The Visibility Room™: On-Air (and Off Script)
The Visibility Room™: On Air & Off Script is a candid, leadership-forward podcast recorded inside Detroit’s premier visibility studio. Each episode features conversations with the leaders, deal makers, advisors, and builders you want to know; people who live here, work here, or fly in just to be in the room.
It’s smart, fun, and refreshingly human.
The stories are real. The insight is practical.
And while the show is born in Detroit, the perspective travels everywhere.
This is where conversations start, connections happen, and people show up as the kind of leaders others remember.
The Visibility Room™: On-Air (and Off Script)
Connections That Create Capital with Robin Kinnie
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
In this episode of On Air & Off Script, host Karyl Morris sits down with business consultant Robin Kinnie for a powerful conversation about navigating self-worth while being an entrepreneur and touches on the true value of building genuine connections. With a deep passion for supporting small businesses, she discusses how meaningful connections can open doors and even help entrepreneurs access the capital they need to scale.
But beyond business, Robin dives into something deeper, the wellness of entrepreneurs. She reflects on how entrepreneurship will challenge you, stretch you, and ultimately force you to look in the mirror and discover what you’re really made of.
This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to build intentional relationships, grow their network, and navigate the personal growth that comes with building something of your own.
Who’s Robin Kinnie?
Robin Kinnie is a business consultant, entrepreneur, and founder of Motor City Woman Studios and President of Audio Engineers of Detroit. Her professional background is centered on supporting small business owners with the tools they need to grow and succeed. For more than 20 years, she’s worked to connect entrepreneurs with technical assistance, access to capital, and training that helps them build sustainable businesses and navigate the realities of entrepreneurship. Her work supporting entrepreneurs and the broader community has been recognized by organizations including Walker’s Legacy, Corp! Magazine, and the Association for Women in Communications. She’s passionate about creating spaces and resources that encourage founders to prioritize their well-being while building successful ventures. At the heart of everything she does is a commitment to access, sustainability, and helping entrepreneurs thrive both professionally and personally.
Keep Up With Robin Kinnie:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinkinnie/
- Website: aedetroit.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soundssandstyle
Who’s The Host?
Karyl Morris is the founder of The Image Impact Group and host of The Visibility Room™: On Air & Off Script, filmed exclusively in Detroit’s ONLY visibility creative studio for high-impact leaders. With every hand-selected guest, she explores the real stories behind leadership, visibility, and influence. Through candid conversations, Karyl helps listeners understand how people build credibility, navigate change, and show up with confidence — on camera and beyond.
Keep Up With Karyl Morris:
So I found the business plan for audio engineers of Detroit in the basement of our home. Oh my gosh. Okay. And I asked him, what are you doing with this? This looks like a great idea. You know, we st we have Motor City Woman going, but I saw this and he said, Oh, I wrote that long time ago. I don't know. It's just like a trade school.
SPEAKER_01And welcome to the visibility room on air and off script. Hey, hey, everybody. It's Carol Morris from the Image Impact Group and the Visibility Room on Air and Offscript. And I have with me today the Motor City woman, Robin Kinney. Ta-da! That's hilarious. Oh my gosh, Robin, we have so much to talk about because I think we started our businesses right around the same time. And um, you started yours uh very pregnant. Very pregnant. Very pregnant.
SPEAKER_00I was about seven months pregnant with my third child.
SPEAKER_01Oh my gosh. And we're gonna get into that. But before we start, please introduce yourself and what and who is Motor City Woman and who do you serve?
SPEAKER_00Well, thank you so much for having me, Carol. You know, Carol, you're one of the people who I'm not sure how we met, yeah, but you've always been a part of my entrepreneur journey. So thank you. You know, seeing everything come to fruition for you just makes me so proud to work alongside you and to grow my business alongside you. Um, we started Motor City Woman in 2016, and it started just from a love of broadcasting. Growing up here in Detroit, um, I have fond memories of listening to Martha Jean the Queen. Oh, yes, in the back of my mother's red for tempo. Yes, it's I am that specific, but the memories are so vivid for me. And she really laid the groundwork for my love of broadcasting and women on the mic. And as I grew up and went off to school, I saw the lack of women who were leading shows in radio. And typically they brought a woman on for a fashion segment, a segment about breast cancer or something that was very specific. Yeah. So we started Motor City Woman just to disrupt that industry. We started as a digital radio station with all women-led lineup of show hosts over the years. We're celebrating our 10-year anniversary, which I cannot believe. I love it. We have evolved. Um, we added a second company called Audio Engineers of Detroit, which is an audio engineering trade school, as well as a recording studio here in Midtown Detroit, where we do all things audio, in-person, live sound, but we're teaching the next generation of audio professionals, but I still remain committed to elevating the voices of women and elevating underrepresented voices in general. I love that.
