This Founder Talks Pivoting Your Business in Order to Realize Your Goals

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I’m Muniyra Douglas, the Founder and CEO of Kito Productions. We provide custom packages for corporate event planning and services for small to medium sized events.

I originally started my business because we (my current team and I) were constantly contacted by colleagues and associates to assist — both individually and collectively — in event planning.

It eventually became a passion of ours to the point where we began orchestrating our own poetry shows, educational lectures, and things of that nature.

Between the three of us, we share a common denominator — we are hustlers in the purest sense. Meaning that we are unsatisfied with the mundane lifestyle and constantly strive for more. And entrepreneurship was our key.

I knew instinctively that we were destined to be more creative and successful in our future ventures, moving as a collective force. We are (and will always be) growing experts in planning management, event marketing and promotions, communications and artist management.

But even though our focus is event planning, we are so much more than that. I recently launched our blog this year where I provide motivation, tips and business insights for other young entrepreneurs, professionals and CEOs.

There is a product line coming up for the everyday business owner and we will be setting up webinars, phone conferences, doing giveaways and much more. I implore you to visit our website and sign up for our weekly newsletter to stay updated about what’s going on and to get weekly freebies!

After saying all that, I must admit that launching Kito Productions was a conglomerate of sheer terror, exhilaration and self-gratification. As I was now responsible for my own income (even though still on a part-time level); setting up meetings, generating leads; marketing campaign strategies, etc.

I tried to consume and learn as much as humanly possible, which at that time, was only through various reading source materials. But I soon realized that entrepreneurship was a realm that I couldn’t simply “read” into existence.

Because ideas are boring and mundane. Execution and action are the real excitement! Here are some tips that have helped me navigate through this cluttered world as a small business owner.

1. Ask for Help

It was not necessarily my full-blown ego that prevented me from asking for help, but my “independent, empowering female” attitude. Realizing that just because I can do everything, it doesn’t mean I should.

It was hard to start letting go of familiar tasks, as I only trusted myself to create this ideal image and world. Fearing that anyone else’s touch would completely skew my vision.

But it became so mentally and physically draining that I had no choice but to relinquish some of my work. Trust me, this change went a long way!

This new mindset allowed me to have some great conversations and meetings with industry professionals which I normally wouldn’t have entertained!

Simply because I saw “asking for help” as a sign of weakness and incompetence.

But I learned that it is quite the opposite, as some of the most successful people ask for help. It is probably the single greatest and most powerful tool you can use in your life and work.

2. Narrow Your Focus

It’s easy to want to attack everything as you don’t want to miss out on any opportunities. But it wasn’t until I re-focused Kito Productions’ purpose and goals did I start feeling more confident in our work.

Originally, I had set up the company to provide services for community-based events. But eventually, I really wanted to focus our abilities to one specific industry, yet had no clear understanding of how to go about this!

After a meeting with Christine Wong, a freelance writer at Ignite Magazine, I re-imagined the company and started working towards our new goals. Walking away from that meeting we learned to:

• Determine the target audience and provide a clear understanding of objectives
• Interact with other professionals in the industry

3. Build an Online Presence

Despite growing up in the age of the Internet, I have never been very fond of social media at all. In fact, I don’t care for it on any personal level whatsoever.

But since having an impactful conversation with Jo Riding at Karma Creative Solutions, I have gained the utmost respect for these platforms.

The way I look at it now? Free marketing and promotion! You have the potential to connect with millions of people around the globe via Facebook posts, blogging, podcasts and Instagram.

Given that everything has its time and place, I truly believe social media and digital marketing is the new wave of promotion and success.

In our short, 20-minute conversation — which I am not ashamed to say I frantically took notes — I did a complete 180 degrees on my social media stance.

4. Eliminate Fear

This element manifests itself in so many forms and is different for everyone. What holds us back in anything — whether it be life, relationships, work — is fear. It’s the fear of rejection and even fear of success. Yes, success!

Being afraid of success is arguably even worse than the fear of failure. I’ll tell you why; You are used to failing. Failing is inevitable. Everyone has failed at something.

We already have a set process that allows us to understand, cope and rationalize our failures. But so many of us have never experienced true success.

For most of us, the concept completely escapes us. I mean the type of success that garners rewards, recognition, wealth and inspiration from an audience.

That is absolutely 100% justifiably terrifying. Without a pre-disposition or experience to reference, we have no idea how success will feel or look like.

We fear those closest to us will question why would we want to do “better” (because when you become an entrepreneur, that’s exactly your message).

You’re saying: “I am willing to step outside of my comfort zone to create my ideal life.”

That is something others wish they had the courage to do. What is your ideal life? What does success look like to you? Until you remove all traces of fear, you will never be able to answer these questions.

Until you remove all traces of fear, you will never be able to answer these questions.

These are just some of lessons I’ve learned as a budding entrepreneur. Once you start implementing them you will begin to see things shifting and adjusting in all other facets of your life.

Keep your eyes and mind open to all possibilities and you’ll begin to encounter learning opportunities everywhere you look!

 

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