If you've been playing it safe and trying to people, please your way to some sense of stability, listen closely to this episode.
Reinvention isn't just personal growth, it's survival.
And if you wait until you feel ready, you'll end up pivoting when you're broke, panicked and way behind the curve.
Markets shift fast, contracts vanish and that old identity that you built it becomes dead weight that holds you back.
This episode is all about the internal negotiation that is required to take big swings and make big moves.
And in this episode we're going to walk through three practical steps to get ahead of the curve and make these moves that will change your life.
First, we'll learn how to spot the early signals and pivot before you're forced to pivot.
Second, how to audit your work so you stop protecting tasks that just shouldn't exist anymore.
And third, how to leverage AI to slash costs, move faster and even unlock a whole new revenue stream.
Kim Ali knows this firsthand.
She got fired, bootstrapped a company right through the pandemic, scaled it to seven figures and then lost 80 of her revenue overnight.
But she was able to turn it around by saving over 250000 in expenses by rethinking her workflows, and AI was the lifeline that kept her business alive.
Here's the tough truth though.
That first warning sign was staring her right in the face.
Most people miss the first warning sign.
They just explain it away.
But today you're going to learn how to see it and what to do next.
So reinvention becomes a choice, not a crisis.
Let's dive in.
This is cool, Kim, because we met at a speakers conference and you had a very specific focus.
And then the next time we chatted, you were a completely different person terms of what you were focusing on.
And you're like, wow, if you thought I was successful before, this is so much better.
But I think that is indicative of just who you are being able to pivot and adjust.
So tell us about that pivot.
But I think your background understanding, like your whole life story, would help people really fully appreciate the mindset that went into the strategic shifts you made.
Yeah, and I'm glad you brought that up, because a lot of people think oh, success finds her easily and it doesn't.
So I'll share a little bit about my background, who I am, and it'll start to make sense.
I'm from Maryland.
Nothing exceptional about my childhood.
Didn't go to private school, didn't play sports.
Just I was an average student, but I was always a big dreamer.
And I knew I wanted to do big things.
I just didn't know how.
So moved to Florida when I was 17.
And that was my first introduction to what could be possible, right?
New cultures, a new environment.
And I've always been drawn to people who are not like me.
So when I relocated to Florida...
I had an opportunity to immerse myself in the Caribbean culture, the South American culture.
And in that culture, nursing, healthcare is very big.
So I decided to become a nurse.
I was able to do travel nursing.
I knew that if I went to nursing, I could do travel nursing, right?
Hence the love for travel.
So once I graduated nursing school, Oh, my goodness.
Just within the continental United States.
I was able to live in New York California Texas, Connecticut.
I came back to Washington, D.C. for a little bit.
I did some work in Chicago.
So that allowed me to travel all over the United States.
At the time, travel nursing paid very well.
I was young.
I didn't have any responsibilities.
So I leveraged my income to do international traveling.
So at the age of 19, I got my passport and I started traveling overseas.
And I knew, oh, my goodness, this is it.
This is what I want to do.
I want to live overseas.
So I knew, OK, this is something that I want to do.
So when I came back home, I started actively looking for jobs overseas.
And my intent was to go live in Dubai, but at the time there were no opportunities.
So someone a headhunter reached out and said hey listen, I know you're looking for opportunities in Dubai.
However, I have something in Qatar.
It's 45 minutes away from Dubai.
The pay is actually more and you will be a part of something cutting edge.
So, with this opportunity presented, it gave me the opportunity to go to Qatar and and build the country's first women and children's hospital.
And so I say all that to say there's certain qualities.
I'm willing to take risks.
I'm willing to fail.
I'm willing to do things that the average person is not willing to do.
And in my business, it teaches me to be fearless.
Do I have fear when I'm trying new things?
Of course.
But over the span of my life, I've learned that I can still do things and still be afraid.
And those are characteristics that most people don't have.
And I truly believe that caters to the success being able to pivot, being able to test out new, innovative things when other people are afraid to.
And what's cool is, listeners, you haven't even heard the final pivot.
This isn't even your final form.
And what you're doing right now probably isn't what you're going to be doing in a few years.
But change is the constant in your life.
So let's analyze this mindset.
Where did you learn that skill?