SPEAKER_01And you know, I thank you for the kudos to me and the kudos back to you because literally I remember meeting you, and I think I think we're gonna shout out Heather McLean because I think Heather brought us together. Yes, and I was mesmerized about the whole thing because I'm like, what is she doing? And what like how is this happening? And then skip 10 years forward. So I've been watching your journey the whole way, which has been fascinating. And then you came in, we just got together finally for coffee, I don't know, a couple months ago. And what you are doing now and the partnerships you have created are unfreaking believable. I mean, you are such a business savvy rock star. It's it's really impressive. And, you know, I'm watching, I'm watching everything digitally, right? I'm watching when you show up online, but then hearing the context and how things are happening and what you're doing to get that next generation seen and who you've partnered with in Detroit to get that to happen is nothing short of uh amazing. So bravo. She is a rock star.
SPEAKER_00Thank you so much, Carol. But you know, you you touched on something that I think people overlook when it comes to building a business, and that's intention.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00I knew my intention 10 years ago. The business itself has evolved. Heck, I've evolved as a person, but the intention remains the same.
SPEAKER_01Oh my gosh, I love that. All right. I I can get off track off script really easily here because my brain is like, but I do want to ask you some rapid fire questions. Okay, you ready? Okay, don't want you to think through too hard. I just want you to answer top of mind. Okay. What is the first impression you want others to have of you?
SPEAKER_00I want them to know and feel that I am engaged with them. Oh, that I am present.
SPEAKER_01Yes. Yes. Okay. Favorite way to communicate and connect with people digitally or in person. Oh, in person.
SPEAKER_00Oh, come on. I'm in person. If you see me online, it's scheduled. It's pre-scheduled. Yes. Yeah. I don't spend a lot of time online just because of the energy. A lot of energy online and the type of person I am, it can drain me. Yeah. So I have to manage that.
SPEAKER_01Yes, me too. And that's one of the reasons that I did the studio because I I I need to have people. Yes. All right. What builds credibility faster? Expertise, experience, presence, or consistency. Consistency. And why do you say that?
SPEAKER_00I say consistency because anyone can come on and talk about something that they know one or two times.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00But if you keep showing up and keep showing up, people are going to then align your message with who you are. Yes. And there goes your credibility.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Uh-huh. And what's the trust killer that you see it most often? Trust killer. I I think being inauthentic, following the trends.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00You know, doing something just because, oh, this is going to increase my visibility and it may not be authentic to you.
SPEAKER_01Yes. I thank you for bringing that up because I think that is a missing piece that um people often get wrong. Dare I say? But what we see happen often is that people are chasing likes and comments. And that's really not what is gonna drive your business because having somebody like or comment on your post does not bring you business. It's the conversations that bring you business.
SPEAKER_00Right.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00That is correct.
SPEAKER_01And what's the number one lesson in leadership that's stuck with you?
SPEAKER_00The number one lesson lesson in leadership that has stuck with me. That is a very good question. I think over the years, my tactics have changed as I have changed, as my family has changed, as my vision for myself has changed. But as far as the lesson that has remained consistent, is the importance of cultivating relationships. You know, that was one of the main, I'll say, lessons I learned from my very first supervisor. I was an AmeriCorps intern back in the Stone Ages. And I want to give a shout out to Diana Stewart. Diana Stewart was someone who always taught me about cultivating relationships before you need them. Okay. There's nothing worse than someone reaching out to you on LinkedIn and you don't know them from a hill of beans. Yeah. And you're asking me to do something. Yeah. You know, it's so easy to cultivate a relationship with that consistency. It's a leadership skill. So then when you need something, it's a no-brainer.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Yeah. Make people make people understand who you are and understand who they are. You know, the whole pitch slapping, right? You know, you you connect with somebody on LinkedIn and all of a sudden they've just they've asked you for business and you don't even know who they are and they don't know who you are. And talk about a trust killer.
SPEAKER_00That's a trust killer.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's a trust killer too.
