By Savanah Mandeville, JRBJ Reporter

Kate Moss started her business KM Guru four years ago in Los Gatos, California and has not slowed down since.

“She has built a strong business based on referrals from all over the U.S., and most of her clients have been with them since the beginning,” said one of her nominators, Joe Craigmile. “In the short six months since being (in Joplin), she has already established a large client base of local Joplin businesses while still maintaining her existing clientele.”

Moss was born and raised in Joplin. She relocated to Dallas, Texas to attend Southern Methodist University, and in 2002 graduated with a Bachelor of Science in business and economics. In 2005 she earned her second bachelor’s degree in business, communication and sociology from University of Missouri-Columbia.

Shortly after graduation, she moved to Los Gatos, California, near San Francisco. There, she worked for Superpages.com where she was promoted during her first year from Sales Consultant to Internet Specialist. Moss stayed with Superpages until March 2010, and during her time there she was successful in bringing in new clients and selling online advertising packages for best search engine optimization. Her sales expertise led her to close 95 percent of sales on the first appointment, hold client retention at nearly 90 percent and the ability to upsell most clients during annual contract renewals.

After years in the corporate world, Moss felt she would be able to provide customers with more flexible and customizable SEO practices through her own business. In April 2010, KM Guru LLC was born.

“My proudest accomplishment to date was the day I signed my first KM Guru client, who is still advertising with us today,” she said.

“Shortly after our first year in business we were recognized as one of the top SEO companies to look for in all of the Bay Area. We were written up in Yahoo Finance as well as the San Francisco Chronicle online edition … Knowing that I had removed myself from the corporate world and followed my aspirations of becoming a successful entrepreneur had become a reality.”

Moss moved back to Joplin in October 2013, and since then she and her team of seven have been able to grow KM Guru in the local area while maintaining clientele from around the country.

Despite working 60-70 hours per week, Moss still finds time to help others. Each week, she schedules and leads 12 step program meetings at the Lafayette House and with individuals at the Joplin City Jail and Carthage City Jail. She sponsors incarcerated women in Carthage by encouraging them to stay sober, appearing in court on their behalf and recommending them to various sober living houses. In addition, Moss sits on the board for ASCENT Recovery Residences where she is a mentor for people who are new to sobriety helping them stay sober, get jobs and enroll in educational courses.

One of Moss’s nominators, Louise Secker, said, “At a young age, she has built a successful and growing business, and has a passion for it, along with a passion for seeing her community grow and being a part of that growth.”