#Girlcrush - Kiana Johnson
Tell us about yourself and your business
Hi babes! I’m a traveling business owner and mommy of two. I’m a Life & Business Coach with a B.A. in Psychology and an M.A. in Coaching, Mentoring, and Leadership! I enjoy helping other business owners from the initial launch and beyond. I work with my clients on their personal lives (confidence, mindset, goals, etc) along with their ultimate lifestyle and business goals. I provide social media training, website creation, and marketing all in one!
Along with my coaching services, I’m also a Brand Ambassador and Health/Wellness Coach. I offer a variety of products related to weight loss, skin and hair care, and essential oils. My wellness business actually started long before my coaching business and I’m equally as passionate about both.
My goal is to help my clients become the best version of themselves on the inside and out!
What inspired you to start your own business?
My time is my biggest inspiration and motivation! I have worked two jobs at a time since I was a teen and once I had children I realized that time with them is priceless. Time in general is priceless. Wasted time is worse than wasted money! I love to travel and that wasn’t possible with one or two 9-5 jobs where I already felt unfulfilled.
I knew that the only way for me to own and control my own time was to hire myself. That was three years ago and I’ve never looked back!
Is this your full time job?
Yes! I have worked from home since December 2014 and my businesses support my family full time! We travel frequently and I love being able to take my business on the road with me and help as many people as possible!
How do you structure your day?
This is a really funny question! I teach my clients to prioritize rather than structure/organize. So that’s what I do! I set daily goals and as long as I achieve them before I go to bed then I’m accomplished! I know my fellow moms and biz babes can definitely relate! Sometimes when we structure every section of our day it leads to disappointment. Which, in turn, leads to a sense of failure. So I decide to give myself grace! My day looks like prayer and journaling, spending time with my kids, 1-2 power hours where I focus solely on my businesses (emails, social media, etc), and time for work with my clients. I’m a firm believer in if it’s not important it shouldn’t take up much of your time! So I focus on the above: prayer, family, business, and clients. Super simple and very fulfilling!
Where and how do you work best?
I’m extremely passionate about what I do so I can really work when and wherever I want. With the intense traveling that I do, I’ve learned to work anywhere. The car, airport, bed, hotel, park, etc. Of course I have a home office, but I like to be out and about when creating content for sure! Sometimes inspiration hits you in the school pickup line and you have to pull out the voice record feature to get your thoughts out! Yes I do this regularly LOL
Are you currently running any promos/contests/giveaways that you would like our readers to know about?
I have a March promo on all services! The discount code is automatically applied when you go directly through my website. My coaching sessions, web design, and social media training are all very affordable because I want to make sure that new business owners can afford to start their businesses with ease and confidence. When I started out I couldn’t find web design under $500-$1000. I couldn’t find social media training at all. And my favorite coaches charge around $5000 for their services. I love that I’m able to offer these services to clients at any level in their career!
Where is your business based?
I live in TN but I travel across the country! Just in the last 2 weeks I have been to TX, Vegas, and Denver!
What were the first few steps you took to get your business up and running?
I just jumped right in! December 10th 2014 I started my health and wellness business and I honestly had no clue what I was doing. I built a strong team fairly quickly and everything took off from there!
In terms of coaching I feel that your credibility is everything. I started my Masters program in January 2017 to give me the credibility that I need to really be qualified to help my clients. Going back even further, my Bachelors degree in Psychology and counseling has also given me a great deal of tools needed to run successful businesses and help my clients on a personal level!
Aside from the background and certifications, the first thing that I did was social media marketing. We’re living in a virtual world and social networks run it! So I got my following up + created my website. Your social presence is everything these days.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness of your business and attracting new customers?
The most effective way of attracting customers is attraction marketing. It’s really about being confident, showing up, being coachable, and appealing to your target audience. They say if your mouth is closed so is your business. So showing up everyday and studying your target audience to better appeal to them is one of the most effective techniques that I’ve learned thus far!
What have been your biggest challenges so far and how did you overcome them?
My biggest challenge so far was learning email automation! I know it sounds crazy but learning this was one of the most frustrating experiences of my life!! The platform that I use had recently made some changes therefore all of the trainings were outdated. I had to teach myself. There were obviously long nights and times where I would just shut my laptop and curse. But I eventually figured it out and it’s one of my favorite tools to use and teach!
