When I made the decision to move into business coaching, I didn't know at the time how much my mind was going to attack me. I felt like I was at this precipice. I was the edge of a cliff, and I had to make a decision. It wasn't like a new step forward. I had to take a leap, Chaz, and I knew that. If we were back, that woman that I was, had very low self esteem and didn't believe in herself. And when we don't believe in herself, we lose hope if I could go back.
I would just try and help her see to use your language, the queen Chaz she is. What's up, everybody? I'm Chaz Wolfe, gathering the Kings podcast. Got a special episode here today with another queen on the stage here today. Miss Katie Richardson, welcome to the King stage. How are you? Doing amazing Chaz. I'm super excited to be here. Really excited to hopefully and expire your audience to go do the thing they feel called to do.
Yes. Well, you have you have done that and are still doing that at a whole another level now. So I'm jazzed to get into this conversation. But first, tell us what you do now. We'll get to what you're maybe known for in the news, but tell us what you do now. I am a business coach, and I help men and women who are building a significant business. Build the business in a way that it has them in integrity with themselves, their spouse, their kids, their business partners, and most importantly, god.
I love it. Love it. Okay. So now now drop the hammer on us. You you've been in the news. You're you're not, a a new entrepreneur by any means at all. You have an incredible company that you built and exited. Give us just 30 seconds on that. I'm sure plenty more will come out, but Sure. Tell us tell us that part of Katie. Yeah. For 2 years, I was developing a product. And then in 2010, I launched it, and it took off like a rocket Chaz. I'm a mother of 3.
And I'm going to show you the easiest way to bathe the baby. This is the punch stuff. Hanging the store's flat. Easy to use. Snaps together, and fits perfectly in the bathroom seat. Well, this is a podge tub, and it fits into any sink that you have. And look how easy it is. It just it's this, and you can bend it in any way, just goes away in stores. These very class a did not have this when I was, having small babies. I love this.
And within a year, we were in 2000 stores in the US with distribution in 26 different countries. This was a brand I had created and products. It was a product designer and a mother of very young kids. My youngest was a year when we launched that. And then I also had a two year old and four year old. So, you know, I was busy And for 7 plus years, we built that into a multimillion dollar international company.
With a suite of ultimately about 30 different products and then exited that company 7 years ago and felt very cold and unqualified, by the way, to move into business coaching. And I feel very fortunate and blessed to have built my business through tremendous prayer and scripture study. And there were things that I figured out in my own business that I could see that other people were missing.
And so I'm really passionate about teaching people those principles that I figured out while I built my own business and really empowering them to build their business in a way that has them aligning with themselves, their business partners, god, like we talked about in the beginning. So it's Yeah. Exciting, thrilling, Yeah. I I'm gonna hone in on what you just said a few minutes ago that you said that you felt unqualified to do so.
I think that every entrepreneur at some point has felt unqualified. And it either keeps us from moving or we move forward anyway, and it's super uncomfortable. So just describe that principle for a second. How that even lines up with integrity or being in line with, you know, your calling or or being godly. How does moving forward into something that I'm uncomfortable or feel maybe unqualified to do? How does that even line up with those things?
When I made the decision to move into business coaching, I didn't know at the time how much my mind was going to attack me. And I had been taking on clients inside of my physical products business just because it was fun. And I would take people on the side and help them out and help them do things they've been trying to do on their own for 12, 18 months, 2 years, And it was effortless jazz. It was fun, and it was super rewarding.
And so it made sense to me to exit my company and then, like, of course, I'm gonna move into this thing. And then the moment that was my core thing, that's when I really feel like opposition showed up. And it's like, oh, yeah. You think you want to go help people shine their light greater into the world? Well, let's just see how committed you are to that. And I would wake up in the morning dreading the day.
And I'd I hadn't ever experienced that before, and I was you know, mad at myself that I'd made this decision that was not reversible. I was mad at god that I was being called in this direction, and I really felt unqualified. I was mad at my spouse, mad at my kids. And yet kept moving forward. It was a choice. At the end of the day, it was a choice, and it was a decision.
And there were multiple times when I I thought, you know, I could go back to product design, which I know, and I'm very good at, and I've proven on a very significant scale. But when in those quiet moments, Chaz, where you're that still small voice is maybe a little bit louder. I knew that this was the direction that god had for me. He wasn't gonna force me in that direction. You know? No man's being forced into heaven.
And yet, like, I would say with my lips that I wanted what god had for me, but I was pushing against it actively. And, you know, I had a lot of questions, and I didn't have some sort of certification. I didn't. I had developed the principles that I was teaching people through the school of hard knocks. And so there was never that moment that someone says, yes, Now, Katie, you are qualified to go out into the world and to help people make their wildest dreams come true.
Like, it didn't have that moment. And so it was easy to question myself. It was easy to second guessing myself. And whether or not it was opposition, right, the adversary or myself, I don't necessarily know who it was, but let me tell you. I had those crying sessions in the shower. It was like, who do you think you are? What do you think you're doing? Who gives you the right to tell him what to do in his business.
