear you know, heels. But I definitely used to rock a lot of heels back then. And, you know, it would obviously accentuate like my curves. But in the long run. I paid for it because my knees started hurting

Speaker 2 2:24

: 1314

Unknown Speaker 2:59

So like just because or like a rebel or

Speaker 2 3:03

like my mom, and my great aunt just said like, this kid just used to walk around on her toes. Like she just I don't know, they thought I was going to be a ballerina. But that didn't happen. But I don't know why I just walked around on my toes.

Speaker 1 3:17

Well, you know, there you go. That is why you have amazing calves. I mean, it may not show up in your headshot in the right or promotional here. But just so you all know, the greatest compliment that Kyani gets is she has really nice. Yeah, well, awesome. I think that was a great icebreaker question was you for indulging me on that. That's the first time I've done one of those in a while. So I'm like, Oh, cool. That was great. How that turned out. That

Unknown Speaker 3:42

was a good one. Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 1 3:45

And now I'm excited to dive into your story Kiani, and I really learned about you. So for people that are listening to our show for the first time, especially season seven of holding down the fort. Well, first and foremost, if you've been following our show, this season is brand new, the way that we approach it our mission. Everything is completely brand new because we are so fortunate to have partnered up with the Rosi network and feature their cohort members and their chapter leaders. And amongst those people is Kiani Washington. So she has really she has given us the honor to hear her story. And you know, her journey as an entrepreneur and I'm just excited to eat it all up. So let me go ahead and first start by asking you, I think I think as I as I flush this out with you like I always like to consider interviews like a team effort. I really want to start off with the story of like, how did you even become an entrepreneur and we talked about this offline. And for you, I know that you don't even know what the word was before you started becoming it. So tell us a little bit about that.

Speaker 2 4:52

got my cosmetology license in: 2005

Speaker 1 6:03

Love it. So considering how you technically been in the space for what is that 13 years? What is your understanding of entrepreneurship today?

Speaker 2 6:12

Who aren't you entrepreneurship? Okay, so it is the ability of a person to, like you have these thoughts about innovation, that's probably the best way I can think of it like, you come up with so many different ideas, new things. I think entrepreneurship and business ownership are not in the same space. Because you can be an entrepreneur and not really own like, particularly own like, normally, when people own businesses like that, once that business, that's all they do. But entrepreneurs continue to come up with new innovative ways to do things. And you might, I might open up a grocery store. And next week, I might turn that grocery store and put a cafe in. And then the next week, I might say it needs elevators, so people can go in here and exercise. And it's like we're always our mind is always racing. And we can always come up with something new, and fresh all the time, something innovative, and not all the 10 is always to help someone else. Like that's what I've found as an entrepreneur.

Speaker 1 7:21

I love that. So it's like a constant creator, you know, a constant opportunity seeker. And I love how you ended it by saying at the end of the day, the entrepreneur is always finding a way to serve someone. So I think that's beautiful. Yes, yes. Yeah.

Jen Amos 7:37

tarted working for a salon in: 2011

Speaker 2 8:08

concern? Sorry, yeah, I would say concern, like, they're, they nobody around me, like nobody in my family was actually like, not just working for someone else. So for me to say, I'm going to go work for someone else. And I don't have this benefit package of medical, dental 401k and all this stuff, you know, because that's what people think about they think about the thing that's gonna sustain you through your life and then retirement, when you know, as an entrepreneur, I can go buy insurance, like just like you pay for insurance, I can go pay for insurance, I can, you know, I can get a 401 K through a bank, I can do all of those things. And it just be on my own dime, like as the money that I made versus like having to deal with a company and going through all that and then you know, when you leave that company, like you can lose all that I'm still keeping mines because I'm paying for it. So yeah, I did their concern was more so for that and like I said, they just, you know, nobody really nobody was an entrepreneur really are and then you know, I didn't really know what the word was. So of course, they didn't know what that mean. So it was just like, are you really gonna Are you my mom kept saying, but you don't have insurance and I'm pretty sure I can go to the VA I'll be okay. You don't have dental Okay, I'll just brush my teeth really good and floss that stuff and it will be fun. But yeah,

Jen Amos 9:37

you know, I can absolutely relate because I also come from a family where the aspiration is to be is to have a stable job in the middle class. You know, my parents my family had come from a third world country from the Philippines and, and and you know, they come from I come from family farmers and part of why my dad joined the US Navy, from my theory. As you know, to give us more economic opportunities, and so really their aspiration was what you typically hear, you know, go to school to get the good dritten good grades to get good job, the good benefits, you know, to get house, the car, the family, you know, on and on and on. And as great as those things are, I was very fortunate that the majority of my family had already achieved that. And I'm here thinking, Well, you already did that. Let me see if I can do something different. And you really love how you're like, you know, I can get my own insurance, I can do all that. Because that's definitely something I had to figure out also, like, I remember I was like, Okay, well, for whatever reason, I was under this assumption that benefits were only available at a corporate job, or like, you know, like, for whatever reason, I thought, that's the only thing