And I want to think about it as a skill, because I want to make sure that people have this growth mindset about it, where they say OK, it's not just a talent.
I can actually learn this and cultivate this. in my own life.
So how did you learn how to take action while still being fearful?
Yeah, well, Kwame, that's a two-part answer.
The first part stems from my upbringing.
My grandfather was born in 1899.
I'm embarrassed to say I knew someone that was born in the 18th century, but my grandfather was born in 1899.
And so, listening to him growing up the barriers, the adversities that he had to go through, I've always set a precedence that I want to be different.
I want to be his wildest dream.
And so if I have an opportunity, I don't want something insignificant like my gender or my race to stop me.
If I have an opportunity, I want to take advantage of it.
Also, working in health care, You have an opportunity to do rounds.
And unfortunately, I've been in hospice.
I've been with patients who were on the verge of transitioning.
And their number one regret in life is I wish I had lived the life that I wanted to lead.
Not what other people expected of me, not what my parents, my spouse wanted me to do, but things that I want to do.
And I just took that and ran with it because, at the end of the day, I don't want to have any regrets when it's my time to transition.
And so how I'm able to still move in fear, I reprogram my brain.
I tell myself this is not fear.
This is excitement.
Right.
Because when we experience fear, it's natural.
It's our brain's way of protecting us because we've never done something before.
But I tell my brain, you know what?
I appreciate you for trying to protect me, but this is really excitement and I'm going to try it.
And if it doesn't work, what are the lessons that I can learn so that way the next time it does work?
There's so much to explore here.
A lot of times our brain can be like an overprotective guard dog.
Yes.
And you don't want to shame it for doing its job.
You say, thank you.
Thank you.
It's OK.
You know, I can answer the door, you know, or it's just the mailman.
But you don't want it to lose that edge because you need it to keep you safe.
And that's what you did.
You said I show appreciation.
Hey, thank you, brain.
But I've got this.
I'm overriding you.
I'm making this decision.
And I think it's important to think about it that way, because you're not shaming yourself for feeling what you're feeling.
You're acknowledging it and still moving forward with intentionality.
You're harnessing the power of neuroplasticity where the brain changes with activity.
So if you are not feeling like this is you right now as a listener, that's fine.
It wasn't Kim at the beginning, but she trained herself this way.
So by taking these actions, by doing things habitually, you change your brain and you change your identity and it becomes who you are.
The other thing too, is I love the approach that you're taking mentally, where you're doing this for your grandfather.
I think that's powerful.
I talk to my wife all the time about it.
And I say, listen, my ancestors were slaves.
Your ancestors were slaves, too.
If I cannot find happiness today, then there's no era in history where somebody who looks like me could have been happy.
So I need to make sure that I stay happy, find joy, take these risks and take advantage of these opportunities, because I'm the first person in my lineage in this position, right.
And so there's like an edge to it.
You're doing it for you, but also doing it for the past, because you know that they are looking from somewhere and you want to make them proud with every move that you're making.
And then just clarification for the international audience, just in case this didn't translate when Kim was talking about being a nurse in hospice.
Hospice is the period of time where somebody is dying.
And so they put them in hospice or palliative care to make sure that they can be as comfortable as possible as they pass.
And so this is something that is seen in so many of these studies of end of life studies.
Who better to tell us what it means to live a good life and be happy than the people who have done it to the fullest extent?
And with consistency, the biggest regret is that they didn't live according to their values.
They didn't do what they wanted to do and they wish they could go back and take those risks that they were too afraid to take.
And again, I for me, it's it's shifting from the fear of failure to the fear of regret.
It's like, yeah, I am afraid of these risks.
I am afraid to do this thing.
And that's cool.
But I am more afraid of the prospect of feeling regret not having tried.
So if I go down, I'm going down swinging and I'm going down in a way that I can respect.
I love how you broke that down.
And regret is a heavy emotion.
From what I've noticed, it's an emotion that never leaves you.
It lingers.
The fear will fade once you accomplish the task, but that regret stays.
And that's the thing.
With regret, you can't really go back in time to do anything about that.
You can do the best you can with the position you're currently in.
But I recognize that There are thousands of versions of myself that have accumulated over time.
Right,
The version of myself at 29 is different from 19, et cetera.
