Kelly Charles-Collins practiced law and ran a side business of paid speaking engagements. While working as an attorney paid well, she said that the constant time constraints prevented her from applying for more challenging jobs.
“I had one foot in and one foot out. Because of the security of my job, I’d go all out [with] pursuing my dream at times, and then other times I’d retreat to the comfort and safety of my paycheck,” she told Time.
She received $5,000 to $7,000 from her speaking engagement at the time, but in 2019 she was let go because her employer, a law business, could no longer afford to pay her salary. This was Charles-Collins’ chance to turn her speaking gig into a full-time job.
Today, she makes $50,000 per speaking appearance and also helps women-led businesses and brands to grow.
According to Charles-Collins, becoming her own boss did not come easy. The reality of not having a stable monthly paycheck soon dawned on her and she was unsure if she could secure clients and revenue.
The first few months were rough for her but as she began to get some referrals, she started to see a rise in the number of people hiring her as a speaker. As she saw a rise in demand for her service, she created her own website and built social media profile to leverage the internet world for potential clients, Time noted.
The death of George Floyd in 2020 also made her take her business seriously. Her son being a victim of police brutality, the mother of one decided to create a safe space for people to have conversations and ask questions through a Zoom call.
“I told the people who attended that I was not there for their comfort, but that I had perspective, capacity, and context to answer their questions.”
Besides her referrals from people who attended the Zoom conversation, which was also streamed live on YouTube, she went viral and became easily discoverable on Google search results.
Company representatives also reached out for similar “listening sessions” and Q&As for their teams. She also presented in various social media groups, with corporate organizations and at various town halls.
“One of the first companies that hired me for listening sessions was Raymond James,” she said. “That was their first-ever town hall event on race. It was myself and Dr Johnnetta Cole who were the speakers, and there were over 3,000 people on that town hall.”
Charles-Collins has since engaged in speaking and training commitments for organizations like eBay, Cherry Hill Public School District, the Tampa International Airport, and various law firms.
According to Time, six months after taking a speaking engagement as a full-time job, she was able to match and then exceed her salary as a lawyer.
“I was very fortunate that, for 2020 and 2021, I got a lot of business through word of mouth,” she noted.