Today we’d like to introduce you to Keocha LaFleur-Anders.
Hi Keocha, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am a Wellness Coach, Publishing Consultant, a #1 international bestselling author, and a 2x national bestselling author who uses a writing for wellness approach to encourage women in business to be more creative and productive. Well, that’s more about what I do.
Who I am is a denim-wearing, football-loving, chocolate-craving country girl from Louisiana who has called Central Texas home for 14 years. I am incredibly random which fuels my sense of humor. I think I just love seeing other people smile. I am crazy about my family and passionate about encouraging women to invest in themselves. I have reached the season in life where I am addicted to peace and laughter. My addiction started to change my perspective on life. My perspective started to influence my environment. My environment made me hit my wellness reset button which brought me back to writing. Writing has always been my first love. I am a writer. At the core of who I am, I am a writer. It’s not just what I do but more of the blessing of who I was created to be.
I stopped writing years ago to balance family, businesses, and football. Seriously, football is its own category in my family. I was doing it all while living in what seemed to be a heightened emotional state. I was consistently “in my feelings” and as an empath, that’s a tough state to live in. I was feeling everything and it was because I had stopped writing. Since I was a teenager, my journal had always been reliable and available for me to release what I was feeling and thinking. Because I neglected what was a key piece to my wellness formula, I was barely keeping it together after I stopped writing. And even though I’m still figuring things out, finding my way back to writing has helped me grow tremendously. Writing is my creative outlet but it’s also where I find peace and purpose. It has given this creative a renewed hope in her ability to express herself through the written word again. It’s my preferred form of expression.
I love creating relatable content for my readers and helping my clients do the same. Through blogs, workshops, courses, and books, I teach entrepreneurs and solopreneurs how to use words to engage with their clients and readers in a way that’s meaningful to them. And sometimes, we publish their work.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has NOT been a smooth road. It seemed like the moment I was clear about what I believed my purpose was, I was hit with several challenges in my personal life. I was trying to maintain a business that was not growing. And it was not growing because I was not growing. My social, emotional, mental, and physical well-being were challenged. I was an emotional wreck, easily stressed, and it all showed up in my physical body. However, I don’t regret that season of twists and turns on rugged terrain. The struggles helped me become who I am today. It allowed me to see myself in a different light and to appreciate every moment.
Challenges are meant to make us better. Therefore, we should learn from them. In my case, I decided to take a close inventory of how I contributed negatively to the unbalanced areas of my life. If the road had been smooth, I would have never discovered the fullness of my purpose and power. Without those challenges, I would have never grown.
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to prioritize my well-being over well-doing. It does not mean that doing well in business is not a priority. It simply means that my well-being is more important. My business is an extension of me. How can I expect my business to do well if I am not well? My clients will receive subpar service, advice, and results if I’m not well. It all starts with me.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Chestnut Publishing House, LLC?
I have two businesses. Through LaFleur Anders & Co., I teach women in business to embrace holistic creativity and purposeful productivity. So, what does that mean? I help them tap into their creativity by exploring various dimensions of wellness. Writing is a great way to release and explore. It can shift your perspective and create exciting opportunities to help you improve productivity, increase creativity, and invest in your well-being simultaneously. I use a writing for wellness approach that helps my clients improve written communication- personally and in their businesses. In addition, I facilitate connections as they network with like-minded women who share the same desire to grow in all areas of their lives. Because of their relationships, powerful projects are created, and others can feel their inspiring impact.
These women are encouraged to give their message a collective or individual voice. Their connections may lead to published work, and that’s where Chestnut Publishing House comes into play. Through Chestnut, we provide consultation to non-fiction authors interested in establishing their author business through self-publishing. We give them the tools they need to establish authority, credibility, and visibility in their area of expertise.
My grandparents are the inspiration behind Chestnut Publishing House. From the logo to the company’s actual name, it is my way of continuing the appreciation I have shown them for how they always showed up for me. If no one else did, they did. I realize that I can never fully repay them for what they’ve done, but Chestnut is a constant reminder of their love for me and is my way of paying love forward.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I am a connector and a collaborator. I believe in the power of collaboration. I have witnessed its impact on too many occasions not to believe in it. However, to be a successful collaborator, you have to have a few qualities, and I think these qualities have been essential to the growth of my business.
Collaborators should be transparent, good listeners, willing to give and take, authentic, kind, and able to see a project through no matter what. Transparency builds trust, and no one is willing to join forces with someone they can’t trust. Even when things go “wrong,” or you drop the ball in any situation, transparency and authenticity will be the glue that keeps everything together. Listening intently and being genuinely in tune with what’s in your best interest but also the best interest of your co-collaborators is a must. You should also push through each project or event with the same drive and passion as everyone else.
Being a collaborator can also be draining. You invest time, talents, and energy into other people and various projects. Although collaborating is beautiful, it can leave you feeling depleted and low on life fuel some days. Investing in my well-being has positively contributed to my success. It’s how I refuel. I’m not just talking about massages and visits to the nail salon. Although those services are absolutely ways I invest in my well-being, I also include practices and routines that require me to sit in silence, journal, take intentional breaths, be conscious of my social well-being, and be honest with myself about everything. Some truths have been huge pills to swallow, but sometimes the most challenging lessons produce our biggest blessings.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.klafleuranders.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/chestnutreads
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/chestnutreads
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCx3ZJgImBMFIalEHWftbjGw
