Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Beaman Rios.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It was a winding road with some detours. I owe my success thus far though to the detours for bringing me to where I am today. I’m thankful for the challenges because it pushed me to grow as an artist. I also use the difficult memories or times to strengthen my lyric writing and book writing.
The biggest hurtle was my learning challenges as a child and how society affected my perception of who I was and what I was capable of. When I learned about society’s role in this; it empowered me to know it wasn’t my fault. I could achieve my dreams!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am an author, vocalist, actor, business owner, and licensed mental health counselor. My work has primarily centered around children and families in the field of accessibility, mental health, and inclusive education. I’m particularly passionate about dyslexia and bringing creative visions to life as an entrepreneur.
My story began as a young child daydreaming during lectures in class. My entrepreneurial spirit was born while envisioning myself as a singer and songwriter on stage, creating music videos. As a child, I had BIG visions for my life and this included acting on television, singing, and becoming an author. It wasn’t always an easy journey as I struggled with my learning differences in academia. Keeping my grades up and my spirits even higher proved to be a challenge with significant deficits in reading comprehension. I relied on my creativity to problem solve and to dream of a brighter future. Creative doors would eventually open with a plethora of opportunities. I believe wholeheartedly in diversifying my creative portfolio. It took some time to realize the inherent strengths and gifts of my style of learning and how I could thrive in business. I now celebrate this difference with the passion and drive I have for the creative arts and entrepreneurship.
As a teenager, I began private vocal lessons and found my voice literally. My confidence grew and I began to book commercials in Orlando as a paid actor. My desire to create a family was just as important to me. My husband and I have two creative kids and a baby boy due June 2022. In 2016 became a self-published author with the release of ” My Little Cupcake”, an illustrated children’s story and activity book. This led to speaking engagements such as reading my story to young kids and talking about accessibility with learning and neurodiversity. I continue to share my personal story of being dyslexic, as well as my professional knowledge in the mental health field. I’m honored to be requested as a keynote speaker on the topic of Dyslexia at International Dyslexia Association in October of 2022.
I am most proud of my ability to bring my creative visions to life with purpose. This includes launching Signs that Save® which is our family-owned, local company devoted to protecting children by advocating for their emotional and physical safety through education and the use of our strong visual cues. I’m proud of this adventure because we wanted to create decals that focused on the heart of the safety matter by providing not just simple signs but preventative education about safety issues. We had accessibility at the forefront of design and now feature a variety of decals that create awareness about specific topics pertaining to kids with specialized needs. As example, we created ” Wait! Ask An Adult!” as an added layer of prevention/ protection to help deter a child with autism from elopement. We continue to talk with companies about safety education and how to utilize our decals as a layer of prevention and protection.
In addition, to being the CEO of Signs that Save®, I am currently working on a second book on the topic of dyslexia and continuing my path as a creative. Every day is a gift and I am thankful to my friends and family for their support of my nontraditional path to creative growth and happiness. I truly believe that it takes starting, believing in oneself to forge a path. So often people are stuck because an idea may be overwhelming. Many times, creatives feel stuck because they worry too much about the “how” of what will happen. If you are reading this and feel stuck, just think of one step and do that one thing. Keep owning your truth and seek support when needed.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I’m available and can be booked for speaking engagements for both my work as CEO of Signs that Save® and Author/ Activist for kids that learn differently (specifically, Dyslexia). I would like to meet professionals in the areas I am pursuing and to support one another in this community and beyond.
Please contact me at workwithkbeaman@gmail.com or info@signsthatsave.com
I look forward to connecting and learning more about your creative path!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://signsthatsave.com
- Instagram: workwithkbeaman and signsthatsave
Image Credits
Stephanie Pena Photography