: 10:46

I know. It's the way the world is it makes you think like that, like, we can't get those things like,

: 10:53

exactly. And then I just remember, I used to go to a lot of business networking events. And of course, the two main people, the two main professions, I feel like I always run into maybe three that are run into it. But networking events are like realtors, life insurance, life insurance agents, and I think like financial advisors. Yeah. So I feel like I was able to get a lot of knowledge from them. And learning that I can get my own insurance, my own benefits, like you said, and also working with the tax preparer to help you like write off things, right, that you're paying for, because that is a business write off for, you know, for you to, you know, pay for, like, like medical care, for example, or paying for continued education. Like I can write off all the audio books that I bought, because that's continuing education for entrepreneur, but like just knowing that there's a different way to do your taxes as a self employed person. And, of course, if you don't come from that background, if you don't, you don't have people in your family modeling it, then of course, they're concerned, right?

: 11:50

Yeah, they were really concerned, like real, my mom was really concerned. But yeah, the crazy thing about it is like this, this world, maybe last year, or the year before last, I found out that my great, great, great, you had to do the numbers Great, great. My grandfather, actually was an entrepreneur, like he owned 600 acres of land. He was a mortician. Wow. Um, he also like, put on these events all the time. And I'm like, yeah, it's been in my blood the entire time. And he's been trying to stop me from Who else wants

: 12:24

to be? Yeah, well, there you go. Like you're the descendants and your great, great, great, great, great, grandfather. Great, great. goes on in you. And I love that I love how you're able to, in a sense, kind of balance out the the family dynamic by Yeah, you know, in a sense, like being reincarnated like your grandfather kind of being reincarnated into you. Not that I'm into, like, reincarnation or anything. But you know what I'm trying to say? Right? Yeah. Yeah. Awesome. Well, yeah, I think that's, I just love how you took that initiative. Because one of the themes that I know, the Rosie network often talks about, and what our company talks about is self sufficiency. And I think part of self sufficiency is just having a general curiosity of what else is there? You know, what are other options? And I am kind of curious on your end, like, how did you even discover that you could get your own benefits?

: 13:17

Um, well, one, I did know that after I got out of the military, that we could get health benefits. So I did sign up for health benefits to the VA. And you know, as your if you have disability ratings, as it goes up, then your as your percentage goes up, then that determines like, if you have co pays or like what they'll see you for so because mine is like, on the higher side, I pretty much can get seen for any and everything. So I just basically just learned that I could go to the VA was the first thing for help. And then for dental I learned through just looking on my app for USAA. Because I think what USAA and I ended up saying, like, they know, I was like, what? I can get my stretch through here. So it was like a cheaper, right? Like, I was like these people worried about it, then I could do all this stuff. Yeah, yeah. That we literally have learned. Yeah,

: 14:17

that's awesome. And I think it's just that that desire to seek it out. And to see what options are available, I think is, I think is quite admirable. Because one thing I often find in our community is, you know, you, you, you What You See Is What You Get, there's kind of this perception of like, you know, all you have are your your benefits are all you have are the next orders to the next duty station. But the fact that you decided to think outside of the box and see what other options are available for you even even through a place you already do business in which is your bank. Yeah, you know, I think that's great that you, you know, did that self education because I think sometimes it's just, it's, it's in a sense, and I say this respectfully, I say this respectfully. It's like safer, you know, safer You know, quote unquote, to just, you know, go with what is already available to you,

Unknown Speaker: 15:05

I think, right? Go with the flow.

Jen Amos: 15:07

Yeah, there you go go with the flow. So I want to, I find your, I found your story really interesting. And I'd love for you to tell, tell us tell our listeners about this where, you know, you, you have this long history of entrepreneurship before calling it entrepreneurship. And there's been a number of instances where I call it the, and then this happened, you know, and so go ahead, and, you know, tell us all these end bends, you know, starting with, yeah, so, you know, starting with, you know, let's say, let's say, going back to, when you were working daycare still, until you were ready to do full time as a professional writer, and then kind of like how your journey went on from there.