But I recognize that the version of myself that exists in the present is the only version that can do the thing that I could potentially regret not doing in the future, right.
And so I think about the past.
I think about my ancestors doing it for them.
And I think about the future version of myself.
I'm like, what would make those people proud?
And a lot of that, a lot of times I can take you out of that emotional concern that is rooted in the present, give you a wider perspective and allow you to make a better, holistic decision for your life.
And Kwame, I want to add something too.
I don't have children, but you have a son.
And children are sponges.
They absorb everything that we say and do.
And you are setting an example for your son.
So just imagine if you have the courage and the ability to do all of the things that you are doing.
Just imagine what he is empowered to do when he becomes older.
I think about that all the time.
My ceiling will be their floor, you know.
So I want to.
I want to keep on rising higher to give them a bigger platform for them to ascend.
The other thing, too, is I let them see me fail.
I'll say, okay, you know what?
We were planning on doing this big international trip.
I said, well, a couple of deals didn't go through.
So we'll be fine here.
We'll still have fun here.
We'll do something local.
But this summer for this thing, after the last trip we did, we can't do a second one.
So I'm just breaking it down through.
So I don't want him to be afraid of failure.
And I think a lot of times it is alluring for parents to to try to put themselves on a pedestal and be perfect and um be, especially because i have two kids i got a four-year-old and a 10-year-old and they use you're still in a superhero mode for them and it's nice to just kind of be, you know, invincible in their eyes.
But i want them to see that, you know, superman can take some hits and keep on going, because they will too.
So i want them to not to not look at my career and say, oh we Well, dad was always winning.
If I experience a failure, then then I'm not as good as him.
No, I didn't succeed my way to success.
I failed my way to success.
And that's a more enjoyable journey if you learn how to go with the flow.
And you know I'm actually reframing the word failure between you and I.
I honestly dislike the word.
Because I don't believe you failed.
I believe the outcome is part of the journey.
And in order to get to where you are supposed to go, you had to experience whatever it was.
Either there was a lesson learned from it.
There's a message, there's a redirection, but something happened that is propelling you to where you should be.
Not to get you know religious or spiritual, but Sometimes we have a plan, but then a higher power has another destination for us.
And sometimes we have to be diverted in order to go down the correct path.
For sure.
And I think when you look at any high performer, they have some degree of faith, whether it's a higher power or themselves or their skills, or everything will work out.
There's something there.
And you have to have some version of that in order to be able to take these, these knocks and keep on going.
And I agree with you.
The word failure.
There's so many negative associations with it that I feel like using it productively is quite challenging.
For me, it's like either you're winning or learning.
The other thing that I'm trying to do is shift from outcome to experience.
So what can I do to maximize every experience?
So instead of letting society or these narrow rules dictate whether or not I should perceive this as a win or a loss, which means I'm letting some external force determine my emotional status.
That's not very empowering.
It's like, no, this is an experience.
What can I do to maximize this experience?
What will I look back on and be proud of?
And so for me, when I think about failure, it's data at the end of the day.
So how can I use this data to move me forward in the direction that I want to go?
And a lot of times, again, when we vilify the concept of failure, feel bad about it, feel shame, all that stuff, then we pull back from the full-hearted, I shouldn't even say enjoyment, the full-hearted experience, being present in the moment.
Feeling the goods and the bads, but still taking it as an opportunity to to gather data, learn about yourself, learn about the situation and circumstance, and still push forward.
Yes.
And, you know, it's funny.
I did a post about this.
I did a LinkedIn post and I said that maybe rejection is confirmation.
Long story short, I had some major companies reach out to me about one of our services.
And the twist is that they love the services but didn't want me.
And so, yeah, yeah, they wanted to get proprietary information without compensating me.
And I was really down about it, you know.
But I had to take a step back and I said wait a minute, Kim.
If you're having major brands reach out to you, that means you're onto something.
And so now I'm actually working with developers to build a system.
Because of that rejection, or what some people would say failure,
But, you know, it's all in how we look at a situation.
I think a lot of times we miss the key message and that is a deterrent for a lot of people to keep going.
And I think this gives us an opportunity to pivot and you can tell the audience about how you stayed in nursing for the rest of your life and had no other life changes.
