In this inspirational episode, Katie Richardson, Owner of Katie Richardson Coaching, shares how people seek out her help in learning how to magnify both business and life.
You will discover:
– Why the solution you need isn’t found in a business model
– The role of faith in entrepreneurial success.
– Why you can’t just focus on your destination
Episode Transcript
Scott Ritzheimer
Hello, hello and welcome. Welcome once again to the secrets of the high demand coach and I am here with yet another unbelievably high demand coach. It is the one and only Katie Richardson who believes that your business is a powerful vehicle for you to become who God created you to be. As an executive business coach, she’s on a mission to help entrepreneurs have fun, and live the life that they want. Her first brand poosh.com is a worldwide sensation, reaching 2000 stores in the US and distribution in 26 different countries. With a scotch and a giant leap of faith, Katie transformed in industry and became a globally recognized designer and entrepreneur, while being a committed wife and mother. She’s appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show with the Rachael Ray show that today’s show and on the cover of Entrepreneur Magazine, and she’s here with us today, Katie, welcome to the show. Your story just came out everywhere. So I was doing research for this. And it’s a powerful, powerful story. And I’m wondering if you could just spend a moment or two and unpack that for us? How did you get into the world of entrepreneurism? And was it easy at first?
Katie Richardson
I mean, no, it was not easy. But it was kind of an unexpected journey. For me, I love solving problems. And I want to do it in a way where it is highly impactful, right? Not just solve that immediate problem, but can we get down to the systemic level of the problem, and solve it at that level. And so in 2008 2009, I started to build and develop a brand and a company. And it wasn’t until 2010, that we actually started to monetize it. And when things took off scot they really took off. And within 12 months, we were in 2000 stores in the US and distribution and 26 different countries. And I had, you know, three young kids at home at the time. And, and it was just it was unsustainable for me, as this business was just taking off like a rocket ship. And I had this moment where it was just like, I cannot keep going in this same direction that I’m going right, I had read the business books, and I was watching other successful people. And it was basically sacrifice everything in your life, focus fully on the business, and then, you know, that will then provide for everything else, right. And it just no matter what level we got to it just never led up. And I started to realize that something has to change. And when I meet entrepreneurs, this is kind of the sign that they’re ready, is they’ll say that it’s just not sustainable. And yet we’re in this double bind of I don’t want to set the business down. And I still want to be involved. You know, it’s a vehicle that I’m really passionate about. And yet other things in my life are just, they’re going to start falling apart, whether that’s the marriage, your health, your spirituality, your relationship with your kids. So when I was in that moment, I went to God and I was, you know, saying, This is not sustainable, I can’t keep doing it in this way. And in that moment, he taught me a really powerful lesson, which was, I thought that the solution was going to be a business model. And what he showed me was that I needed to create the person who’s capable of navigating this multi dimensional life. And so from this kind of revelation that I experienced, really early on in my business, I felt like was kind of foundational to the ultimate success I was able to achieve. That is that is where I start with CEOs and entrepreneurs and founders is we’ve got to build this business from the inside out.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah, yeah, it’s so true. So a couple of things in there that I want to unpack, because I hear all the time. And I think you’ve just laid out a great kind of roadmap for our conversation here. The first one is the next level, right? How many people come to you and like we want to get to the next level. Alright, I want to get to the next level as like, where you ask what is the next level, they really have no idea what the next level is, they think it’s just better than now. Right? And what we have a tendency to do I think as entrepreneurs is goal oriented, driving, you know, often a type personalities. Oh, is this to actually kind of put our joy on hold until we get to that next level? Do you see that happening?
Katie Richardson
Oh, yeah. 100% We’re very future oriented. That’s what motivates you. That’s what drives you. But if you continue to always only come from external future based motivation, you will accomplish and achieve those things. And in some ways, that will be the scariest day of your life because now what?
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah, absolutely. And and and you find that right. There’s not a story that I’ve seen go the whole way through the story where they haven’t come face to face with that question. Oh, yeah. Right. Yeah. It’s almost Ricky Bobby. You know, like, what do I do with my hands? There’s this moment of like, if I’m not my success, who am I and and so, as you’re navigating that again, It’s such a just short period of time. What role did your faith have in helping you to answer some of those questions?
