We recently connected with Kira Mccoy and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kira, so happy to have you with us today and there is so much we want to ask you about. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others developed certain skills or qualities that we are struggling with can be helpful. Along those lines, we’d love to hear from you about how you developed your ability to take risk?
I haven’t always been a risk-taker. I grew up the oldest of 4 children and a lot was expected from me. I never defied my mother or the repercussions would be swift and painful. Once I left home and went to college, things changed a bit. I realized that I could (sometimes) become the master of my own destiny. I got very honest with my mother, even telling her once when she was trying to impose an early curfew, “Mom, you realize I have been living on my own, with my own car, doing what I want, sleeping, eating, and enjoying my time, and I am still alive, well, and on the dean’s list, right?” My mom died during my second year of college and that was a bit freeing since she had been an oppressive influence. Although I was always a “good girl,” and wanted to please her, now there was no reason. So I continued being good, staying in the light, but I started to test my own boundaries of what was possible.
After college the wanderlust set in. I moved apartments several times during the first two years, and even moved cities- going from Buffalo, to Syracuse, and back again. Then I got married and we moved to Boston, and in three years we lived in two apartments, bought and sold a house, and packed everything in a truck and head off for Portland OR. We put an Akita, two cats, and a tarantula in a Ford Focus hatchback and traveled cross-country for 4 days, staying in hotels three nights.
After that, I moved back to Syracuse, then to Florida, then Austin TX, Cumberland MD, and finally back to Florida. I have friends all over the country now, and have experienced a life that few others dare to try. I know people who are so afraid to uproot and move to a new place, but it has never been hard for me. I know that if I just get out of the house, get involved in a couple of networking events or a charity, I will make friends. I’m not afraid to approach people and ask simple questions such as, where is the best place to get a coffee? Take a walk? Listen to music? Read a book? See something cool? And people are usually willing to tell you. It starts and conversation and maybe even a friendship.
I have taken this approach in business as well. In 2005, I started my first Etsy shop and there were forums. I spent time there cultivating online relationships and there I met someone who wanted to start an online group for polymer clay artists. I joined up and built the website, and eventually started a podcast, a YouTube channel, and years later- an actual business. This led to so many opportunities and full-time self-employment. And it all started with a question, and an answer.
The question was: who wants to start an Etsy Street team for clay? And my answer was, Me.
The next question: who wants to make us a website? Again, I said, Me.
The third question: would you want to start a podcast? My answer was, YES! What’s a podcast?
I like to say I don’t worry too much about the risks of saying Yes, because if I say yes to something interesting, I can always figure out how to accomplish it even if I don’t know much about what it is, yet. Mentors, courses, books, and information can always be found if you are willing to look and learn. And, if I decide I don’t like something I have agreed to, I can always decide to stop doing it. If I’m not likely to die from trying something that sounds intriguing,, I will try it- once. Then I get to decide if I want to do it again. I encourage you to do the same!
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Kira McCoy is the visionary behind a flourishing art and craft online Empire called Create Along and the Creative Sister Circle, dedicated to sparking creativity and fostering entrepreneurial and personal triumphs.
I seamlessly combine artistic finesse with savvy business skills – something special to me, as a lot of artists have some difficultly with the more analytical business side of things. As a three-time international best-selling author, accomplished jewelry artisan, fine artist, art supply manufacturer, art teacher, and Business and Life Story Coach, I empower others to find joy and fulfillment across their creative, business, and personal endeavors.
I mentor entrepreneurs, specializing in diversifying income streams and streamlining processes for lasting success. Through my line of beautifully crafted monthly planner journals, she helps women ground themselves and manifest their dreams. My approach is both imaginative and practical, driving innovation in the realms of artistry and business alike.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I believe that in order to succeed in life, you must be willing to take some risks. Develop your intuition so you can feel whether the risk will be worth it for you. I don’t encourage risks that are likely to end badly or hurt, but without risk and pushing your own limits, you can stay “stuck.”
Learn to figure out what you don’t know, and be willing to improve in that area. They say “you don’t know what you don’t know,” and that can hold you back. Get in the room with people who definitely know more than you- and have conversations. Learn to fill in your gaps.
Develop your community. This can be your own friends, family, colleagues, and it can also be the community of people you wish to support your endeavors whether they are personal or business related. Community is key to feelings of safety and actual safety, so develop that support system and cherish those people. One way I do this with my business is through my newsletter, and the other is to have my notifications turned on for sales on my phone. This way, every time I see someone make a purchase, I can send them thanks and gratitude. This reminds me that the sales come from PEOPLE, and it helps me later with customer service issues so I don’t get frustrated or angry when someone has a concern about my company. It is a refreshing attitude to remember that my customers are part of my support system and community.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
Overwhelm can be a challenge for high achievers. We often want to accomplish so many things that we get involved in too many at once. Sometimes just sitting at my desk, which is near my filming station for social media, can be a total shock. There are tools and art supplies everywhere, and often some kind of paperwork explosion. My computer may have 20 or more tabs open, and I may be in the middle of at least 6 projects. When the overwhelm sets in, first I clean up the desk. A clear clean desktop feels better. Next, I may take a walk. Seeing some blue and green is refreshing. Getting the body moving is clearing to the system, and bright sky above you opens the mind. When I come back to my workspace, I make a list. I enjoy seeing the tasks I need to complete in an orderly list, and then being able to cross of what I have completed gives me a fun hint of success. So my advice is: clean up your space, move your body, and prioritize!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://createalong.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/createalong
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kiralynnmccoy/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/polymerclaytv
Image Credits
My own photo, and photo by Krystal Kiss
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