Oh my goodness.
I could, you know, some days I wish that were the case because this gets tough.
But yeah.
So anyway, so going back to Qatar, I was there for five years and unfortunately it was just.
It was time to go.
It was time to go.
And came back to the United States and had an unfavorable experience at the end.
Full transparency, I was fired.
And the events that led up to my termination were very traumatic.
I mean, it impacted me mentally and physically.
And I decided, you know what?
I don't think I want to go back to corporate.
I'm going to start my own business.
Um, but I didn't have any money, right?
So I bootstrapped.
So now we're looking at the pandemic.
We're right in the middle of a pandemic and I decided to start a business.
Not the wisest thing to do, but I worked during the pandemic.
So I worked during COVID, um, and make good money.
And up until this day, I have not taken out any loans, um, I haven't had any investors.
It's all been bootstrapped and revenue that I've reinvested back into my company.
And within a short amount of time, we saw a lot of success.
I mean, we've worked with major brands.
We worked with federal organizations.
Within two years, we hit seven figures.
And yeah, yeah.
And then January happens, right?
And so there were some significant changes this year in the federal space.
If you've been watching the news,
And so, Kwame, we lost 80 percent of our revenue overnight with the stroke of a pen.
Eighty percent.
Yes.
And so I can laugh about it now because, you know, we're bouncing back.
But I wasn't laughing at the time.
And I was just coming out of a very stressful year, 2024.
My mom passed away.
She had cancer.
I was her caregiver.
And so I was just really looking for peace and stability this year.
That didn't happen.
So we had to pivot quickly in order to save our company.
So I knew about AI for a while.
I've been leveraging AI in my business since 2022.
At the beginning of 2024, a couple of people tapped me on the shoulder and said, you know what?
Things are going to be changing.
You might want to look into pivoting.
So when several people from various industries who don't know each other are telling you information, data is everything.
I always say data is useless if you aren't implementing and making informed decisions.
So I had to take into consideration what these individuals were sharing and create a backup plan just in case.
So I enrolled into an AI strategy course at MIT back in September of last year.
And by February, when we lost 80 percent of our contracts, I had to let my people go.
I just couldn't keep them.
It wasn't because of AI.
It was because we didn't have the work to do.
But before I let my team go, I looked at every single thing that my team was doing and I said to myself okay, what still needs a human in the loop and what can be automated, or where can AI agents come into play?
And I did what I needed to do.
I took on the elements that still required human intervention, and And when I looked at the numbers Kwame, I was able to save over 250000 in employee salaries simply from taking the time looking at the workflow, seeing what is appropriate and implementing it.
And I kid you not, AI literally works.
Wow.
This is there's so much to unpack here.
First of all, it is recognizing that you you've been flexible and nimble your whole life.
And this is no different.
That's the first thing.
So you have a flexible mindset and mentality.
But then also you are willing to accept information and make progress strategic decisions before a pivot even needs to happen, because I just want to make sure we got the timeline right for the listeners.
So the revenue drop happened in February of 2025, but you took the MIT AI course in September of 2024.
And so you were saying listen, let me just make sure I am skilled up and I'm ready for whatever comes next.
This will help me.
And so you were recognized, OK, I have to make this pivot.
You never like letting people go.
But the reality is that sometimes forces outside of your control will make that decision for you.
And that's what happened.
And so you were forced to, in order to keep the business going, to utilize AI in a very effective way.
And then you realized.
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And now we go from nursing to an AI expert.
So, just like, just what I like to do sometimes is have some fun and think if we could take a time machine back.
Imagine if you took a time machine back and told Kim, from 2019 or 2010, what it is you're doing.
What do you think she would say?
Listen, if you told me this January of this year, I would not have believed you.
There just is no way.
But you know again, when you are open to possibilities And open to you know, the path that you plan might not be the path that God has planned for you.
I think anything is possible.
Anything is possible.
What I would have said, knowing me and how I can pivot and maneuver, I would have said you know what?
I can see that.
I can see that.
And a lot of people are surprised with the AI pivot.
But It's not shocking, because when I moved to Qatar and we opened up the hospital, one of the hats that I wore was IT, healthcare IT.
So we were responsible for building the patient documentation system, the workflows, the user acceptance testing, the optimization, the staff training.