Katie Richardson
I mean, honestly, it was everything. I was really getting caught up in business. And it was fun. It was exciting. It was very validating, felt fulfilling. And at the same time, I just, I was trying to find my way forward and continually in my life, I need a Northstar. And that Northstar includes a longer term vision and a, I’m gonna say eternal perspective on my existence. But that, as I, as I’m aiming at that it helps bring truth to the surface it orient me in a really productive direction. And it, it helps me get out of the delusion of my own warped perspective, right, we all live in a echo chamber. And if you’re only seeing a perspective, from your personal distortion, then you’re going to be chasing after something that’s continually elusive. And so if you can wait your vision, and have it found it on something that is solid and true, then you’ll be able to see past the distortions of your own vision.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah, yeah, I’ve found the exact same thing. Done a lot of work actually, both on the church side and on the business side, right. And it’s one of those places where I think a lot of churches have an advantage in that they have that North Star and other some other challenges that they experienced. But it’s one of the things I think the business world can really take from both the church world and nonprofits as a whole that cause base that what Simon Sinek calls the infinite game, right that that permis that’s bigger and beyond us. It’s so important. II said another thing in your intro, though, that I want to Oh, stairs too, which is, the solution wasn’t another business model. It was it was basically you it was it was a person and who you wanted to build and become the unpack that for us.
Katie Richardson
So much of what happens externally meaning outside of us is actually very out of our control. We don’t maybe notice it or recognize it at first, you know, I work with high performing individuals, right? CEOs, founders, entrepreneurs, and they’ve been able to find high levels of success by in a sense kind of manipulating their external circumstances. So that has them doing really well in high school, or sports and college. Maybe they were even Pro or semi pro of athletes. And a lot of that, yeah, there is an internal game for sure. And it’s the the tool sets, so to speak that they use is hard work, meaning working harder and more hours than probably most people and discipline. And those are, you know, those are great virtues. But we can tend to take those to an extreme. And when you take those things to an extreme, these tend tend to be counterproductive. And so it’s so confusing, Scott, because what got you ahead is now suddenly the very thing that’s causing you to slide back, but you, you’ve always associated that with your success. And so it seems like an essential ingredient. So to remove that is so it bends your mind and really wild crazy way. But what I show people is a totally different operating system, it’s the vital operating system, your previous operating system includes kind of the programming, the thoughts and mindset, skill sets, tool sets that you were taught, by default, honestly, from a really young age, and those did get you ahead to a certain point in your life. But you talked about going to the next level, if you want to go to the next level, you actually have to play the game very differently. It’s not logical, it’s not linear. And it is very, it’s engaging parts of your wisdom and intelligence that you have kind of dismissed previously. Right? Because they weren’t necessarily a part of the essential ingredients to your success previously. And so when people first start working with me, it bends their mind, it wishes their faith and trust in themselves. But it’s an exciting journey where they start to really experience this parabolic level of success right at first, it feels awkward, weird, strange, unusual, it seems even counterintuitive. But if they stick with it, and they stick within the framework that I teach people, you start to experience this really exciting, parabolic growth and success. Yeah, but it’s just it’s so counterintuitive.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah. So one of the things that you’ve kind of, woven in here is this idea of, you know, before and after, right, what worked before what what you need after the transition. Is that a is that a necessary part of the process? Do we have To do that before first, do we have to go down that road? Or can we start at a different point?
