Words of Resilience – I Can & I Will

BY: ALYSSA MAHADEO

It takes a special kind of person to see that which cannot be seen, to look inside ourselves and discover the power we did not know we had. Words are a driving factor in that process, the way we speak to ourselves, about ourselves, and encourage the motivation and growth that will take us to the next level.

Bold, eccentric, luminous, versatile and a catalyst for positive change, Kym Niles is an individual who stands out from the crowd, a leader, a commanding presence, and a woman who marches to the beat of her own drum.

Born of Jamaican and Trinidadian heritage, Kym is a woman who holds nothing back. From very young Kym has been recognized as a born leader. In high school, she was the president of her student council, in her career someone who could be relied on to turn any hopeless situation around. Her ability to take charge of a situation, vocalize her thoughts and actively work implementing a plan of action is evident in every task she takes responsibility for.

“Beginning with the end in mind is something I have embodied for the majority of my life,” Kym says. “I’m always the person to be able to visualize the path before them, and create a plan for where we have to go.”

Having to rely on herself and her own abilities early in life, Kym quickly learned how to problem solve to survive. At sixteen years old she already had three jobs, implementing a delicate balancing between work and school, while also taking on a myriad of side projects simultaneously. She was the poster girl of hustling hard, her drive indomitable.

“I always knew I wanted to become someone, and at that point in my life, I didn’t know what that meant,” Kym explains. “I wanted to be someone of influence, and I wanted to make a difference.”

During those years, in her pursuit of working towards becoming someone who could make a difference, the work she did, and the projects she took on really helped to build up her character and strengthen her resilience.

“There are days that you don’t want to wake up, and you don’t want to do it,” Kym admits. “It always came down to how do I keep going, how do I stay focused, and I would always keep something in my circle to keep me excited.”

Armed with a strong sense of responsibility Kym had originally intended on becoming a lawyer. On more than one occasion she felt a strong sense of justice to fight for one side of an argument or another. “When I believe in something I’ll go full out to defend it, I’m always willing to dig to get to the answer,” she assures. “Once I’m firm in my opinion of something it’s hard to discourage me.”

Unfortunately, the more time she spent studying the legal system, she found there was a lot that didn’t sit well with her, and so she agreed to disagree with the justice system and moved on to the next enticing project.

At seventeen she found herself working in retail, and she realized that she found a sense of gratification in leading people. She was put in charge of managing teams of people, something that is no small feat, and during that time she learned that she was equipped with a skill set that allowed her to take care of these other employees, working to keep them happy and productive.

“I spent a lot of time observing people,” Kym explains. “I observed how they would behave or how they would respond to certain situations and listen to understand their needs.”

During that time she was still taking courses in college, subconsciously gathering more insight on leadership, management, and development, all things that became transferable skills she was able to apply in different aspects of her career.

“Always did a great job of taking care of people, and never did a great job of taking care of myself and that was an eye-opener for me,” Kym admits.

After that, Kym established herself as an authority in various different positions where she was a respected manager and leader in everything she chose to embark on. Company higher-ups would come seeking her out to help save their businesses, recreate business plans and whip their company and employees into shape.

In every new endeavour Kym embarked on, she invested her time and energy into helping people and making them feel better. With every opportunity she left a positive impression, people would leave her care smiling. The ability to touch lives in a positive way was making a difference and creating an impact and with every new position or project she took on she fit another piece of the puzzle together in what she eventually established as her own company I Can & I Will.

“I was put in a position where I was starting to talk to people about their well being,” Kym explains.  “A lot of my journey began with helping women build their confidence, slowly progressing from there and eventually venturing into the world of fitness with strength and conditioning.”

I Can & I Will was founded out of an opportunity to utilize all of the skills she had gained over the years and create something that she could call her own. Over the years she realized that she had spent too much time working for other people, and eventually the universe provided her with the ultimate opportunity to put her passion behind something that was 100% her own vision.

Kym seized the moment one day while working out when the words she constantly shared with her clients came to her ‘I can and I will.’ That affirmation allowed her to create her own company, one focused on empowering people to take positive action that will result in positive self-esteem and mastery.

“It came from a place of opportunity, I began working with clients one on one, personal training, coaching them not only in body but also in mind,” Kym shares. “I started working with youth in the community, young black girls and women to become more comfortable in their skin.”

I Can & I Will offers group and personal training sessions, practical physical activity that is designed for your dynamic, consistent, and focused lifestyle. Their belief system is that your training sessions should be functional and transfer over to real life. They offer a number of workshops that cover a wide variety of topics relating to your mental and physical health addressing topics like self-love, body image, self-confidence, self-esteem and any other opportunities you might be looking to address in your life.

“My personal mantra is to leave you better than I met you,” Kym shares. Her experience mentoring and coaching hundreds of individuals both personally and professionally allows her to offer mentorship to anyone looking to improve their self-development, discovering who you are, and who you want to be.

“I have a natural passion for people with a belief system that anything is possible if you truly want it…There are no limits, just the ones you set for yourself.” Kym explains. She is there to hold you accountable and for you to understand your behavioral patterns and the root causes, which in turn affect your daily wellbeing.

“I like to understand why I’m doing something whether I’m being paid or not, I want to know the outcome, what is the desired outcome we’re looking for that to me is so important,” Kym says.

In addition to everything that she does Kym is always giving back. As an extension of I Can & I Will, Selflove Youth Wellness & Empowerment is their corporate responsibility. Their goal is to empower youth to use fitness activities for both mental and physical health through wellness workshops at no cost.

In the future, Kym hopes that she can take the impact of I Can & I Will international to help people all over the world, especially in the Caribbean. On her journey, she has become a certified wellness coach, trainer, motivational speaker and consultant and there is still so much she hopes to do moving forward.

“If I’m going to do something I do it with passion, I dedicate the time to figure out how to do it properly and increase productivity, so I can work it to the fullest extent of my ability.”