: 15:49

Um, so I was working at the daycare. At this time, I'd had my cosmetology license since 2005. If so, I had been working at the daycare about that much time, and it was like 2011, and I love the kids, I was actually part time. But it really felt more like full time that I was going from, like, 10 to six. So it's like really felt like full time. But after I would get off work, I will go do hair. So it's like, I was still continuing to do what I've always done. But then in the military to like I was still doing when I was in the Navy. But it came to a point where the daycare stuff was like, Okay, we either need you full time, or we're gonna have to let you go. And I was like, it was like, Okay, I should have already jumped out there and done it for like, been in the salon full time. But I'm something I still had a little bit of fear that I wouldn't be able to be successful or be more, so I'll be able to take care of myself, like pay all my bills and things of that nature. So I didn't jump out there. But once they gave me that, we need you to either go full time, or I was like, Okay, I'm gonna go full time and I let it go. The teachers told the kids and so they were like miski. So when they told them, I actually ended up staying until those kids graduated from. And then I went full time into the salon. So that was like the first and then as I went into the salon full time, and 2011 and I had been there up until about 2014 20 1314 and a knee injury, acid stained and bootcamp started, it started bothering more, I had had a surgery in 2007, I believe, but now we're starting to like, get aggravated again. And so my I kept saying my hip, but after going into like therapy, and so they were actually saying it was coming from my back. So you never know that knee injury, it helped everything on that side of your body, it could affect so after that, I was like, Okay, I think it's probably time for me to like, come from behind the chair. But I didn't want to leave my interest. Like I love the industry. So I was like, Okay, let me learn something else. Let me learn something else in this field so that I'm not actually standing on my feet. So I went to school for aesthetics, which is skin, I got that license and I chickened out, reverted back to what I always know which is braiding because it comes so natural to me. I reverted back to it but again, like I'm still getting aggravated, like my knees still getting aggravated. And that pain, you know, on the side, which felt like hip pain, which was back pain. So, in school I learned in when you were in skin school, you learned a lot about skiing, right? So I was like I want to make a product. So I made the product myself I developed it I formulated I did the whole thing made a whole lot of products. And I started going out there and I branched off I kind of dial back a little bit from working in the salon and I started to focus more on the product side and so I would go just I would drive anywhere within a radius of I think like an hour and a half to any salon barbershop spa. I don't care if it was black, white, orange, green, I don't care who it was. I just would go into the salon, introduce myself and say hey, these are my products while blah and I just did that for I did that for months like in 2017. So from 2011 I went to a salon and then went to school in 2015 2016 made the product 2017 got out there and just hit the streets running, telling everybody about it. In 2018, was the end then? Because I had gotten like a good momentum going. And I ended up becoming a homeless veteran in January 2018. At the same time, I was actually going through some fertility stuff. I just had that appointment. And so I was like, oh my god, like, I was like, pretty much I was just like, oh my god, there's, like, Oh my god. So um, I spent my time from probably like Jake February ish, to always just kind of bounce back and forth from like, four houses. So there was as far as being able to really jump into like that product side that I had, like, spent all that time trying to get the momentum going for it. I wasn't able to do it much. But I did have two barbers and like I said to barbers, one of them. At the time, he was like, he called me key, he like key. He said, I know you haven't stopped selling the products. He was like, I need some I need some. And I was like, Oh, I can't get to everything's in store. He said, What do you need to do as I need to get him out? He was like, Okay, tell me a time. And I'll meet you over there. And he came over there, and we like, pulled everything out, just so he could get this product. That's how much it meant. Like, that's how valuable the product was, for this man to tell me, he's gonna leave work to come and help me get this out. So that was that. And then and then once I got back on my feet, and probably it was like August of 18. I went, ended up in the homeless veteran programs or heard that program. And a coordinator asked me, for when I was trying to go to school, she was like, what was your holdup, and I was like, I didn't have a place to stay. So I ended up getting a place to stay in this. Like, in January is when I found out about an entrepreneur program. And I did it. It was in Philadelphia, it's called, it's through IBM F in this EBV program. That's when I learned about entrepreneurship. That's first time I have a pitch to business that's like, oh my god, this is great. I love these people weren't they been on my life? So once I got a little taste of it, I was like, oh my god, like, these are the only people I want to be around. Love it. So I started going to the University of Alabama, they had a program that was similar for students and staff. I got into that program. And again, I was doing good. They were showing me like okay, this is what you do this how you do this, how you get this together. So by 2019, I had gotten my LLC. And that was December to 20. Yeah, December, I think it was like December. No, it was it was April 2019. So all that time, I was like preparing because I had decided to do like a relaunch. By this time on the products. I was like they've helped me so much. I'm gonna do a relaunch. So I decided to do a relaunch. In February of 2020 Did the relaunch and then our best friend,

Unknown Speaker: 23:14

our good old friend

Unknown Speaker: 23:17

in the whole wide world COVID. And then it was like, Ah, so I was like, okay, so I spent just that time of course, like all the people, I was just at home.

: 23:36

Eventually, like, the guys were like, Hey, we need products. So we kind of figured it out so I could get them product. And 20 What was it, I decided to go back to school again, because I was like, you know, maybe work it actually helped me more as getting my cosmetology educators license, the more I know, the more I've learned, like through experience, and now I can educate, I can provide an education sector in the same you know, in the same field. So this is definitely like continuing to pull me off of my feet. The whole goal is to stay in the industry but off of my feet because I wanted to be healthy enough when I had my own children. So I got my educator, I was going to school for educator, I was like getting ready to finish 2021 What was that? No in the 2020 end of 2020 I was getting my education license I was about the finished game, going into January. About three days before Christmas. I cut my thumb and then I put it so bad to the team into where I had to have surgery. So that meant that literally meant no more standing on my feet because I actually could not use my hands to do so at that was like the end.

