Brainz Magazine Exclusive Interview
Kim Ward helps female entrepreneurs find their empowered voice so that they can have over-the-top fulfillment and over-the-top sales! As a certified master transformation coach, Kim combines mindset shifts with NLP modalities into her digital marketing training so that her clients evolve in ways that break old patterns and kickstart results in their business!
Kim Ward helps female entrepreneurs find their fire so they no longer feel defeated and guides them through decisions that move them toward their goals instead of sleepwalking through their days. As a certified master-level life and business coach Kim combines a powerful mindset and NLP modalities with effective digital marketing strategies that produce over-the-top fulfillment and over-the-top sales for her clients.
She has built a multiple 6-figure brand from nothing after leaving the corporate sector and has since retired her husband Rich after 23 years of serving as a firefighter. They live in TN where they have built their dream home with their daughter Adrianna, Kim's dad Tom, and their herd of goats! Kim is a 3X best-selling author as well as the producer of 2 best-selling anthologies under the Life By Design umbrella.
Can you tell me about your background and experience as a life and business coach? What inspired you to pursue this career?
I grew up in a very dysfunctional environment and became self-sufficient at a very young age. When I was 16 years old, I attempted suicide because I didn’t see another way out of my misery and complete unhappiness. The staff at the emergency room informed my father that if I had arrived just five minutes later, I would have been dead. The skilled staff at the hospital were able to save me, but I found myself angry and resentful that I was still alive. With no other way to numb the pain, I turned to drugs and alcohol, making one bad decision after another. At 17, I discovered that I was pregnant.
Looking back, God knew what I needed because my son changed my life more than he’ll ever know. It was as if a switch was flipped, and I wanted to be responsible and do right by my son so that he didn’t have to suffer the way I did. A few years later, my life was on track. I was clean, and my career in the medical field was thriving. I had been promoted several times and found myself as the youngest supervisor in my region. Just when I thought things were calming down, I received news that my only sister had decided to take her own life, and that news absolutely crushed me.
Being in a corporate career, I received a one-week bereavement. One week wasn’t enough to even wrap my head around what had happened, but I had no choice. My little family depended on my income, so after just a week, I returned to work, completely lost and heartbroken. Walking through life completely unhappy without my sister, it was as if I had hit another wall. I craved something different and found myself making jokes about how I needed a life coach myself. At 30, I made the very scary decision to leave my career and relocate to Florida, where my parents and siblings lived. God blessed me with a true partner, my husband Rich, and life seemed to coast.
Two years went by, and once again, I learned that I would be having another baby, this time a girl. I was excited to have my family around me this time, but at 8 months pregnant, just three days after Christmas, I received news that my mother had also taken her life. Angry, confused, and quite honestly just lost for words, I sunk into a depression. I looked at my husband and said, “I refuse to go back to work.” Life is too short; time is our most precious commodity, and I didn’t want someone else raising my child just so I could work to pay bills. That’s when I discovered social media and the world of entrepreneurship.
Through social media, I found a free webinar about selling, and I knew if I wanted to be an effective entrepreneur, I would need to learn the skill and art of selling. To my surprise, the man hosting the webinar was a life and business coach who would become my coach and completely shift my entire existence. We connected through the webinar, and he offered me a complimentary call where he did not hold back. He asked the right questions and challenged my perspectives like no one had ever done. I signed on to work with him and slowly started taking action to reclaim my life and my happiness and launch a coaching business of my own. The way that one person showed up for me inspired me to help others close the gap from where they are to where they want to be. Now, as a certified master-level life and business coach and certified NLP practitioner, I get to help people create a life that they only dreamed about.
What is your coaching philosophy or approach when working with clients to achieve their personal and professional goals?
In coaching, I believe in the Socratic method of coaching. Asking the right open-ended questions and allowing space for your client to explore solutions is a freeing and liberating process for both of us. It also develops their ability to problem-solve and reflect on what they truly want out of their life.
