1. Tell us a bit about yourself!

"A bird that is born in a cage thinks flying is an illness" — that quote is a driving factor in my life and best describes my inspiration and passion for living a truly fulfilling, happy, healthy, and wealthy life. Hello! My name is Kailey Black, I am an entrepreneur and founder of More Than Socials, a social media marketing agency, which you'll learn more about below. To my core though, I am a person who enjoys living a fulfilling life; I am a forever student learning each day. I am passionate about having the freedom to create your own beautiful life and living beyond the ways of the world. I believe that God has blessed each and every one of us with gifts, and it is our personal responsibility to live that out. 

I love my business, building connections, helping others see the true beauty of life (including their potential!), trying new things, group fitness classes (e.g., Orange Theory gal here and currently Lifetime Fitness' biggest fan), and anything creative, whether it is cooking, baking, painting, decorating, gardening, etc. I started the entrepreneur game early in life, and I have always had it running through my veins and in my heart since I was a child. My mission is to help others create a beautiful, fulfilling life and one day have my companies be a big contributor to organizations that help child trafficking victims and have a hand in an education system that supports free-thinking children not constrained to ideas of the world, supporting children growing up with values, faith, morals, confidence, creativity, and competence.

2.  We know you're the founder of quite a few different brands, could you tell us more about each of these?

More Than Socials was born in 2019 while I was in high school. I had a small business called The Good Bar where my sales were primarily from social media, all organically, as I built a strong community on Instagram. I quickly realized the tools that made my sales - Content creation, community, and consistency - now what I coined as the "3 C's of Socials," and other business owners recognized this as well.

I got my first client from them DMing my small business shop page, asking me to do their socials for their Medspa. Without hesitation, I said yes! I took on more clients, realizing not only the scalability appeal but how it intertwined with my love for being creative and passion for helping others create a beautiful life - with their business! I help business owners and brands create a community through content creation and consistency full time now.

More Than Socials' most popular offer is our social media management and content packages, where we plan and execute content production! This is great for in-state and out-of-state clients. However, we also work with companies and individuals that want to take on social media in-house and give them the education, tools, and resources to do that successfully.

3.  Do you have any advice for someone looking to amp up their social media presence or use social media as a tool for their marketing? 

For someone looking to amp up their social media presence or use it as a marketing tool here's what I would recommend. First things first - understand social media is NOT one size fits all. There are so many things that play a role in your success, and it isn't as black and white as some say. Take into account your industry, niche, the platform you use, your goals and how social media plays a role in it, your target audience, how your personality is portrayed online/brand tone/aesthetic, the quality of your product/service/philosophy, the quality of your content (all aspects of it, as small as the lighting to the value in the copy), relevant keywords, aligning trends, etc. I could go on, but pay attention to these things. Remember, if you want your brand to truly HIT HOME with your ideal customers,

You need strategic visuals and targeted messaging your audience can FEEL in their bones. 

THEN you can look into the more talked-about things such as posting times, hashtags.

This is why I focus on sharing the 3 C's - Creating high-quality content (and content that makes sense for your audience/platform you are marketing on), building a Community that is highly engaged and actually supports your goals. A million followers are great, except when they are all bots from Palestine and absolutely do not care about your tip Tuesday on why you need a facelift instead of PDO threads. I'd rather have 4 quarters than 100 pennies, and at the end of the day, my focus is on how social media helps your business. I don't advise focusing on superficial metrics such as likes and followers when your sales aren't at where you want them. Pro tip: pay attention to saves, shares, and genuine comments, that way you can measure if your content is serving its purpose. In fact, we helped a recent lifestyle client increase sales by $11,000+ in one month by prioritizing saves, shares and genuine comments over superficial metrics like followers.

4. How do you prioritize your time and set boundaries between work and personal life? Are there any specific techniques or tools you find helpful in managing your time effectively and that you would recommend to other women in this space?

I believe when you do what you love, it doesn't necessarily feel like work, and that business is, more often than not, a lifestyle. I am doing business everywhere I go; it is a part of my personality thinking of how I can benefit others and building those reciprocal relationships with those I enjoy being around. BUT I do believe it is important from time to time to think about your why. I got into business to have time freedom and have a beautiful life, so do things you enjoy!

For my social media managers out there reading this - turn off your phone and throw it far, far, far away sometimes. I particularly enjoy turning off notifications and having restrictions set on my phone after 7 pm. Also, having weekly priorities in my week that help me detach from just one identity (the "hi, I'm Kailey, and I am an entrepreneur"). You have to remember you aren't just one thing; you can be a believer, a daughter, a wife, a mother, a sister, a friend, a student, a teacher, a coach, etc. My detachment activities are going to church and my gym classes. They make me remember my blessings, feel alive, and see the beauty of people.

Another technique that may be helpful to you business owners, and that I am actively working on is delegating! Know your strengths, your weaknesses and see what can help you do your job with more ease. Pro tip: Take the Kolbe assessment, it is an in depth assessment that looks at your innate abilities/skill sets and strengths and have the people you'll be working closely with do the same. 

5. Is there anything else you'd like to share with us? 

Connect with me on LinkedIn!