Voices by Viv highlighting Kayla Lee Mills

Kayla is a fellow Bostonian, like ourselves, who is super supportive of working women. While you can follow her to get some good daily fitness or lifestyle tips, you can also check out her @imaworkingwoman account to check out her brand. From featuring talents of women alike to showing off her new tie dye products, you will be sure to find some inspiration on her page. 

We noticed you have a brand tied to your personal Instagram page to share your work, accomplishments, passions, and talents. Tell us about @imaworkingwoman and what it means to you. 

Working Woman blossomed during a time when I was working my full time job, teaching fitness classes, running fitness events and writing for a brunch blog. I was ALWAYS working and when I looked around I found that so many other women around me were working too. Working on their mentality, physical strength, family, friendships, careers, side hustles, etc… I started to use the phrase “I’m a working woman” a lot and realized that I wanted to know more about what people were working on while creating a space to share. It has pivoted from that initial launch but I plan on working on my initial vision in the coming months! 

Coming into the workforce as a young female can often be stressful and intimidating, especially if you are building something on your own. How did you realize this was the right career path for you?

The first thing I had to do was realize what paths were not for me. Once I exited situations that were no longer serving me I realized the passion I have within me to create something for myself. I am still figuring this all out but I am following my passions and hoping one day they all combine to create a thriving environment for me! 

How do you maintain a healthy balance with work and personal life, since so much of it is integrated?

Creating a balance is the hardest thing, especially now that I am home with nowhere to go. Pre-covid I had a somewhat packed schedule but my passion planner helped me because I could visualize my free blocks of time. Every week I would schedule and sign up for my workouts and with any other free time I would try to connect with people who lift me up. In this “new normal” it was hard for me to have the same mindset, Working Woman custom tie dye took off and for a couple of weeks I was working all day, almost every day. Now, 7 or 8 weeks post tie dye launch I am being more efficient and am at a place where I try to schedule my work hours, workout classes and free time accordingly. 

We love your mission with @imaworkingwoman! What are some future goals you have with “working woman” and other aspects of your career?

Thank you! Working Woman is something I plan to work on forever. I have a big idea for the future but over the next year I am really focused on building the site with women and their stories. I want to share the passions and projects of women to inspire others but also give credit where it’s due! There is a time for modesty but there is also a time to acknowledge how amazing we are by celebrating our wins! 

The entrepreneurial world can be a scary and uncertain place to dive into. What advice would you give someone thinking about entrepreneurship?

Just start. If you have an idea stop talking about it and take action. There is always a chance to pivot, change, evolve or start again but you will never have a chance until you start. 

Looking back, what advice would you give to your 16 year old self?

My 16 year old self was very stubborn, actually I’m still stubborn. I would tell her to be more consistent (I still tell my 25 year old self this). When I was 16 I still wanted to have something of my own but I truly lacked the dedication and consistency to make it happen. I would also tell her to save her money, that girl needed to have everything and when looking back I just shake my head because those shoes and bags were never going to make me as happy as I thought they would in the moment. 

At Viv, we love to have a conquer more mentality- it pushes and encourages us. What does conquering even more mean to you?

Conquering even more, wow I love that. To me, conquering even more means surpassing the bars that you set for yourself, not the bars that this world, your family, or even your peers set for you. By conquering your own milestones, challenges, or goals, you are building trust with yourself & that trust is the most important.

Want to learn more about Viv for you V? Check out: www.vivforyourv.com