In this series, we dive into one busy day of a dynamic individual to understand the rituals and routines that foster their success (plus the small, unplanned moments that keep life interesting).
Here, Kiara Imani, attorney, radio host, co-founder of LikeU Cards, and author of the new book, Therapy Isn’t Just For White People, juggles a hectic weekday: from work across multiple companies to going out to dinner to rushing to a very special award ceremony.
8:30 a.m. — I got started a little bit later than I wanted to. I laid in bed answering emails. I then got up, made myself a cup of coffee and got my day started because I had a busy day ahead of me. I stayed up last night watching Stranger Things, and it probably wasn’t the best idea, but it’s a great show and I have no regrets.
9:02 a.m. — I tried on gowns. I was being honored this night by the Los Angeles Urban League for my work as a young professional in the community and had not yet decided what I was wearing. So, I had to figure that out real quick.
9:32 a.m. — I caught up on emails. I work as a business affairs contractor for Reese Witherspoon’s company, Hello Sunshine. I love working for Hello Sunshine. They are a female-centered organization, and it’s really cool because I feel like the work that I’m doing with them is so meaningful. They’re telling the stories of women that I believe really need to be told. And it feels really good to work for a company that’s aligned with your own values. Reese Witherspoon is the epitome of a girl boss. She’s so encouraging and has made such incredible contributions to the world. And Legally Blonde was my absolute favorite movie growing up. It’s probably subconsciously one of the reasons I went to law school.
10:26 a.m. — I got ready to join a meeting for LikeU Cards, the card game that I founded with two of my colleagues. It’s a getting-to-know-you card game that allows people to get to know each other in a fun, non-threatening way, now available at Target. We’re getting ready to expand our distribution and we have a new deck for kids and families that will be coming out later this year. So I had a call to talk about our plan for the rest of the year. I also ran downstairs to make some toast, sourdough with butter, because I didn’t eat breakfast earlier this morning and I had to make sure I was staying fueled.
11:42 a.m. — I hopped on a call with my publisher. My book, Therapy Isn’t Just For White People, is available for preorder at Barnes and Noble and on Amazon. It will officially be out in the world on August 9. We discussed some fun marketing campaigns that we’re going to roll out over the next few months.
12:30 p.m. — I got ready to interview my little sister. I asked her some questions about what social issues are affecting her the most in the world right now and plan to post her responses to our LikeU Cards Instagram page. My friends and family have been so great with sharing their own stories and experiences. Sometimes I like to ask them one of the questions from the deck just to get some real-life answers and responses.
1 p.m. — I had another meeting for Hello Sunshine, so I hopped on the phone to take the call.
1:39 p.m. — I went downstairs to find something to eat for lunch. I had ramen noodles. I had about an hour and a half until I needed to leave.
2:04 p.m. — I had exactly 56 minutes to take a shower and do my hair and makeup for the Urban League event tonight. I had to leave my house at 3pm in order to get to the station on time. I am on air every single day from 4pm to 7pm on KBLA Talk 1580. And I had to be on time, because you can’t afford to be late when your show is live.
3:38 p.m. — I used the last 20 minutes in the car to call my boyfriend and see how his day was going. I think it’s really important to make sure you’re prioritizing the people in your life that you love and care about.
3:57 p.m. — I walked into the studio exactly three minutes before going on-air, so I grabbed some water and sat down at the mic.
5:32 p.m. — Halfway through the show, I got a cup of tea. I had a six-minute break and I was getting a little tired. I was hopeful this would give me a little bit of energy because I wasn’t going to be done with my day until about 11pm tonight.
7:34 p.m. — On my way to my boyfriend’s house. He was also being honored by the Los Angeles Urban League. I threw on my dress (my hair and my makeup were already done). We planned to grab some dinner before heading to the ceremony. The red carpet started at 9:30. So we were pushing it a little bit, hoping that traffic wasn’t too bad.
8:17 p.m. — We were on our way to get some dinner before the Los Angeles Urban League event, and we were making great time.
8:52 p.m. — We just pulled up to the restaurant. Thanks to traffic and a lack of parking, we arrived a little bit later than we wanted to. We ended up at a vegan restaurant. I had mushroom truffle pasta.
9:50 p.m. — We made it to the hotel where the Los Angeles Urban League young professional event was being held. We were a little bit later than we wanted to be, but we arrived at a great time. My family was already there; I was super excited for the night. It ended up being a great experience. I’ve been in LA for seven years now, but I forget how much it feels like home until I’m in spaces running into people I’ve met. I also met people who listen to me on the radio everyday.
1:09 a.m. — I was officially exhausted. It was an incredible evening; I met so many amazing people. But I couldn’t wait to get in bed. It was a really long day but also a really great one.
This as-told-to piece has been edited and condensed for clarity and was conducted in July 2022.
