Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaileigh Otsuka.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Growing up in Silicon Valley, I had what might be considered a strange start to entering the workforce and chalk up a lot of my success to simply being in the right place at the right time. I didn’t come from generational wealth; my parents worked at a grocery store, as did my grandparents, but as the tech bubble grew, so did the connections surrounding us.
Seeing this and being the independent skater/surfer rebel that I was, I knew I wanted to pave my own way — what better way to do that than interning at different startups in the area, secretly soaking up everything the founders did, like what they did well or what could have been improved…
For example, I worked at an early-stage product-to-customer sourcing startup where none of the founding members had children, and the only woman on staff who did have kids often couldn’t get traction for her ideas. Being able to observe these things first-hand showed me the exact kind of culture I DIDN’T want to build.
I’m not saying it was the perfect way forward, but in its own way, it gave me the best advantage possible: to be able to fail, pivot, rinse and repeat while all I needed to invest was my time, instead of sinking thousands into one startup idea that would end in zero seed funding + debt.
When COVID hit, I took it as a sign to make my biggest pivot yet — investing in myself and Kayo Creative. From there, the rest is history: six published books, countless tech and branding projects, and a few ghostwritten top-sellers. Kayo Creative just hit it’s five year mark, and although I am proud of what I’ve built, I never want to stop learning or keep improving.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’m currently thinking of one of those Instagram memes where the POV is standing between two bike paths: one is the road to your right. It’s paved, with neatly trimmed hedges on each side; heck, it even has a bike lane with freshly painted reflective lines on the asphalt. I imagine that’s the typical corporate 9-5 with solid stock options and benefits. Then there’s the one to the left. A muddy, dirt path, more than a few bumps, a few big puddles, and a handful of spindly-lined treadmarks from some off-roaders giving the first dirt hill a go. The first hill is so big you can’t see past it, but it looks like the sun might be peeking through… Needless to say, I chose the road on the left. I’m muddy, but happier for it.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
The corporate version: Over a decade of experience in B2B and B2C tech, including Kubernetes, cloud computing, GPU chips, internal ops, sales, and inventory in the education, conservation, fintech, and health-tech sectors; sprinkle in some content writing, branding, UX, UI, and that about sums me up.
My speciality: Honestly? Talking to people, seeing how things work, and doing my best to help others work smarter, not harder. Usually by making something work better, or creating something from scratch.
What am I most proud of? Well, one thing I made recently is called “Celestial Blueprint.” It’s an “all-in-one” horoscope, zodiac, BaZi, etc. reader that cross-references the user’s data to help you learn more about yourself so you can “work smarter, not harder.” There’s also the “Polymath Bridge,” which is just another name for “do you have tons of ADHD hobbies but have a hard time seeing how they relate to each other and need some inspiration?” all in a cool little constellation-type webpage design. I’ll link them both later in the interview so people can poke around.
I’m also really proud of the last book I published; I dedicated it to my niece, Ava — she really liked that one.
What sets me apart from others? I honestly think anyone who takes this dirt road must be somewhat insane. So I’d say, just a sprinkle of insanity mixed with a slightly higher calculated-risk threshold than your average person.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I have an unhealthy obsession with YouTube – specifically funny, unaesthetic lifestyle vlogs. I love this one channel, “Kiyomi and Micah” (@kiyomivining on YouTube)– they remind me that you don’t have to be perfect to keep loving life and can simply just keep doing cool shit. I also really love @Struthless on YouTube – he’s imperfect and awe-inspiring, then adds action items to his video, which really seals the positive-feedback-loop deal for me.
I’m a weirdo who enjoys reading five different books at a time.
It usually goes something like:
1. Self-Help / Info Book (Becoming Supernatural by Dr. Dispenza, Anything by Thich Nhat Hanh)
2. Adventure (Jane Yolen, HP series, Matt Haig, Douglas Adams)
3. “Be a Better Business Human” Educational Category (Dare to Lead by Brené Brown, Talk Like TED by Carmine Gallo, Thinking Better by Marcus du Sautoy)
4. Short Dopamine Boost Tidbit (think like 1-page learn something new type books) (The Decision Book by Mikael Krogerus and Roman Techappeler)
5. All About Healing, Love, Things That Inspire (Anything from Yung Pueblo, The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van der Kolk, Women Who Run with Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes)
Pricing:
- For Creatives with ADHD: The Mental Health Workbook on Amazon for $14.50 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CW6LTXYL)
- For Kids (ages 5+) and Parents Who’re Expecting: We Got Our Dog a Dog $15.40 on Amazon (https://a.co/d/0itvNwno)
- For Toddlers (ages 2.5+) The Book of Feelings $9.99 on Amazon (https://a.co/d/0cLo0Gm3)
- Blueprint Lab (free) https://kayocreativeagency.com/lab/blueprint/
- Polymath Bridge (free) for those who have tons of things their good at but no clue on how they work together: https://kayocreativeagency.com/lab/polymath-bridge/
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kayocreativeagency.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goddessofgreenss/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaileigh-otsuka-02102b125/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kaileigh-does-stuff
- Other: https://kayocreativeagency.com/lab/
Image Credits
Image Credits to Alessandro Benvegnu (Black and White Portraits), Papedas Clothing Company (Art and Painting Shots), The Optimist, Bali (Chess Club) and Kayo Creative Agency