And there were a lot of times when that voice would speak up, and I I didn't necessarily have an answer for it. And it terrified me. The yeah. Well, so Chaz you had to work through Chaz. And and I'm I'm sure we'll get to some of the story of of that. How does a listener right now take what you're saying, which is I I knew I was called to this, but I was actively fighting against it.
How do they know or how did you know in that moment that it was so clear that you're fighting against it Chaz opposed to maybe this is a desire I'm just not really not made for this, and so I'm gonna go a different direction. Like, there's all kinds of different ways to maybe have interpreted that, but you were so clear. Like, this is what I am, but I'm going Like, I'm, you know, I'm, I'm Jonah. I'm running the other way. You know, like, how did you know? How do they know?
So for about 2 years, Chaz, I was traveling a lot for my business. And I was either, you know, going to San Francisco and pitching to a room of potential investment partners, or I was going to New York to a trade right? And I was, I was traveling a ton. And every time I would travel, perfect strangers would come up to me, and they would say the same thing. And it was really weird because it didn't happen at home. It didn't happen at the grocery store. It happened every time I was traveling.
And I was like, what's happening? What's going on? And there was this trip that I took to Las Vegas to go help my husband out at a trade show in at the consumer electronics show. It is one of the biggest trade shows in the Wolfe. And it's really exciting. You know, my background is product design. So as a product designer, I love going to the show. You get to see what's on the horizon, technology wise, 5, 10, 15 years into the future.
And so I'm at this consumer electronics show my designer heart is just so excited to be there. And I'm helping my husband out for his brand in his booth, and I had taken a lunch break. And after I took my lunch break, I was coming back in the convention hall, and there was this huge throng of people And there was this, like, central fig figure. There were, like, thirty people around this central figure. And it looks like everyone was clamoring to get to this person in the middle.
And from the distance that I was out, I was like, That looks like Stevie Wonder. And, you know, famous people come to these shows, so it wouldn't have been the craziest thing in the world to have a celebrity at the show. And I'm walking into the room, and as I'm having this thought looking at this throng of people, there's a another person next to the Stevie Wonder looking figure who's popping his head up above the crowd.
And he's obviously trying to look at something, but the people are kind of blocking him. And he's really insistent And so he keeps jumping up. And finally, like Moses parting the red sea, he pushes everybody aside, makes his way through the crowd, and he comes face to face with me, puts his hands on my shoulders, looks me square in the eyes. I've never met this man before. And he says, you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen Who are you?
That was the question everyone had been asking me, Chaz, and in the most dramatic way Here it was again. Who are you? And I'd been getting it on airplanes and Ubers, you know, in crowded rooms. But here it was in a really dramatic form, and it was, like, in that moment, it was, like, god saying, Katie wake up, pay attention. And I had been on my knees praying, reading scriptures. I was seeking searching answers. I had made this move wondering if it was the right move for me.
And kind of questioning it every day. And I was looking for the path forward. And what I was looking for was maybe like the right business model the the right principles or the right method to teach people. Right? What's the system that I'm teaching people? I didn't know what that was. And god was without me realizing it. God was answering that question. He was like, Katie, guess what? You're like paying attention to the wrong things, and you need to ask a better question.
Which is who am I. Yeah. And in that moment, I saw it on a level. I'd never seen it before, and I couldn't ignore anymore. In the past, it kind of shrugged it off. And when it happened in that way and and by the way, I asked the guy who he was, and he said his name was Lamar and that he was Stevey. And I said Stevie Who, and he said Stevie Wonder. He was with Stevie Wonder. He was around some of the most famous people for, like, the last 40 years.
And this guy just pushed his way through a crowd to come meet me? What? Like Yeah. That's what really had me take pause and what was happening. And, you know, I learned in that moment that there was something that was pulling this man through the crowd, and I needed to figure out what that was, and then I needed to teach other people how to create that for themselves.
Yeah. There's a there it's almost like there was a a a pulse right, a frequency and energy, you know, a talent, something, shining that Yeah. That he noticed Chaz I'm sure plenty of other people did, like you said, It is interesting, though, how you pointed out how it kept happening when you were traveling. Mhmm. But it wasn't happening at home. What's that about? I think when I travel, there's this level of freedom. You know, I'm a mother of 4. And we homeschool our kids.
And so when I'm traveling, it's gonna sound horrible, but I just, like, I'm fully present on that trip, and I'm not worrying about the kids. And I think it was this level of presence that I'm able to reach when I travel, it's a new environment. It's new people. I'm really open. I'm really curious. I'm kinda taking it all in. And, you know, we've all experience that time where you drive to the grocery store and you're like, how did I get here? Cause you're just in beta mode.