: 24:57

doubt that you should move on at least like I move on from braiding that was like good for you. That

: 25:02

was it. That was like, honey. Like it's time. The crazy part about it is, I had worked at Ulta. As a skin therapist, I have worked for this company called salon for seniors, and we did hair and nails at nursing home independent. I've done all of this stuff in between, like, making the products and, you know, and I'm still trying to go back and bray like, Kenny, you have all so it was like when comfort zone

: 25:28

right? Or something. And, and that's something I wanted to ask you like when you had like kind of going back a little bit, when you had that realization that oh my gosh, I have, you know, I have a lower back problem. Like I can't stand on my feet for very long. I imagine that there was a grieving process for you. Like I'm sure I'm sure this moment of you cutting your thumb was like the final moment. I was like, like, tell us about Tell me about that grieving process. Because it's, I'm sure it wasn't easy, because that was a that was your natural talent, and you enjoyed it. And then obviously, throughout the years, you still kept going back to it like an ex boyfriend you shouldn't go back to right. That's like one of those days. And so So tell me about that. Tell me about like that mindset in that process for you.

: 26:09

It was it was hard. It was hard. Because once again, I really loved that it was like the first thing I learned it came so natural to me. And then a lot of times I will feel bad for my clients because they couldn't find other people to give them the service that I realistically I babied my clients, they, they were just babies. So yeah, so it was like letting them go and like, like sending them out in the world with these people that would not give them the same experience and making sure that they had healthy hair. Like with all of my education and experience. I was like, okay, even though they're getting braids as protective styles, they still need to have healthy hair and scalp underneath that. So they were appreciative. So, for me, it was hard to let like, and I had I had actually ended up getting these two clients. And I mean, they, I mean, I love them so much. So I had these two families that had adopted black children, and they were two Caucasian families that adopted black children. And they, you know, they didn't really know like they did all they could and I just hated how people were abusing the fact that they would pay. So I really, I was like, I didn't want to let like I didn't want to sit my heart for really helping people was more I think more the fact that like, really kept me staying in like staying behind the chair versus like, being more conscious that my body needed me not to be behind the chair anymore. So um, even through school, even while I was getting like my educated was I was still trying to breathe. I'm like, girl.

Jen Amos: 27:57

Sounds like sounds like I'm saying this jokingly but it sounds like a codependent relationship, because it's like you even had your clients be dependent on you. Right? It's the it was hard for them to find someone new and they're like Keanu, like, can you still do my hair, please? You know, and so, I mean, obviously, it was very important to you, you didn't just love reading but it sounds like you love your clients, you love taking care of them. And so it makes sense that it was it was a long, you know, long drawn out grieving process for you, you know, up until you cut your thumb.

: 28:35

When I taught my thumb it was like, I couldn't even do my hair. So like I can't even and I'm talking about the simple stuff like I couldn't even really wash my hair. So I luckily and I go st luckily but it was a good thing. My hair was already braided when I cut my finger. So I didn't really have to worry about it as much but I did have to come down and I eventually had to you know wash my hair but yeah, that was it was it was it was hard even now they still try to pull me like today they'll be like oh my god I just remember like if I post something oh my god those hands I just remember and I'm just like Nope, just keep remembering that employee back and

Unknown Speaker: 29:20

it's not healthy anymore. You need to move on.

: 29:22

I need to move on my mom still does the same thing. She was like what are you gonna do my hair like that? Like what are you gonna do my

Unknown Speaker: 29:31

she's like, Okay, I know you're retired however.

: 29:34

Why are you going to do my hair? Oh man. I'm like I don't even want my own here. But yeah, it was it was it was very hard it was and like I said those last two families what really solidified like okay, this is it like I cannot do this anymore is literally time to after had cut my finger and I got the I ended up having two surgeries the first year During the, we're not gonna say it was a doctor, but it was the doctor. So it was.

Unknown Speaker: 30:07

I don't blame the doctor, but I blame the doctor.

: 30:10

Even though I cut my own finger as I was going to therapy, she was like, yeah, he should have, like, I was learning all of the things that he was supposed to do, in my post care that he wasn't doing that would have helped me heal faster. So she was like, Yeah, I've done all I can do I'm sorry, I'm gonna have to have another surgery. I was like, Oh my god. So this is from like, January to June. Wow. And so after I had that second surgery, I was like, Okay. It was like, I had afterwards I had I did, I had done my hair. And I did like this whole video just to say like, and I don't know if you can see there's still a scar there. You see, it

: 30:52

isn't like on the lower part of your thumb. Oh, I see it. Yeah. It's kind of display. Right.

Unknown Speaker: 30:58

Yeah. So,

: 31:02

so if you're watching this? Yeah. If you're just go on YouTube right now. Yeah. Okay, Kiani some.