So a lot of people don't know that about me, but I do have a healthcare IT background.
So it's easy for me to understand the technical aspect of AI.
Agreed.
And I think really it goes back, it comes down to this.
You have to take advantage of AI or AI could take advantage of you.
Exactly.
That's the reality.
You know, even in our company, we created a Kwame AI that will probably debut this year.
And I'm excited about it.
And also it triggers a lot of insecurity for me because we clone my voice.
We put all of my thought leadership into it.
And it's like me with less charisma, but perfect memory.
And it is spot on because I realized wait a second.
If we are getting to a point where AI is becoming more competent in narrow domains, then hypothetically there could be a reality where people don't need a negotiation trainer or professional development leader in general.
We can just create our own professional development with AI.
Or we could have an AI coach or things like that.
I said, okay, well, great.
I'm going to make it.
So if you want to negotiate an AI coach, it's me.
And so we have to make sure that we are embracing the reality that change is an inevitability.
And the thing is, AI is new.
This most recent manifestation of AI generative AI, agentic AI, the agents that can work on their own.
That is new.
But change is not new.
And I think the thing that we have to come to terms with is that our parents and grandparents often had the luxury of being able to get a skill work, one job through their whole life, and then that'll be it.
And maybe they switched to another job once or twice, but they had that longevity.
But for us, we're recognizing that there are significant pivots that are happening very very, very frequently.
So if you're not a person who believes in what a lot of the tech oligarchs are saying the future of AI is going to be, which is fine,
You still need to recognize that technology in general is increasing and improving and changing at a rapid rate, faster than anything we've seen before.
So if it's not AI, it's going to be another technology that's going to disrupt in some capacity what it is that you're doing.
So you have to be willing to be nimble and think a few steps ahead, like you did, where you're saying OK, how do I future proof my career in a way that, no matter what happens, I'll still find a way to be OK?
Yes.
And, you know, I love history.
I'm a big history buff.
And so to soften the blow when I'm talking about AI and job security.
I tell people, do your research.
Look at each industrial revolution that we have experienced.
When the car was introduced, people were concerned.
I don't know what blacksmith people who did the horseshoes.
They were concerned about job security because now their automobile is here.
When the airplane was introduced, that disrupted the travel industry.
When the internet came, there was a big pushback with the internet.
Now, I don't know anyone who doesn't use the internet.
If you look at history, there are always disruptions.
If you look at the people who capitalize and take advantage on the industrial revolutions in the beginning, those are the ones who prosper and are better off.
Eventually, the laggers catch up, but It's better to be an early adopter.
And so, for anyone who is hesitant about AI, do your research, look at each industrial revolution and see what they did back then to adjust.
Something else that I like to share as an example that educates people.
Many people don't know we've been using AI for over 20 years.
I'll give you a perfect example.
If you've ever applied for a mortgage, credit card online.
That's AI.
How that works is through something called predictive analysis.
So they look at data like your name, your date of birth, your address, your income, your previous payment histories.
They are able to predict in real time if you will default on a loan.
And that's how you're able to get an instant approval online.
That's AI.
Okay.
Many people don't realize that.
And so if you're willing to put your social security number and address into a system and you don't even know who or what is behind the system or who developed it, then why can't you trust it with your business strategy?
So when I share that example, most people are like, oh, I didn't think about it like that.
So it's been here.
It's just being integrated into more facets of our life.
Brilliant.
I think that's so smart.
And for somebody who is saying, okay, Kim, I'm slowly starting to get on board.
I'll try out this AI thing.
Where should they start?
What's the best way to start learning?
Start with your people first.
So if you are a leader within an organization, the quickest way you are going to get adoption and receive less pushback is to talk to your people.
Tell them what you want to do.
What are their fears?
What are their concerns?
Do they even know what AI is?
Let them know how it can actually make them perform better. by freeing up extra time.
So once you've done that, take a human-centered approach.
Talk to your people first.
Then you want to look at your workflows.
A lot of companies have inefficient operational systems.
So I always say we don't want to automate or build an AI agent around an inefficient workflow, because that only creates more chaos, right.
And no one wants that.
After that, I would say evaluate your tech stack.
What are tools that you are already using that have built in automation or AI agents in it?
