Conscious Entrepreneurship: May I introduce Kim Woods
Kim Woods is a Spiritual Leader and Transformation Expert and that’s not a typical combination. Kim’s corporate career was catapulting into the stratosphere when her son was born with significant issues. When the doctors said he wouldn’t be able to walk up the stairs naturally, throw and catch a ball or have a normal social life — she said absolutely not. Kim dove deeply into healing and found the blending of eastern practices with western modalities brought the best results. She also realized how powerful her intuitive gifts were, but she had been too busy checking off all of the boxes for her next promotion, so she had forgotten about them. The combination of east meets west plus her intuitive powers changed everything. So much so, Kim now brings her intuitive powers into her business strategy work. The best part? Her son, a sophomore in college, is an excellent athlete, has a great sense of humor and has too many friends to count. Now, Kim is the catalyst her clients rely on for a life filled with passion, power and riches.
CONSCIOUS ENTREPRENEURSHIP — What meaning do you give this term?
Entrepreneurs can be so much more than their bottom line. They can be passionate, purposeful and impactful for the health and well-being of themselves, their clients, employees, followers, community and society. My signature process, The True KLT ProcessTM epitomizes conscious entrepreneurship. My clients go inward for their purpose, power and prosperity by knowing, liking and trusting themselves first and foremost. When they do this, they employ a completely different way of doing business as they operate from a position of influence versus control, collaboration versus competition and unlimited opportunities versus limited resources.
MENTORS — We all need a little help along the journey. Who has been an invaluable mentor for you? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
I’ve been so lucky to recognize, seek support and gain guidance from stellar mentors. I’ll tell the story of my first mentor as he’s pivotal for me becoming a leader and as you’ll see as I answer other questions, this is a critical component to everything I believe and do. I was a reluctant leader when asked at the tender age of 22 to manage my first team, but my boss and soon-to-be mentor, John Meehan, wouldn’t let me off the hook. He believed in me, counseled me, taught me and guided me in all things leadership. Thankfully he was there for me as I didn’t even know what I didn’t know.
When I had to hire for new positions, I followed his guidance. When I had to fire my first employee, I followed his advice. When, after I had gone to another company and I lacked any and all resources, I garnered all I had learned to inspire, teach and lead a small group to successfully achieve a monumental effort. During it, one of my team members called me to let me know something very important. My heart dropped to the floor when I got her message and with trepidation, I picked up the phone to call her back. I couldn’t afford to lose one of the team as the task was already almost impossible. When she talked about all of the hard work and everything we’d been going through and then paused…my breath caught in my throat. ‘Oh no, here it comes’ I thought. I sat down hard waiting for the dreaded words. Then she said she loved working with me and learning from me and she asked her question. It took me a moment to realize what she asked as the dread had drowned out my ability to hear. It took me a moment but when I realized what she asked, my heart lifted 20-feet off the ground. She asked me to be her mentor!
After our conversation, I reached out to my mentor, John, to let him know, he was now a ‘grand mentor’. That got a good laugh!
TO THRIVE — When you see yourself thriving: Do you see yourself opening up opportunities for others along the way to participate in your success, and how?
Opening up opportunities for others has been part of my leadership DNA for 30 years. One of my unique gifts is recognizing the potential in others, opening it up for them and holding onto that potential until they are able to realize it for themselves. It’s the core of my current work, but it’s been a part of me since — well, probably forever. In addition to my work, it’s my role as friend, lover and mother.
More formally, I do open up opportunities for others by hiring them, recommending them and/or sharing my stage with them.
CAUSE — What are the causes close to your heart, and you are supporting right now? Can you share a story how you got involved? How did it make you feel?
Leadership is my greatest cause and the work I do shifts the paradigm of leadership to include the feminine qualities in combination with the masculine ones. Think of using your mind in combination with your intuition to move into your knowing to create brilliance or combining control with potential to move into influence resulting in great leadership. There are five such pillars and all of the work I do supports this leadership paradigm shift to include the feminine.
Along with my leadership work, I’m passionate about women’s rights and serve on a board for a local domestic violence organization, Healing Abuse Working for Change (HAWC). I’ve gotten into this role due to meeting the current Executive Director, Sara Stanley, and learning of the organization’s mission, values and vision.
I feel lucky to be able to contribute in any and all ways and since my paid work involves those with more resources and freedom, I also want to provide help to those who are under-resourced.
THE FUTURE — How do you see the face of entrepreneurship in 5 years? How do companies /brands need to adapt to secure their place in the future?
Inclusion, sustainability and consciousness are the keys to the future and companies/brands need to hop on now or they’ll be left behind.
Being inclusive regardless of gender, race, religion or beliefs is critical as the future leaders are already operating in this way. Every movement is gaining momentum and within the next handful of years, these movements will become institutionalized. I love how Van Jones describes Black Lives Matter as a cause that developed into a movement and now is a machine. I see that applying to every important movement happening today.
Sustainability is a term I use in two ways. The first being sustainable for the environment and the second having a business that’s sustainable for the business owner. Firstly, for the environment. Companies are already being pushed by their consumers to be environmentally friendly. As the years march on, they will only be pushed more as Generation Z is already much larger consumer body than the Baby Boomers and their earning potential will only increase. Advertising agencies will be looking to Gen Z for their messaging instead of the Baby Boomers. Culturally, it will become mainstream to think of the environment as part of the purchasing decisions. Companies who realize it now will be positioned for more success.