You're just, like, you're you're just moving, but you're not really thinking about it. And when I'm traveling, I'm really curious about what's around me. I'm super present. I'm super open. And I think that that presence radiates from me. And I think people experience it. Yeah. How how I'm sure you've developed this a little bit out, but give the listeners a little tease here. How how can they find this presence, whether it's when they're traveling or whether when they are at home?
Like, how can they experience that? So part of what maybe had it not showing up when I was at home is, you know, we have thoughts that go through our mind all day, every day. Right? And then we have feelings and emotions. And a lot of times, and I was experiencing this, a lot of times your head and your heart can be at war. And if you can understand how to create alignment between your thoughts, your feelings, and your actions. That's the 3rd piece of it.
If you can create alignment between those three things. For me, that's where I really connect with god on a really deep and profound way. And we're taught that God is in the now. And so if I can align my mind with my heart, with my actions, then I'm in the now. I'm present. And I'm therefore then connected with god. I'm greater influenced by his spirit. I can that inner voice is a little bit louder. And I have the courage I need to take action on it. So that's the trick. That's the key.
Yeah. How did you do Chaz? At home, homeschooling for kids, you know, husband has his own business as Wolfe, and you guys are doing this multifaceted family thing. How did how did you take what you just said? Yeah. And put it into play. I have to warn you because You know, we all we all want that answer. And there is an answer. There is. It's not glamorous. It's not sexy. And in a lot of ways, it might even seem like it's too simple and it's not profound, but Chaz, the answer is daily practices.
And I'm a woman who is committed to daily exercise. We have this body that has needs. It needs sleep. It needs food. It needs hydration. It needs exercise. It needs to develop its muscles. You have, like, at bare minimum, you have to take care of those needs. Then you have a mind that has needs. And you have to take care of your mind. So that means journaling, right, getting all of those thoughts out of your head and on the paper.
It means prayer and meditation You have a marriage and kids and re relationships with those people. And so you need to be in alignment in your relationships. So Me and my husband have date night once a week.
We have very difficult conversations, and sometimes it leads to tremendous tension, but we know that that conflict leads to greater intimacy with us, right, a greater connection, a bit better level of trust And so it's about understanding the dynamics of being a human being and then developing practices that support you and being able to be aligned. And so I read scriptures every day And I think it's really important for me to be connected with god and in his word.
You know, I say prayers to speak to god. Well, how's he gonna speak to me? I have to read his word. That's how he speaks to me. So have to be in the scriptures. And now let me tell you, there are so many days. I don't feel like doing those things. I feel like I'm at war with my inner teenager most mornings. I'm serious. There's this voice in my head that's like, I don't feel like working out today. I'm like, okay. Well, we're gonna do it anyways.
And I I found little trick where I'll play the music that my teenage self used to listen to, which is, like, Led Zeppelin, by the way. And she just, like, falls in line. I'm like, okay. We're gonna do this. Like, what are we doing today? Deadlifts, Roman Roman deadlifts, squats? Like, what are we doing? And she just gets excited by the music as the trigger.
So it's about understanding the needs of being a human being, getting yourself into a place of alignment every day through these daily, I call them power creation practices. And then because I'm in that place of power, Then when I go to work, I could be hyper efficient. I could be hyper clear.
I Chaz be super committed to taking and doing the things that, you know, if I was tired or hungry, didn't get enough sleep, feeling anxious, that I wouldn't have the courage to take that So it's about getting an alignment every day so I can be connected to god, hear his spirit, and then go do the things that I feel called to do. Yeah. Extremely powerful. I mean, you're dropping just really, really good stuff.
I hope that they just hit hit the pause button and or that that reverse thirty second button on the podcast just just hit it a couple times. And listen to that again. Super vulnerable, sharing, you know, the the the pieces there about what's happening in your own head. But I think everybody experiences that. Why do you think that that's passed over so much?
Like, if the if the masses think, well, Katie's so special because she doesn't have that inner voice that's telling her not to work out today. But the truth is we both know you just shared it is that we both do. Yeah. And we kinda have to, you know, kick that younger Chaz or younger Katie into gear, and we go work out anyway or whatever this the task is. Mhmm. Why do you think that that's past over? Like, why does the mass not understand that it's still real for even URI? We're very habituated.
To focus and become obsessed with our circumstances or our reality. And I'm a product designer 1st and foremost. That was kind of what I studied in school and first excelled that. And So I I I love creation, and god created us to be creators. And the scriptures even tell us that there are 2 phases of creation. There's first the spiritual creation, and then there is the physical or manifestation, the external reality creation.
Yeah. And so I've walked through this process of creation so many times when it comes to physical products. Right? I think of an idea in my mind, and I can rotated around. I Chaz see the backside. I can see the different parts and pieces and the materials that I would use to create that and the joints and how they come together. And I can manipulate it in my mind.
And then I can take a pencil or a pen and I can draw it on paper and then utilizing different materials, whether it's like stuff out of the recycle bin or maybe I'm using metal or wood. I can go fabricate a physical, manifestation of that what once was just an idea in my head. And that process of taking a thought AKA spiritual idea and turning it into reality I'm fascinated by it, and it's exhilarating to me.
