Inspiring Conversations with Karen Buscemi of KB Promo & Aspirational You

Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen Buscemi

Hi Karen, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Writer, graphic designer, marketer, brand builder – I’ve been flowing among these titles for 25 years, Along the way, I added speaker then fashion and style expert to my list. But it wasn’t until I found the title of coach that I knew I had assembled a skillset that differentiated me from everyone else.

I started at the very bottom. I knew how to use the pen tool in Illustrator and that got me a job at a company that sold supplies to car dealers. Think triangle streamers that hung from one end of the lot to the other. Pretty boring work. But I learned enough at that job to get me to a better graphic design job, and the next thing I knew, I was teaching graphic design software to adults.

Eventually, I got a job as an art director. While I was there, I told the owner that the copywriting his was paying for was awful, and he should let me take a stab at it since he was already paying me. He agreed, and that how I started my copywriting career. On the side, I took a chance at journalism assignments at very small newspapers and grew that until I was writing for national publications. That led to editing fashion magazines where I styled fashion shoots, met with iconic designers, MC’d events and sat on various panels. I even gave a Ted talk.

In between the various jobs, I had my own businesses that focused on brand building with services that spanned from logo design and website building to advertising and trade show products.

Today I run my own businesses, KB Promo and Aspirational You, utilizing all the skills I acquired over the years.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Is anything ever a smooth road? When I worked with others, I had to figure out how to best communicate with each of those personalities to create a happy and productive working environment. And then there’s differences of opinion with management. I could push, but I also knew my limit. I fought for what I believed in, but I never crossed that threshold or said something I couldn’t take back.

Having my own business, I always have the worry of not enough business coming in each month. In addition, If anything goes wrong on the promotional products side of the business, it’s on me. That money is coming out of my pocket, so I better make sure the job gets done right.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about KB Promo & Aspirational You?
I have one business with two sides. The corporate side is KB Promo, a full-service promotional company focused on brand building for small to medium companies with personalized service. I build brands through brand management, graphic design, storytelling & promotional products.

What differentiates KB Promo from other companies is that I understand style at a top level: in graphic design, in the written word, and how products look, fit and feel. This means whatever services I provide to you, from branded clothing to a custom website, you get something that is both attractive and effective. Learn more at https://kbpromoproducts.com.

The personal side is Aspirational You, which is coaching and workshops for women, with a special focus on women in the workplace. Throughout my professional career, I often found myself teaching and coaching, and always loved that interaction, the big lightbulb moments, witnessing people grow and feel great about themselves in whatever way I was working with them. I took that love and focused it into Aspirational You.

I serve as my clients’ Full-Package Coach. I call myself The Full-Package Coach because my extensive and fully assembled skillset allows me to work with my clients in a wide variety of areas. I believe all women have the power to shine, but many don’t know how or don’t realize they can. That’s where I come in. Nothing gives me more pleasure than to witness a woman find her footing and step up into her power. I help her do that through a variety of coaching packages and workshops. I can also create custom coaching packages, deliver my workshops on site for groups, or create a customer workshop for a group on whatever topic they need. Learn more at https://aspirationalyou.com.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
The definition of success is so different from person to person, isn’t it? I couldn’t consider myself successful if I didn’t enjoy what I was doing each day. And, of course I want to earn enough to have a comfortable lifestyle. But for me, what says success to me the most is knowing that moment when I’ve helped someone, whether they’re thrilled about their brand identity package or they’ve had a breakthrough during a coaching session. That’s pure joy for me. That’s success.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kbpromoproducts.com and https://aspirationalyou.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kb_promo and https://www.instagram.com/aspirationalyou
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kbpromoproducts and https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61568213811056