Alumni-owned business spotlight: Keonna Knight (M.Ed ’23)
VCU Alumni is highlighting Ram entrepreneurs listed in our alumni-owned business directory. Learn business tips from Keonna Knight (M.Ed ’23), owner of Heal With Keonna coaching services.
What tools helped you the most when you started out?
There are two key tools that helped me when I first started. No. 1, a simple sketch pad and pen. While many encouraged me to start with a business plan, I started with a vision and a safe place to draw out all of my wildest ideas. Without lines on the page, I had space to dream and create a business that both energized me and met a huge need in my community (burnout and lack of access to wellness).
After having my dreams and ideas written out, the second most helpful tool was the Lean Canvas business model template. This is a very concise but effective format to clarify the most important aspects of your business, from identifying your customer segments to writing out effective value propositions. These two tools provided me with a clear compass to make something out of nothing. We’re now almost six years in business, and these tools still work like magic.
What was the biggest challenge to maintaining your business?
The biggest challenge to maintaining my business has been maintaining my faith. There’s a level of security that comes with a 9-to-5. Every two weeks you can expect a paycheck for a certain amount of money with your name on it. As a first-generation CEO without a blueprint for building consistent income, there were months when I did not know exactly how many clients I would have or how much money I would make.
While I flirted with LinkedIn jobs at times (don’t judge me), I chose to lean on faith and keep going. If I did not have such a deep belief in my business, myself and God, Heal with Keonna might have become “that thing I tried once before I went back to teaching” instead of “that thing that has both changed my life and the lives of thousands.”
What advice do you have for people considering starting a business?
Here’s the advice no one told me: You can build a successful business without grinding. You can get nine-plus hours of sleep a night, have time for your family and enjoy spaciousness in your day for genuine self-care. Despite the horror stories you hear about entrepreneurship, I know that it’s possible, because it’s my reality. Despite being told that I had to hustle in order to be successful, I’ve been able to build a business that aligns with my values, energizes me and impacts thousands.