Today we’d like to introduce you to Kara Duffy.
Hi Kara, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been an entrepreneur since nine years old. Pretty much if something is frustrating, I say “let’s change that!” or if something sounds interesting, I say “let’s make it!”. Both frustration and excitement have lead to my creation of various businesses. After getting my MBA in entrepreneurship & marketing, I thought I would keep working on my own things, but then I had an opportunity to work in footwear and apparel and it spun into a successful corporate career. It worked out because there was so much freedom in the roles that I had. I was able to make cool things, work with cool people, travel the world and keep learning. While I loved the work I was doing, I still felt there was more I could do or at least more that I could be doing to be in alignment with my values.
In search of what was next, I attended a conference for people who wanted to make an impact. At the conference, everyone had ideas for how they wanted to make an impact and yet no one knew how to take their great idea and make it a reality. That’s when I had my lightbulb moment. I know how to take any idea from paper to plan to market and then make it grow! I asked myself that day, “what would it be like to spend my days helping other people bring their great ideas to reality?” After that, I started coaching non-profits and then quickly moved into coaching for-profit businesses.
Simultaneously, I was craving an opportunity to connect with amazing women who wanted to make an impact in their communities and the world. In 2016, I started Powerful Ladies, a company that has a podcast, host events and global activations, workshops and more to bring women together to be empowered and connect to change their own lives and the world.
I started both my Kara Duffy Coaching & Consulting business and my Powerful Ladies business while still working full-time and then made the leap to full-time entrepreneur in 2018.
I love what I’ve created and I love my clients. I get to spend my days helping entrepreneurs learn how to thrive – make more money while living in alignment with themselves, have more freedom and make a bigger impact. In 2021 86% of my clients doubled their revenue year over year and we’re on track to do the same in 2022. I’m proud to help clients retire from their day jobs and be full-time entrepreneurs, just as I’m proud to help clients break the $1M in revenue bubble and to be helping them make the impact they always wanted.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
There’s no such thing as a smooth entrepreneurial road! There have been crazy moments of doubt, months when we’re worried that we’ll make cash flow, and then throw in crazy events like covid and you have to learn to go with the flow. You have to learn to have faith in yourself, what you’re doing, how you’re helping and keep coming back to why you’re doing what you do.
There’s a difference between worrying and creating worst-case scenario plans. Once I’ve created my plans for “if all things go to hell”, then I let it go and get back to focusing on playing offense – calling new clients, being in action and doing the work that I love doing.
A HUGE factor to the reason that I’ve had a smoother road than not is because I started working with a coach very early on. Having a coach and a community makes all the difference.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Kara Duffy Coaching & Consulting helps small & medium size businesses do more of what they love and ditch everything else. I specialize in working with heart-lead, creative entrepreneurs and showing them how to prioritize what matters to them to make their business scale in a much easier fashion. My coaching style is Thrive-Based Business Coaching. To thrive in business means to make crazy money while working less, having more fun, more freedom and making the impact you’ve always wanted. Both for my own life & business, as well as my clients, I’m always playing the game of how can we have it all or as close to all as possible? It’s totally doable and so much fun to make happen!
I’d love to chat with anyone who is looking for that type of business. I offer private one-on-one coaching, group coaching, courses, workshops and a membership, too so there are tons of ways I can support business owners and at different price points. You can also find free tools on my website karaduffy.com or my Instagram @kara_duffy.
Powerful Ladies is all about empowering women to be the change they wish to see in the world. From athletes to entrepreneurs to artists and activists, Powerful Ladies is where women come to share their story, be inspired and connect with other women who are ready to collaborate and be the change. We have a podcast available everywhere, quarterly events, meet-ups and more.
Contact Info:
- Website: karaduffy.com / thepowerfulladies.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/kara_duffy / instragram.com/powerfulladies
- Twitter: twitter.com/karaduffy / twitter.com/powerfulladies_
Image Credits
Darian DiCianno