And what what I think people are missing is every day, you and I are creating ourselves, and it starts first in these thoughts. In this spiritual creation of Wolfe, and we use words to create ourselves. And we'll say things like I'm always late or I'm tired today, or you just really set me off or I'm frustrated. And then we're creating ourselves to show up that way. And then that then in turn, determines our external reality.
And so where I started was people are so obsessed with the external reality, and they're trying to manipulate their reality. And they utilize force to try and do that. And what I do is I like to take the path of least resistance, and and I go back to that process of creation.
If I can create what I want internally within myself first, then I just kinda have to if that's what it is in if if that's who I am inside of me, then all I have to do is, like, show up to life, and it doesn't take long for life to catch up with or reflect what's already happening internally inside of me. So that's why people miss it is they're starting backwards. And Yeah. They're they're trying to ignore or, diminish. Listen.
Chaz battle that goes on inside of every one of us, it's uncomfortable. And it's Yeah. Embarrassing and it feels has this feeling like revulnerable if anybody know about that about me. And for whatever reason, Chaz, from the very beginning of my entrepreneurial journey. My business took off and it looked like it was working. I was dying inside. And so I I'm on this rocket ship, and my business is exploding, and I'm losing it on my kids. And I'm like, this is not okay.
Chaz I'm being this way with my kids. This is not okay that I have no patience for my husband right now. That's not okay with me. And so those moments brought me to my knees. And I was asking, god, I'm like, how do I do this? Because, you know, I felt very cold to be an entrepreneur, and it felt directly incompatible with the rest of my life. And I wanted to set it down, and I felt very strongly from god Chaz No. That's not what I have for you, and you need to keep going. And I'm like, okay.
Well, if I'm gonna keep going, you need to show me how to do this because it's not working. And that's when he really taught me that instead of looking for a business model, which is what I was doing, I was like, I need the right business model. And it wasn't about the business model. He taught me that you're a designer, you're a creator, Katie. And so you might not see the woman who's capable of of building this very dynamic life, but you don't need her because you can go create her.
And in that moment, I took my own design processes, which I was using in products and brand, and it was working very well, by the way. And I turned them on myself. And I started to design the woman who was capable of navigating this multi dimensional life. Yeah. So, I mean, this is just an incredible topic. We could live here. I want to live here for a little bit longer.
This this idea of being a creator, the mindset for me changed a handful of years ago in in a way where I understood that I was a creator and I use the identity now as a I'm a builder. And so same same thing here. But there's a lot of, Christians or believers that have a problem with that idea of being a creator. And it's like it it maybe takes away from the reverence that they might have you know, towards god. And so what would you say to the person that is struggling? Believer or not believer.
Understanding that they're a creator or a builder And really, I mean, you've practically shown us what that means, and I'm gonna press more into that here in a second, but from the belief perspective, they have to first believe that they are that Yeah. Yeah. Before they can do that. What Wolfe you say to that? I think we see demonstrations of truth in, like, fractal forms in reality. And let me explain what I mean.
My relationship with my kids is a reflection of a potential relationship with me and my father in heaven, my creator. And what I want for my kids is everything that I have and then a million times more. Right? I want them to have everything that I have and more. And if I was created by the ultimate creator, then isn't the seed of that greatness inside of me. And so, you know, we have a heavenly father, heavenly mother, who created us in spiritual form and then physical form.
And I believe that they want for us what they are capable of themselves. It's just my personal belief. Hey, Kings and Queens. Jazz Wolf. I wanna talk to you about something that's super important to me. We put a lot of time and effort. We, meaning myself and my team, into this podcast, into the content that goes out every single day. And if you have been getting any sort of your insight from this, we want it to be able to reach other business owners too.
So we would love if you would like, comment, share, leave a review, post, share again all of the things on social media, on all the different platforms, or even on the podcast media of Apple and Spotify. We would love to be able to get our content into more hands, more entrepreneurs so they can grow their business as quick as together, we are building a community of like minded entrepreneurs who are committed to growing their businesses to new heights. So let's do this. Let's help each other.
Let's help each other grow. It you changed quickly from seeing god as only creator to seeing him as creator and father. Mhmm. Even in your language there, you identified him first then as, you know, my father in heaven. And so taking on the heart of a father or a mother, having a parent's heart, it should change the dynamic. I didn't grow up with a dad. And so when I met my dad at 24, he didn't know I existed. I thought somebody else was my dad. Crazy god story.
Wow. But my interactions with him were like, new, except for that they weren't because I already had a heavenly father. And it was just this was the first time I could see it play out in person. Wow. And so describe describe this, you know, for you, because it's personal. It's it's the mother's heart that you're describing. It's the father's heart God has for you. Mhmm. How does that change the dynamic? Because we're not talking about he just because you believe he gives you everything. Right.
