From Selling Ice Pops at 5 to CEO Leading Millions | Kimberly B Lewis | SkillCast by LOSD

So tell me, so you went from being this born entrepreneur, let's just say it was like deep-rooted within your veins, from the age of five, and then you went on to become a news reporter, was it? And you decided to work for someone.

How did that transition sort of feel because Someone like me who kind of, I've worked for someone before.

I've been employed before.

And then I decided to become self-employed.

So I'm self-employed at the moment.

So going from being employed to self-employed, that's easy.

But going from being self-employed to employed, that's different.

Yes.

Tell me about that journey and how did you feel about having to report to someone?

Well, you know, it's...

That part does not bother me.

Now, I have a board of directors.

And so my board of directors is comprised of 13 people.

And so I have 13 bosses.

But they are incredibly supportive and wonderful.

And what I love about Goodwill, I'm now the CEO of Goodwill Industries of East Texas.

Goodwill is a match or a mix between the nonprofit world and the business world.

And it's called a social enterprise.

So we have the freedom to create businesses that serve our community.

And that is how we make our money today.

to provide the education and skill building and the leadership courses and all of the other things that we do for individuals with barriers to employment.

So whether that barrier is a disability or it is a previous prison incarceration or it is a single mom, you know, who is trying to upskill herself so that she can, you know, make a life for her children.

We do all of that.

And we use our retail stores as well as the other businesses that we operate to fund that enterprise.