Today we’d like to introduce you to Kori Nicole.
Kori, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Kori Nicole, also known as K. Nicole or IAmKNicole on social media and I am a lifestyle and fashion influencer and content creator. I have two YouTube channels now. I have IAmKNicole which is my personal channel where I vlog and share my podcast called the Hello It’s Me, IAmKNicole podcast and I have Woosah With K which is my new creative venture where I share peaceful sounds and good vibes for working or studying, sleeping, meditating, and more.
I am also the CEO of five businesses: Crochet By K, Smudge Cosmetics LLC., Crown Royal Xtensions, Your Daily Dose Of Ko, and Smudge Hookah. I utilize my platforms to share my journey and my experiences being a young, black creator and entrepreneur. I continue to inspire thousands of people across the globe to start their own businesses and build something that they are truly proud of. I pride myself in pursuing all of my passions and not keeping myself in a box, building something from the ground up, and being able to create the life I had always dreamed of having as a child. My mantra is “If I can do it, you can do it too” and I encourage other passionate individuals to take a leap of faith on themselves and see how their journey unfolds.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It most definitely has not been a smooth road but that is what makes the journey beautiful. I have always had a love for photography and videography but I did not start creating content intentionally for social media until 2015. I started my YouTube channel at that time and started posting right away. In the beginning, I had so much momentum when it came to filming and editing. Consistency was like the back of my hand. I was so passionate and I was having such a fun time creating YouTube videos. Once my channel was monetized I was even more excited. As I continued to grow that is when I started finding inspiration in so many different things which led me to start branching out and trying new things. Juggling multiple things at once is probably never going to be a smooth road, but I have learned something from every mistake that I have made and I am grateful for that. I pride myself now in being transparent in my content and sharing the ups and downs because this is real life. I want my supporters to know that life and business are not always peaches and cream, but it is worth it. I want them to know that even though it is hard it isn’t impossible, and if I can do it they can do it too.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As an entrepreneur and content creator, my mission is to show others that there is no limit. I have my hands in so many different things, running multiple businesses, YouTube channels and more because this is exactly what I want to be doing. Growing up, I did not see a lot of people that look like me successful in the industries that I am working in. I really work hard every day to show people that you can reach all of your dreams, not just one of them. You just have to be ready to put in the work. Currently, I am managing two YouTube channels, a podcast, five businesses and multiple social media platforms for each business. I am most proud of the fact that I have started all of these beautiful ventures by myself with the help of my parents and my best friends. I am all about growing something from the ground up and I am doing just that with everything that I have. It is so rewarding to directly see and experience all of your growth and milestones right before your eyes. I think this is what sets me apart from others. Not everyone is ready to take on such a huge workload and put in the necessary work to make them all successful.
Right now I specialize in content creation first, the bulk of my day is filming and editing content for the various social media platforms. I have Smudge Cosmetics LLC. which is my cosmetics line that just hit 6 figures in September 2022, and in November 2022 celebrated 3 years in business. My cosmetics line expanded quickly in 2020 amidst the pandemic and it has been doing amazing ever since. I have Crochet By K which is my handmade crochet business which is actually the first business that I started as a senior in high school. Crocheting is a therapeutic and creative outlet for me because I love fashion and making pieces by hand. Celebrities like Sho Madjozi and Arica Himmel have rocked my signature piece which is my Shag Jacket. I am so grateful to be able to showcase my pieces to so many different audiences. I have Your Daily Dose of Ko which is my motivational and inspirational business. I share words of affirmation on my Instagram account and I have a beautiful sticker collection available. I have Smudge Hookah which is what I like to call my lit business because although I am a busy entrepreneur and businesswoman by day, I absolutely love to party and have fun with my loved ones. My hookah business was born after I became a huge homebody due to the pandemic. I fell in love with hosting events at my house and creating fun vibes at home in a more controlled environment. Even though I go out more now, I always love a good vibe at home with music, drinks and Smudge Hookah. Last but not least I have Crown Royal Xtensions which is the business that my mom and I created together for our luxury hair xtensions and wigs. We are literally a dream team and I am so happy to say that my mom and I built something amazing together.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I am definitely the queen of taking risks. I quit my job to pursue my business full-time 2 years ago and that was probably the best decision I could have ever made. It is a scary decision but sometimes you have to take a leap of faith. I would not have been able to scale my cosmetics line the way I did if I was also working a corporate job. It really does take 150% to grow something and you have to be ready to put all of your time and energy into it. I’m not saying that it is impossible to start a business and grow it while still working a 9 to 5, because I see it happen every single day. However, I know from personal experience that it is a lot more draining and some days you are just not able to get it all done which is okay. The moral of the story is that you have to do what works for you and what feels right to you. I trust my gut and the timing of the universe so whenever I feel the urge to take a leap, I go ahead and go for it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.smudgebyknicole.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/_iamknicole
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/iamknicole
- Other: https://linktr.ee/_iamknicole
Image Credits:
Zarea Khamphiphone Devin Gaston Productions