: 31:08

So, um, I had done my hair. It took me a while, but I had done it. So again, one of those little clients that I just had this, you know, and like the family, it was the family, like, I love that they, I would go to their house. Like it was a whole thing. I would be there. The dad was just like, it was just an experience, like being with them. And you know, and like the kids, it wasn't just the little girl that I was doing here. It was like, the mom, the dad, the other kids, like, everybody's like, we're all having conversations about her hair and this like all things. So I tried to do her hair. And I did and I said, I said Nope, this is the speed that I had. It was gone. And I was like, I can't I can't do it anymore. So I completely left it alone. That was I don't even remember. Exact. I know, it was like 2020 21 I think. And I completely left it alone. It was hard. I didn't want to leave it. They were like, well, if you decide we'll come to you. Because by then I have moved and everything they were like will work we will drive that hour to you. And I was like no, no, I think that's it. Yeah, so I now is like, Okay, now you can focus on your products you can focus on you know, doing the education side. I had gotten married and I was prepared like okay, now I can go ahead and like, found that I was pregnant.

Unknown Speaker: 32:44

Lovely hashtag and then y'all, I'm sure I know. Seriously, like that's gonna be the title of this episode somehow. Yeah.

: 32:59

So yeah, so once I found I was bringing it in, I was still trying to make the products but like, we had already like, tried to move everything. That was going to be my whole workshop area. But you know, being pregnant, I can't move all this stuff that I need to move around and do all of this extra stuff. So I was I did what I could still with those same two bars, they stuck with me, I will tell you, they have stuck with me even through all the crazy they have stuck with me. So I did like try to fulfill their orders. But as far as like really trying to get like the products out there as much as I could, it was just hard because you know, you're pregnant, you don't know if you're gonna fall asleep, why you sitting on the couch or why you walk it, you know? So once I had him, the Rosie network, like, I don't even know where I saw it. I can't even remember. But I saw it. And I went ahead and filled out the application and got into the program. And once I got into the program, I think it was it was just my time. I wouldn't say maybe it was it just might have been my time because I think for when I hear like some people give their reviews or when they like it's a little different from me is because like I was already ready. Like I wasn't like trying to prepare figure it out. Like I was already ready. So everything that they were saying like as we were going through the program, I was trying to like they were like, find mentors. So instead of just using the resources, like I got on LinkedIn and started typing out people's names and my industry in my posts and saying, Hey, I need a meeting with you. And I got one and I ended up getting one of my mentors is one of the one of the top on the education side, one of the top industry leaders in my field. So you know, I was telling liking what they were saying and like rolling with it at the same time like I was trying to at the same time having my little infant with me he did the whole program with me right? We did. Partner yeah my business partner even now if I have somewhere to go he's like right there I go deliver product he's right there. I did a workshop he was right there. So it's been though all those events, but I I feel like right now like after the Rosina network, I will say like, the things just started like rolling in place, the where, where they needed to be where they should be. different opportunities meeting. I think his name is Bill Barnett and getting a video done and learning through him about the guy that does the website, which actually does the Rosi networks website, too. So just all of those things are like now like, pushing me to go forward. And my old professor. Oh, yeah, I have a bracket. I have associates in broadcast communication. Yeah, that was one of those and things. But what the professor at that time that took the graphics class for she actually did my new graphics for my logo and my, my label. And I was asking her, I was like, Okay, what's my fee because I was prepared. Like, at this point, going through the resident, I was like, ducks in a row. I was prepared. I had money set aside like, this is where she was like, it's gonna be on the family discount. So nothing. I was like, Wow. You know, logos. Yeah. Yeah. They, and then labels for the products. Yeah, they, they start reaching up there. Yeah, I just felt like all of those endings, all of those lessons, learn all of that growth, and then being able to get into the Rosie program, because I was so mentally prepared, even though I had my son at the time. Um, it I just think it's, it's just time it's just time, like, yes. Like, I think it was that final like, Okay, God, like, oh, you finally let go that chair, huh? Okay, now we can roll with like, you've been holding your own cell phone trying to stand behind the chair?

: 37:31

Yeah. Wow, that is deep. Yeah. Wow. I feel like I need to take a moment. And it's crazy. Because, I mean, first and foremost, like, what I really admire is your grit, you know, you stayed in the game. And even though you couldn't, you know, RAID anymore, you stayed in the industry, and you found ways to adapt and evolve. And, you know, throughout that you were still able to get loyal clients, especially the barbers, you know, that are still asking for wholesale, you know, prices on your products. It's, you know, I think it's just absolutely amazing and a testament to your, your, your, I guess, desire to be in this kind of lifestyle, and more importantly, to serve, to serve people the way you want to serve them, you know, with the products that the way that we're the way I'm sure that you're educating me about this industry? It's, it's very admirable.

Unknown Speaker: 38:24

Thank you. I love it.