Because that's that's not what we're talking about either. Yeah. I've had to really evolve, develop, mature, and grow my relationship with god. For a long time, I had a very servant relationship with god, and it was just basically I can be obedient I can do exactly what you tell me to do. Just tell me what to do, and I'll go do it. And that gotten me really far in life. And I reached this point where I was I felt like I was at this precipice.
I was at the edge of a cliff, and I had to make a decision. And it wasn't like a new step forward. I had to take a leap, Chaz, and I knew Chaz. But there were, like, a thou not a 1000. Maybe 17 different directions. I could potentially leap. And, you know, I'm a woman of god, a woman of faith, I wanna be on the path of righteousness, and I wanna get things right.
And I had this tremendous fear as I was at this edge of a cliff that I was gonna maybe make the wrong decision, but not realize it until maybe 5, 10, 15 years into the future. And then I would look back and have tremendous regret only to realize I'd taken the wrong wrong path. That terrified me to the point where I was at a place of indecision for almost 2 years. And the the more I waited to make a decision, the more pressure was building and mounting.
And it the decision I needed to make wasn't just gonna affect me. Gonna affect my spouse, my kids, my team, my family, my employees, my clients and customers, like, I was needing to make a really significant decision. And as that servant minded woman, I was asking god, like, just tell me what to do. You have eternal perspective, tell me what to do. You know I'm a leeper, and I'll jump, but you're not you you wanna know what he was saying to each Chaz. Keep going, Katie. I'm like, keep going.
What kind of direction is that? Like, that's so general. Like, can we get a little more specific? And it was just this, like, you got this. I'm like, no, I don't. Tell me what to do. And, you know, I had this conversation with somebody who was like, Katie, you already know what to do. And I was like, I do. And he was like, yeah. Gut's told you what to do. I'm like, he Chaz? I'm like, listen. I've been praying, reading scriptures. I go to the temple once a month.
Like, I I'm trying He's not telling me what to do. And then I was like, he told you what I need to do. You have the answer. Then I started to think he had the answer. And he said something so incredible to me in that moment. He said god's already told you what to do. He's given you agency. He wants you to choose. I was furious. He wants me to Chaz. Oh, that's cute. He has eternal perspective. He sees the beginning in the end. He wants me to choose at I don't have that perspective.
How am I supposed to make this decision? And what I started to learn is this game was less about and maybe the game's not the right word. This life is less about making perfect decisions, and it's so much more about really developing this ability to choose. And for so long, I had leaned on god to get to that point, and it was time for me to grow up. And rather than having this kind of servant relationship with god.
I needed to make him my partner, and I needed to start cocreating with god in my life. So good. And it changed it changed, like, it changed everything Chaz. It changed how I was showing up in prayer. Big time. Yeah. Yeah. I'm just gonna I'm just gonna give you a little tidbit here. I want you to keep going.
What you described to me was again, as a father myself, I'm sure you feel this way as a mother is that when we look at our children, you know, my children, you know, 10 all the way down to one right now, And there are components that I'm building in them to make good decisions. And there are certain perspectives of life that my ten year old can make her own decision now. And it's joy for me as a dad to go, I don't know. What do you wanna do?
Because I've already been building in her for 10 years, the things that she needs right now in this moment to make the choice for her. So I'm sure I'm sure you've seen this with your kids as well. This exact thing that you're talking about play out, but give us just a little bit more here because you're right. This is this is absolutely how god is. But it's, like, closely mirrored to how we how we are with our children. Right? Yeah. 100%. We have a rule that we I shouldn't even say rule.
We have a principle that we live by in our home. And from a really young age, this is how we operated with our kids. And the principle is this, teach them true principles so that they can govern themselves. And from a really young age, we were looking for ways to give our kids responsibility. You know, when my boys were 3, 5, and 7, we decided to go live in Taiwan for a bit. And, you know, it was a very quick decision.
And so, like, within days, we were packing bags, and we were getting ready to go. And there was gonna be, you know, suitcases and bags. And I was like, you guys need to be responsible for your own backpack. And most people Wolfe be like, you know, you're you're gonna be going through multiple airports and then on trains and you want your three year old to be in charge of his backpack. And I was like, yeah. That's good for him.
Yeah. And so from a young age, my kids were in charge of packing their own bag, and we would lay it out and be We're gonna be gone for x amount of days. How much underwear do you need and how many pajamas and do we need a swimming suit? Right? So it's giving kids responsibility for from a young age. Because when you when you shoulder that responsibility, then you're the one in charge of making the decisions. And I don't know how deep I need to go on all this.
For example, like, job charts just did not work in our house, Jazz. I knew my kids needed to contribute in the home, but job chart Like Yeah. You have to do these things. It just wasn't working. And I understand the power of identity. And when you know who you are, right, to go back to that when when you when you know who you are, then you just take action naturally from that place.
