In this exclusive CanadianSME Small Business Magazine interview, Keonté Beals, multi‑award‑winning singer‑songwriter, author, keynote speaker, and Founder of KBeals Entertainment Inc., shares how growing up in North Preston, Nova Scotia, transformed his journey from survival mode into a life dedicated to mentorship, youth empowerment, and legacy‑driven leadership. Drawing on his album KING, his children’s books I Am Perfectly Me and I Am King, and school‑based initiatives like “The I Am Experience,” he explains how storytelling, vulnerability, and consistent, love‑centred mentorship can turn support for young people—especially those facing systemic barriers—into a lasting culture of empathy, confidence, and possibility.
You grew up in North Preston, the largest historic Black community in Canada, and went from survival mode to multi‑award‑winning artist and entrepreneur—how did that journey shape your leadership philosophy and the way you think about mentorship, opportunity, and responsibility today?
Growing up in North Preston shaped everything about my leadership philosophy. It taught me the power of community and how it takes a village to create an impactful outcome. It taught me respect and integrity. It taught me strength and that the journey won’t always be easy – but if you keep your vision long-term, the choices you make towards that will bear fruit. I still find myself having moments and flashbacks of being in survival mode. I have to constantly remind myself of my evolution and that I don’t have to carry the thoughts and beliefs I once did. I can choose to see it differently now and that will encourage new results – and it has. But the lessons that I learned at rock bottom were lessons one could only learn at rock bottom. Survival mode taught me so many skills that I am still able to tap into today. Without them, I don’t believe I would have gotten this far. I needed them.. Or better yet, those tools needed me in order to fulfill destiny.
Your keynote “Passing the Torch” focuses on making mentorship part of culture, not just a short‑term initiative—what inspired that message, and how have your own experiences with mentors (and the absence of them at times) influenced the way you now help leaders build mentorship‑driven organizations?
Legacy inspired that mission. I feel like the pandemic made people pay attention to their feelings, and maybe even to the emotions of others too. It forced people to ask questions about capacity, purpose, and what matters, questions they probably would have skipped over during busy daily life.
When I think about mentorship, I think about legacy. And when I think about legacy, I think about long term thinking. Mentorship is important because it passes the torch to the next generation. It gives people the tools they need to build on something bigger than themselves. Those tools are practical, but they are also life changing.
I had a lot of mentors growing up. Most of them came in for a moment and were never seen again. But each one brought a lesson. Each one passed on wisdom that helped shape my mindset. They were pieces to a puzzle that is still being built.
When I look at my life and the lives of some of my peers from my community, the difference is noticeable, and I credit that to mentorship. I have seen what the lack of mentorship can do. It can steal hope and make people question their value.
You’ve spoken openly about mental health and early financial struggles while building your career—how have those challenges shaped the resilience and mindset conditioning you bring to your work, and what practices do you lean on to stay grounded as both an artist and a business owner?
Those earlier financial and mental health struggles taught me the greatest skill that could ever be practiced. Gratitude. I had to learn to be grateful for the things I have/had, and believe that there is more promised to all of us if we can just learn to appreciate the things we have right now. My daily conversations are heavily influenced by gratitude. Always looking at the glass half-full has been a skill I’ve trained myself to lean on in every case scenario. I believe if you can find that point of gratitude in a situation no matter how bad, that it’ll keep you grounded enough to make choices from a place of intention, authenticity and strategy.
From the album KING to children’s books like I Am Perfectly Meand I Am King, you use storytelling and music to talk about identity, toxic masculinity, and self‑love—how does being a creative entrepreneur inform the way you connect with audiences in the boardroom or classroom, especially when sharing vulnerable or challenging experiences?
The arts drive culture forward. I always found that half of the battle of creating sustainable change was keeping people engaged long enough to believe it’s possible. Storytelling was a skill I developed over time without knowing the purpose it would serve today. A lot of the time it’s not about what you say – it’s about how you say it and who you say it to. Growing up in a toxic environment taught me how to communicate effectively and creatively. At that time, if I didn’t handle my words properly, the consequences would last for weeks. Although that’s a difficult thing to picture as the reader, knowing that I was a kid – but remember, glass half full. Those lessons didn’t go to waste. It made me understand that sensitive topics required intentional responses and approaches. It’s how I handle myself in the boardroom and classroom. Intentional listening and responding.
You’ve worked with more than 100 organizations and impacted tens of thousands of students through tours and programs—what concrete steps can businesses take to better support youth mental health and prepare the next generation of leaders, particularly young people who, like you once did, are facing systemic barriers and feel unseen in traditional leadership pipelines?
The first step towards anything is to actively listen. How can you improve the wellbeing of anything if you don’t have a full picture or understanding of the spaces that need attention in order to grow. Listen to understand the concerns of our youth. Invite them to share their views and opinions. Listen to their ideas and dreams. Preaching does not work with the youth of today. The last thing they need is to be told what to do. If anything, that makes it worse. Instead, challenge their thinking and offer another perspective. Give them options and teach them the difference between good and bad consequences. Give them room to make mistakes and let them know that it’s ok. Don’t be too soft on them though – they are going to need that toughness to lean on when times get tough. People often ask ‘how do we know what they need when there are so many different moments?’ The answer is simple. They need love. Love is patient. Love is kind. Love is tough sometimes too. Love on them, and trust me, they will feel it.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this interview are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of CanadianSME Small Business Magazine. Our platform is dedicated to fostering dialogue and sharing insights that inspire and empower small and medium-sized businesses across Canada.
