Meet Kobéy Smith

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kobéy Smith. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kobéy, so great to have you with us and thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with the community. So, let’s jump into something that stops so many people from going after their dreams – haters, nay-sayers, etc. We’d love to hear about how you dealt with that and persisted on your path.
First and foremost I want to thank you for this opportunity to share my story and perspective. I am honored to be on your platform and I’m excited to see Bold Journey grow!

I’m able to persist because I know that there are people who support me. Ever since I was a child my mom always encouraged me to go after my dreams no matter what. She always told me that the right people who believe in me will support me along the way. I know if anything happens she’ll always be there and I can pull from her as a source of love and motivation. In addition to that, in the early stage of everything that I am doing, I know that the people I am connecting with through my work count on me, and that keeps me going. When people tell me that my podcast, bracelets, or community work has helped them, that only validates why I do everything that I do. Building gradually and focusing on inspiring people who view my work as a source of motivation, means more to me than the opinion of nay-sayers.

Lastly, your haters are your BIGGEST fans! I repeat they are your BIGGEST fans, so embrace the hate! The reason why the “doers” such as myself have haters is that we have the guts to go after our dreams with uncertainty but a strong vision of what we will accomplish! I’m not afraid to try new things, fail, adjust, try again, succeed, and repeat. When you are a FEARLESS black man and don’t care what people have to say about what you do that’s intimidating to those who do nothing but watch and criticize all day. I hold that close to me so it doesn’t matter if certain relatives, co-workers, peers, or random bystanders with an opinion have anything to say about me because they do nothing but watch what I do. So why not give them an amazing show? Like Drake said “If you ain’t been a part of it, at least you got to witness”, and you’re witnessing the greatness of Kobéy Smith!

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
For those who don’t know me, my name is Kobéy Smith and I am the Founder/CEO of Kobéy Enterprises! My company is a wellness company that focuses on teaching people about mindfulness and mental health awareness through bracelets and podcasting. The pillars of the Kobéy brand are Karma, Ownership, Blessings, Entrepreneurship, and Yahweh!

Even though the bracelets are my first love, I have been focusing on growing the Chattin’ with Kobéy podcast as well! It’s a podcast that I started late in 2023. My goal with this podcast is to talk openly about mental health awareness, discuss the challenges of entrepreneurship, and highlight the amazing people that I know who have overcome adversity in their lives and become successful. In season 1 I had some great guests and topics. I interviewed my college friends Anna DeLucia and Rock Charles who had amazing stories about overcoming adversity in their lives. I also interviewed my friend Lucia Greene who is a healing practitioner, actress, and educator who has an amazing story about her wellness journey. Lastly, I interviewed my friend Ashley Phan who is the Founder of We Are One Inc. It’s an anti-human trafficking non-profit in North Haven, Connecticut! She is doing amazing work and getting the recognition that she deserves for her work! Everyone who I interviewed during the first season truly set the standard for the direction that I want to go with my podcast and I’m indebted to them for helping jumpstart my dream! I just wanted to thank them publicly for their time and energy!

I started season 2 on December 8th, 2023 and I am very happy with the direction I have taken this podcast! I have interviewed some amazing people, and I decided to get more personal with my stories this season. The episode topics this season so far have been about realizing opportunities in your life, the characteristics that make entrepreneurs great, and the importance of taking breaks. I have also interviewed my entrepreneur peers Elle Pearson the CEO of Elle dot Kay Style & Design Co, and James Sweat the author of Mental Ambition: A Guide to Upgrading Your Life.

I have a lot of great content in the works and I’m excited to see what the people have to say about my podcast. I have some work to do and some other guests that I have to confirm but I am very excited about everything that is going to happen with the show! If anyone wants to listen to the Chattin’ with Kobéy podcast they can stream it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts! I have new episodes biweekly on Friday at 12:30 pm EST. I don’t know when this interview will be out but my interview with James Sweat will be released on Friday, January 19th, 2024 on Spotify, Apple, & Google podcasts!

Overall, the goal of my podcast is to serve as the inspiration and the motivation for the “doers”. When you listen to the Chattin’ with Kobéy podcast you will be inspired to not only embrace your mental health journey but aspire to be more than what you are going through! Your current situation doesn’t define you, and I will use my platform to uplift entrepreneurs, the Black mental health community, and people who want better for themselves the way my mom has done for me.

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?
The first quality is being “FEARLESS”! Being an entrepreneur and striving for greatness is a challenge in itself because there is no certainty in what the results will be. I have had to attack all my dreams and goals with the utmost confidence even with the odds against me. Some people doubted me, and at times I wasn’t fully confident in my ability, but I didn’t care because I always knew I had something to offer. Every time I’m fearless and put in the full effort something comes out of it and I can live with the results!

The second quality is being a “VISIONARY”! You have to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve. You do that by writing out your goals, saying your affirmations, and obsessing over what you desire out of life even when people try to discourage you. You can also do that by creating vision boards and looking at them multiple times throughout the day to keep you focused on the task at hand.

Thirdly you have to be a “STUDENT”! Education is everything, whether you have a formal education or you observe the lessons of the environment that you are in make sure to learn. If you are interested in podcasting like I am listen to other podcasts, take a public speaking course, read books, attend networking events, watch speeches, practice, etc. Do what you need to do to be successful in whatever you are passionate about. Learning is evolving, and even the best can improve.

Overall, take the risk and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. So many people have great ideas but they never manifest into anything because they don’t take that risk and go for it. Nothing is holding you back but you! If you fail, you can TRY AGAIN until it works!

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I am always looking to collaborate with other podcasters and media personalities on my platform and vice versa! The people that I am looking for are entrepreneurs, preferably early-stage start-up founders, creatives, and small business owners. I know we will have amazing discussions about entrepreneurship challenges, rewards, and the mentality that it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur because it is not easy. The more conversations about entrepreneurship and small business we have it will build an ecosystem for the “doers” and I’m all about that!

I am also looking for people who are in the mental health space. They could be therapists, advocates, patients, or someone who has an inspiring mental health story. The goal behind those conversations is to break the stigma about mental health awareness and have those vulnerable conversations. Mental health advocacy and awareness is not a weakness it’s a strength and I will continue to do my part to change that narrative as a black man who was diagnosed with anxiety.

The best way to reach me is via Instagram. They can DM @chattin_with_kobey or @thekobeysmith and I would love to discuss opportunities for collaboration! I’m a firm believer in collaboration and great conversations that help the people who listen to my podcast. Let’s make it happen!

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Image Credits
Picture 1: Myself and my mom at an award ceremony Picture 2: Myself and my friend Anna DeLucia recording a podcast Picture 3: Myself and Rock Charles recording a podcast Picture 4: Myself and Lucia Greene after recording a podcast Picture 5: Myself and Ashley Phan bring awareness to anti-human trafficking Picture 6: Myself and James Sweat before recording a podcast Picture 7: Me speaking at my colleges award ceremony Picture 8: Scan the QR code to stream the Chattin’ With Kobéy podcast

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