And so my job chart then became identity based And so this week, Walker, he's the chief dog officer, and that means you're responsible for taking care of the dog and cleaning up from him and walking him and making sure he has his food. And and next week, you're gonna be the Duke of Dishland, and that means you're doing the dishes twice. Twice a day in the morning and at night, and you're the Duke of dishes. And that's just who you are, and you just do dishes.
You don't need to be forced into it, and you don't need someone hound you on it. And so, you know, it's this ability to really empower my kids. I I saw how effective that was at work. With team members and, like, really understanding somebody's skill set and then setting them up for success and empowering them, whether that's through trainings or resources, to perform at their highest level in that position, the same is true with your kids.
And so if you can understand their skills and then empower them to develop those skills and know, my kids are 2017, 15, and then my daughter's 10. My twenty year old, he he works for, like, really famous YouTubers, and he's developed an ability to tell a story and video. And so he's got drones and cameras, and he always has the latest iPhone. And my husband thought that was crazy when he was younger. I'm like, no, he these are tools, and he needs to learn how to use these tools.
And so He's developed that ability, and he's, like, got people clamoring right now to work with him. He's twenty. My seventeen year old is developing a logo for a software startup right now. And we actually have our next round of design reviews on Wednesday. Were most of the way through this design process. He's seventeen. And and, like, but because from a young age, they had these You might call them small opportunities to shoulder responsibility.
It ultimately has led them as this direction where they can make decisions where they where they can be a leader where they can choose for themselves. And I'm just super grateful. It's one of the greatest lessons that business taught me is how I was kind of offloading responsibility onto god. It was like, don't make me responsible for that. You make that decision for me, and I'll just go do it. And so if it goes wrong, it's your fault, not mine.
And you know, when we can grow ourselves up and shoulder responsibility and make god a partner and co create with him, well, then we can teach to our kids, and that then empowers them in their life. Yeah. I just imagine the seventeen year old in your revision meeting going, mom, what do you think, or what what would you do? And I and I hear you, like, I see you because I don't actually hear you because you're not saying anything. You're just, like, nodding going. Yeah. Like, no. No, mom.
What do you think? It's like, Yeah. Yeah. He's brilliant too. I see the 17 are just frustrated. Like, come on. Come on. You do this. Like, this you've got the eternal perspective. You know, you, like, you've been a designer for twin you know, We have the meeting on Wednesday, and I told him today we're gonna do a dry run of the meeting. And he's like, no. You just need to do it. I'm like, no. This is you. Like, this has to be you. So let's press.
To sit so you know the story behind each of you can articulate it. He's a guy who's really driven by feeling, and so he struggles to articulate why this is a good designer or the story that this is telling, because he just intuitively knows how to tell the story. Yeah. Yeah. I I think that the not only the description of identity and the purpose that you've given in your story, but then the examples that you've given with your kids have really given the listener perspective of, okay.
Like, oh, yeah. This is totally how I feel about my kids. Why why wouldn't god feel this way about me? And it takes it to a personal relationship pretty quickly. Yeah. Okay. So inside of identity, you have, you know, you've grown multiple companies you know, even though the second one, you thought, well, I don't know if I'm qualified. You've we've we've worked through all this here on the show.
What was inside of, you know, one of these businesses, a good decision that you made that was just super clear and practical that the listeners can go out today and go implement. I just I made a decision really early on what matters to me. I don't know how practical and actionable that is. That's where I'm, like, in a battle. But I think it's really important to know what matters to you.
And, you know, when my business was taking off, it could have been really easy to be blinded by money, significance, fame. And I was at the precipice of all of those. And, sure, there probably were times where I kind of overstepped my bounds. But, you know, I think it's important to define what matters to you, kind of where you're headed. I use a model of a North Star because it's really easy to get blinded by those things that I was just talking about.
You know, acknowledgement, fame, significance, money. Those are very affirming things. And there's a part of us. I would argue it's the younger part of us that's very motivated and driven by those things. And I think you if you, you know, channel that part of you, can be really effective. Let me tell you this story. So, you know, we were living off of food storage. We were nobodies. And I I had an idea but I had no resources, no network, no brand, nothing, nothing.
And I was just a young mother of 2 who you know, was buying clothes secondhand and grinding wheat to make four loaves of bread a week to feed our family. And my husband was you know, working a day job, but we were barely able to pay the bills. And, I was at a children's boutique And I was embarrassed to be in this boutique. This was high end products, and I was there with a stroller that I bought for $9 on clearance at Target. And so it wasn't one of those fancy strollers.
It was the cheap umbrella stroller that I'd even bought on clearance. I think it was normally, like, $20, and I got it for 9 you know, I was wearing the same pair of jeans I've been wearing for the last 7 years. And, you know, I colored my own hair. I cut my own hair and And I was just embarrassed to be in this store, and I felt like I was a state home mom who wasn't really up to anything. And I'm in this boutique, and just staring at the price tag. I'm like, $50 baby shoes.