SPEAKER_00And it just gives you the ick. I'm actually speaking about cultivating relationships at an event um next week on March 28th at Little Caesars Arena with Compass Detroit. And it's for International Women's Day, but it's all about how do you get from okay, gosh, that's the direction I want to go in. That's a leader that I uh kind of model myself as, you know, that's a mentor in my head to becoming that person, uh aligning with that person, aligning with a certain group or whatever. Yeah. You know, I'm gonna be doing just like a 25-minute lightning talk about that. So hopefully people can check that out.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, absolutely. Now you have spent more than two decades helping small businesses. How did you get started? And I know we kind of alluded to that when we first started, but what drove you? And again, we've kind of talked about it, but but why small businesses and why why then? I mean, why when you're seven months pregnant, do I start with this? Do you start your do this?
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Okay, so we have to start at the beginning, and I'm gonna wrap it up in a pretty little bowl. So when I was raised here in Detroit, it you know, I'm a I've come from a very stereotypical black Detroit family. Okay. My grandfather migrated here from Alabama during the Great Migration in the 1940s, worked at Ford Mortar Company 30 plus years, retired. His message to my mother and her siblings were you get a good job after you graduate school, you work there for 35 years, you retire, and then you move on. That generation tell, then my generation, you go to school, you get a good job, then you retire. Well, I went to school, got a good job, and I was like, there has to be more than this.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And the crossroads came when I started having children.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_00And looking at why is it that school gets out at three and I get off at five o'clock? There's there's a disconnect here. This isn't aligned with the type of mother I want to be and how present I want to be. I want to be at the school. There's things I want to do with my life where being at a position at a desk for eight hours is just not aligned.
SPEAKER_01Right, right.
SPEAKER_00So, how do I take my skills and passion, which at that time was helping other entrepreneurs? Now I wasn't raised around any of the entrepreneurs, but I looked at entrepreneurship like freedom. Okay. Yes. I can now earn what I want to earn. There's no limit, there's no cap. Yeah. I can serve who I want to serve, I can go where I want to go, and I can support the organization I want to support. So by being in a space of other entrepreneurs, I looked at it as I can do this as well. Now the timing was here I am pregnant. But number three. With number three on top of that, with two toddlers at home. Yeah. But you have to answer the call. And I looked at it as I have all the resources around me. So I didn't have any excuses. I did have to be intentional about how I grew the business. So that came with a lot of mindset work. That came with cultivating relationships, and it came with being very intentional.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_01Talk a little bit, if you would, about the relationships that you've cultivated here in the city. So one of the places that we talked about was the Aretha.
SPEAKER_00Yes.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So tell me a little bit about that.
SPEAKER_00Yes. Well, we started Audio Engineers of Detroit with my um partner, um, who's also my husband, Mike Kenney. Shout out to Mike Kenny. Um, he actually is the founder of Audio Engineers of Detroit. So I found the business plan for Audio Engineers of Detroit in the basement of our home. Oh my gosh. Okay. And I asked him, what are you doing with this? This looks like a great idea. Yeah. You know, we we have Motor City Woman going, but I saw this and he said, Oh, I wrote that long time ago. I don't know. It's just like a trade school. And, you know, he's been in audio engineering for 30 years. Wow. So he knew everyone it came, everyone when it came to in the space of audio engineering and live sound in the city of Detroit and really the metro Detroit area. So when we started the school, we wanted to make sure that our students can leave the school and be job ready. Yes. Only way to do that is to give them hands-on experience and like live experiences. Okay. So that's where their aretha comes in. So our students they go through nine modules. Towards the end, we ask them questions like Do you want to go into business for yourself? Do you want to work at a concert venue? Do you want to go on tour? But everyone has access to an internship at the Aretha. I think that's so cool. Because that's where you learn you're interacting with other people. You have to learn to manage your time. You have to learn how to be safe. You have to learn how to take care of yourself. These are long days. Yeah. So it's not just the skill itself. It's, you know, resting, knowing how to lift, snack breaks, staying hydrated. Yeah. Things that a lot of people don't take into consideration. You're going to learn that when you're in the field. So that's why that internship experience is so important. So when they're done, they're ready to work.