: 38:27

Yeah. Yeah, for sure. So, um, and then let me just sidebar real quick and make sure I'm on track here. I'm just making sure I'm checking off some things that I saw all the we did all the events. And we did all that. And the rose network, and oh, and then your forever website. You already talked about that. And okay, cool. So at this point, I want to start wrapping up with like, kind of like big, big lessons or big takeaways that you want to share to not just like military connected entrepreneurs, but also like people in our military community. And it sounds to me that I'm sorry, let me jump back in sorry, Dennis. He's, he's probably like, when do I cut out this part? Okay, so um, alright, so Kiani I some jump back in. So just officially saying that. So Kyani I just really enjoyed listening to your story. And I think the last 30 minutes we've been, you know, talking here and I, I feel like there's so much to take away from your story, whether it's for entrepreneurs or military connected entrepreneurs and just our you know, just our military community as a whole. And I think like the first thing that comes to mind for me is like, give me a second. Get my notes because I remember it took us somewhere. So I already set the positive attitude or the grids and, okay. community of support. Okay, yeah. So let me let me rephrase this differently. So Kyani at this stage of your life, as we start to wrap up here, and you're you're looking back, what are some main takeaways you would like to share to our listeners? And this could be listeners who are who are military connected entrepreneurs? Or, you know, people in our military community, what would you like to share with them about your story?

: 40:19

Um, I think one of the biggest things probably when I was that I learned myself when I was actually like, a homeless veteran. And when I had to go out and sell the products, because it was easy to sell myself as a writer, because they're seeing my work on somebody else's. But to to know that these products are going to work, even though I've been in the industry this long, is a different thing. And one of the biggest things that I learned was do it anyway. So every time that fear will come up, like, for whatever they ask you this question, or what if, what if you don't say the right things? Or what if they look at you crazy, or whatever, it was always like those things in your mind that you just no play to downplay your own sales really. I had to every time I would roll up, like drive up to a salon or a barber shop or spa. And I'm like, Yeah, I'm gonna just keep going. And then I was just say, do it anyway. So my steps were, get out the car, like, get out the car, and get this bag out the car, and just take the steps and walk in there. And that was something I learned when I was going through my like I said, as a homeless veteran. I think I had an anxiety attack. I'm not sure I was, I wasn't, it wasn't like, diagnosed. But I was sitting in a chair. And I had just come from school. And I was actually had my entrepreneur class that evening. And I couldn't move. And literally, I couldn't move. And I was like, oh my god, I can't move like, and I never felt the weight. It was so much weight on my body. And like, I could not move my body. And I was like, oh my god, I cannot move. And I was just sitting here, like, I gotta be a class in like, 20 minutes, and I cannot move my body. And the only thing I could think of was like, just put on my shoes. Wow. So I was like, okay, just put the shoes on. And I was like something about putting those shoes on. I was like, okay, okay, just start walking. And so I just walked down my stairs I got in my car. And it was like this, just keep going just like I just kept saying, just keep going. Just keep going. Like it was it was, I think it was like the weight of like, all of the things because by this time, I think it was like 20, maybe 28 in the 2018, early 2019. So I think it was just all of that weight. Yes. That Oh, my body at that particular day. And I think like a couple a week before that somebody had hit my car. It was like so much stuff. And I was just like, oh, so I just couldn't move that day. And I the only thing I could think of was like, Oh yeah, and then I forgot, like I had to my dad had had a stroke, also. And then I had to fly out to California. And I had to decide, regardless of what my family wanted, I had to make a decision. And I made the decision to put them in a nursing home and it was like, Oh, it was rough because I had to leave home. And you know, if you know you have that they're kind of happier needed, but they're kind of like it was like all of that plus all the stuff that I had gone through the fertility. I had had surgery, all while I'm homeless veteran now. So you can imagine covering up people's houses like all this stuff is gone. Yeah, so I think all of that just said, and it just sat on my body. And I was just like, You know what, just just put on your shoes. That's all you can do. That's the most you can do is put the shoes on. And then just putting on the shoes, gave me enough to like stand up and walk. And I actually ended up writing a book called is the interactive motivational notebook called put on your freakin shoes and walk because they have it. Like it's like what else do you have? Once you put your shoes on, you have to do something. It's like you can't just sit there with shoes and you got it. Yeah, you got to put your feet down. Once you put them on, you got to put them feet down so you might as well stand up. Yeah. Those were the biggest two things like just just put them shoes, put those shoes on and just keep it going forward. And then when you get when that fear just pops up and you just do it anyway, it just kind of a lot of times you, you really, you get that, like, I really can't do this anymore feeling like it comes to that point like I'm exhausted, I really can't do this. But on the other side of that for entrepreneurs, there's like this deep rooted, like, deep rooted seated passion that just won't allow you to not do something. Yeah. And sometimes you don't even know what it is. But you just start writing down the things that come out of your brain. And then eventually, something evolves. But like I said, my biggest two takeaways was put them back on shoes on your feet and get up. And do it anyway. Because eventually, you know, through all the heartache, the pain through all the whatever, because a lot of people will say, well focus, you know, if you keep that focus, that dadgum focus goes out the door. Yeah, Elling you, that thing says, I left, I'm not here anymore. So it's one of those things where you have to take the little things because focus is something that you have to mentally try to do. But you can take your hands and put your shoes on and put your feet down and stand up. And you can just do something anyway. Like, even if you don't want to do it, you can just do it anyway. So, but trying to make yourself focus that takes more time, it takes more time to me just put my shoes on. So