What techniques or methodologies do you use to help clients overcome obstacles and achieve their desired outcomes?
There are times when beliefs and patterns are deeply rooted in the subconscious mind, which makes it more challenging to break those patterns. That's why I decided to go through the certification process for NLP, Neuro-Linguistic Programming. This modality will help eradicate negative and unwanted emotions and beliefs for a greater chance of transformation.
Can you share a specific success story or case study from your coaching practice that illustrates the impact of your coaching on a client's life or business?
I had a client pray for an answer to her financial concerns. She was a stay-at-home mom of seven children, with a diagnosis of MS that caused frequent flare-ups and prevented her from having a job. That left the financial burden of providing for a family of nine up to her husband. She messaged me on Facebook, even though we weren’t Facebook friends, and claimed that she had found me from one of my Facebook lives. The ironic part was she found my video after praying and felt that my topic and personality served as an answer to her prayer. I offered her a complimentary call the same way that my coach had done for me. She informed me of her medical situation and the financial situation with her husband having to provide for seven children. She decided to reach out because she had recently started with a direct selling company and needed help making sales. What she didn’t realize is that I was honing in on her mindset issues. She believed that any month that starts with the letter “J” isn’t good for business, and here we were at the very end of May. I asked her how willing she was to take necessary action, and she told me that she was very able and willing and needed to ease the stress and burden off her husband.
We started working together in June and got right to work. I had her establish her 90-day goals to give us a focal point. During our sessions, I would challenge her perspective and beliefs and give her action steps. On day 25 of working together, Chelsea had achieved every single one of her 90-day goals. By the end of July, she had ranked advanced three times, made more money than she had ever made before, and even earned the company cruise incentive. She no longer believes the “J” month stories and was definitely able to ease the stress and burden from her husband. The best part for me is seeing someone with a medical diagnosis being able to work effectively around how she felt.
How do you balance addressing both personal and professional challenges in your coaching sessions, especially for clients seeking guidance in both areas?
This is an easy conversation because they go hand in hand. As a life and business coach, it’s my belief that if your personal life is lacking, then that will flow into your business and vice versa. I am willing to have those difficult conversations because I’ve seen the transformations and what people can achieve.
How do you establish trust and rapport with your clients, and how important do you believe this is for the coaching relationship?
Trust is built through being a person of integrity. Always do what you say you’re going to do, and if for any reason you can’t, make sure that you are communicating clearly and becoming complete with people. Rapport is built by being vulnerable and authentic. Just because I’m the coach doesn’t mean I am better than you, and I am always willing to share stories of where I was and how I transformed. These two elements are critical for not only a healthy and effective coaching relationship but for all relationships.
How do you stay motivated and energized in your role as a coach, and how do you ensure that you continue to provide high-quality coaching?
First, I believe it’s non-negotiable to invest in myself and sit at tables and in rooms of what I consider high level. I am always learning from people who inspire me, whether that is masterminds or hiring the right coaches for me. I am there because it improves my skills and shows me what’s possible. I also make an effort to read and listen to podcasts. It’s important to ask myself questions that allow me to reflect and dream. I can’t do that if I’m not feeding my brain. Last and absolutely non-negotiable is self-care and family time. Having time to decompress is wildly important and highly underrated. My family always eats dinner together. My husband and I still read with our 8-year-old daughter before she goes to bed, and then we decompress in the hot tub before we go to bed. This is an everyday routine. I treat myself and my daughter to mommy and me facials, the salt cave, and we make sure to travel and unplug several times a year. Work is important, but you will always be more productive and more effective when your soul is refueled.
What's on the horizon for your business? Do you have any exciting updates or news to share?
Being on the cover of Brainz Magazine is pretty much a dream come true and an absolute honor! My husband has seen the difference that my business has made in our lives and others, so he will be joining the business in 2024, which is super exciting for me.