SPEAKER_01And I thank you for doing that because you often see people come out of school, whether it's a trade school or uh for your university or a master's or whatever. And they haven't been taught the day-to-day things that are actually going to move the needle. Right. So they're book smart, but they may not be socially aware or they may not have the tools to get through the day in the best way possible. So I think that is so brilliant. And I and for those of you that are watching or listening, the Aretha is literally down the street from us. So that's why we walk to the Aretha. Yeah. Yeah, which I think is so cool. It's right on the Detroit River. It's absolutely beautiful. So now here you are. So you've got all this experience. You've, you know, changed the course of your life, your family's life by opening Motor City Women. Now we've got the trade school. And now all of a sudden you're thinking, hmm, wellness. Where did that come from? Where did that come from? And it's actually a great tie-in to what you just talked about, right? Because if you are not uh cognizant of the wellness component, it's very hard to do a really good job in your professional or your personal life. And so I know that um, you know, the the wellness space has become near and dear to you. What's happening?
SPEAKER_00What's happening? Questions, questions, questions. Well, this all started, I would say during the pandemic, I started just jotting down notes. Okay. And I'm not sure how this project will come into fruition, but I just started writing.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And my focus is about telling the story of how I've grown now two businesses with three kids.
SPEAKER_01Oh wow. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Uh probably not the typical entrepreneur age. Okay. The steps I took, um, the things I did along the way.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00But they all circle back to the wellness part of it. And it's so much more to it. Yeah. Um, I've already sketched out 10 chapters of a of a book. Oh, because it's so much like no one's talking about, you know, when people are starting the business, they talk about the business plan, they're talking about financial projections. They don't talk about the fact that starting a business introduces yourself to you.
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_00You will find out what you're made of, honey, if you start a business.
SPEAKER_01Yes, you will. And I'm gonna kind of capitalize on that too. One of the things that when I was trying to determine what my business was gonna be, I actually made a list of the things that made me me so that when I chose my next step, I was being authentic to myself. I was doing something that I enjoyed, and that it would be easier to be um excited about the the challenges.
SPEAKER_00Yes.
SPEAKER_01And so then once you get in it, like you just said, you know, once you're in it, there is a lot going on. A lot going on. And if you are not cognizant of um the bumpy road that's ahead and how to deal with it, uh boy, that can shut you down in a heartbeat.
SPEAKER_00And also not knowing who you are.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Some people start businesses and they're like, oh, I'm passionate about this, I'm gonna do it. You have to have a very strong sense of self when you're starting a business because if not, you'll just be chasing dollars instead of chasing purpose.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00That's the quickest way to burn out.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. One thing I found out about myself is I am extremely competitive. And I don't know that I would have ever said that, but as it turns out, I am. And what was happening is that I was watching other people do things and I kept saying, well, if they're doing it that way, then I should do it that way.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And I had to shut that down. Oh, I had to shut that down. And that's knowing yourself.
SPEAKER_00That's knowing yourself, knowing what makes me tick. Yeah, what is my superpower, right? You know, what comes effortless for me. But that's a lot of internal work that a lot of people just skip right over. They think I got the business plan. I'm gonna go either, you know, use my savings or get a loan. Yeah, I got some customers, I'm off to the races, but they they haven't set the intention of what this business is for, right? And what is my role within this business? And how do I take care of me when it comes to growing this business? I like to tell people that you are your greatest asset. So treat yourself as such.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. And you know, nobody is gonna go, like if you won't go to bat for yourself, you cannot expect other people to go to bat for you. You're leading the charge. You're absolutely leading the charge. Wow, deep thoughts with Robin Kennedy.
SPEAKER_00So that's what I'm working on right now, Carol. I'm excited about it because I just really think that it's a message that needs to be told. Um, because everyone is looking at entrepreneurship as a this is the the best and the sexy thing to do right now. And there's so much more to it that if you really do the inner work, that you have uh yeah, the longevity that you're craving instead of just jumping out there.
SPEAKER_01I love that. And then when you're done with your book, you can go into your studio and you can do your audio book. Ding ding ding ding ding ding. It's full circle, full circle. All right, my friend. You want to jump into some magic book? I'm ready, I'm ready. I always have to tell this to everybody that um I have chicken scratch, so go ahead and pick and then I'll read it because I, you know, okay, I I don't expect you to be able to decipher. All right, let's see what we got here. What do we have? Ooh, a hill you'll die on. What's one thing that you believe so passionately? Oh gosh, there's so many things.
SPEAKER_00But I'll I'll I'll think of what comes to mind. Um, recently, I was talking to another friend who's a mom, and I was sharing with her how not to build your life around your kids. Because they're they're gonna leave you one day.