On a more personal level, restructuring my tribe has been a very difficult task. When you’re running a business you have to surround yourself with other high vibe and supportive people. I had to cut out the negativity and the people who don’t dream big. This meant losing friends and old business partners who had been in my life for 5-8 years! So yes, it’s hard. But I understand that it’s for the better. Some people are put into your life as a lesson and I accept that!
How do you keep motivated through tough times?
Motivation comes easy to me because of the mindset work that I have put in. I work very hard to keep my mind free and clear so when I am faced with an obstacle I can listen to what the universe is trying to tell me and act accordingly. I always take inspired action and never worry about HOW things will happen. I fully trust that everything happens for a reason and I have faith that everything works out for my greater good. My family and my ultimate dream lifestyle also keep me going during extremely rough times!
How do you distinguish yourself from your competitors’
I like to say that all business women compliment each other, we don’t compete. We are all unique in our own way and I don’t focus on competing with anyone. Instead, I focus on what I can learn from them and how I can bless them as well. This alone probably distinguishes me from others, but we are ALL unique in our own personalities and businesses.
What is the best advice you have received recently?
The best advice that I’ve received is from Kathrin Zenkina (who I will discuss a little more about later). She said “the Universe will never drop you on your ass”. This was so powerful!! No matter what, you’ll never be left high and dry. The only way that you fail is if you quit so every unfavorable event is a lesson learned. Kathrin also said “your version of rock bottom is to show you where you never want to be again”. Again, a very powerful statement! We hit rock bottom and take it as a sign that we aren’t doing what we should be doing when, in reality, it’s a reminder to never become complacent or else you’ll end up in that situation again!
What do you wish you had known when you started your business?
I wish I had known email automation! Lol But no seriously, I wish I had known more coaches with a similar niche so that I could build with them. I’m playing catch up now and learning from the more seasoned coaches. I love watching them and what they have to offer!
What are your biggest influences? Who do you admire most? Who or what inspired you to do what you’re doing now?
Kathrin Zenkina, who I mentioned earlier, has been a huge influence! She’s a money mindset coach and she’s absolutely amazing. She helped me completely change my mindset around business and my goals. She inspired me to just jump in and launch my business- ready or not! She taught me that money and opportunities are limitless and you have to go after the lifestyle that you want.
My biggest influence is my children. They look up to me and I want to show them a different lifestyle than the norm. I want to show them fun, travel, abundance, and freedom rather than stress and limitations. I’m leaving a legacy for them and it’d better be a damn good one!
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?
I have 3 pieces of advice that I would give any entrepreneur:
- Just do it! Launch it, send it, record it, create it, do it! Whatever your gut is telling you to do just go for it.
- Be confident and show up! Never go a day without showing up for your business. No matter if it’s social media, an email, a video, checking in with a client, or just jotting down some content. Do something for your business every single day no matter how you feel.
- Last one- work on yourself! If you’re not growing, you’re dying. Five minutes daily of a book, video, or podcast; or journaling, talking with your coach, or praying will go a long way! You can never do enough work on yourself.
What business tools/resources could you not work without?
I couldn’t go without the women’s groups that I’m in! I love being able to mass absorb everyone’s positivity and success! I can always pop in a group and see a beautiful boss babe sharing some exciting news and it just lights a fire under me. I also love being able to ask for advice in the groups that I’m affiliated with.
I would probably die without automation as well. Whether it’s emails, pre planning posts/blogs, reminders, etc. I love the apps and sites that offer these services and it would be very difficult to a run a business in 2018 without some of these!
Lastly, personal development is my biggest business tool! Prayer and pouring into myself is the ONLY way that I have become successful and it’s the only way to grow into the next level.
What surprising lessons have you learned along the way?
A very surprising lesson I’ve learned is that I’m in control of my life’s outcome. Many of you grew up the same way that I did hearing things like “life isn’t fair”. I’ve always felt that I wasn’t in control and I should just do the best that I can when in reality I AM in control! Life happens FOR me and not TO me. I’m not a victim. I have the same 24 hours in a day as Beyonce’ and I can achieve my ultimate reality if I choose!
Where would you like your business to be 5 years from now?
My business will only grow as far as my mindset, and you’re only as successful as the people you help! So I plan to travel as much as physically possible in order to reach and help as many people as I possibly can. Expansion is my goal!