Katie Richardson
I mean, listen, I’m creative. I don’t like rules. So do you have to? No, not necessarily. But is it the fastest way to accomplishing and achieving your goals? Yes. So why take the slow road, I think that’s my perspective, I like to be efficient. I like to move at an exciting pace, I like adventure. And I would venture to guess that everybody who’s listening to us right now is similar, right? That’s what makes us kind of take the road less traveled and become an entrepreneur is we’re done with the status quo, we’re done with the kinds of existing models and systems and solutions. And you as an entrepreneur is seeing that there’s an opportunity to innovate, that there’s an opportunity to create a better solution. And so the same is true with your process. So the framework that I teach people, it’s kind of it’s funny, because it’s like an anti framework framework I, I started as a product designer, my foundation is design thinking. And it’s about really being able to visualize a very specific outcome, and then understanding how to reverse engineer the system’s process variables to get you there. And, you know, but as a creative, I don’t, I hate the constriction of somebody else’s solution, right, somebody else’s system a lot of times. And so there’s a part of me that like rebels against somebody else to systems and processes. But in a sense, that led me to kind of the system of all systems. And that’s what I teach people is what you want, meaning your business, your marriage, your family, your health, your faith, that combination is actually quite unique. Right, maybe there’s nobody else in the world that wants that specific combination of outcomes. And that’s okay, I like that for you, I want that for you. So let’s show you a framework that helps you create your own system, for getting that very unique and specific outcome. And, you know, that’s I think the exciting part of what I do is each person is a unique puzzle. There are definitely foundational principles that I recognize very early on, but the specific outcome of what they want is unique. And so they you, you need a unique system to get that unique outcome.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah. So to help folks kind of take that next step, because they’re resonating with every word, but they’re looking for like, what’s that first step that what’s a practical like, you can implement this today step that they can take to start moving toward that vital operating system.
Katie Richardson
You know, if Siri is going to navigate you to maybe a new restaurant, she needs two locations. And as an entrepreneur, we often miss the second location, we’re so focused on that destination, that we’re not paying attention to the truth of where we are. And I’ll, I’ll give you some examples. You mentioned, you know, telling stories. One of my clients is a world renowned surgeon, and when he started working with me had as a team about 20. And he was frustrated because they’re talented people, but they had become entitled, and motivated. And they just weren’t performing at their highest level that he knew they were capable of. And he couldn’t seem to figure out how to inspire that within them, right how to get the best out of them. It felt like he was herding cats every day, and, you know, managing gossip, and it was just like, the biggest distractions, are you kidding me, you’re, you have people on an operating table, and you have to step out of the O R and manage the gossip that’s happening with your team. It’s just such a huge distraction. And so when he came to me, I had to help them understand the truth of his situation, which is you doctor actually playing a role in the dysfunction that you’re seeing on your team. And he, of course, couldn’t see it. And our ego hates to admit that and doesn’t want to acknowledge that. So in order to get to where you want to go, you have to establish the truth of where you’re starting. And so he had to be really open, super coachable, and I had to show him the ways in which he’s contributing to the gossip, the dysfunction, and even the entitlement that was showing up with his team. And you know, sometimes it’s kind of really unexpected. And, you know, he’s doing things out of the generosity of his heart, like giving a across the board bonus at the end of the year. That’s not performance related. And I was like, Are you kidding me? They’re sitting back all year because you’re teaching them you’re training them The rich doctors is going to write me a fat check at the end of the year. So I don’t have to push myself, I don’t have to push beyond my current capacity, I don’t have to grow, I don’t have to stay a little bit longer to ensure a high standard of care for our clients. So, you know, we have to be honest with ourselves, and it’s so hard Scott, it’s really uncomfortable. And a lot of time, it requires an outside perspective.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah, that’s so true. That’s so true. So I there’s a question I like to ask all my guests and and it is this what is the biggest secret Katie that you wish just wasn’t a secret at all? What’s that one thing you wish everybody watching or listening today knew?
