LEADING A balanced life is hard for the most organised among us, but 33-year-old Kisha Mays makes it look easy.
The CEO of business-development consultancy Just Fearless enjoyed an annual turnover of $3.4m last year and is projected to take home $5 million this year from her company, which helps female entrepreneurs expand into international markets and also ensures Mays sees most of the world while doing it.
"My lifestyle is unique," the successful entrepreneur told Business Insider."Just because I get to travel around the world; I get to help women, and I get paid a lot of money to do it."
Mays estimates she takes home about 70 per cent of the annual revenue, due to the low overhead costs of running her business. "I hire freelancers and outsource," she explained.
"At the same time, employees can work from home, or from the office."
And because she travels so extensively for business, many of her living and transportation expenses are tax-deductible. "It all works out in the end," she added.
While Mays is based in Hong Kong and Los Angeles, she spends around eight months of the year outside of the US, working on projects everywhere from Malaysia to Singapore to Italy to India.
"When you travel, it opens up doors," she continued.
"Even my clients in New York who have never left New York City; that is beyond me. I like that aspect of my life. I get to go around the world in the style I'm comfortable with, and I'm the boss."
On running her business with a suitcase in tow, the visionary said her basic principles that make the task possible; the first one is that she doesn’t stay in hotels.
"The most incredible places sometimes offer houses with great views," said Mays who opts to rent temporary accommodation through holiday home letting agencies like AirBnB.
This past year, she rented a place in Thailand for five months to get easier access to projects in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia. "It was easy to be based there," she said. "Much easier than having to go back and forth to the US."
Mays also credits technology as being a key tool in simplifying her workload and delegating amongst her team of 17 staff and freelancers.
Inspired by entrepreneurs including Oprah Winfrey and Richard Branson, the businesswoman explained her primary focus is on helping to develop more successful multimillion-dollar global female owned businesses through her company.
"The greatest thing you can do is bet on yourself and just do it," she says. “The worst thing you can do is not do it, and keep the security of your job. Have I had failure? Absolutely."
Adding ‘best-selling author’ to her list of titles, the savvy entrepreneur penned a book detailing some very public failures and how she overcome them.
From Failure to Fearless: Still Completely Flawed BUT Thriving Fearlessly has received rave reviews for its transparency and comes highly recommended for anyone bold enough to chase the path of self-employment.
"If I didn't have the failures, I wouldn't have the success. As clichéd as it is, it's absolutely true," she added.