Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberli Davino-Wilson.
Hi Kimberli, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My journey really started when I was diagnosed with endometriosis in 2017. Honestly, I didn’t have an entrepreneurial bone in my body. I never in a million years thought I could create a business, run a business, nor even be successful with my own business. I always thought I would do it the old school way, continue to be a behavior therapist, or eventually become a teacher.
But when I received that diagnosis, and my health started making working for others a struggle, I knew creating something of my own was something I had to learn and do real quick. Because physically, mentally, and emotionally, the old-school way wasn’t what I could handle anymore.
I tried multiple ideas with no luck. Network marketing companies, which felt like more work than an actual 9-5 job, taking surveys that paid well but were hit or miss if you would actually get accepted, and would go to thrift stores, buy as many nice clothes as I could, then try and sell them in my ’boutique.’ All of these things got me money here and there, but none of them brought me joy.
I decided to give up trying to do something of my own and went back into the school system. I applied to be a substitute teacher, and it was fun. I enjoyed the teachers I quickly became friends with and, of course, loved working with the kids. Their little hearts and smiles always made my day- whether it was a picture they drew me or a random hug. But deep down, I knew this wasn’t the environment or life I wanted anymore. That health-wise, I truly just couldn’t handle it. I wanted to be in the comfort of my home. Especially on the days I had painful flare-ups. Because let me tell you, not many people understand endometriosis and just how painful living with it truly is.
I ended up landing a writing job for an endometriosis company. I was able to write articles about endometriosis, raise awareness, and also be a patient advocate, where I helped others who had questions and needed to talk and made sure the social media pages/comments were answered and taken care of. It was a great side gig, but still not MINE.
Then I found a tea company who was looking for people who liked tea, to promote their teas and receive commission whenever anyone bought it. I thought, why not. I liked tea and knew a lot of people who enjoyed tea too. This one little decision, ended up changing my entire journey and desire to be a successful entrepreneur.
The owners of this company not only became my good friends, I became their social media manager. I handled their Instagram account, created their content, connected them with amazing people who bought their teas. And that was the start of my very own, little Social Media Management business.
I worked with a lot of clients both handling their social medias and also offering virtual assistant work. It was so cool to become my own boss and build something that was actually mine. That I didn’t even know I was capable of actually doing. I continued social media management for a few years, working with so many different accounts and clients. All while learning, growing and evolving.
Today, my business looks so different. Over the years, I have found myself and found that I am actually a creative. That being a creative and doing my own thing, I think, was what I was meant to do all along. It’s crazy and amazing how things work themselves out. But my business now, I no longer offer Virtual Assistant help or Social Media Management in the form of content creation.
Instead, I have shifted to building community and relationships on my client’s socials. So, Instagram engagement I guess you can call it. It is so important to have that trust and genuine connection built with your community for your business. And I get to do that for my clients, I get to build that connection and trust and leave them with awesome relationships that last a lifetime.
I have also created a community called Magic Makers, where creatives can network, collaborate, discover each other, build connections, and just be themselves. I feel like social media has taken a toll on so many of us. There are so many gurus out there these days telling us how we should be growing and running our business. Basically, trying to make everyone a carbon copy of themselves. So, the community I created is for those looking for a safe place because they are tired and burnt out and feeling lost, like they can’t be themselves or that in order to be successful, they have to do something a certain way and that way only. And inside the community, they CAN be themselves, shine their magic, take back their business, and start enjoying it again. All while continuing to grow and be successful.
My mentorship is also new. I have always had a big heart for helping others. Not coaching, not teaching, but helping. So, I created my mentorship program for those who are dealing with chronic illness and mindset struggles in their business. Who feel like no one understands, gets them, or like they don’t have a shoulder to lean on. The purpose of my mentoring is to help others walk through their struggles, to talk it out and figure out a solution.
And, of course, my multi-passionate heart doesn’t just stop there! I have published a few journals on Amazon and am working on one more project that isn’t ready to be announced to the world yet. Hopefully soon or maybe if I get invited back for another interview, I will finally be able to talk about it!
Alright, 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?
No. Absolutely not. Honestly, I don’t think anything good in life comes with a smooth road. I think you will always have to go through a bumpy, rough journey to get to where you want to be. Because life would be boring without the pain in the butt stuff.
For me, struggles looked like:
-Mindset issues: Not believing in myself because a lot of people in my past never believed in me or said I would amount to anything. I wasn’t ever that honor roll student, and teachers and guidance counselors made that pretty clear. Along with toxic relationships where I was constantly told I was a nobody.
-Comparison: It is really easy to compare yourself to others, especially when you are first starting out at something and have no idea what the heck you are doing. I found myself getting lost in the social media scroll often, looking at people who have been working their business for a while and obviously doing way better than me. You see that stuff and instantly forget that they once started off where you are, too.