A perfect example, your CRMs like HubSpot, Salesforce, Monday.com.
They have AI capabilities built in.
And so you can leverage what you already have without investing in a shiny new tool.
This is great, and I love the way that you put that together.
You articulated it perfectly, but I have to say I disagree.
The first place, the first thing that they should do is follow you on LinkedIn.
Threw you a softball.
After they follow you on LinkedIn, they can do everything else.
I like that.
That was good.
I like that.
Sometimes I have to help my friends pat themselves on the back.
But I agree.
And especially for me as a leader here, we're incorporating AI in a meaningful way.
And I know there were some folks on the team that were afraid.
And I said, hey, listen, AI is scary.
It scares me too.
But the best way to protect yourself is to make sure that you're better than AI and also to make sure that you are more competent and with ai than anybody else.
Right, and so do the best, try to use it, but also don't overuse it, because some people use it in inefficient ways, but again, as a leader.
That's why it was so good to have you come in, because not only are we friends, but i also worked with you too, and after doing the ai audit, we could recognize how we could improve some workflows and and put some meaningful integration behind it.
Because I think a lot of times folks who are AI skeptics they look at the examples of, like the Klarnas of the world who tried very hard, made mistakes and had to backtrack with their tail between their legs.
And they say, you see, it doesn't work.
It's like, well, yeah, the way they did that was inefficient.
Implementation, yes.
Exactly.
And so let's talk about for you, with the AI audits that you do and the companies that you work with.
If there's skepticism, how do you break through that and get them comfortable even investigating, in working with you and using the audit?
There is always resistance and skepticism.
Now, because we hear a lot of talk about the AI, bubble is about to burst.
OK, and so my approach is, listen, forget about AI now.
Let's come in, take a look at your workflows.
Because, at the end of the day, that's what they either want to automate or that's what they want to build an AI agent around.
Letting them know that having a solid operational foundation is key.
Even if you don't utilize our services, having this information is valuable.
I'll give you another perfect example.
We were working with a company and they had this chaotic situation process for obtaining client data.
Like they would get on a call with a client, type their information, then retype it in a spreadsheet and then put the information from the spreadsheet into another it was it was crazy into another CRM.
And I'm listening and it's funny, because the owner of the company didn't even know that their team was doing this that way.
So the amount of hours that they were wasting, you know, doing data entry, when they could be working on something that either captures more leads or, you know, creates a better strategy for the organization.
And so when I remove the AI automation piece and focus on the operational component, That tends to pull leaders in because, at the end of the day, who doesn't want an efficient business right?
And so once we come in, we look at, you know, what's happening operationally, how much time you're wasting, what are your bottlenecks, what are your inefficiencies?
Then we work on fixing that first before we automate anything or build an agent for anything.
Once we do that, we identify a quick when.
It is the quick wins that is going to remove the barriers, the hesitation, but it also lets them see that hey, this works.
And when something's working, you want more of it.
So that entices them to try a bigger project.
So always, always, always focus on a quick win first.
And then last but not least, measure the ROI.
So why are we doing this?
Are we doing this to save more time?
Are we doing this to have a more efficient business, or are we trying to generate more revenues or either save money?
I love that.
I love it.
And with the time we have left, I want to kind of go back to what we were talking about with pivoting and not looking at it in terms of failure, but data, because you recently were able to build out another very profitable arm of your company, which is based on AI marketing.
Because of what you could have interpreted as a letdown, but you pivoted and turned it into a massive win.
Because I want you to talk about that, because there's so much mentally we can get from this, but also strategically from a business perspective.
Yes.
Well, you know Kwame, a lot of it just has to do with showing up, not being afraid of what people will say.
Again, you have the inventors.
In this space, I would probably say I would fall maybe higher up to an inventor.
And the reason why I say that is because I was leveraging AI images.
So if you're on social media, you see people create the AI images.
But ours look different.
Ours are more luxury.
A lot of people can't even tell that it's AI.
They think it's me.
So back in, I would say, June of this year, I wanted to stand out.
There was a lot of noise online.
I wanted to stand out and be different.
So I started creating AI branded images of myself and videos.
So it would actually be my AI twin talking.
And I'm talking about the AI audits.
Kwame, no one cared anything about the AI audits.