Katie Richardson
That, if you can tap into what you truly want, that is the highest lever that you can pull in your life. I think a lot of times we dismiss what we want, right as high performers who are disciplined and hard working, we dismiss our wanting, we dismiss our desires. But if you can access, and I’m gonna say this both personally, you as the founder, Owner, CEO, and also understanding how to access the wanting of your team, this is what I’m doing with the surgeon is you need to know what innately your team members are, are wanting, desiring, and therefore their attention is going to. And if you can understand this, Scott, if you can understand your internal desires, the internal desires of your ideal customers and clients, and even the internal desires of your team members. And if you can understand this is like the Holy Grail, if you can understand, what is that point on the distance that aligns and connects all of those desires, intrinsically, intuitively, naturally, effortlessly, if you can understand how to connect all of those desires, in this common mission, this common Northstar you don’t have to, you know, force people or push people, their motivation comes from within. And it’s kind of the ultimate way to align your team, it’s the ultimate way to drive your team members to perform, it’s the ultimate way to attract your ideal customers and clients. You know, you mentioned that I built a significant global business. And I didn’t realize it at the time, I couldn’t necessarily articulate to you that that’s what we had done. But as a designer, I just, it was kind of my nature, to build a brand and, you know, communicate a parenting lifestyle and solve problems in a way that tapped into my internal desires as a parent. But what that did is it connected me to my customers and clients and I was solving problems in a really profound way that had people coming up to me saying, I’d never met you before. I didn’t even know your story. But somebody gifted me your product, and they pulled it out of the box. And it felt like I could feel your soul. And in those moments, I was like, Oh, you felt that I put it in there. Like the vat, the things that I value. Were very intentionally designed and engineered into the product and the packaging and the messaging and like it was all put in there was placed in there and she could feel it. And when you can understand how to access people’s emotions and internal desires. You become untouchable by the competition. So many people are trying to solve problems logically. And yes, you have to do that. But if you really want to separate yourself from the competition, yes, you solve the problem logically, and you also go deeper, and you solve the problem emotionally.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah. Yeah. And there’s some folks listening. And that’s exactly what they want to do. Right? They want to go to that deeper level. They want to be a better entrepreneur to provide a better product, but to also be a better husband or wife or parent. How can they find more out about you and the work that you do and and hopefully get started on a process?
Katie Richardson
Yeah, I’m pretty active on Instagram. So Katie.live I do a lot of live video. I also am a podcaster. And my show is called What’s Working Now? And I’m just radically curious about fundamentals and first principles. And so that’s what we’re uncovering and discovering and what’s working now it’s about really what is that core principle of truth. And the now piece is, you know, truth is always true, but it’s the application that shifts and changes over time. So I have found whether it’s in marketing or team alignment, or you know, attracting your ideal customer, if I can understand the fundamentals and those core principles and make a connection between how that gets applied. In today’s world in today’s environment, today’s conversation if I can understand that, then I can make huge progress and really move the needle. So that’s what we talk about on that show. And DM, like, I love hearing from people. People love seeing case studies of clients of mine. I think my favorites are individuals who are kind of in a very tight, constricted, impossible looking situation, right, where they’re maybe working 120 hours a week, and they’re maxed out with their team, and they’re, you know, struggling their business partnership. Like I love those impossible puzzles. And I, I’ve just been able to help people in a really profound way, and it’s just super meaningful for me.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah. Well check out Katie’s Instagram profile. We’ll put the link in the show notes below and what’s working now, wherever you get your podcasts, we’ll also drop a link for that. And Katie, thank you so much for being on the show. Just what a wonderful wonderful birth experience and the wisdom that came out of it. Thank you so much for sharing and for those of you watching and listening today, you know your time and attention mean the world to us. I hope you got as much out of this conversation as I know I did, and I cannot wait to see you next time. Take care
Contact Katie Richardson
Katie Richardson believes your business is a powerful vehicle for you to become who God created you to be. As an Executive Business Coach, she is on a Mission to help Entrepreneurs have FUN and live the life THEY WANT. Her first brand, Puj.com, is a worldwide sensation, reaching 2,000 stores in the US and distributing in 26 different countries. With a Sketch and a GIANT Leap of Faith, Katie Transformed an industry and became a Globally Recognized Designer and Entrepreneur while being a committed wife and mother. She has appeared on the Ellen Degeneres Show, Rachael Ray Show, Today Show, and on the cover of Entrepreneur Magazine.
Want to learn more about Katie Richardson’s work at Katie Richardson Coaching? Check out her website at https://katierichardson.com/
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