We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Keyla Marte. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Keyla below.
Keyla, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
Failure.
Resilience is an important quality that I’ve had to develop over time. Failure and rejection are inevitable parts of life. I’ve learned that how you respond to adversity is what really matters. Each setback is an opportunity to grow stronger and wiser.
From the early days of my career, I had been laid off. At first, the rejection stung, but I realized it was just a stepping stone and redirection that led me to launch my business. I took time to reflect on what I could have done differently and emerged more determined than ever to succeed.
Now when faced with disappointment, I remember that it’s only temporary. I focus on the lessons rather than the loss. Rejection isn’t personal, it simply means you weren’t the right fit at that particular time. Staying motivated through the ups and downs is key. As long as you believe in yourself and your abilities, you can bounce back from anything.
What matters most is how quickly you get back up after being knocked down. Each day is a chance to start fresh and move forward. My resilience comes from within and my faith, knowing my self-worth is not defined by external factors I cannot control. I strive to maintain perspective and surround myself with positive influences. Remaining flexible, open-minded and solution-focused helps me adapt when plans change.
Though the road may get rocky at times, having resilience allows me to stay the course with confidence and courage.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I was born in Brooklyn. Raised in Harlem. I am a first-generation college graduate. First generation business owner, when I first got started there was not a blueprint. My firm aims to change that for entrepreneurs.
I’m a results-driven creative, entrepreneur, and strategist with 10+ years in non-profit development, political campaigns, branding, and marketing. I aim to formulate strategies through careful analysis of business structure and needs. After starting her career in project management, I transitioned into entrepreneurship and launched my own consulting business & multi-media firm.
As a strategist, I prided myself on the ability to transition between big-picture thinking and grassroots implementation. Her rare passion for high-level design and detailed execution allows for strong partnerships on project teams across industries looking for leaders, individual contributors, or co-collaborators.
I understand what motivates consumers, how to implement a plan of action, and management systems to improve sales and customer relations. She helps businesses engage with their communities through various marketing channels, and improve business opportunities by retaining existing customers, and attracting new ones. I worked on promotional campaigns with companies such as the Service International Employee Union (SEIU), the Boris L. Henson Foundation, and more.
Did you know, Women of color account for 47% or 5,824,300 of all women-owned businesses, employ 2,230,600 people, and generate $386.6 billion in revenues? Yet, the average revenue for a women-of-color-owned business is $66,400, compared to the average revenue of $212,300 for a non-minority-owned business. We aim to change that narrative by providing one one-on-one support to current and supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs. My company is committed to empowering women entrepreneurs and supporting our community through a range of initiatives that foster growth, inclusivity, and collaboration.
Our primary mission is to provide women-led businesses with the tools, resources, and mentorship they need to succeed in the competitive business landscape.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Looking back on my journey, there are three key qualities that have been most impactful: perseverance, adaptability, and empathy.
Perseverance has been essential, as any meaningful journey requires overcoming obstacles and setbacks. My advice is to stay determined and view challenges as opportunities for growth. Focus on small wins to build momentum.
Adaptability has enabled me to navigate changing circumstances. I recommend being open-minded, flexible and willing to try new approaches. Skills can be developed with effort and experience. Stay curious and keep learning.
Faith & Empathy has allowed me to connect with and understand people from all walks of life. My suggestion is to listen closely to others, imagine their perspective, and treat them with compassion. A diverse network is invaluable.
For those starting out, don’t get discouraged if progress seems slow. Lay a solid foundation through education, training and practice. Seek out mentors to gain wisdom. Stay true to your values and vision. With the right mindset and consistent effort, you can achieve great things over time. Most importantly, appreciate each step in the journey.
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
In my experience, the most effective approach is to build upon your natural strengths while also developing skills in your weaker areas. Focusing too narrowly can stunt your versatility and ability to understand different perspectives.
As a project manager, I learned that relying solely on my organizational strengths caused me to overlook the human aspects of collaboration. I failed to read people’s needs and motivations effectively. Once I invested effort into improving my emotional intelligence and communication style, I became a much more well-rounded and impactful leader.
Similarly in consulting, over-indexing on analytical strengths like financial modeling at the expense of building client relationships was detrimental. Taking the time to improve my “softer skills” enabled me to provide both data-driven and people-focused solutions.
At the same time, I never lost focus on nurturing my core capabilities. For those earlier in their careers, play to your natural talents but be mindful of glaring skill gaps and seek opportunities to address them. Not all weaknesses need perfection but consider which ones may significantly limit your contributions if left undeveloped.
Aim for balance across hard and soft skills. Understand both the human dynamics and data/analytical perspectives. Sharpen your strengths but don’t neglect your weaknesses. Taking a balanced approach is the best way to become a capable, well-rounded business owner.
Contact Info:
- Website: keylaconsulting.com
- Instagram: KeylaConsulting
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keyla-marte-94a205a3/
Image Credits
Leah Clark