And I'm like, what are you even doing in here, Katie? And pretty soon, the woman who was behind the counter came up to me. And she said, where'd you get all this stuff? And she's pointing at a hat that my baby was wearing and shoes that my toddler was wearing and a carrier that I was using to to hold the baby and the bag, the baby bag that I was And I was really embarrassed and kinda on my heels because the truth is Chaz, I'd made it. It was all homemade.
I'd made it on my mom's 1962 Bernina sewing machine. It was a really old sewing machine. It was all I had. And it's just something I did to keep myself occupied while my kids were taking nap. And she was like, you made all of this? And at the time, again, like, it was homemade, and that's embarrassing, right, because I it was out of necessity. And I was like, yeah. She was like, I go to all the trade shows, and this is hot. I want you to make it for me. I was like, what? I was really confused.
And I'm like, trying to let it in. And immediately, my resistance shows up. And I'm just like, well, Chaz you see? I'm really busy. I have a two year old and a baby. Like, I don't have time to make this stuff for you. Like, you want it for your kids? I was really confused. She's like, no. I wanna sell it in my store. I'm like, you wanna sell my stuff in your store? The stuff that I made on my mom's 1962, Bernina. Yeah. What stuff don't even have stuff. I'm like, so much resistance was coming up.
Like, I'm peppering all these excuses at her, and she can see what's happening. And I don't know her I still don't know her story, but, like, she was definitely placed in my life by god. And she said, look, I understand that you're really busy right now, but in the not too distant future, these boys are gonna grow up, and they'll be in school full time. And you're gonna look back, and you will wish that you had done something with these gifts and talents that you have.
And so here's the thing that I have for your listeners. She transported me to the future. Had me look back, and in that moment, I physically felt the regret that I might someday feel. That regret was really powerful, and it moved me in action. I had no idea how to build a business. I had no idea how to source manufacturing. I had no idea, like, how to create a brand. I didn't have an MBA. I knew nothing about business? How do I even accept someone's American Express? I don't know.
I I didn't know the answer to any of those things. But what she had me feel that day had me suddenly seeking those answers. And so that's the thing that I would give to your audience is this path that you're currently on, you walk it 5 more years into the future and look back. Are you feeling that regret? Because guess what? The 5 years hasn't lapsed yet, and you can change it. You can mold your life. You can shape it, and you can do something about it right now.
Maybe you're even feeling regret that you didn't do something 5 years ago. Well, okay, use that then as fuel to the change now. And, you know, I'm at this interesting point in my life where I built a business for 7 years, and, man, it was amazing, and it was a wild crazy ride, but it was super complex. And so when I exited that business, I was like, I'm gonna design this next business very differently. And I did.
And very intentionally, Chaz, for the last 7 years of my life, I have not been busy. I've been creating significant impact and honestly making way more money than I ever did But I am not busy. I work less than 20 hours a week, and that's very intentional because connecting with god and being present with my kids and this season of life is really important to me.
And so I'm I'm kind of like at a new precipice where I have to look 5, 7 years into the future, and and I'm looking back, and I'm like, what am I gonna regret? If I don't make changes right now. The practicality of looking forward and reflecting before it even happens, is perspective change this can happen too with other people. You gave the example of the lady in the in the shop.
This happens every single, week or month inside of gathering the Kings where someone's sharing their story what's happening in their business. And it's like light bulb, like, oh, hit you like a ton of bricks because you can picture something that's different. It's an agitation of thought that makes that, creation, or or maybe the action towards creation happen just a little bit better.
I wanna keep the same vein, and I wanna wrap things up with this last question here because Katie, you've you're I mean, I think if somebody listened to this probably twenty times, they would still pull out. You've just gone in so many different directions all at once. It's just so powerful. And so I want to kind of put a bow on it. If you could real back time and talk to the younger Katie. Maybe it's the Katie that's at the shop. Maybe it's Katie before kids.
Maybe it's Katie when the guy from, the the conference sought you out and put his hands on your shoulders. What would you tell her? If you could whisper in her ear. You know, people who are listening to this might listen to me thinking that Katie, she has it all figured out. She's got a level of confidence that I don't have. If we went back, Chaz woman that I was had very low self esteem. And didn't believe in herself.
And when we don't believe in our self, we lose hope, and it's not even worth trying. And so I mean, if I could go back, I would just try and help her see to use your language, the queen Chaz she is. I didn't see it. In fact, it felt really invisible growing up. I think it was a combination of things. When I was I was I'm the 4th of 6 kids. When I was three, my mom had twins, and I became invisible really fast. And when you're a toddler, that's a superpower, and it was.
I was really good at being invisible, and I knew how to fall in line and not get into trouble. And, you know, explore the world. I was really curious about the world. And, but when you start to mature, junior high, high school, college. When you're at that age and you feel invisible, it creates this huge hole inside of your heart. And, That's why so much of what I do is rooted in that question. Who are you?
