Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Jo Hosang.
Hi Kelly Jo, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Born April 28th, 1996 I grew up in very humble beginnings in Spanish Town, St Catherine in Jamaica. There, I learned the importance of hard work and gained knowledge, wisdom, and responsibility along the way from a very early age. Though circumstances were not the most ideal at times, I was always surrounded by love and family which has set a very strong foundation for the remainder of my life.
In 2012, my mom, sister and I migrated to the United States, West Palm Beach, Florida to be exact, hoping to start a better life filled with more opportunities and growth for us all. Though it was proven to be very challenging for me to begin high school in the middle of a semester, new country, no friends, this pushed me to step out of my comfort zone and I believe this was the moment I started to become more confident within myself. I completed high school in May 2014 with a 3.7 GPA, gained a best friend in the process and was now off to university.
August 2014, my journey began at the great Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida where I majored in Computer Science. Attending this accredited HBCU I began to find myself even more. Being surrounded by other African American students as well as other Caribbean students, constantly learning about black excellence, networking with others and my favorite part, becoming a BCU cheerleader, where my confidence began to soar even more. I was able to become a role model for younger girls, participating in such great causes and events and overall being a representation for my school. This sparked a realization for my excitement and interest for the beauty world. The lights, the cameras, the makeup, the hair always ensuring that my appearance is up to par as I am representing more than just myself. While my college journey was not easy, those 4 years have grounded me in principles I will never forget. Graduating in August 2018 with my degree in Computer Information Systems with a concentration in Networking, I would soon see how this education would now be my next stepping stone into the real world.
Gaining my first job within my field in 2019 and working in the male dominant industry of Information Technology, I always felt within myself that something was missing and felt as though a piece of personality was always hidden. This intrigued my imagination of what else could be out there for me to pursue; however that was quickly put to a halt when the pandemic hit in March 2020 and I was furloughed from my job. Though very grateful to have received another work opportunity during that time, I saw that I was in a stationary position for quite some time which then allowed me to become very comfortable and complacent, which does not align with myself and my work ethic.
In 2021, at 25 years old, I made the decision to pack my things and move to Houston Texas, no friends, no family and a very limited amount of money. I made this move to challenge myself and prove that I can push myself beyond limitations. Yes, I am currently still working in an IT job role, however, I pushed myself even further and I have created my YouTube Channel: “Kulture K” where I showcase my ability to do hair, makeup, travel/vlog content and sometimes giving advice to subscribers who are looking to make the same moves I did. Starting my YouTube journey, just a little over a year now and I am already almost at 2000 subscribers, and I do not plan on stopping any time soon. There are no limitations for the growth of my channel, and I continue to pray that I receive more opportunities that will allow me to be able to do this full-time and leave the world of IT so that I am able to share my personality and story with the world.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Life for me has not been a smooth road, there are always bumps and cracks in the road along the way. My first major challenge was moving to the US from Jamaica, for those few early years in high school I realized that depression was real and that was something I had to manage. Now as an adult I do find myself falling back into a state of depression at times, which challenges me to stay motivated.
Financial struggles is still a current obstacle and it is a barrier that I have been trying to clear for years and at 26, I am hoping to be able to gain multiple opportunities that will allow me to reach my financial goal in a more stable way.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am currently working in Houston Texas with a Managed Service Provider as a Network Analyst. My journey in the world of IT has been stable and constant but I have moved into the world of being a content creator part-time. I have created my YouTube Channel: “Kulture K” and I am very proud that in just a little over a year I will have gained almost 2000 subscribers to my YouTube family. I am known for creating content showcasing my ability to do hair, makeup and travel content while trying to bring my Jamaican personality and lingo into every video.
What sets me apart of others is I am very diverse and I am able to alter my approach to every environment. I can be very professional as my background working in IT demands it, I am very relatable due to my upbringing and the challenges I faced from an early age. I am very friendly and warm, as I have been through periods of feeling alone and I do not isolate others. My work ethic is like no other. I have seen struggle growing up and I know that under the worst conditions back then I was able to excel in every aspect and bringing this work ethic into adulthood is incredible. Failure is not an option for me and I thrive to be the best
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I believe that taking risks are necessary in life but you have to be mentally prepared to face whatever might follow. The biggest risk I have taken in my life is at 25 years old, March 2021 I decided to pack up my belongings and move to Houston Texas. This was a risk for me as I did not have any family or friends residing here, my money was very limited as I only moved with $3000 and I did not receive outside help from anyone. This risk challenged me to being on my own for the first time, and it took me out of a place of comfort and complacency. So far a year and a half into this move, I would not regret a thing, I have a stable job, I have made wonderful friends and I started my YouTube journey where it continues to grow each and every day.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simply_kelly20/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KultureK
