My habits as a communicator have been instrumental in my success as an entrepreneur.
Kim Dao is a prominent blogger, YouTuber, and social media influencer who has worked with countless brands and is known for her passion and expertise regarding any subject related to fashion, makeup, and travel. A native of Australia who studied psychology and Japanese while earning a degree from the University of Western Australia, Dao began her blogging career in earnest after documenting her first visit to Japan in 2011.
Although the Kim Dao Blog was founded as something of a digital keepsake for her first journey to Japan, it quickly gained traction among readers seeking an entertaining and enlightening resource about traveling to the country in which Dao now lives. Once she realized the blog’s potential, Dao expanded the site’s content to include information about some of her favorite subjects, most notably makeup, travel, fashion, and popular culture.
As the readership grew at a seemingly exponential rate, Dao became increasingly active on social media platforms and began creating YouTube videos in order to interact with her readers in any way possible. Due to her immense popularity across so many digital platforms, Dao has had the opportunity to work with a number of notable brands and has been featured by Japanese television outlets as well as Australian media organizations.
Where did the idea for Kim Dao Blog come from?
The Kim Dao Blog started as means through which I could document my first trip to Japan. I never planned for it to become so popular or to open up so many opportunities.
What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?
It really depends on what I am working on or with whom I am working, but I usually begin my day by communicating with my followers on my various social media platforms. This allows me to get a sense of what they might like to see in a video or read in a blog post, which makes it really easy to plan out the rest of my day.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I actually rely on the frequent interactions with my followers to generate new ideas that can then be brought to life.
What’s one trend that really excites you?
Through technological advancements and social media, the world is much more interconnected and we are all able to learn so much from people we may have never otherwise met.
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
I consider myself a highly effective and exceptionally active communicator. My habits as a communicator have been instrumental in my success as an entrepreneur.
What was the worst job you ever had and what did you learn from it?
I guess I’ve either been quite fortunate or I’m just a very positive individual, but I have really enjoyed all the jobs I’ve held over the years.
If you were to start again, what would you do differently?
Everything happened so organically that I just can’t imagine what I would want to change if I could start all over again.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
Since I communicate so frequently with my readers and social media followers, I feel as though I am keenly aware of what it is they enjoy about my posts and my videos. I am also able to secure immediate feedback and can make adjustments if need be.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business? Please explain how.
My readers and followers know me very well because of how much I share through social media and through my videos, and I have made a conscious effort to get to know them as well. I believe this has helped me create a very loyal following.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
It wasn’t until I had already achieved success as an entrepreneur that I even realized I was an entrepreneur, so failure was not something I experienced while creating the Kim Dao Blog.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
My success as a blogger and social media influencer is the direct result of my passion for a specific subject and my willingness to openly share my thoughts and experiences about that subject with my followers. Every entrepreneur should consider what brings them a genuine sense of joy and should try to create a business that revolves around that subject.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
I purchased a plane ticket back to Australia to visit all the loved ones I haven’t seen since moving to Japan.
What software and web services do you use? What do you love about them?
I rely on a lot of software and web services for entrepreneurial purposes, but for personal reasons, Skype is my favorite of them all. Being able to videoconference with friends and family back home makes it much easier to live in another country without getting too homesick.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
I really liked Gary Vaynerchuk’s “Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook,” which is a really great read for anyone interested in getting the most out of their social media strategies.
What people have influenced your thinking and might be of interest to others?
Rolf Potts is one of my favorite writer/explorers, and I’ve also learned a lot from the work of Gary Vaynerchuk and Malcolm Gladwell.
Connect:
Kim Dao on Twitter: @kimdaoblog
Kim Dao on Facebook:
Kim Dao on YouTube:
Kim Dao on Instagram: @kimdaoblog
Kim Dao on Tumblr:
Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.