Vivian L. King

I attribute my success to the people I'm with, the people I'm around - my tribe. Even when I don't want to send out a message or make an appointment, I'm encouraged to keep going, just to keep going. The community we have in our particular company and our group is incredible - we don't look down on one another, we lift one another up, we cheer each other on. It's the support system that keeps me moving forward, especially on days when motivation is low. Having that encouragement from the people around me has been essential to staying disciplined and taking action, even when things feel challenging.

The greatest guidance in my career has come from my family, particularly my eight children - six biological and a niece and nephew who are legally mine. I am deeply family-oriented, and my kids have been my biggest support and my backbone. They kept me going through all those years when I was a single mom, trying to raise them the best I could. When I lost myself a little bit because I was so focused on raising my kids, they inspired me to do more once they were grown. My oldest daughter actually brought me into the financial industry - she had gotten into it for a little bit and brought me in with her. That was my entry point. But what really resonated was when somebody reached out to me to come to my current company, where I could help people not only with their personal finances but also with business finances. That was like a red light for me - now I can really help, you know? I can knock on some doors and tell people, hey, you don't have to lose your business. My kids pushed me into this and inspired me to do more, to want to be more than just their mom - to be somebody for myself too.

Be kind to yourself. Once you step into this realm, you're stepping into a lot of things, but you have to have patience with yourself. Success isn't going to happen overnight - you have to really work on it. With our particular company and our group, it's actually the community that makes the difference. We don't look down on one another, we lift one another up, we cheer each other on. I've been in the industry with this particular company for about 4 years, and I've been up and down because I also do events as well. I'm not where I want to be in the company as of yet, but I have to be kind to myself and recognize that I had other things to do too. I made weddings look beautiful, you know? Just because I'm not where I'm at with this particular company doesn't mean I'm not going to get there. You have to give yourself grace and understand that your journey includes multiple responsibilities and accomplishments, and timing is an important part of long-term success.

My biggest personal challenge is getting up and speaking in front of people. That's my biggest fear - getting up there on that stage and forgetting what the heck I want to say. It's still there, that self-doubt is still there. But I know I can do it because I have done it. When people meet me, it's like they've been knowing me for years - that's just who I am. But there's still that number I do in my head when I think about public speaking. Beyond my personal challenge, I see the broader challenges in the field as the widespread lack of financial education. Many people weren't taught how credit, debt, savings, or business funding work, which leads to long-term financial instability. When we went through the pandemic, a lot of businesses lost everything because of their PPP loans, and they don't know that there is a solution - you don't necessarily have to go bankrupt or go out of business. The opportunity in this field is in letting everybody know what is out here and what's available. There's a real need for education-driven solutions that empower individuals at every stage of their financial journey, especially in underserved communities where access to financial guidance can be transformative.

When asked about my most important values, I realized I don't even think I've stopped to really think about that. I've been so busy, and sometimes you forget about yourself when you're trying to satisfy others. But what I can say is that creativity and service bring me joy. I like crafting - I like taking something that someone may throw away and making it beautiful again, because everything to me is not garbage, it's art. Most of my time goes into making centerpieces for weddings and just being creative. I do try to exercise and go to the gym, but even in my downtime, I'm teaching something to somebody somewhere. I'm deeply family-oriented, having raised eight children, and they've been my foundation. For me, fulfillment comes from a blend of creativity, movement, and contribution - finding balance in both self-expression and helping others grow.