Our Business

Tony Dungy, former NFL Coach, is our favorite coach and one of the greatest coaches in the league’s history, in our opinion. He not only played the game, which lended to his credibility amongst the players, but his superpower was in focusing on the strengths of the collective talent of players and motivating them to be the best versions of themselves—both as a team and as individuals! By taking coaching principles from dynamic coaches like Coach Dungy and partnering them with consulting principles, we’ve created Taking Up Space Consulting. The principles we leverage in our business are:

1. Responsive Engagement - listening to understand meaning and intent, rather than just hearing what is said

2. Center on “What do we know to be fact” - facts can be proven true or false; opinions are based on experiences and emotion

3. Radical Candor with Humility - saying what one thinks while also caring about the person to whom is speaking and be comfortable with saying “I don’t know (or have) the answer!”

4. Effective Prioritization - what will we stop when we say “yes” to something new

We do have an umbrella company called Smooth KYS’d (pronounced “kissed”) Concepts. Are you asking yourself, “what in the world is that?” We chose this name as it embodies the family who owns it! “Smooth” was the nickname given to Larry, our Logistics Principal, during his college football days. “KYS’d is our founder and managing Principal-Kisha Y. Smith (formerly Davis). “Concepts” embodies all we intend to build but also where we began—in a small place called Huntington, WV back in the ‘90s. We melded all this together and made this the umbrella company where we will build our service-based empire. We plan to incorporate future events that will be branded from this part of our company.

COMING SOON…..

COMING SOON—Safe Spaces for Black Women

This experience will based on the research of Dr. Carey Yazeed. We will be soon certified to facilitate these safe spaces (September 2024). The goal is to provide Black Women a safe space to just BE with no judgment, negativity, or colonized rulebook allowed! Our spaces are to learn, grow, develop, and build together as Black sisters! These are carefully curated events where we open safe spaces for Black women to discuss workplace trauma through a safe space experience - Unbreak My Soul. If you are interested in a safe space experience, please take a look at our Vulnerability Workshop for groups (ERGs, church groups, associations, etc.) or our Safe Space virtual sessions, Unbreak My Soul-Safe Space, for individuals who need to place to learn how to deal with their everyday workplace experiences.

COMING SOON—Safe Spaces for Black Men

These safe spaces will be designed to offer Black men a networking and wellness opportunity not often afforded to them. Just like for our women, there is no judgment, negativity, or colonized rulebook that we follow in these spaces. We want to offer our brothers a space to nurture each other via relationship and community. These are carefully curated events where we open safe spaces for Black men to have wellness circles-My Brothers’ Guard.

COMING SOON—BIPOC Wellness & Networking Events

We will celebrate the fullness of the Black, Brown, Indigenous, and other People of Color experience through our bi-annual wellness event; and small exclusive executive-level networking events.

COMING SOON—Learning Opportunities for Young Professionals

Leading by example is a principle we live by! The Royal Court will be an experience for the young Black, Brown, Indigenous, and other People of Color age group to learn from seasoned professionals across multiple disciplines. We want to ensure we provide access to internships, mentorships, and networking for those who wish to develop in the corporate, nonprofit, or entrepreneurial space.