And it's interesting because I'm an active woman of the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints. And I have been my whole life, and I've gone to church pretty much every Sunday of my whole life. And so I knew in principle that I was, you know, a daughter of god and that There was a heavenly father who cared about me, but didn't necessarily feel it. I I think in the recesses of my mind, I felt like I was an exception to all of that. And that I was just a nobody.
So I think I would go back and try and help her see, but that's not true. Yeah. I think that, many of us, you know, have have a moment where we can look back and be like, man, if I could just have transferred a little courage to my younger Wolfe. Or in this case, you and I get to do it right now to thousands of listeners. But it truly is, like what you said, to be able to see the queen or the king that they're designed to be and that they that they can do it.
Maybe they're not fully that person yet, but they're becoming, that person. And, you got you had to share your story here today of how you, you know, were able to become that queen and also be able to help other people now, but that moment is so real. And I think that if we're listening closely to you now, it's like, no, we all have that moment. We've all had, we all that phase, whatever that was, whether Wolfe felt invisible or, you know, I didn't have a dad growing up, whatever the thing is.
It's either gonna be fuel, or it's gonna be the thing that keeps us where we are. Yeah. Right? Yeah. And it never fully goes away. Right? Like, on each level, it will reappear in in new forms. And we just have to understand how to recognize it and then utilize principles of truth to move past it. Yeah. Katie, how can the listener find you?
1, you've got I mean, I'm sure just I think it just Google your name and read all your business exploits, but if they wanted to work with you, or if they wanted to maybe explore some of your content that's out, how can they find you? So if you wanna work with me, I would go to Katie dot live on Instagram. Go to my Instagram profile and click the link. I don't just work with everybody. You need to go look at the case studies of people that I've helped.
I I'm very good at helping somebody get a hyper custom outcome. And so sometimes it's hard to describe exactly what I do. I just I feel like Pedro from Napoleon Dynamite. I'll make your wildest dreams come true, which is true. But, like, what does that actually mean? Well, you know, it's a series of things. So go look at the case studies of people that I have helped.
I mean, at the very least, my hope would be that that would then inspire you because when people come to me, they're in tremendous constraint. They're out of runway. They're out of options. And we create new possibility. And and it happens super fast. And I just love it. It's like my designer creative mind somebody brings me a puzzle, and they're like, I've been trying to put this puzzle together for the last 2 years. And it's impossible, and this person can't help me.
And this person I'm like, week. Let's do this, and let's do it in the next 90 days. And I just get super excited to do that. So go look at those case studies because they'll really inspire you. Katie.live on Instagram. I'm fairly active on Instagram. Or listen to my podcast. It's called what's working now and specifically go listen to the first 8 episodes of the podcast. That's where you'll hear kind of my origin story.
And, you know, there's this ability to only see my highlight reel in the last 45 minutes. I have tremendous failures, Chaz, and I think it benefits people to hear those stories. So if you go listen to those first eight eight you'll hear those failures, and you'll hear the story of how I've been able to get to where I am, which is in Puerto Rico overlooking the ocean.
Homeschooling are 4 kids, building an incredible business, helping amazing, god driven, in entrepreneurs, CEOs, founders, go do really big significant things in the Wolfe, and it's something I'm super passionate about. The work that I do is very meaningful. And so those are the two places to find me. Love it. We'll put it easy for them in the show notes as Wolfe.
But, if they're still listening right now, they are hooked because, it it'd be hard not to be, hooked, Katie, you're you're obviously an incredible mind. You've got an incredible history. Your husband and your kids, are, I'm sure, as incredible, your family, but thank you for being here. Thanks for carving out some of the time to tell some of those pieces of the story. Yes, inspiring. But if anything, you've just shown us, what's possible. So thank you for doing that here today.
Blessing to you and your family and all that you're putting your hand to in 2024. Thanks, Katie. Yeah. You're welcome. Chaz, this has been absolutely amazing. Thank you so much. Thank you for listening to gathering the Kings today. I hope that you were able to pull out a few nuggets to go apply into your business right away.
More importantly, though, I hope that you're realizing that it takes more to be successful than just being by yourself, doing it all on your own, carrying the weight all by yourself. What I have realized, not only in my own journey from multiple businesses and multiple different industries, and now interviewing over 2 or 300 other very successful 7, 8, and 9 figure business owners is that it's tough to do it alone. And so gathering the Kings exists to bring together successful entrepreneurs.
In fact, we are putting together 1000 Kings, specifically who are grateful, but not done. We're intentionally assembling kings who fight tooth and nail for their business, family, and communities, and here's what we believe. That in the pursuit of excellence in those areas, that it ignites within us the responsibility to govern power and forge a lasting legacy.
So if that relates and and resonates with you and you know that you need people around you, sharp qualified other very successful business owners. I want you to go to gathering the king's dot com. I want you to take a look at doing and see if it makes sense for you to be part of our pursuit to 1000 kings. Talk soon.