Meet Kendra Neely | Serial Entrepreneur, Brand Strategist & Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kendra Neely and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kendra, what do you want people to remember about you?
I want to be remembered for being kind. When people leave my projects and teams or when I’m in heaven, I want to be remembered for genuinely having a good heart. It’s super easy and tempting to get caught up social media, personal image and self righteousness in these industries where people glorify you for the pictures you take, connections you have and material possessions you “own” . I used to be so addicted to all of that. The image meant more than the work and I started to tailor myself to who the image that was praised was. The only thing that kept me anchored was my heart. I have so much love in my heart to give and share with the world and I refuse to water that down.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As a designer, I’m sublime. There is no label or tag that fits for me and I’m so proud of that. I’m a stylist, painter and writer so my “style” is heavily influenced by what I feel, culture, current events and the varying archives I’m into.

I started off always picking out outfits for my friends, making my own clothes with cuts and iron on patches as a teenager. In college and grad school I owned a boutique and that was great, but I started to reject fast fashion all together so I had to pivot.

I’ve been painting since I was 18 and that’s where I release my pain. When I’m in unique season I paint.

Writing and words are a way of life for me. I consider myself a storyteller, I enjoy writing about truths that are often times viewed as taboo. I’m passionate about access to mental health resources and education for women, people of color and moms so publicly that is often a recurring theme in my talks and my work.

Not a single thing about this journey in entrepreneurship has been easy. I cry ALOT but then I get up and keep going because I know I’m going to be legendary. You have to just know and believe with unwavering faith that you were chosen.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
So Atlanta is definitely a great place to pick your vibe. My friends are very much so into low key vibes and ambiance, great food and art is always a hit. We love the SCAD Fashion museum for sure, that is always a win. A Slutty Vegan trip is non negotiable for sure.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Wow. I could go on forever here. There are so many humans and organizations that have contributed to where I’m at today in a multitude of ways whether it be spiritually, mentally, emotionally or financially. I’m here, showing up in this space confidently because of a plethora or humans that have poured into me and my dreams when they didn’t have to.

I’m really fortunate to have super solid circle of female friends that have carried me through some really dark times. I’ve had the same best friends since I’ve been 11, one of them being my first cousin. They keep me grounded, no matter what I touch they NEVER let me forget where I came from, who I was 20 years ago and what I stand for. You need people like that to keep you anchored when these opportunities and clients start trying to tell you who you are, you need friends that will shut all of that down. None of these women are into my work at all, they want to see me happy and that’s it and I love them for that. My best friend will kill any sighting of negative ego in me in a minute, Joyce is a pistol but without her loyalty I wouldn’t know what true sisterhood is.

I also have my Billionaire Girl Club, they’re like my traveling spiritual center in my pocket. We support each other in business, health, wealth and everything in between. We’re spread out throughout the US but it always feels like they’re right next door.

I have to dedicate this shoutout to my parents. Every year I get a little older and see more of them in me. My mom is ultra laid back and my dad is an eclectic liberal and I definitely fall somewhere in between. At my center, I’m an artist and my style has my parents imprint all over it. They truly gave everything they had as individuals to make me courageous and kind. My parents come from an era where art and creativity wasn’t an acceptable form of work yet they always tried there best to respect whereever I was on my self expression journey. Without having that freedom, I would have ended up very stifled and ashamed of who I was.

Website: Www.kendraneely.com

Instagram: Ken_inthecity

Linkedin: Kendra Neely

Image Credits
Latifah Terry