-My health: I mean, being able to work from home did help my bad health days, but at the same time, on those bad health days, it always set me back because I didn’t want to work. I had a migraine and would have to sleep it off, putting working on my business on the back burner.
-Not knowing what I was doing: Does anyone ever really know what they are doing when they are first starting off with something new? I think people believe you start a business, and everything falls right into place. But that is far from the truth. There are so many ups and downs. Like figuring out boundaries and actually setting them into place- this was something I struggled with for a good portion of my business journey. Learning to say no (or yes) when you want to. People pleasing or seasons where business was super slow, and income wasn’t constantly coming in. So, you begin to wonder, shoot, do I need to stop this and go get an actual job?
-Not asking for help: Feeling like I had to do this entire journey myself and never ask for help! It took me a long time before I finally invested in my business and hired a mindset/business coach.
-Negative thoughts: Am I even good enough for this? Am I a fraud? Will I ever be fully successful?
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I consider myself creative because in every part of my business, I have created myself. With the occasional help, of course. (quick reminder: it is okay to ask for help and not feel like you have to do everything yourself)
Anyways, I specialize in Community Building. I love connecting with others, building relationships, and teaching my clients how to love and nurture their community. It is so important to show them you genuinely care about them and that they are not just another dollar sign to you. My main focus is on my clients’ Instagram accounts. I help network and bring in eyes to their account. I build that trust and connection with new followers while also making sure I am loving and nurturing those who have been following them for a while. It’s all about genuine conversations, and I cannot say that enough. I offer VIP weeks for this service where my clients can pick one or two weeks out of the month (as little or many months as they want), and we go hard building up their community/engagement and relationships!
I also mentor those with chronic illnesses and mindset struggles who just feel alone in their business and life. They feel like they have no one to turn to or help them through certain situations because maybe they feel like there is no one out there who understands them. I was once that person who felt that way. So that is a major reason why I created my mentorship program. Also, I just have a heart that loves to help others.
In fact, that is probably what I am known most for: inspiring others, lifting others up, and just being their shoulder to lean on. Oh, and also, the best community builder around 😉
Of course, I cannot forget my Magic Makers Community I have built with a business bestie of mine! Being able to support others in this community is just literally everything I never knew I always needed.
I think what sets me apart from others is that I tell it how it is. There is no BS with me. I am real, honest, but I am also kind. I never disrespect anyone when I don’t agree with them, but I am also not scared to voice my opinion. And that is what my community really likes about me. They know they get the real Kimberli when I am talking to them. I don’t hide who I am. I also love big. Those who are in my life know I always have their best interest at heart.
I am proud of myself and my growth. I went from the girl who never thought she could or would be anything to the girl creating all of these amazing businesses and working with all these amazing people. And really being able to shine her light confidently. I also think what I do is important and that I am truly helping others in my community. Whether it be with their business or just life in general, they know they always have my support.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
What was I like growing up? I want to say I was the coolest cat around, haha. But honestly, I was pretty shy, quiet, hated school. I hated dresses and jeans for the longest time (actually, I still hate jeans to this day!). And all I would ever wear was stretch pants and t-shirts (which isn’t far off from what I wear now!). I was a tomboy. I loved playing outside with the boys in the neighborhood, getting dirt in my fingernails, playing sports. But I also had that small girly side to me, playing library, school, and house with my best friend.
I personally think I was rather funny though. If I remember, I feel like a lot of people I surrounded myself with, I always made them laugh. And I think I always had the biggest heart because everyone always came to me with their problems if they needed someone to talk to.
I was never confident growing up. I second-guessed everything. And I certainly was never confident in myself. I never would have ever guessed I would have the confidence to be doing what I am doing now with my life. I broke out in hives when a teacher would call on me in class, and now here I am, speaking on social media and planning a podcast and talking with people all day every day. (I still do break out in hives, though, haha, but I do feel a lot more confident).
I think the one place I felt the most confident and like a star, was at cheerleading competitions. Competitions felt like my one place to shine where I could just let myself loose and be me. Every fear, worry, struggle left my body when I went out on that floor to compete.
My interests really just included sports: cheerleading, lacrosse, gymnastics, and even flag football when I was in college. I spent most of my time as a kid in my room, pretending I was dancing in music videos, with my music turned up so loud and my microphone plugged in. I’m sure my parents enjoyed that. But that was also where and when I felt the happiest.
I always told myself I was going to be an actress or actually in a music video someday. I’m not an actress, but I did land an extra role in a movie coming out this July! And the music video thing, I’m still working on!
But I was your basic, average kid. Nothing super exciting and nothing that, like I said, would ever point to me being this huge creator building my own business!
Pricing:
- $44/monthly for the Magic Makers Community (yearly options available)
- $444 Instagram Engagement VIP Week / $944 for Two Weeks
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lifewithkimberli.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/inspiredbykimberli
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Kimberli-Davino-Wilson/author/B0CGNTZGK8?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1709069691&sr=8-1&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
