Award-Winning Entrepreneur KD Hall Aims to Take Her Businesses to the Next Level

by M. Anthony Davis

Local business owner KD Hall has been on fire this year. As CEO and principal consultant of KD Hall Communications and president and CEO of the KD Hall Foundation, Hall has received nine awards this year including South Sound Business 40 Under 40, Puget Sound Business Journal 40 Under 40, and a nomination for a Northwest Regional Emmy Award.

The Emerald caught up with Hall to learn a little more about the woman behind the awards and successful businesses.

Hall, who has been operating out of Seattle for the past eight years, is originally from Detroit, Michigan. She met her husband and business partner, David Hall, in high school. The two attended Oakland University in Michigan together and moved to Washington when David joined the U.S. Air Force.

"I remember at that time, it was difficult and there was a lot of tension in our country and we were at war under George W. Bush in 2006," Hall says of her husband's journey in the Air Force. He looked at it as a tool and as an opportunity to be able to give him a chance to do more in his life and to provide for our family that we planned to create. David excelled in the Air Force snagging many awards including Airmen of the year.

After four years in the Air Force being stationed in Spokane, then moving to New Jersey, the Halls moved back to Seattle. Before starting her own businesses, Hall worked for the University of Phoenix doing "a little bit of everything."

"I remember working for University of Phoenix," Hall explains, "just looking at the end of the year, and just knowing my team brought in about $12 million a month. And I'm like, 'Hold on, man. If I can — if I can lead and manage that, what else can I lead and manage?'"

Hall speaks highly of her time with the University of Phoenix and says she only left because she was laid off as the result of downsizing within the organization. However, her role was focused on national sales and account management and left her with an abundance of contacts she was able to leverage when launching her personal business endeavors.

"University of Phoenix, because it was a for-profit school, it was a business, and it was truly ran like a business," Hall says. "I had natural business skills anyway, but compounded with getting experience at a place like that, you have no choice but to learn, and you continue to learn if you keep on doing something — and I always had a thirst to learn."

Hall took the skills she learned and developed and has since launched three businesses. KD Hall Communications does strategic communications, which includes writing, branding, PR, social media, and one of Hall's favorite passions: movies.

"All the movies we've ever done has been with college women," Hall says. "They come on as either producers, associate producers, or editors. Since day one, we have always worked with college students when doing film. We give them an opportunity to be able to tap into their creativity through making films with professionals. And we've done it every single movie, even the Emmy nominated one — there were students working on that movie as well."

The nonprofit KD Hall Foundation offers leadership programs for high school girls and an ambassador program for girls in college. Both programs focus on developing leadership skills for girls. Hall's newest business, BelleBody Royal, is focused on health, wellness, and self-care through the use of CBD products.

As a wife, mother of two, and owner of three businesses, Hall has a lot to balance in her life. Reflecting on all these responsibilities, she says, "… actually all three are me and my husband's businesses, I'm just more in the forefront. I like in the forefront and he likes strategy. I definitely put in my work, I've earned my keep, but it's not just my businesses — it's a family business in a lot of ways. And honestly, we hope our girls take it to the next level."

Before the Halls turn their businesses over to the next generation, there is a major move in the works right now. On Sept. 1, the Halls announced that their businesses are going nationwide with new headquarters opening in Jacksonville, Florida.

"We'll have two locations that are headquarters," Hall explains, "and that will be Seattle, Washington, and Jacksonville, Florida. We're really excited … to get out there and dig deeper into movies and deeper into filmmaking."

After a year of awards, opening a third business, and the announcement of a bi-coastal expansion, Hall is optimistic as she looks to her future.

"In the next 10 years, I see myself making like big, big movies," Hall says. "Big time, people are gonna be like, 'Oh, man, we want to be in KD's movies.' I see myself being one of those big time producers, and not just executive producer either. I see myself owning stuff. Like, owning whatever the next level of television or movies look like, because it's not what we see today."

Featured image courtesy of the KD Hall Foundation.