Everyone just wanted to know, OK, what is that and how can I get it and how are you doing it?
And so it's AI marketing and branding.
That's another vertical that evolved out of this pivot.
And it wasn't even on my business plan.
I just did it for myself.
And so we are creating a whole system where we do the front facing content, the images, the videos.
But on the back end, we leverage AI to do outreach.
So with AI intelligence, we're able to see who your ideal buyers are.
We reach out to them.
We send personalized AI videos, welcoming them to your network and AI messaging as well.
And so one of my clients works for a major insurance company.
And since we've been working together, on average she's getting about five to seven book meetings on her calendar a month simply from leveraging AI and marketing and branding.
And how much was she getting before?
Oh, gosh.
On LinkedIn, none.
There we go.
That's the key.
We have to understand the distinction because people don't five, seven.
Is that good, bad?
No.
When you compare it to zero.
Zero.
Right.
And especially for the work that they're doing.
That's a substantial amount of revenue that could be coming in.
It is.
And insurance, you know, she works with high net worth individuals.
And so we're talking millions of dollars.
That's being moved in these transactions.
And so industries like finance, real estate, are industries that could benefit greatly from having a presence through AI online.
This is great, Kim.
And with the time that we have left, I want to focus on the hidden skills that you have.
Because I know that behind the scenes there are some skills that you have that are not obvious from the outside looking in, unless somebody knows you personally and or professionally.
And so for the folks who are listening, when they're thinking about how they can future-proof their career, how they can pivot more effectively, how they can live the life that they want, what are some of those skills that you have that aren't obvious to other people, that you've cultivated with intentionality that helped you throughout your life?
Alright, let's talk about something that's actually a negotiation skill.
Taking care of yourself before you show up to negotiate with anybody else.
Because if you're tired, stressed, and running on fumes, you're going to make worse decisions.
Period.
And that's why I'm a huge fan of Cozy Earth.
Cozy Earth's whole mission is to elevate the everyday with obsessive detail and better materials so you can feel it immediately. their bamboo pajama set that's made from viscose from bamboo is unbelievably soft it drapes really nicely and the classic cuddle blanket that thing is dangerous because once you wrap up in it you're not getting anything done it's plush it has a comforting weight and makes your home feel like a reset button and here's the best part it is completely risk-free cozy earth gives you a 100 night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty, so they really stand behind the quality.
So this month, show a little extra love to someone you care about or yourself.
Go to CozyEarth.com and use my code Kwame for up to 20% off.
And if you get a post-purchase survey, make sure to let them know that you heard about Cozy Earth right here.
Being able to forecast... almost to the point where you're predicting.
And what I mean by that is in healthcare, time can cost you your life.
Every minute that passes could mean that someone is, you know, seriously injured, or they don't make it.
And so it's the same thing with the business.
I have an ability and most people probably don't know this to your point I have an ability to predict.
I won't say I'm psychic, because I'm not, but I can see things.
And I think that's what a good leader can do.
A good leader can see things before other people can see it.
And it's not magic or anything, but I'm very, I'm hyper aware and hyper alert to my environment.
I pay attention to what's happening around me on the news, to what people in my network are talking about.
I pay attention to trends and I'm able to identify things that people either don't.
They see it, but they don't want to admit it, or they can't see it because they're not focused.
Their head is in the sand.
And so I think that is something that most people don't know about me that enables me to pivot so early and so quickly.
Being able to forecast, predict the future and where opportunities will be.
That's powerful.
Yeah.
And now as you say that, I can I can see it, too, because you you're paying attention.
But like you said, it's not willful ignorance.
Sometimes people can see what's coming, but they deny the reality of it.
And as a result, then they are shocked when it happens, when they shouldn't have been that.
Exactly.
Because the signs are there.
Exactly.
So there's a little, there's, it's not just being able to forecast.
It's also having the humility to accept what it is that you see and then be prepared.
And Akwami.
I saw that, you know unfortunately, a lot of my colleagues went out of business this year because they were, you know, unwilling to pivot and accept the reality of what's currently happening.
It's, it's unfortunate, but it's like if we cannot deny it, I mean we can, but it just doesn't serve us.
Exactly.
And the other thing too is I remember we were chatting earlier.
