Turning a college side hustle into a purpose-driven business isn’t easy—but Kayla Doering did exactly that. From teaching swim lessons as a freshman at the University of Central Florida to founding Kayla Swimming Sailors while building a full-time career in tech recruiting, her journey is anything but ordinary.

In this episode of Nexus at UCF, hosted by Natalie Broadhurst, Kayla opens up about what it really takes to start, grow, and sustain a business during your college years. She shares what it looked like to balance classes and clients, compete in pitching competitions, learn to ask for help, and how entrepreneurship shaped her confidence, leadership style, and career path. If you’ve ever thought about launching something of your own but felt unsure where to begin, this conversation is your sign to just start.

⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 Teaser
00:30 Welcome to Nexus + Meet Kayla Doering
01:50 How did Kayla’s Swimming Sailors begin?
04:20 How confident were you in building your own business?
05:20 Facing Setbacks + Overcoming criticism of peers
08:20 Words of wisdom for founders
10:18 How did UCF help when starting your business?
12:34 Utilizing community & mentorship when creating a business
13:45 How do you keep your morale high in stressful times?
15:08 How do you build a business brick by brick despite restraints?
17:01 What sacrifices must you make juggling a full time job and your business?
18:30 What was the shift from student founder to employed founder like?
20:10 How would you have started your business if you knew what you know now?
22:44 How do you combat a “grindset” mindset?
24:21 The mindset & skills of an entrepreneur + Improving your communication
26:58 Teaching kids: It’s harder than it looks!
27:52 Learning to ask for help: A crucial skill for a founder
28:20 What have you learned from founding your business + How do you continue to grow?
30:02 Concluding Thoughts
31:16 Outro: Thank you for Listening!

🔗 Connect with Us
🌐 Website: https://nexusatucf.wixsite.com/nexus-at-ucf
💼 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/nexusatucf
📱 Instagram: https://instagram.com/nexusatucf
🎵 TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@nexusatucf
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🎧 Also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major podcast platforms.

🔗 Connect with UCF
🏛️ College of Business Website: https://business.ucf.edu/
📊 College of Business on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/ucf-college-of-business/posts/?feedView=all

🌐 UCF Website: https://www.ucf.edu/
💼 UCF on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/university-of-central-florida/posts/?feedView=all

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