Secondly, building a business that’s sustainable for the business owner is key as he or she is the leader and ambassador of the organization. Being passionate about its mission, vision and values fuels business growth. This goes hand-in-hand with conscious entrepreneurship. Embedding the heart and soul as part of the business model negates any possibility of a business becoming a burden.
ADVICE — What kind of advice would you like to give to an aspiring entrepreneur who feels limited due to their background or lack of resources?
As for the limited background, don’t let anyone talk you out of building the business you crave — period. Credentials are helpful if you have them in the lane you want to create your business. However, experience is the key. Get some by volunteering, working for someone else or collaborating with another person or company. Then, listen only to your inner voice, your heart’s wisdom and your willpower to drive you to create the business that beckons you. This is your life. Live it the way you desire.
As for lack of resources, I have 3 tips.
1. Be resourceful. There are so many free resources online. Research and find those that speak to you and then participate fully. Get every drop of knowledge from these resources.
2. Find a mentor, whether it’s someone you know or someone you’re following. People are flattered when asked for advice or support, reach out and ask. You’ll never get a positive response unless you ask.
3. Get wildly creative. I’m always amazed when I hear other people’s stories of how they get started. There’s usually an interesting twist. So, think outside the box. If one thing doesn’t work out, try another and another after that until you have success. When I speak of the summer of fast fails, I failed at 10 different things I tried one summer. Ten. Ten times — utter and complete crickets to anything I offered. Zero. Zilch. Nada. So, I tried a few more things until one clicked and now I’m growing another uber successful business.
Bottom line: Don’t give up. You are your most valued resource. Remember your gifts, strengths and talents, then wind up your passion and go for it!
DRIVE — Do you sometimes feel bad for “wanting more out of life”, and if so, why? What is your personal motivation that leads you through the hardships of entrepreneurship?
I don’t feel badly about wanting more, but I can say it hasn’t always been easy. Creating not one, but two successful businesses, while bringing up children, volunteering for worthy causes and having a spouse, who up until COVID, travels 90% of the time doesn’t support entrepreneurial success. But, it’s too important not to as this is my heart’s desire and my soul mission. I can’t say no — it’s impossible. The short answer to your question? My heart and soul are my personal motivators.
CHALLENGES — Entrepreneurship is very challenging. We each have our own coping mechanism. Mine is humor. What is yours? Can you share a story?
I can say humor is one of my go-to coping mechanisms as well, yet more effective is my intuitive practice. My intuitive practice involves meditation, journaling, using healing tools such as: tuning forks, crystals and flower essences and working with divination systems such as; astrology and Human Design. I have close to 20 years of active intuitive engagement and this has given me equanimity and oversight on the daily happenings in my business and in life. I can now look at the chaos or challenge with a clear view and not get swept up in the drama or caught up in the machinations. It’s an ability I teach to my clients and followers as it’s so helpful with every single thing — whether in business or in life.
As for a story, I have so many as business (and life) is challenging and one of my dear friends loves to know that even with all of spirituality I have in my life, challenging things happen to me too. This is nothing but loving-kindness and makes me laugh as it’s too true.
Closing my former successful business strategy firm and beginning this one is a crazy idea. I have to build everything from scratch as I walk away from my other firm by telling my clients, “You don’t need me for x, y, z or go to this firm or person for a, b, c” as for some reason I have to completely let go. COMPLETELY. I don’t question the prompting as I know all will ultimately work out for the best.
It does as I would have held onto my traditional business formula as it’s too successful not to do so. Yet, that would have totally limited my intuitive gifts and my ability to sell magic. You see, necessity is the mother of invention and when I commit to this business paying for all of the investment I seek, I must sell magic. So, I do.
Even when it seems impossible, even when I have the summer of fast fails, even when I plow thousands of dollars ahead of having any client commitments, my intuitive practice gives me a knowing beyond doubt, a belief beyond lack and a faith beyond fear.
When something challenging occurs, I dig deeply into my intuition to see things clearly. I ask for guidance to get the answers and I rely on the calm that pervades my days. This is just part of the reason I do the work I do as let’s imagine a world where everyone has this ability. This is the world I’m creating.
YOU — Is there anything you would like to share that we have not asked you here?
I would love your readers to know my generosity meets my passion as I have a free online group, The True KLT Movement, that speaks to everything we discussed today. I’m in the group consistently teaching about knowing, liking and trusting yourself to find your purpose, to tap into your power and to increase your prosperity. I absolutely love contributing in this way, so if they want to check it out they can do so by going to: https://www.facebook.com/groups/KEWPowerUp/ I would love to see them!
THANK YOU!
Learn more about Kim at kimwoods.com
Demee Koch about the MEDIUM interview series on CONSCIOUS ENTREPRENEURSHIP:
Conscious entrepreneurship for me is about building a sustainable business that values and respects the resources used and makes an effort of giving back to society.
I believe we need entrepreneurs to really get involved in the causes close to their heart.
This is why I reach out to entrepreneurs that aim for more than generating profit. With this interview, I aim to share entrepreneurial purpose-led passion to inspire others.
Looking forward to learn from you. Reach out to me via LinkedIn.
Demee ❤︎