You were talking about empathy and vulnerability in a really interesting way and how that those two skills help to propel your your business in surprising ways.
Can you tell us about that too?
Yes.
So when we lost our revenue, I shared it on LinkedIn.
I didn't care because this is the reality.
But where people will hide and be ashamed because of what's happening, that creates opportunity.
So when I shared that I lost my revenue, I had two people on LinkedIn reach out to me and offer me work.
Mind you, they never met me in person.
They only knew me from LinkedIn, never met me in person, but offered me subcontracting opportunities.
That revenue was able to sustain me until I could figure out my next move and until we were able to pivot.
So there's that aspect of it.
Being vulnerable can actually create opportunities.
But it also humanizes you and it empowers people, because if people I mean people probably look at you and say, oh Kwame, he's so successful.
He gets everything.
But they don't know what you have to go through behind the scenes to get there.
And you don't know Kwame, but you are inspiring people by sharing your journey.
And so when I say be vulnerable, don't tell your business to everyone or don't share everything.
But share strategically, be strategically vulnerable.
So that way you are empowering and inspiring your audience, but also attracting opportunities for yourself.
That's smart.
That is smart.
Yeah, because there's an art behind it too, right?
You're doing it in a way where it is not just like all about you, woe is me, that type of stuff.
You say hey, this is what happened and I'm making some, this is what I'm doing, or what I plan to do, or what I did to get through it.
You're right.
You're humanizing.
And that's the thing.
We had a guest on yesterday who talked about the studies that show that people who are willing to admit mistakes can often be, or show mistakes or show those vulnerabilities, are rated as more favorable.
So if you have somebody who is like perfect and they show no flaws versus somebody who has demonstrated like the same level of intellectual capacity but makes a mistake, you like the person who makes the mistake better, right?
Depending on like, as long as it's not a mistake that kills hundreds of people.
Right, you know it's like most mistakes don't are not that significant.
But the thing is these, these challenges that we experience, they make us human, and you cannot relate with somebody to somebody who doesn't appear to be human, and so it's really counterintuitive.
But a lot of times, when we show our humanity in a tasteful way, it actually endears us to others.
Yes, yes.
And not only that, but you have value to add.
If I'm looking for a coach or mentor, I don't want someone who gives the appearance of being perfect.
I want someone who's been, you know, knocked down, kicked down, and who got back up and kept fighting, because those are the people who add value.
They can share the lessons that they learned and they can help me avoid making those same mistakes.
Exactly.
I love this.
This is really great.
And when you think about your goals for the next year now, this will be your first full year doing this, unless something else comes and disrupts.
I really hope I can't take anything.
I'm resilient, but I don't know.
I can't have a repeat. breaking news AGI discovered today, right?
All these things.
What are your goals for this year?
Oh my goodness.
It's funny you asked me that.
I was thinking about that this morning.
So we're on to something really big and great.
And I'm really proud of what I'm building, but I'm only one person and they're only 24 hours in a day.
And so lately, burnout has been an issue with me.
And so for the new year, I am working on scaling, but scaling in a smart way.
So bringing in more people to help because again, they're just certain things that I don't need to be involved in as a business owner.
And you know how that goes.
And so bringing in the right people and getting people in front of more decision makers, right?
Uh, like I said in the beginning, I'm working with some, um some builders, because we're building a system.
And so what does that look like?
Do I start to, you know, hunt out investors?
Um, do I need to start pitching more in order to bring this to the market?
And, you know, Kwame, I, I'm just open to whatever, um, you know, the Lord has for me.
I can do multiple things, but I don't want to be a jack of all trades.
I want to pick a lane and double down on that, while at the same time motivating and inspiring inspiring people.
I love it.
This is fantastic.
And I really appreciate you coming on the show today and the work that you do, the work that you did with our company, but also sharing your story because it is powerful and it is unique.
And so for the folks who are listening, the ones that want to reach out, connect with you and learn more and maybe work with you, what's the best way for them to do that?
You said it already.
LinkedIn.
Yes.
I'm very, very visible on LinkedIn.
Just send me a connection request and we'll love to connect with all of you.
Amazing.
Kim, thank you so much for joining us.
Really appreciate it.
My pleasure, Kwame.
Thank you for having me.