SPEAKER_01Yes, they are.
SPEAKER_00It is not only healthy to yourself, but a gift to your children for them to see you take care of yourself and put yourself first. I think as mothers, we think, oh, I have to self-sacrifice. You know, I have to do all the things. And, you know, I think of when people are taking family pictures and they say, you don't know what happened right before we took the family picture and there was straight chaos, and the mom's running all over the place. Right. I think my my children have seen me set boundaries, healthy boundaries for them when I'm available, when I'm not available. Yeah, yes, I go on trips without them with my friends. Yes, I do all sorts of things. I have my own special tea because I like tea, I like bougie tea, and that's my tea. And you earned it. And I've earned it. I've I was born worthy. I don't have to earn something.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00You know, I deserve it. And so that's a hill I'll die on that that kids need to see mothers putting themselves first.
SPEAKER_01I I agree with you, and I wish if I could go back in time, I wish there were some things that I would have changed about that for myself. I think I did a good job, but you know, 2020, right? Hindsight is 2020. My thing was always, you know, my job is not to uh my job is to make independent, nice children. My job is not to do everything for you. Exactly. Yeah. I my job is to prepare you for the the real world.
SPEAKER_00They'll learn. Yeah. They'll learn.
SPEAKER_01They will.
SPEAKER_00I asked my 15-year-old the other day. I was just playing with them because I have two teenagers now. And I said, remember when I used to ask you guys what you wanted for dinner every night? That was hilarious. Like I'm in a diner. Yeah. And you all are customers. No. Oh, no, no. No, ma'am. This is what we eat on Monday. This is what I'm preparing on Tuesday. If you don't like it, I suggest you go on YouTube, learn how to make something that you want. Let me know what the ingredients are. We go to the grocery store, we get it, we make it as a family.
SPEAKER_01I am not the chef and the cook.
SPEAKER_00Oh, I like that. What two teenagers? Are you kidding me? Yeah. No, no, no, no, no. Self-sufficient over here.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. Yeah, that was one thing I never did.
SPEAKER_00Who told mothers that you have to prepare all the meals? Of course, age appropriate, age appropriate. Right, right. Um, but yeah, I think they're like, oh, okay.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. I think one of my favorite things about the middle school that my boys went to is that they had a class. I don't remember what the class was, but they had to do two loads of laundry on their own. Let me tell you, I never did their laundry ever again.
SPEAKER_00So starting in middle school, you know how to do it. Oh no, I only do my laundry. Oh my god, too funny. All right, let's do one more. Do another one? Yeah, let's do one more. That one's okay. Let's see. This is fun. Yay!
SPEAKER_01Oh, I like this one. This is a great way to end. A Detroit moment you'll never forget.
SPEAKER_00Oh gosh. So many moments. Um a Detroit moment. That's unique to me or just like a general moment.
SPEAKER_01Any moment. Like what when you think of Detroit, what's what's that moment where you're like, oh, that was just freaking awesome.
SPEAKER_00Oh wow. Well, I'll go back to my grandmother, Benny Reese. Growing up, my my um mother and her siblings grew up um just outside Boston Edison area.
SPEAKER_01Nice.
SPEAKER_00And once my grandmother passed the their house, uh we had another family member move into the house. So one of my fondest moments is I can remember sitting on my grandmother's porch and she had one of those gliders. This huge porch. Sitting on the glider, and just I think it was like a summer evening. Yeah. There was music. And I just just it just felt good. It just felt good. It just felt good. Oh gosh, I just remember with no shoes or socks on. Yeah. And um, like literally, I can feel the gliding as I sit here. And that was just a great Detroit moment for me. Ah, that's beautiful.
SPEAKER_01And those are the moments as moms that we hope that we are giving our kids. And wrapping this whole thing up, the fact that you have been able to showcase to your children the power of being a strong woman and also being able to put family at the forefront and do both things well. You know, we can't do everything, right? But we can do certain things and we can do them well, and we can do them with intention, and we can do them as a gift not only to ourselves, but to those that are coming behind us. Yes. Yeah. So cheers to that, my friend. All right. Well, thank you so much, Robin, for showing up and hanging out with us today. Thank you for having me. Oh my gosh. Any anytime. So, you know, if you are watching and listening to this, please like and follow and make sure to reach out to Robin. Connect with her. She is absolutely outstanding, as you can see. And we will see you all another time.
SPEAKER_00Bye.