: 46:39

yeah, I think I think in those moments focusing seems too far of a stretch or seems vague of a picture. And when you just dial it down, and you just say you know what, you could just put on your shoes, you got your shoes on, you might as well get up, you might as well walk, you might as well do something. And I really, and I definitely relate in regards to like, when you feel like maybe you're at your lowest point or you feel like there's nowhere to go, what you do have is movement you have you can I remember, one of the mantras I used to say to myself is, you know, I can just take life moment by moment, I don't have to, I don't have to think about next year, I don't have to think about next month, I don't have to think about next week, I don't have to think about tomorrow, I could just think I don't even have to think about tonight, I just think about this moment. And sometimes that's more than enough. And I've come to learn that like, you know, your purpose. Like your purpose could be found in your present and sometimes that purpose is to just move and and trust that it's gonna get you somewhere. So I, I just really appreciate hearing that story. Because I think that any other person, any other veteran, for that matter, any homeless veteran, you know, as we know, veteran suicide is very common, unfortunately, in our community. And the fact that you had all the end ends, let's just make a list. I feel like I'm gonna have like an infographic of all the and then I'm, like, visualizing it already. But But anyway, you know, I feel like you could have had every AMI, you could have had any reason to just fold and say, That's it likes it. That's it, forget. And yeah. And so you had that fire in you. And I know that in regards to like the military, the military community and even in the veteran community. It could be easy to just to just do that. So it's my hope that when people hear your story and know that you did what you did the Do It Anyway, philosophy and put your freakin shoes on, right? I hope that our listeners will really be moved by that and knowing that here you are, you made it on the other side, you you still have a very lively, vibrant, you know, personality, and you still have your your clients and you're married, you have a son, and it's just like, like you, you I'm not saying that you'd like reach the destination, but to see your journey from you know, let's say going all the way back to 2005 till now. It's what an incredible story. I mean, do you recognize that your story is kind of awesome.

: 49:12

artists know, like, a lot of times I don't and then I've and then I had to remind myself like, yeah, get really like one of the things that I was actually president of the Alabama women in business, and I didn't really think anything of it. But I had to I had a I think it was a mint. I did a coaching call. And the lady was like, I need you to find some people to write like, you know things about you just kind of write some things about you. And I was like, Okay, that should be pretty simple. So the lady that actually sponsored me to be in the organization itself. She like wrote this whole thing and she was like, Yeah, and you took it on when it was about to be dissolved and he turned it around and I was like Oh, wait, I didn't do that, like I had, like, I think, I guess so I get tunnel vision. And my tunnel vision just says make it work. Do what it takes to make it work, solve the problem, like there's a problem that needs to be solved, figure it out and solve it. And I don't take the time to just really think about, oh, you've done this magnificent thing, because I'm like, Yeah, people need assistance. People need help, something needs to be fixed, some there's a problem, there needs to be an answer, there needs to be a solution. So that I just go for that. And so the story of how I get there never really dawns on me until somebody says, You, you remember, did you? And I'm like, for what? I'm like, You're right, I did. So yeah, I do hope that my story does help someone. You know, in the military community, like I said, so many people, their suicide is high in our community, and I would just want them to know that, like, whatever that situation is, at the present time. It's not forever, like, it's just for a season or for a moment, it could just be for those five minutes that sitting right there. And then like, in the next 10 minutes, it could be something different. So yeah, um, you know, just, whether it be entrepreneurship that you choose, or whatever it may be, like, you know, just know that that particular heart situation that it is right at the moment, like me, laying on the bed, you know, doing the fertility stuff, and then learning that I do not have good flow in my tube. So if you don't have good flow, you cannot have children. So I could have been like, you know what, I just but my mindset was, you know, what, let me get my body healthy. So just know that there's always something like the bad news has a solution, like problems have solutions. So just, you know, take that as problems are supposed to be solved as in math like, Right? Absolutely. Is there supposed to be a solution? And I think that's why like, stuff comes up, and they're supposed to be a solution to it. So

: 52:19

yeah, I love it. I feel like you just dropped so many life lessons there that are that our community can take away. And I think it's, it's about like, listening to that listening to your inner voice in those darkest moments. And, you know, we're saying yourself, like, Hey, do it anyway, you know, make it work. Put your frickin shoes on, you know, etc, etc. Put them thank God.

Unknown Speaker: 52:43

me think of my granddaddy, go get it.

: 52:47

I love it. I love it so much. Well, Kiani, I just want to make sure that you are able to share everything that you wanted to share to our listeners. So are there any final, any final takeaways that you want to share? Any other final closing thoughts? And then this is just a sidebar thing. The last question I'll ask you is if you have anything to ask me in general, so it's kind of like ask me anything kind of moment afterwards. But so let me just jump back in. So yeah, any final thoughts you want to say? Or did I squeeze everything out of you?

