Today we’d like to introduce you to Keaidy Selmon.
Keaidy, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started writing at eight years old, and I never pursued anything with it because I was always told, “there is no money to be made in writing books.”
For most of my life, I stumbled through different professions chasing “success.” I even spent years and thousands of dollars in student loans going after different degrees, and nothing truly brought me any real pleasure.
Then, after I had my daughter and battled with Postpartum Depression, a counselor suggested that I start writing again. Shortly after that, I released several books and created my own publishing company to release them. After years of publishing books, speaking at different engagements, and performing my spoken word poetry in various states across the country, I knew I still needed to do more.
Becoming a best-selling author was a great feeling for those who told me I would never make any real money chasing my dreams, but where I truly found my purpose and happiness is when I created my non-profit organization: Positive Visionaries & Innovators Building Excellence. Through this organization, we get to work with at-risk youth and give them a creative outlet. Now, I can show young students that thinking outside of the box can be profitable if they are given the knowledge and support they need to do it.
Great, 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?
Oh my gosh, no! It certainly has not been easy to get here, but I’m grateful for every lesson I’ve learned through all of my failures.
I remember when I finished my first book, “Charge it to the Game,” I thought I would immediately get picked up by a major publishing company and the millions of dollars would start rolling in, but I was so wrong. Honestly, I received so many rejection letters that I stopped counting them. Then, when I finally got the call I was looking for, I was heartbroken to know that I was already making more money in a week’s worth of work at my job then they were willing to offer me as an advancement!
After that, I spent thousands of dollars and countless hours educating myself on how to start my own publishing company. It wasn’t easy since I was using my funds to start a company, and I was a single mother at the time, but the ups and downs have made this a wild and enjoyable ride.
Positive Visionaries & Innovators Building Excellence – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
The company that pays me is my publishing company, LexxiKhan Presents. We not only publish great books, but we help other writers by performing services such as editing, book formatting, ghostwriting, and author coaching. However, the organization that brings me the most joy is the non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, Positive Visionaries & Innovators Building Excellence.
It brings me so much joy to know that I’m able to be for a teenage child what I needed at that age. I get to encourage and support them while they find their true passion and gift in life. Sure, I know how to entertain large crowds and sold-out shows; honestly, I can do that in my sleep, but I feel the happiest when I’m teaching a young adult how to do the same using the power they have behind their words.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My proudest moment has been when I threw my first event for my charity organization. I’ve always had a hard time pushing past fear, but something about doing good for my community helped me look past it. I was amazed by how many people swarmed in to help. Talented artists from all over offered to read to the children and perform for them for free.
When I first decided to pursue that event, all I thought about was the amount of work that would have been needed to get it finished. It amazed me to see how many people desperately wanted to make a difference.
After the event was over, I learned a precious lesson. One book, poem, or piece of art can change a child’s life forever, and it’s our job to make sure they have access to it.
Pricing:
- All of my books are priced at $14.99. E-books are available between 2.99 and 4.99
- Donations made to the organization are a tax-deductible event. Any donations made over 1,000 allows a person to have their company listed as a donor for the rest of the year. They will be listed on the website and mentioned at all events for the remainder of the year.
- Donations made of over 5,000 will allow an organization to be personally thanked in our next book that will be published by a 3rd grade student talking about the importance of self confidence to defeat bullying.
Contact Info:
- Website: webuildexcellence.org
- Phone: 469-844-0984
- Email: info@webuildexcellence.org
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/webuildexcellence
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WeBuildExcellence/
- Other: My personal website is Keaidy.com
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition, please let us know here.
