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Spotlight on Kiala Givehand of Giving Hands Creative

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Name
:  Kiala Givehand
Company Name: Giving Hands Creative
Websitewww.kialagivehand.com
Blog: Blog
Twitter handle: @kialagivehand
Facebook: www.facebook.com/KialaGivehand
YouTube: givinghandscreative – Book-in-a-Day videos

Note from Jenn: I can’t say enough about how I adore this woman! Kiala Givehand and I met in person for the first time when she came to my Right-Brain Business Plan® facilitator training in 2012. I was struck by her grounded energy, wisdom, and creative spirit. She inspires me with all that she does in her creativity coaching business, with her literary magazine, and her amazing book arts. Over the past couple of years I’ve gotten to know Kiala better as I coached her at the Shining Star level in my Mentorship Program, leaned on her to be an early reviewer of my second book, and got to witness the birth of her first tangible product – her Mixed Media Inspiration Deck. I admire how Kiala takes what she learns and makes her big visions real.

Kiala is facilitating the upcoming 8-week RBBP e-Course which starts on Monday, February 3rd. There’s still time to grab a seat and get hands-on guidance from this incredible leader.

Business Plan Spotlight

What is your business and what makes your business unique?

Giving Hands Creative is a creative ventures company dedicated to helping women and couples rediscover their innate creativity. Using a philosophy of self-empowerment through creative action, I work to provide various spaces for women to expand, grow, and live more fully. I plan, host, and facilitate creative workshops and retreats, provide one-on-one, short term creativity coaching, and guide women in small groups of collaborative creative sessions designed to nurture and support the creative process. And I create tools to inspire and promote creativity.

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How has the Right-Brain Business Plan® helped you? What is different for you and your business after approaching planning in a creative, visual way?

The RBBP gave me tools that were both creative and functional. After years of reading traditional business books on how to write a business plan, I finally found a book that spoke my language and provided the necessary steps to get started, move forward, and experience success along the way. Using the RBBP helped me lay the foundation for my business, focus on the products and services I want to offer, identify and reach my perfect customer, and actually see forward movement in a matter of months. I’ve always wanted to share my gifts and talents with the world, but I didn’t know where to begin. The RBBP gave me the guidance I needed to move my business from a dream to a reality. It’s the best business investment I’ve made.

What goals (big or small) on your business plan have you already accomplished or have made progress on?

I launched my first product, The Mixed Media Inspiration Deck™ in December 2013.

I launched online workshops in art journaling, bookmaking, and mixed media art.

I successfully planned and hosted my first live bookmaking workshop in May 2013.

I completed a year-long project called Book-in-a-Day where I created a handmade book each week and did it in one day while video taping the process. Then I shared it on YouTube. There are 52 one-of-a-kind books as a result of this project.

I revamped my website to include an online store and integrated blog.

I started an online creative community — givinghands.ning.com where other creatives can “hang out” and share their love for creating.

My list numbers more than tripled within a year.

In May 2014 I launch my first 4-month Empowerment Group for women who want to grow creatively.
and on and on…

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How do you use your creative intuition in your work?

My work is all about creative intuition so I’ve learned to listen to my gut/muse when making both logistical and creative decisions. I’ve learned to trust myself more and to go with what feels right for the mission I am trying to fulfill. I pay attention to what I need as a creative and think about how other creatives might need the same things. That is how I was able to create the Mixed Media Inspiration Deck™ — I followed my intuition.

Is there anything you’d like to share about your Right-Brain Business Plan® in terms of what it’s made out of or how you made it?

Yes. The first RBBP I created was a hard cover accordion book (similar to the one Jennifer shares in her book). But because I am a bookmaker, I eventually created a RBBP that reflects the kind of interactive books I love making, so my 2014 RBBP is a foldout lapbook with multiple panels and pockets. It is hand painted to reflect the kind of work I do as a mixed media artist and includes several places for journaling (to appeal to the writer in me). This 2014 version is made from regular manila file folders and features acrylic paints and inks.

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What’s your big vision for your business?

My big vision is two-fold. Vision 1 is to host writing and art retreats for women and/or creative couples where I teach alongside other artists who share my love for building community, inspiring creative action in others, and living a life full of growth and giving. These retreats will focus on self-empowerment through a variety of creative activities, like, writing, photography, drawing, painting, and of course, bookmaking, while also offering meditation, yoga and lots of laughter.

Vision 2 is where I coach/mentor small, collaborative groups of women who want to empower their lives with creative action. I will work with 8 – 10 women for 4-months at a time using the same approach I’ve been using for years to help keep me inspired to create and to live creatively in the midst of everyday life. The RBBP has helped me see how this big vision can become a reality.

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What advice do you have for other creative entrepreneurs?

As creatives, we tend to live in our heart-centered spaces most of the time, so we often miss the mark when it comes to growing our businesses. Even if we create a traditional business plan, we typically stop there, thinking that is enough, but it’s not. At some point, we have to move our dreams of business success into an actual plan. Eventually we must work that plan into reality. The RBBP shows you how to take your dream from your heart to the paper. The playsheets and other tools go one step further and help make your dreams real.

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For more support with developing your RBBP, join Kiala and me for the Right-Brain Business Plan® e-course starting on February 2nd. You’ll get 3 live group calls with Kiala, live group accountability chats, and more!

Want to create your own Right-Brain Business Plan®? The Right-Brain Business Plan® Kit includes supplies to make your own accordion book style visual business plan.



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