How do you measure success and how has that changed over time?
I believe that success is different for each individual. Not everyone's path should lead to a CEO, or a small business owner, or sales, etc. To find success, it is important to both understand your passions and what helps you feel fulfilled in your day-to-day job, as well as your natural strengths. Where you can find the meeting of your skills and strengths with the type of work you like to do, that is where you find a career path that is fulfilling and rewarding.
Early on in my career, I thought success was measured in terms of titles and salary. But as my own development has evolved, and as I have worked with 100s of clients all around the world, that belief has shifted. Now I work individually with clients to define and outline a career strategy that aligns with their natural inclinations and interests to create a "successful career" for that individual.
What is your vision for the future of your business/career?
That Career Coach has been a dream of mine that I was always afraid would never come to fruition. It has long since been a passion of mine to help support individuals in their careers and teach them the lessons that ... honestly are never taught. Now that my business has built up a content following and started spreading the word in regards to the "corporate game," my vision for the business has expanded as well.
By scaling my business, I hope to fulfill my purpose of providing individualized support to people navigating the corporate world with the lessons I have learned on my own corporate journey. I hope to provide free resources to individuals who cannot afford coaching and find themselves adrift in the corporate world with little to no direction via various mediums (social media, podcasts, YouTube, etc.), as well as a customized one-on-one approach for individuals looking to accelerate their career to the next level in partnership with a coach.
What inspired you to start your business or pursue your career path?
Honestly, I feel that God led me on this career path. I have worked in the corporate world for more than 13 years and have been coaching individuals for more than 6. Often, I have discussed with my husband what God's purpose for me could be and how I could best live a life that aligned with his scriptures. After reading Tim Keller's book Every Good Endeavor, I found myself reflecting on my skills and what I enjoyed most about my job. The answer was apparent: coaching and developing the next generation of leaders. This inspired me to take a hobby I had done casually "side-of-desk" to the masses and start posting advice on social media. After a viral video, I found myself turning That Career Coach into a reality and offering my services to individuals all around the globe.
What has been the most important lesson you've learned as an entrepreneur?
GO BACK TO BASICS! I feel incredibly lucky that my business grew as quickly as it did. Unfortunately, that meant I was playing a lot of catch-up regarding good small business practices and infrastructure to support that growth. Developing a good client experience/onboarding process, setting up an easy-to-maintain administrative back end, and outsourcing the right tasks to specialists have been key in my business's success. Secondly, (yes I'm giving more than one important lesson) is to not let your own limiting beliefs stifle your business! If you believe you could create a 6-figure business and that the material you're sharing is valuable and helpful - then it can and WILL happen. But if you don't believe in yourself or your product, ultimately your business will fail.
Do you have any key achievements in your business that you're particularly proud of?
I work with many clients in different industries, countries, and cultures, but my biggest accomplishment comes in terms of the results of my clients. I have clients get promoted (within 6 months), advocate for raises, make career changes, build their networks, and improve their leadership skills, but every once in a while I have clients who truly blow me away with their dedication and performance. I'll let them tell you their achievements: "Kendall helped me land my first 100k salary job with her resume and advice. She gave me the confidence to know my worth and advocate for myself." - Melissa "I was unhappy about things at work, and Kendall helped me clarify what I wanted and more importantly how I could raise that with my manager, I don't usually advocate for myself very well. The result? Title change, pay increase, and great comments back from management about how they appreciated my honesty and giving them an opportunity to address my concerns rather than just getting another job and resigning." - Carolyn But for me personally? It was having a client tell me that working with me was like "having a corporate superhero in your back pocket. She is always there for you when you need her and a game changer in my career." What could possibly be better than that?
What are some of the key competitive advantages that you offer? And why do your clients choose you over another coach?
I believe it comes down to authenticity and tactical recommendations. There are plenty of life/career coaches out there, but clients who work with me do so because of those two main reasons: 1. I am as authentic as it gets. I'm not afraid to talk about the corporate game/politics happening in the workplace OR to tell my clients when they are in the wrong and can improve their situation by changing their behaviors. This authenticity ensures that my clients get the MOST out of our time together. 2. I am an incredibly tactical person. One of the big struggles I see within the corporate world is that managers are unclear with expectations for their employees and there are "unwritten rules" for success and promotion. By giving my clients tactical advice they can actually put into practice, I find that I am able to deliver great results and help them feel supported in the way that they need.
Kendall Berg is a career coach offering one-on-one career acceleration advice to individuals globally. She can be reached at That Career Coach.
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