: 53:16

I think you squeezed everything out of me. But I will say congratulations on all of your future endeavors. Because you will get there no matter what it looks like right now. Congrats. I'm gonna congratulate you ahead of time. I applaud you. You made it, you did it. You put those dadgum shoes on your feet. And you did it anyway. So if nothing else, just hear me saying that in your head, put them dadgum shoes on your dog on feet and get up. Get out and do it anyway. Let that ring in your head. But that's that's pretty. Like I say congratulations to all of you on all of your endeavors. I know you're gonna do great.

: 53:57

I love that pep talk. Well, thanks, county. We we very much appreciate your time. And I want to thank you again for joining us. Yeah, and as a last Bonus Question, because very often as a podcast host, I make it a sense, I make it my sense responsibility to make it about, you know, the guests that I'm interviewing, but I like to nowadays for this new season. I like I want to turn the table around and see if you have any, like one questions. We're not we're not going to start a whole other interview here. But like one question you'd like to ask me before we wrap up?

: 54:30

Um, my question to you would be, um, you guys were doing something totally different. What was that? I think we should do this type of what was that moment? Like? You know what, we should do this now?

: 54:50

Yeah, that's a great question. Thank you for asking. So, um, you know, I often I often say on the show that I started, I started the show Out of curiosity and market research, you know, having been removed from the military community for 20 years, and then meeting my husband and getting, you know, serving our military community today. I felt in a weird way, I had like the sense of imposter syndrome. I was like, who am I to like, you know, help help, like veterans and career military families, military retirees, etc, etc. And more importantly, like our seasoned spouses. And so it was important for me to be like, you know, what, let me just like, lead with curiosity. And that's kind of how this show shows birth. And throughout the, yeah, throughout the six seasons, the first six seasons of the show, I was very open to kind of anyone who wanted to be on the show, I had a general I had like, a broad goal of just sharing resources and tools, from, you know, guests who want to be on the show. And then, you know, fast forward to fall of 2022. When we wrapped up the last season, I did, I definitely did some deep reflection. And I realized that in order for the show to survive, or in order for it to go on, because kind of like you it was, it was it was kind of like for me where it's like, okay, it's like, I don't want to end the show. I still want it to go on, but it's going to have to change the way it goes on. Yeah, and with every season, I feel like, I get a different fuel of inspiration. And so I really took a year, essentially, you know, by the time this episode is published, it'll be a year since the last season came on. And I really had to look inward. And more importantly, I had to talk to my husband again, because work together and I was like, okay, like, there has to be for this next season of my life, I have to do something that feels purposeful for me. And I was thinking about your story, when you were working in, I think, the acceleration program, and how you're like, oh, my gosh, entrepreneurs, like these are the only people I want to be around now. And, and so for me, that's basically how I felt, I thought, okay, I feel like I've interviewed, like a diverse group in our community. But now that you know, but now I realized I'm in a place where I just want to talk to more entrepreneurs in the community, like I want to know, because, you know, for me, part of my background is having been a military child and not being able to hold down a stable job in my young adult years, I was fired from for jobs in my younger years. Yeah, I know, I wear it like a badge. And, and, and I just remember, like, I remember, by my fourth job, my friend wasn't my best friend was like, Jen, I don't think you're meant for a job. So I got into sales, and I did all these things. And 12 years later, you know, here I am. And I just knew that I knew that there's a phrase that goes, your associations are everything. And kotlik, actually, a couple of phrases come to come to mind. Your associations are everything, you know, who you are, who you surround yourself with. And another one is if you buy into people's opinions you buy into their lifestyle. And all of that is to say, yeah, there was another one for you added to your list of mantras there. And, and so essentially, I just came to a place where I was like, okay, if I'm going to continue this journey of being an entrepreneur, I need to be around other entrepreneurs. And luckily, luckily, i for i, in a weird way, I kind of forgot that. My husband, Scott was part of the rose networks cohort, way back when, like, I think back in 2016 2017. And so we just decided to reach out to them. And here we are, yeah, here we are. It's they we just realized, it would have been the perfect partnership. Because, you know, while they while their mission is all about self sufficiency, its financial stability. Ours is the same with our company. The vehicles are different, you know, for them, it's entrepreneurship for us is through financial solutions in the private market. And so we wanted to find a way to like marry the two and obviously support each other and also get back to the Rose network because they they've given so much to us. And so this is, this is basically a manifestation of that. And it just feels like we've come full circle like it kind of feels like a homecoming. Oh, to be able to work with the Rosi network again. So, so thank you for being a part of this, but a part of the partnership. And I hope that answers your question.

: 59:08

It does. And I like that homecoming. That was so sweet. Yeah.

: 59:12

Cool. Well, Kiani, it's been an absolute pleasure speaking with you today, I want to thank you so much for your time and hearing your story. And I know our listeners are gonna get a lot of value out of this. In the post credits, I'll definitely let people know how they can get ahold of you, you know, to our listeners, you can check out the show notes of this episode. And with that said, I don't have a closing slogan yet, so I'm probably gonna add that later. So with that said to our listeners, thank you all so much for joining us, and we'll chat with you in the next episode. Tune in next time. All right, and they give me one second here.